Maxjax or 9k Bendpak 2 post lift

[PCDan]

Hey there, new to the forum and building a new mancave shop.

I've done quite a bit of reading here and I think I've narrowed down my lift choices to either the Maxjax or 9k Bendpak 2 post lift. I ruled out a scissor lift because I dont want to cut up my new shop floor. I like the ability to move the Maxjax if I want to, but my question is will I be regretting not getting a lift that allows me to stand under the car or truck? Most of our work will be on Toyota truck suspension, brakes, axles etc. and maybe a transfer case and transmission on the 1st gen Bronco. So, do those that have tall lifts use them that high often? Do those with Maxjaxs wish they went higher? I have room and height for the Bendpak but it seems a little overkill unless being able to stand under a vehicle is a big plus.

Thanks for any opinions.

 

[LXCam]

So ya refer to yourself as politically correct dan and you come here using terms like man cave and shop in the same sentence? We only have a couple of rules here and Since this is your first post I'll make'em easy ones to remember

1: ya can't **** yourself........don't ask you'll figure it out
2: no using the term mancave.


Now moving on to your predicament. There's not much of a choice. If you have the head room for a full blown lift you'll regret not going that route. Max jax are great when you lack height and are only really looking to do tire rotations and brake jobs but trust me they'll come many a day you'll be glad your not laying on your back or on your knees working on the exhaust, or swamping a trans or.....you get the idea

Get the bendpac.

 

[PCDan]

So ya refer to yourself as politically correct dan and you come here using terms like man cave and shop in the same sentence? We only have a couple of rules here and Since this is your first post I'll make'em easy ones to remember

1: ya can't **** yourself........don't ask you'll figure it out
2: no using the term mancave.


Now moving on to your predicament. There's not much of a choice. If you have the head room for a full blown lift you'll regret not going that route. Max jax are great when you lack height and are only really looking to do tire rotations and brake jobs but trust me they'll come many a day you'll be glad your not laying on your back or on your knees working on the exhaust, or swamping a trans or.....you get the idea

Get the bendpac.

LXCam, Thanks for the insightful guidance with the "rules" ... I think

Just a few points of clarification.
1. Ive never claimed to be remotely politically correct. I tried it once and it wasnt much fun.
2. The garage and shop are downstairs. The area with the beer and whiskey, big tv, and shuffleboard, is up stairs. But apparently it's not allowed to be a mancave here, so I'll just call it the dude den ... not to be confused with the downstairs "garage"

Ok, so back to my predicament. One of the lift posts will have to be about 3 ft away from one of the workbenches that is along the wall parallel to the car and lift. I was thinking it would be nice to be able to remove the Maxjax next to the workbench and open up the area. Sounds like that convenience isn't worth not being able to lift a lot higher ... in your opinion.

 

[mmb617]

I don't know how old you are but the main reason I got a lift is I had spent too many years crawling around under cars and didn't want to have to do that anymore. I'm 65 by the way. Now that I've had the lift for a few years I'm so spoiled I complain about having to bend down to set the arms prior to lifting the car.

If you've got the headroom the full lift is a no-brainer in my eyes.

 

[lakeroadster]

my question is will I be regretting not getting a lift that allows me to stand under the car or truck?

Yes you will regret it... but you can upgrade later.

And you likely will.

 

[PCDan]

Ok thanks. Since it will fit I'm going with a full height two-post. Now the question is with which one with so many out there. I started a new thread seeking opinions.

I thought I was set on the Bendpak but there have been quite a few recent posts from members here not happy with the Bendpak quality and customer service.

 

[SiGmA_X]

Maxjax is strictly only for people who don't have space for a real lift. In that case, it is great. In all other cases, it *****.

You made the right call.

Man Cave is a HGTV term, please never use it again. You have a shop and a rec room or lounge or something similar... Not a man cave. I think it's against the rules to have a lift or do work in a man cave anyway, and it sounds like you're probably going to work on things in your new shop vs look at your cool car you paid someone else to work on for you (not that paying others is a bad thing, but man cave is not a shop ).

/Rant

 

[brownbagg]

if room is the problem get a four post, because it doesnt have to be bolted down, you can add wheels and push it out of the way

 

[Jason280]

No question about it, if you have the ceiling height, go with something bigger than the Maxjax. Not only will you get a higher lift capacity, but the ability to stand is a huge benefit. Don't get me wrong, I love my Maxjax, but I would take a 9k over it any day of the week.

Another benefit that is often overlooked is the length of the arms. Some of the "bigger" lifts (9k & up) have longer arms, which means the posts can be bolted down farther apart. One issue I have encountered with my Maxjax is with the columns in place, its too narrow for a lot of other things I want to put in the shop (boat, dually truck, equip trailers, etc). Of course, I can always unbolt and move one of the columns, but I'd rather have something I didn't need to move.

 

[lakeroadster]

Ok thanks. Since it will fit I'm going with a full height two-post. Now the question is with which one with so many out there.....................

I've been really happy with my Rotary Lift. Made in America and ALI Certified.

 

[Forever Fixin]

Max height lift if you can afford it, have space for it. I'd say mine(dannmar 10cx) is in full position about 75% of the time. Being able to walk around/ move/ change positions/not having to get up to get tools/fluids quickly is a time saver. Being on a seat or on your knees you will feel the next day and it will fatigue your throughout the project. Always bring your work to the most comfortable height that you can.

