Been in the market for a good used symmetric 9 or 10K two post lift. Some I have been looking at are from rotary with their flip up arms. I will be using this lift for everything from a lawnmower to a GMC 2500 HD. Would I be better off getting something with the other type with the socket and pad? I think that type would offer more options for making my own lifting pads for different types of vehicles like the lawnmower or Yamaha Rhino etc. Or will that type of arm let me modify my lifting needs? Thanks in advance.
Rotary flip up arms
- Thread starter Fantic
- Start date
dynahoe
Well-known member
others will have a different view,but in my 25 years of lifting rigs rotary lifts are the worst.the tip up arms have limited configurations,also they are steel on steel and that can cause a sliding situation.the lifts with the rubber pads and several different length pegs are way more versatile,and to me safer,more contact area and rubber against steel tends to shape to the metal and stick better.trucks slide and move around on rotary lifts.they are good for cars very hard to pick up extra cab and long bed trucks with a rotary.
logikal
Well-known member
Agreed with above, excellent for cars , especially German; but an absolute nightmare for trucks. I prefer socket and pad for every lift because of the minimum ground clearance needed.
APEowner
Well-known member
I'm in the socket and pad camp as well.
countryroad82
Well-known member
I actually like the flip up pads myself. I guess I got used to the lift I have at work that now when I use a lift with stack adapters I get annoyed that I have to figure out which rods to use. The flip up pads are already there so it's a matter of either flipping up the short end of the pad or the long with a simple spin of the pad. But that's just my opinion, which is like a ********, everyone has one lol.
cshades
Well-known member
I would'nt use anything other than the flip up pads. I have 3 rotary lifts and 2 other brands with flip ups. I had 1 of the other style and hated it.
APEowner
Well-known member
The flip up pads are convenient for the vehicles that they work on but I don't care for having to stack unsecured blocks of anything to get under running boards on light trucks and while they very well might exist I haven't seen flip ups long enough to work on a lot of those.
Ed ke6bnl
Well-known member
I have a rotory with flip up pads makes it easy to use, from fixing a small trailer to my dodge diesel 2500 to my old chevy dually. This is the only one I have owned, but my boy worked at a trans and muffler shop and preferred the rotory
APEowner
Well-known member
What's the longest/highest flip up? I think that it takes about 12" to clear the running boards on my F-250.
zkdiesel
Well-known member
Add on truck adaptor will just clear superduty running boards. There will be arm to board contact but no damage on 99% of superduty boards
cshades
Well-known member
I bought the extensions that slide right over the flip up pads. It pretty much covers anything that comes in
APEowner
Well-known member
Well, once again I've learned something on the Garage Journal! I hereby withdraw my objection to the flip up pads. In fact, when the time comes to put a lift in my shop I might even look for a lift that has them. I hope this thread has been as helpful for the OP as it has been for me.
After reading these post I'm at least going to look harder at the Rotary's. My original question was about adapting the lift for things other than cars and trucks. I think if I have to I could build "shoes" that go around the end of the arms and drop a pin into the finger holes to secure them.
zkdiesel
Well-known member
I prefer the stackable rotary ones with frame adaptors over flip ups, but flip ups are more convenient and faster in high volume shops.
Capt Chrysler
Well-known member
Flip up pad from 8/83 except for 11 months running a shop with screw pads. I thought they were a joke. I bought two near new hoists, I sold the screw pad one and keep the Rotary with flip pads.
Any thing will slip, its all in how you place the pads!!
Capt. Chrysler
Any thing will slip, its all in how you place the pads!!
Capt. Chrysler
Exactly! If you're lifting points on a vehicle will slip with the metal on metal, you need to rethink where you're lifting from. I always find it easier to find quality lift points with the flip up arms than with the round stackable adapters.
pstnbly
Well-known member
Flip up pads on pinch weld lifts? I don't think so. Chip the paint and undercoating in these areas and the car will rot in 2 yrs in my area.
zkdiesel
Well-known member
Everybody does it. People floor jack and jack stand cars metal on metal also,....
countryroad82
Well-known member
Not trying to start an argue ment but why in the world would you lift a car on the pinch welds to begin with? I always position to where I can get to the subframe and rear suspension, sometimes that requires me to jack a car up to get the arms underneath it but so be it, I've never caused damage due to that.
zkdiesel
Well-known member
Because pinch welds on some cars are the lift points.....
In your hobby world you can use floor jacks to position a car on a rack, cause your bat **** crazy, but in the professional world of car repair their is not time for that
On cars you have to lift on the pinch weld, you just leave the pads flat. You end up having a bigger contact point this way also.
Oldtymeflyr
Well-known member
I have used my Rotary to lift our GMC 2500HD. No issues. The Toyota Highlander is lifted on pinch welds. No issues.
On my Rotary the lift pads are removable. At the Rotary site they will have a broad range of accessories, I have not need any.
I have never had to use the flip up pad feature.
Good Luck.
Rick
On my Rotary the lift pads are removable. At the Rotary site they will have a broad range of accessories, I have not need any.
I have never had to use the flip up pad feature.
Good Luck.
Rick
Strouty
Well-known member
Man, I thought I was going to see a lift with arms that flip up and out of the way when not in use.
I do not personally like the rotary flip pads, I prefer drop in style with rubber. You can also make custom brackets easily for almost anything, tractors, trailer, 4 wheelers.
I do not personally like the rotary flip pads, I prefer drop in style with rubber. You can also make custom brackets easily for almost anything, tractors, trailer, 4 wheelers.
countryroad82
Well-known member
Not working in the hobby world but I'm also not a tech, I work on my own fleet of vehicles for my job. I only have 3 cars that are on the fleet and 2 require me to jack them up at the front/rear to get the lift arms under them. But thanks for the clarity on lifting by the pinch welds and assuming (know what happens when you assume right?) I'm 'just another hobbiest'.
Oh and I have been accused of being bat **** crazy once or twice in my time, but not for wasting my time.