Mohawk lift review

[kaffine]

Well after using my Mohawk System 1 lift for a few months here is a review.

Pros

The lift is very well built and has heavy lift columns and arms. I have no concern about being under the lift fully loaded while I’m working on it. With only minor maintenance it will have no problem outlasting me.

The columns being 10 feet apart give plenty of room to open the car door and get out.

Since only hydraulic lines go between the 2 posts you can adjust it to fit the ceiling height as long as the ceiling is higher than the columns. Although make sure who ever is installing it has the right tools and has shortened the lines before if you need to shorten the lines.

The ability to control just the far side by itself may come in handy. I could see making adapters and using it as a motorcycle lift.

The weight gauge. I am surprised this isn't standard on lifts how many people really know how heavy the trucks they are lifting are.

Cons

The hydraulic synchronization does not work as well as I would like, pretty much every time I have to use the manual override to level the car. The manual override is a more of a sledgehammer when trying to make minor adjustments. It would be nice instead of just on or off if it allowed minor adjustments. I can’t take it to the top of the travel with a car on it because my ceiling is to low but I do run the arms all the way up unloaded and let them hit the stop. Even after doing that it is still off when lifting.

Lift arms. They really should offer 3 stage arms. I have trouble lifting my Jetta because the arms just barely clear the tires. If I was only working on trucks this wouldn’t an issue but I would hate to have to work on cars with a shorter wheel base than my Jetta. When you push the lift arms all the way in they catch on the back and don’t want to come back out. I run into this issue when I have to remove the lift pads and push the arm all the way in so it will clear the tires. The locks for the lift arm are also a bit of a pain. They are hard to release manually when trying to adjust the arms with them lifted a little like trying to get them positioned on a jacked up 4x4.

Safety locks. I much prefer a single point release of the locks and the ability to reengage the locks while it is going down. The Mohawk has a cable on each post that you have to pull to release the locks and lower the car then to get it to relock after lowering it you have to raise it a few inches first. If you don’t raise the car high enough the lock won’t release this wouldn’t be much of a problem but I have a low ceiling so when working with the car on the highest lock I can use I have to be careful how much higher I lift it. While the side with the pump will be high enough to release the lock the far side will need to be raised just a little more. Most other lifts I have used have a single point lock release and allow you to reengage the locks on the way down by letting go of the release handle.


If I was to do it again I would not get a Mohawk. It is a solid lift but the user interface really needs work.

 

[krooser]

I'd sooner have a Mohawk than 90% of the lifts made today... better safe than sorry. You bought one of the best in the world...

'User interface'? It's a tool not a computer.

 

[sberry]

I have one and would say the complaints are valid but the issues are not a deal breaker to me. I haven't ran one side by itself, I top mine out all the time. Its not perfect but works. The installers were ok but I can tell they learned hand to mouth, they could use some training. They put the arm nuts on dry with air gun and seized a couple nuts and the lock cables need adjustment. I need another washer on the top of the rams, mine will drag on the floor all the way down. On the plus side it is very stable.

 

[dawg]

couple years ago I got a benpak and freind got a mohawk.
both have same load ratings 9000 lbs
I dont have the cons the mohawk has and i got a heck of alot more pros.
he wishs he had a bendpak now lol.

 

[hilld]

Cons

The hydraulic synchronization does not work as well as I would like, pretty much every time I have to use the manual override to level the car. The manual override is a more of a sledgehammer when trying to make minor adjustments. It would be nice instead of just on or off if it allowed minor adjustments. I can’t take it to the top of the travel with a car on it because my ceiling is to low but I do run the arms all the way up unloaded and let them hit the stop. Even after doing that it is still off when lifting.

Did your installer shim the off side cylinder. The is the method to use for installation when the columns are not 100% level (meaning one is slightly higher than the other). You should have gotten some seriously large washers that are used for shimming the lift. This sounds like an installation error/problem.

One more thing I would add is that Mohawk should sell some frame cradle adapters, I had to have some custom made, I didn't like the feeling of the F350 up in the air without using some frame cradles. (Sorry to hijack your post).

Derek

 

[dpbendpak]

Mohawk lifts are indeed heavy, but better? I know this forum should not be a sounding board, but I thought I'd share my recent story. I try to remain non-bias and cognizant of negative fallout that can befall a competition basher, but for the sake of productive debate, I’ll deliver the following.

