Wildfire Lifts - anyone with experience with this 4 post?

[XS29L9B]

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/tls/5634983925.html

Saw this and compared to Backyard Buddy, just wondering if anyone bought one?

TIA

 

[njumongkol]

I just one and love it! Quality and customer service is too notch! They are car guys making carlift!

 

[SuperSonic]

I just one and love it! Quality and customer service is too notch! They are car guys making carlift!

Two posts, both about a lift company no one has heard of. Yep, you totally don't work for them.

 

[Bamafan]

SuperSonic, I don't work for them and am not affiliated with them.

However, after a stupid-long search for the best lift for me (YMMV), I reached out to Wildfire and purchased one. I just installed one and absolutely love it. The engineering is top-notch.

I'll be posting a review soon.

 

[Angelfire]

Wouldn't be a bit surprised to learn Advantage and Wildfire are either one in the same or are in partnership. Both companies located in Minneapolis with products that look nearly identical.

 

[Bamafan]

I thought that too until I talked to both of them. They definitely don’t seem to be in partnership. I’ve seen Wildfire launch innovations that Advantage later picks up on. But that might just be the nature of competition.

 

[walrus]

Are they certified, where are they made?

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[Bamafan]

They are engineered in the US and made in China. They flew over to China three times while they were designing my lift series to make sure it was as specified. They put one together at the factory there to ensure it went together well. And it did when it went together in my garage

 

[kwschumm]

They are engineered in the US and made in China. They flew over to China three times while they were designing my lift series to make sure it was as specified. They put one together at the factory there to ensure it went together well. And it did when it went together in my garage

Regarding manufacturing in China, they have a different outlook on ethics. In their business culture anything goes and it is up to the customer (in this case Wildfire Lifts) to enforce requirements.

If the customer doesn't have a trustworthy QC person on site at all times the manufacturer often *will* look for cheaper materials to use and *will* use them. They often look for shortcuts and do not tell you if materials or methods are changed. IOW, what they build when the customer is looking may be different than what they build when the customer isn't looking.

The also often rip off the design, relabel it under some other name, and sell it in competition with the customer.

It's a real PIA to manufacture in China.

 

[walrus]

They are engineered in the US and made in China. They flew over to China three times while they were designing my lift series to make sure it was as specified. They put one together at the factory there to ensure it went together well. And it did when it went together in my garage

Thanks, 3 times eh. I'll stick with Rotary.

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[Bamafan]

Thanks, 3 times eh. I'll stick with Rotary.

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Not sure why you see that as a disqualifying. I saw it as attention to detail. And it seemed to work; the lift came together really well.

This is a 4 post lift. I believe Rotary specializes in 2 post lifts.

To be clear I’m not trying to sway anyone; just relaying my experience. I just didn’t find anything better built than the Wildfire. And I looked at a ton of them.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

Not sure why you see that as a disqualifying. I saw it as attention to detail. And it seemed to work; the lift came together really well.

This is a 4 post lift. I believe Rotary specializes in 2 post lifts.

To be clear I’m not trying to sway anyone; just relaying my experience. I just didn’t find anything better built than the Wildfire. And I looked at a ton of them.

So you compared it to an advantage lift?

 

[walrus]

Not sure why you see that as a disqualifying. I saw it as attention to detail. And it seemed to work; the lift came together really well.

This is a 4 post lift. I believe Rotary specializes in 2 post lifts.

To be clear I’m not trying to sway anyone; just relaying my experience. I just didn’t find anything better built than the Wildfire. And I looked at a ton of them.

Rotary makes 4 posters but probably not for home owners.

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[Bamafan]

So you compared it to an advantage lift?

I did. I looked at every 2-car lift I could find. I did not enter the process with a bias, though I guess I did assume I would buy a BendPak.

I want to be clear that I’m not putting down any lift. I was just very, very impressed with them and their lifts. I’ll write up a review next week to walk you through it. I just got it installed last week.

 

[PoorOwner]

here you go some information from another post.

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=7001826&postcount=52

I asked Richard about Wildfire and who they are since they are also local to Minneapolis. Richard said that the the owner of Wildfire is a dentist and purchased an Advantage Lift. They decided to replicate the lift and put their own name on it. I asked about patent and all and was told that the cost to file a patent suit was so much that they decided to just sell more lifts and be the better company with better customer support. I was also told that Wildfire doesn't have inventory, so Advantage has been used by Wildfire customers if they need support or parts.

 

[Norcal]

They are engineered in the US and made in China. They flew over to China three times while they were designing my lift series to make sure it was as specified. They put one together at the factory there to ensure it went together well. And it did when it went together in my garage

Should read the trouble that was encountered when building components for the Bay Bridge, they thought they could save money by doing it in China, there was no Federal money so the State of California could do it. There were a lot of QC problems in China & onsite, & it was waaaaay over budget.

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Plague-of-problems-puts-Bay-Bridge-seismic-safety-6253577.php

http://www.americanmanufacturing.or...inese-made-bay-bridge-continues-to-fall-apart

 

[Kim wrength]

What capacity of these 4 post lifts?

 

[grkmec]

Rotary makes 4 posters but probably not for home owners.

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Why do you say this? I am considering a 4-post rotary.

 

[cajunfirehawk]

What capacity of these 4 post lifts?

9000 lbs

Both look very well made, both look like they are mirror copy of one another, I have seen an advantage lift at a local yearly car show and every year I want to buy the demo sample but its pre-sold in advance, I spoke to the guys at wildfire and they are cool guys too, its really a tough decision to make between these two companies and bendpak, they all have have some things I like and dislike. And for all the people that want to bring up the china thing, let me remind you each and everyone that the vast majority of us is carrying at least one or more cells phone made in china and not once does anyone say I want to buy a US made cell phone, or TV....lol

Look, I love to support US products as much as the next guy but anyone who has shopped for US made lifts can see the price difference, which causes the cheaper lifts to sell more products further reducing those costs, IMHO. As always YMMV.

 

[walrus]

Why do you say this? I am considering a 4-post rotary.

They are expensive and do they make a 10,000lb or so 4 poster? I thought the smallest was 14,000 lb, that's a big lift for most of us on here. I have a 2 post rotary, SPO10, I thought about all the Chinese lifts as they were cheaper. I bought a lift I can be confident getting under. By all means buy a Rotary, they make good equipment

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[Buick Invicta]

I also have done a lot of homework on these lifts. I was pulling the trigger on a Rotary when I found out it also was made in China. I called the distributor to verify that China made their 4 post garage lift and he did. I caved and bought the Wildfire for the difference in construction. The Rotary is cheezy C-channel while the Wildfire is not. I have not received it yet but received a shipping notice today.....we'll see.