scissor lift VS 2 post VS 4post

[Chris Spenceley]

This is my first post - so much great stuff here on the GJ.

There is a Bear 4.5ton scissor alignment lift coming to auction locally tomorrow. I was wondering what lifts people prefer to use and what is a fair price range for such a lift. Any comments are much appreciated. Thanks

 

[djrichmond]

What lift is better greatly depends on what sort of work you will be doing with it. For suspension or exhaust work you would be better off with a 2 post lift for the better clearance on the underside. If you're going to be doing body work and just want to bring the vehicle up to a standing level then a scissor lift works great and requires less overhead space.

As far as prices go, just look around online and figure out what would be reasonable.

 

[zkling]

2 posts are versatile overall for work, scissor lifts are more space conscious and handy for detail or wheel work. Then 4 posts are nice for storage and underbody work, but can be a pain for wheel well work. IIRC scissor alignment lifts are like a cross between scissor lifts and 4 posts, but with more draw backs.

Unless you plan on doing alignments, I'm not sure how useful that would be for the home mechanic.