Last month, we got a call from a distributor that sells both Mohawk and BendPak. The distributor had recently sold a Mohawk lift to a local Fire Department. Obviously, money was no concern. (See more below.) Although the columns in true Mohawk fashion were indeed heavy, the customer was less than impressed with the overall performance and requested the new Mohawk lift to be removed and replaced. Equalization issues only one of a handful of complaints. After going through a formal bid process, the Mohawk lift was removed and replaced with a BendPak XPR-15C. In this case, the customer’s reaction to Mohawk’s heavy columns did not adequately persuade them to consider an alternative lifting solution.

My Mohawk vs. BendPak debate would go like this…

• Mohawk columns are indeed heavy, but they will not raise their rated load one bit safer than any other certified lift product. All ALI/ETL certified lift products feature columns that are capable of safely supporting a minimum three times their rated load capacity.
• Mohawk lifts use roller bearings for the lifting carriages. Although impressive sounding, roller bearings will ultimately require more maintenance and service than newer lift designs that employ UHMW slide blocks. We have firsthand knowledge to support this because early BendPak lifts (1984-1990) used forklift channel and mast bearings.
• Mohawk lifts will have equalization (leveling) issues. Trying to equalize full-rise lifts via hydraulics is literally impossible without the need for constant bilateral pressure equalizing.
• Mohawk safety locks are not single-point release. You need to walk to each column and pull a safety lock lanyard to release the locks.
• Mohawk safety locks do not automatically reset after disengagement. After the latches have been manually disengaged, the Mohawk lift must be raised approximately 2 inches to reactivate the latches. BendPak safety locks are engaged at all times. It is not necessary to raise the lift to re-engage the locks.
• The lack of a top cross beam on the Mohawk increases stress on the floor and concrete anchors.
• Don't buy a lift by the pound. Consider benefits, state-of-the-art engineering and design, features, and last but not least, cosmetic appearance.


The "more below" part.
It probably comes as no surprise that purchasing directors at both state and federal levels seem dead-set on spending our tax dollars like its 2006. We continually lose bids to Mohawk Lifts, who markets themselves as the #1 lift supplier for government, state, utility and fleet lifting requirements. Curiously however, Mohawk Lifts systematically charges double and many times triple or more the price of what a similarly compared product from BendPak would sell for. Sure, I’m bothered for losing out on sales opportunities, but more than that, I'm troubled that many state and federal buyers continue wasting taxpayer money as if the money train has not left the station. And when you consider the millions of dollars seemingly wasted in just this incidental segment of overall budgets it makes you nauseous. One has to question why, in this time of belt-tightening for the rest of the country, do states and our government have to consistently come up with the most expensive possible solution for every need?

To add insult to injury, Cooperative Procurement once known as "piggybacking" is becoming more and more popular. Cooperative procurement is a method whereby if one agency has gone through the procurement process, has established a contract for a product group, and has issued a vendor award, this award can be handed down and used by many government agencies. As recently quoted in School Transportation News, one state procurement director said before his state joined a large procurement co-op, "why re-invent the wheel when another state and their procurement staff has done all of the work". If that sounds pathetic, it should. This clearly explains the mentality of some state, school and federal workers. Blind adherence to agency type culture based on the insidious five-monkeys, "That's the way we've always done it” philosophy.

The problem is, and always will be, what if the way they've always done it is wrong!?

Frustratingly yours,

D.P.
BendPak/Ranger

 

[hilld]

I know bid contracts are frustrating, I used to deal with those myself. Right now there is a little more to it when it comes to just getting the best value for your $$$. If something is American made, with American parts AND labor, generally those items get preferential treatment as they should. Our tax $$$ should support American jobs, not Chinese jobs, unless they clearly have a better product.

Just look at the recent Air Force tanker contract, it was awarded to Airbus/Northrup Grumman, however, due to political pressure, that contract was taken away and is being re-done.

Personally as an American tax payer, I want to see my money go local rather than oversees.

Derek

 

[RbrtAWhyt]

Frustratingly yours,

D.P.
BendPak/Ranger

Your obvious bias, to me, makes your opinion null and void.

