WILDFIRE VS ADVANTAGE LIFTS

[Pool Fixer]

Hello, this is my first post here. I'm looking to buy a 4 post lift to use at my shop. I really like the closed 4 sided post configuration of the Advantage and Wildfie lifts.

1) does any other manufacturer make a 4 post lift with these 4 sided posts?

2) I'm looking at the Advantage DX9000XLT vs Wildfire XLT. They appear to be very close is design and specs,
- Advantage is $5881.00 vs Wildfire $5395.00. Both want 950 to ship it but Wildfire won't charge sales tax which makes the
total cost:
Wildfire: $6345.00
Advantage: $7339.00
At this point they seem like the same lift but one will cost me almost a grand more.

Am I missing anything? I'd spend the extra money if the juice is worth the squeeze.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Anyone?

 

[kbuhagiar]

Anyone?

Contrary to popular belief we aren't all sitting on GJ waiting to pounce on the latest question.
Some of us have jobs and won't have a chance to peruse GJ until the evening.
Give us a chance....

I myself have a DirectLift 4-post lift and I am happy with it, but there are other members here who have researched the differences. Hopefully they will share their experiences with you.

Are both of the lifts ALI certified? Do they both come with the same accessories?
This MAY (or may not) explain the difference in price.

Good luck!

 

[Pool Fixer]

Contrary to popular belief we aren't all sitting on GJ waiting to pounce on the latest question.
Some of us have jobs and won't have a chance to peruse GJ until the evening.
Give us a chance....

I myself have a DirectLift 4-post lift and I am happy with it, but there are other members here who have researched the differences. Hopefully they will share their experiences with you.

Are both of the lifts ALI certified? Do they both come with the same accessories?
This MAY (or may not) explain the difference in price.

Good luck!

The advantage definitely is. I’m not sure about the wildfire

 

[finn]

My Advantage DX9000 XLT is certified. The 11000 wasn’t when I bought one of each.

After I bought my Advantage lifts, I saw the Wildfire on display at the Iola car show, and asked the rep what the difference was between the two, as they looked virtually identical in person. He claimed there was some additional metal on the Wildfire ramps, underneath. Could be, but it wasn’t obvious after my cursory inspection.

I suggest you inquire about availability before you get too far. I thought I read, somewhere, about delivery issues with one of them.

 

[drmarkr]

Those lifts are very likely produced in the same factory in China.....as was my Atlas. Look at all the pics online and you can see all the same parts on the things?

So you might want to price an Atlas while you're at it.

FWIW, they're pretty easy to assemble. Took me and my (then 14 y/o) son an afternoon to do so. There's some good vids on YouTube that will help.

 

[Norcal]

When I read Wildfire vs Advantage lifts, made me think of the photos of lifts in shops after the Camp fire that destroyed Paradise, CA, burned cars on burned lifts & they stayed up on the lifts.

 

[409425hp]

As stated above you might want to check on availability.I have been waiting for 2 months for a universal lift to come in.I waited 3 months last year for one.

 

[Pool Fixer]

I really like the 4 sided posts and how the beams wrap completely around the posts on wildfire and advantage. I can't find this design feature on any other lifts. Wildfire has the lift I want in stock. I'm assuming it's not ALI certified as I can't find it on the website.

 

[racecougar]

Keep in mind that that design lacks separate adjustment for the locks and cables, which means you are reliant on a completely level floor or shims under your posts. Dialing in the locks via the cables on a floor that isn't level sets the runways at whatever slope your floor is at. The only way to overcome that is by shimming the posts.

Having the cables hidden within the posts, and the lock rods hidden within the crossbeams, is another benefit to the design that DirectLift, Forward, and others utilize.

 

[Pool Fixer]

I will look into that.... my floor is in a commercial building and it's always seemed very even to me but I'll check.

 

[Jwallace1]

my wildfire lift has threaded ends on the cables for adjustment at each corner and is sitting on a floor with a 3" slope over 30 ft

 

[racecougar]

my wildfire lift has threaded ends on the cables for adjustment at each corner and is sitting on a floor with a 3" slope over 30 ft

Right. I don't know of a modern 4 post lift that doesn't have cable adjustment. That isn't what I referred to above.

 

[RPH]

I have the wildfire lift. Barn floor slopes about 1” in 10’. I have had it both ways across the slope and have never had a problem. Wheels are chocked when used. Never had an issue going up or down. Never felt unsafe in any manner.
Totally satisfied with the wildfire lift. I preferred the box beam type construction.