 

[c39er]

Get a real lift... full height.

 

[Mr onetwo]

I own a MaxJax and for what it is it's fantastic.I need it for mobility, not low ceiling height due to the dimensions of my garage.However, if I had room for a fixed full height lift I would have never purchased the MaxJax.

 

[JohnnyK8]

Get a Triumph C7000. It lifts to 6 feet, locks every 4", has a 7k capacity and is removable like a Max Jax.

I think it's perfect.

Here is my demo video.

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Tapatalk

 

[PCDan]

Decided on the Bendpak 10k two post in gray. Bought it from Dave at Workshop Depot based on referrals from this forum and the Classic Bronco forum. They sell multiple lifts and he was really helpful. He was actually more knowledgeable than some of the reps from the lift companies. http://www.workshopdepot.com/

 

[lakeroadster]

Decided on the Bendpak 10k two post in gray. Bought it from Dave at Workshop Depot based on referrals from this forum and the Classic Bronco forum. They sell multiple lifts and he was really helpful. He was actually more knowledgeable than some of the reps from the lift companies. http://www.workshopdepot.com/

I thought I was set on the Bendpak but there have been quite a few recent posts from members here not happy with the Bendpak quality and customer service.

So how did Dave convince you that the lift you get won't have the issues some of the members here recently experienced with new Bendpak lifts?

 

[PCDan]

Dave said he doesn't have many customers that have issues or need parts, but if and when they have a problem he gets on a conference call with the customer together with a tech from Bendpak to get the issue resolved. He said if a part is needed he will make sure it gets shipped next day.

 

[p_mori7]

Get a Triumph C7000. It lifts to 6 feet, locks every 4", has a 7k capacity and is removable like a Max Jax.

I think it's perfect.

I am also seeking the best hoist solution for my garage.
I really like that hoist, and enjoyed your video. Nicely done !

~Phil.

 

[JohnnyK8]

I am also seeking the best hoist solution for my garage.
I really like that hoist, and enjoyed your video. Nicely done !

~Phil.

Thx Phil! My son and I had some ups and downs installing (poured concrete) but in the end we learned a ton and we love the hoist. The video was fun to do.

Just removed one of the towers today so we can do some body work on the truck. That flexibility is great.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

 

[SiGmA_X]

So how did Dave convince you that the lift you get won't have the issues some of the members here recently experienced with new Bendpak lifts?

I googled, but not very hard.. Can you fill me in on the Bendpak issues? Personally, I would go Rotary if I had the money for one - I bought a much more budget Atlas and I am happy with it, but it isn't as nice as the Rotary's we had at work or auto tech school.

 

[ADSR]

If you've got the headroom the full lift is a no-brainer in my eyes.

this!

 

[lakeroadster]

So how did Dave convince you that the lift you get won't have the issues some of the members here recently experienced with new Bendpak lifts?

..... Can you fill me in on the Bendpak issues? Personally, I would go Rotary if I had the money for one - I bought a much more budget Atlas and I am happy with it, but it isn't as nice as the Rotary's we had at work or auto tech school.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=355230&highlight=Bendpak

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search.php?searchid=35010086

 

[killahog]

LXCam, Thanks for the insightful guidance with the "rules" ... I think

Just a few points of clarification.
1. Ive never claimed to be remotely politically correct. I tried it once and it wasnt much fun.
2. The garage and shop are downstairs. The area with the beer and whiskey, big tv, and shuffleboard, is up stairs. But apparently it's not allowed to be a mancave here, so I'll just call it the dude den ... not to be confused with the downstairs "garage"

Ok, so back to my predicament. One of the lift posts will have to be about 3 ft away from one of the workbenches that is along the wall parallel to the car and lift. I was thinking it would be nice to be able to remove the Maxjax next to the workbench and open up the area. Sounds like that convenience isn't worth not being able to lift a lot higher ... in your opinion.

Dan I don't know what side of your lift the workbench is going to be on, but I installed a Bendpak XP10ALP and put the controls on the drivers side to kept it away from my bench. It was a difficult to do it asI had to reroute the cable that controls the safety locks but it's working fine.

 

[PCDan]

Dan I don't know what side of your lift the workbench is going to be on, but I installed a Bendpak XP10ALP and put the controls on the drivers side to kept it away from my bench. It was a difficult to do it asI had to reroute the cable that controls the safety locks but it's working fine.

Thanks. I bought a symmetric lift so I will put the controls side away from my bench.

 

[PCDan]

I googled, but not very hard.. Can you fill me in on the Bendpak issues? Personally, I would go Rotary if I had the money for one - I bought a much more budget Atlas and I am happy with it, but it isn't as nice as the Rotary's we had at work or auto tech school.

Do a search here for Bendpak. Some folks have had issues some are very happy theirs. Folks here and on the Bronco forum have purchased from Dave at Workshop Depot and gave him high marks. Give him a call and see what he says. He sells Rotary and Challenger and others. The Rotary would be my first choice but they are quite pricey. I had it narrowed down to the Forward and Bendpak. Forward is Rotary's value line, but they don't have many selections.

 

[Falcon67]

No question about it, if you have the ceiling height, go with something bigger than the Maxjax.

Even if you don't, go full on IMHO

 

[Ditch]

Mancave?

 

[PCDan]

Even if you don't, go full on IMHO

That's awesome

 

[PCDan]

Mancave?

You guys crack me up