 

[kaffine]

hilld : Thanks for the tip about the shims. I'll have to call the company that installed it and see if they have any. It wouldn't surprise me if they didn't shim it I was not impressed with the company that installed it. I also agree about the frame craddle adapters that would be nice.

krooser : Ok then call it ergonomics instead of user interface it still needs work. It seems to me they made a great lift then stopped trying to improve it. It is still a good lift but it could be better.

 

[southernfriedcj]

...he wishs he had a bendpak now lol.

I wish I had that '69 Camaro, I miss mine.

 

[jerkyboy]

I know bid contracts are frustrating, I used to deal with those myself. Right now there is a little more to it when it comes to just getting the best value for your $$$. If something is American made, with American parts AND labor, generally those items get preferential treatment as they should. Our tax $$$ should support American jobs, not Chinese jobs, unless they clearly have a better product.

Just look at the recent Air Force tanker contract, it was awarded to Airbus/Northrup Grumman, however, due to political pressure, that contract was taken away and is being re-done.

Personally as an American tax payer, I want to see my money go local rather than oversees.

Derek

What brand lift do you own? I'd like to buy American myself but I'm 99% sure I'm going to go with the BenPak based on reviews.

 

[sberry]

So, they replace a 10 K Mohawk with a 15K Bendpak?

 

[kaffine]

jerkyboy: You might want to look at Rotary lifts they are made in the USA. I haven't used one though.

sberry: Looking at the pics it is either a 12k or 16k Mohawk. The 10k uses a chain and uses shorter cylinders. The one pictured doesn't seem to have a chain and has a tall cylinder.

 

[dpbendpak]

So, they replace a 10 K Mohawk with a 15K Bendpak?

Sorry for omitting. Actually, the Mohawk lift was a model TP-16 rated at 16,000 pounds and had been installed for less than a year.

 

[hilld]

What brand lift do you own? I'd like to buy American myself but I'm 99% sure I'm going to go with the BenPak based on reviews.

I purchased a Mohawk System 1A. I looked at others, but decided this is what I wanted.

 

[floyd]

I bought an A-7 last year. I am very happy with it. My install crew was very good and have been great with any questions since.

 

[dpbendpak]

I know bid contracts are frustrating, I used to deal with those myself. Right now there is a little more to it when it comes to just getting the best value for your $$$. If something is American made, with American parts AND labor, generally those items get preferential treatment as they should. Our tax $$$ should support American jobs, not Chinese jobs, unless they clearly have a better product.

Just look at the recent Air Force tanker contract, it was awarded to Airbus/Northrup Grumman, however, due to political pressure, that contract was taken away and is being re-done.

Personally as an American tax payer, I want to see my money go local rather than oversees.

Derek

I’m as patriotic as anyone and am very passionate about saving America and American jobs. In a sense, that is the main reason we were forced to explore offshore manufacturing. Like many other companies in the US, we were given little choice as the influx of imports soared. You either beat them at their own game or close up shop.

Although a great majority of BendPak production is overseas, we still employ significantly more than Mohawk Lifts does. In addition to those on our payroll here in the states, we do our fair share by providing substantial financial support for nearly 1500 dealers and service centers, hundreds of freight employees, dock workers, power unit manufacturers, local steel companies and dozens more - again, substantially more than Mohawk. That’s when you start realizing how ridiculous the debate is.

Below is an example of pricing.

BENDPAK
MODEL: HD-35 35,000 lb. capacity 4-post lift with 22’ runways.
PRICE: Anywhere from $15,800.00 to $17,000.00. (As found on Google)
MOHAWK LIFTS
MODEL: TR-35 35,000 lb. capacity 4-post lift with 20’ runways.
PRICE: $ 60,677.74 (As listed on Mohawk Lifts government section website)

BENDPAK
MODEL: XPR-12FD 12,000 lb. capacity 2-post style lift
PRICE: Anywhere from $4,500.00 to $4,800.00. (As found on Google)
MOHAWK LIFTS
MODEL: LMF-12 12,000 lb. capacity 2-post style lift
PRICE: $10,656.43 (As listed on Mohawk Lifts government section website)


Wasteful government and municipal spending is just that, wasteful. Although federal and state programs do help keep America's workforce moving, at what cost? All government and municipal spending, even when financed by borrowing, must eventually be paid for with taxes.

Just because something is way more expansive, doesn’t always make it better.

BendPak Factory(s) Lifts & Wheel Service Divisions- Offshore and California

Mohawk Factory Tour

D.P.

 

[kvom]

I bought an A-7 last year. I am very happy with it. My install crew was very good and have been great with any questions since.

Same here. Very happy. It's a used lift I got at a good price.

 

[pimp-boy]

Hi Floyd and Kvam, when you had them install your lifts, was your concrete 4000PSI? and also what size rebar did you have in your concrete? I'm planning on ordering one in the next 2 months. Any complaints besides the original review?

Thanks.

I bought an A-7 last year. I am very happy with it. My install crew was very good and have been great with any questions since.

 

[kvom]

Concrete is 4000psi. Slab is 4", but as a lift was preplanned the posts sit over 6" deep portions. There is some rebar in the slab, but none under the posts.

So far I have only lifted the vehicles listed in my sig. No problems at all. The truck at 7200 lbs is slightly over the lift's rating, but that's not an issue.

 

[floyd]

PB - 4000 psi, 6 inches thick. Not sure on the rebar. I'll dig up the receipts and see how he wrote it up.

 

[BendPak]

couple years ago I got a benpak and freind got a mohawk.
both have same load ratings 9000 lbs
I dont have the cons the mohawk has and i got a heck of alot more pros.
he wishs he had a bendpak now lol.

Yo dawg! (Hehe.) Thanks for the quote! We dropped it in our testimonials page, come check it out.

 

[bill9860]

After lots of research and thought got the Mohawk A7. Really have nothing bad to say about any of the others but just as someone else said earlier, I decided it was what I wanted. I do agree with comments about the equalization but certainly not a deal breaker...and I can fully raise the lift. American made is nice but that was a factor not THE factor. It is pricey. No doubt about that.

 

[Shadowdog500]

Kaffine,

If your lift gets out of sync all the time it sounds like you may have air in the lines. My lift does not get out of synchronization unless I lift something really heavy. A regular car lifts fine.

How often do you "bleed" your lift? You are supposed to run the rams all the way to the top and run the pump for two minutes after the install to purge air from the lines, then repeat for about 30 seconds every now and again. See the manual that came with your lift, under "bleeding".

My lift does not get out of sync unless I lift something really heavy like a truck and even then it is only a little bit. If lifting a truck I found that bumping the far side for an instant before lifting the wheels off of the ground puts it close to in sync.

The Jetta must have a really short wheelbase because I can get the arms to clear my wife's Toyota Corolla no problem. This surprised me because I used to work under an early Weaver lift and the arms would never clear the tires on any car unless you put in in neutral and pushed it back and forth to push the arms under the car.

I never worked under a lift that had a single point release so walking a few feet to pull the two releases never bothered me.


dbbentpack,

I have nothing against Bentpack lifts and almost bought one instead of my Mohawk, but I do find it somewhat offensive that a you are a dealer with a total of four posts on this forum and all of them are effectively bashing Mohawk lifts and hawking your product. You may not realize it, but you are coming off to me like a pushy used car salesman. We have two Snap-On dealers that regularly participate on this forum and I don't remember ever seeing either of them them openly bash a competitors product (even HF!!!), or have every post hawking their product.

I did follow your link to the testimonial page and found it extremely odd that every one of your "testimonials" are quotes that you or bentpac (is that you?) took the liberty to lift from posts on various forums, including ours. Don't people write you letters?

Maybe it is just me.

Chris

 

[halltrail]

Ive been using a Mohawk system 1 9000 lbs lift now for a couple of weeks...and I love it. I dont really have any equalization problems...at first, I did have to bump up the offside a bit...but really all that matters is that the columns are equal because you drop the carriage onto the manual safety locks anyways. Now, I must admit ive never used any other brand lift but, I dont mind the releases on both sides. I have 2 jeep wranglers...an expedition, honda pilot and an f350. It lifts them all. I do have to move the jeep back and forth to get the arms in but it only takes a min. You cant get a much smaller wheel base than a wrangler.

 

[kaffine]

I've tried running it up and run it for a minute at the stop then lowering it and lifting the truck and it still is off by a large margin. I can't do it with the truck on the lift due to the ceiling but once it hits the stops it goes to full pressure anyways. If the off side control allowed for a more precise adjustment it wouldn't be much of a problem. Thankfully I am not making a living working flat rate with this lift. In a hobby shop it is just an annoyance if I was working flat rate it would be costing me money. When I set the truck down on locks it is level just when it is in motion that it is off although if I didn't make adjustments while it was lifting it would be so far off that the sides would be on diffrent locks.

The locks still drive me crazy I am just so used to a single point release and being able to re-engage the locks on the way down. I hate having to lower it past where I want it then lift it back up then lower it again. I am one that sets it on the locks unless it is in motion. There are a few things I used to do that it is a lot easier if the locks can be re-engaged on the way down. Of course it is nice to be able to complain about such minor issues. I spent too many years out in the driveway with jacks and stands if I remeber that then the issues I do have with the lift are minor.

I have been using it to help unload heavy items as well. I need to get a picture of it with my drill press hanging from it. I got a drill press from 1897 that weighs around 450 pounds real easy to unload it with the lift. Not sure how to get it moved from between the lift post now that it is on the ground though.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I didn't make adjustments while it was lifting it would be so far off that the sides would be on diffrent locks.

Mine is nowhere near that far off. Either I'm extremely lucky or something is wrong with your lift.

When the Mohawk dealer installed my lift they pulled the arms on both sides out until they touched each other in the middle and ran it up to make sure both sides were level and were tracking in relation to each other. Do your arms line up with each other without a car? I'm wondering if you have a problem with your lift or install.

Chris

 

[hilld]

Like I mentioned before, the off side cylinder might have to be shimmed. Those shims (very large washers - 2" diameter inside) should have come with the lift. Mine needed 2 of them and all is well. This really sounds like an installation problem, since you had issues with the installers in the first place, I would start there.

Derek

 

[38D]

I have a Mohawk A7 and it is awesome. A friend of mine has had his A7 for 10 years and its never had an issue, equalization or otherwise. I would never get a bendpak after seeing someone crush the fluid reservoir when the lifted with the arms all the way out (not under the car)....bad design IMO.

 

[dankicksass]

I used a Mohawk lift for the first time on Thursday, after hearing another tech rave about how great they are. The safety locks are a huge pain in the *** and I'd say they're inherently unsafe. Put a little loop of cable under each lift arm for a tech to tug? No thanks. I'll stick with Rotary, pull the lever and don't think about it.

 

[Shadowdog500]

I used a Mohawk lift for the first time on Thursday, after hearing another tech rave about how great they are. The safety locks are a huge pain in the *** and I'd say they're inherently unsafe. Put a little loop of cable under each lift arm for a tech to tug? No thanks. I'll stick with Rotary, pull the lever and don't think about it.

Just curious, Why do you see the safety locks as inherently unsafe?

Chris

 

[dankicksass]

Just curious, Why do you see the safety locks as inherently unsafe?

Chris

Just based on the position of the loop pull under the arm base, it could get caught on things when you're moving under the vehicle. I'm not saying all the time, but once is enough. Plus I know a lot of the guys here have kids and curiosity could get somebody hurt. The lower-control on the lift I was working with is at a child's height as well, but I don't think it was original; there was a long dangle-handle coming off the hydraulic release that I had assumed was added because the lift was installed with limited clearance on the control side, and should have been installed in reverse with controls on the left.

 

[Busted_Knuckles]

I bought a new 9000lbs mohawk in 86 or 87 for my garage business, I have since sold to a buddy, about 10 years ago, anyhow, it has been in full commercial use since day one, and it was my main lift, until I sold it, and its Matts main lift right up till today (in a general repair shop). It has seen ZERO repairs, original pump, motor, cylinders, nothing has been repaired, the oil not even changed. And they are overbuilt, and I would buy another one. Ive worked in two shops that had bendpaks, Id still prefer to work under the beef of the Mohawk. I'm now working back at my own place under a heavily and well built Challenger 4 post, but I'm passively looking for another Mohawk 2 post (used).

As a side note, my buddy Roger, bought a new 2 post, brand was "Autolifters", I installed it for him, he used it a couple times over the period of a year (did a couple oil changes). So Roger calls one day and says " I bought a four post, will you install it?", so I go uninstall the 2 post, install the 4 post and sell the 2 post to my buddy Matt (same guy I sold my Mohawk too).

About 2 weeks into commercial use at Matt's, one cylinder starts leaking, and Autolifters had folded by then (I believe its since been purchased and may be back in business). So this thing maybe saw a total of 50 cycles before failure. Matt removes the cyl., and sends it out to be re-sealed. They re-seal it, it still leaks, re-builder tells him the cylinder is probably out of round, and he needs a new cylinder. The lift now sits basically idle. I installed it twice, it didn't leak at Rogers, but now leaks pretty bad at Matt's.

I share this story, only for you guys running on a shoestring, and want a lift. If you buy an elcheapo lift, you may get lucky, and you may not. The autolifters lift, was one of those $2k lifts, real cheap, you get what you pay for. Its a 1/4 of the lift that Mohawk is.

 

[floyd]

Just based on the position of the loop pull under the arm base, it could get caught on things when you're moving under the vehicle. I'm not saying all the time, but once is enough. Plus I know a lot of the guys here have kids and curiosity could get somebody hurt. The lower-control on the lift I was working with is at a child's height as well, but I don't think it was original; there was a long dangle-handle coming off the hydraulic release that I had assumed was added because the lift was installed with limited clearance on the control side, and should have been installed in reverse with controls on the left.

I disagree - You cannot disengage the locks with a load on it. In other words, you can pull all you want on the cable, but unless the lift has been raised to take the load off, it will not disengage the lock. There's no way you could get tangled up on it and accidently disengage the locks IMO.

 

[dankicksass]

I disagree - You cannot disengage the locks with a load on it. In other words, you can pull all you want on the cable, but unless the lift has been raised to take the load off, it will not disengage the lock. There's no way you could get tangled up on it and accidently disengage the locks IMO.

I don't know anyone who actually lowers a vehicle onto the locks, raises it after he's done, disengages locks and then lowers the vehicle in a commercial situation or a simple job at home. Never met that guy. I know he's out there somewhere...

 

[Shadowdog500]

I don't know anyone who actually lowers a vehicle onto the locks, raises it after he's done, disengages locks and then lowers the vehicle in a commercial situation or a simple job at home. Never met that guy. I know he's out there somewhere...

Working under any lift that is not lowered onto the safety locks is inherently unsafe.

When the safety locks are engaged it is impossible to pull the loops, and pushing on the down lever will do nothing, since that is how you put the lift onto the safety locks.

My controls are at adult height, Whatever that dangle thing you are talking about isn't normal.

Chris

 

[jay50]

I don't know anyone who actually lowers a vehicle onto the locks, raises it after he's done, disengages locks and then lowers the vehicle in a commercial situation or a simple job at home. Never met that guy. I know he's out there somewhere...

In my shop, if you don't properly lower and lock the lift, you are fired on the spot.
No room for lazy $hits who don't follow basic lift safety practices.

 

[38D]

I don't know anyone who actually lowers a vehicle onto the locks, raises it after he's done, disengages locks and then lowers the vehicle in a commercial situation or a simple job at home. Never met that guy. I know he's out there somewhere...

I lower mine onto the safeties every time...takes all of 2 seconds.

 

[ebfabman]

I don't know anyone who actually lowers a vehicle onto the locks, raises it after he's done, disengages locks and then lowers the vehicle in a commercial situation or a simple job at home. Never met that guy. I know he's out there somewhere...

In forty years of working on, around, and under lifts, I've never not engaged the locks on any lift. Lowering onto the locks should be done every time you use it.




Mowawk system 1 owener here.

 

[The Wizard]

I don't know anyone who actually lowers a vehicle onto the locks, raises it after he's done, disengages locks and then lowers the vehicle in a commercial situation or a simple job at home. Never met that guy. I know he's out there somewhere...

I agree for the most part. When I go to buddies houses, or mechanic shops, they never lower the locks onto the safety bars as intended. Up it goes, then under they go. Bad, bad habits I see all the time.

Personally, I use the locks as intended.

But, all this talk has de-railed the thread's original intent. A new thread should be started with a poll added.