 

[racecougar]

Thinking this thread may be pertinent: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/sloped-garage-floor-4-post-car-lift.505839/#post-9830587

 

[Pool Fixer]

I ended up ordering the Wildfire Standard. The XLT would fit easily but I need room to get around it as this is a working warehouse for my business with a forklift and materials up high on pallet racks. I laid out blue tape on the floor with the dimenisons of XLT vs Standard. XLT was just a little too big to get the forklift around. As a bonus, overall width is 9'6" for Standard which will just fit through my 10' bay door fully assembled so I can roll her out into the parking lot if I ever need the room or for spring cleaning.

It's mostly for my '68 Charger and occasionally my 1/2 ton crew cab pickup. wheelbase on the pickup is 12' and ramps are 17'9". widthwise the pickup will be tight but doable. at 9K weight will not be a concern. I'm coming from a super sketch tuxedo 6K single post so I have nowhere to go but up!

 

[boatshoes]

Bendpak's GrandPrix line also has the boxed columns you like

 

[finn]

Bendpak's GrandPrix line also has the boxed columns you like

Out of curiosit, I looked at the Bendpac website. The Grand Prix does look very similar to the Advantage and Wildfire, and I concur with others that think they are all from the same factory.

After a cursory look at the Bendpac sales brochure and installation manual, the one thing that stands out is the ramp stops are separate plates rather than the integrated tip up stops on the 9000lb Advantage. The larger 11k Advantage has the same separate runway stop plates as the Bendpac uses.

The integrated stops are preferred, at least for me, as it’s too easy to take a shortcut In the heat of battle and skip installing the stops when loading the lift with a car…I have done it on my 11k Advantage that has the separate plates.

The manual says that up to three degrees of slope (post tilt) is ol’ without shimming, and they sell shims up to 2” thick to compensate for uneven floors.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Bendpak's GrandPrix line also has the boxed columns you like

I didn't know this till after I bought the wildfire. Probably wouldn't have made a difference as the price of the bendpak is way higher than wildfire or advantage. If I could be ASSURED it was made in USA, maybe... but all I've found out so far is Bendpak maybe made in usa, maybe not. Saw some posts right here on GJ where guys unboxed their new lifts advertised as made in usa only to find made in china on them.

 

[finn]

I didn't know this till after I bought the wildfire. Probably wouldn't have made a difference as the price of the bendpak is way higher than wildfire or advantage. If I could be ASSURED it was made in USA, maybe... but all I've found out so far is Bendpak maybe made in usa, maybe not. Saw some posts right here on GJ where guys unboxed their new lifts advertised as made in usa only to find made in china on them.

Backyard Buddy has the box column construction and is made in the USA.

BB is now owned by Advantage… your money, your choice.

Lots of talk here of buying USA made products, here, but not many ready to pony up the additional dollars. (Me included).

 

[Pool Fixer]

Backyard Buddy has the box column construction and is made in the USA.

BB is now owned by Advantage… your money, your choice.

Lots of talk here of buying USA made products, here, but not many ready to pony up the additional dollars. (Me included).

I couldn't find a 9K backyard buddy lift

 

[Pool Fixer]

Got the wildfire 9k and got her assembled today.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Installed some LED’s underneath. Let the games begin

 

[RPH]

Looking good. Now that you have it together and used it. What’s your opinion on it?

 

[thirdgoat]

I really like the 4 sided posts and how the beams wrap completely around the posts on wildfire and advantage. I can't find this design feature on any other lifts. Wildfire has the lift I want in stock. I'm assuming it's not ALI certified as I can't find it on the website.

I believe BackYard Buddy also uses the boxed design. BackYard Buddy is now part of Advantage.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Looking good. Now that you have it together and used it. What’s your opinion on it?

Wow I never saw this and while I realize this post is old, I believe my opinion now is more pertinant now that I’ve used it for multiple vehicles over the last 2 years.

I love it. I ended up buying the bridge jack. It was expensive and heavy but makes a big difference. I’ve only had one issue which is a slider wheel broke off the bridge jack. The wheels on the jack only make it slide easier. They do not fully support the vehicle so there was no danger. Wildfire sent me another and it was an easy swap. I’ve used it to do numerous projects on my charger and the newest addition to the fleet- a 66 f100 pickup. Also used it to install the plow brackets on my crew cab Sierra. Tight fit but it was doable.

 

[PeterN]

How did the steel jack wheel break? I may be missing something here but from what I can see in their video, the wheel supports the full weight of the vehicle through the axle shaft of the wheel. I've got a Wildfire lift with a oil drain pan on the same sort of wheel setup as the bridge jack. I was thinking of getting a bridge jack from them but this is something new I haven't heard of before. I wouldn't mind seeing a close up pic of the wheel/rail setup to understand this.

 

[racecougar]

How did the steel jack wheel break? I may be missing something here but from what I can see in their video, the wheel supports the full weight of the vehicle through the axle shaft of the wheel.

It sure does appear that way from their site. https://www.wildfirelifts.com/wf4500a

I'm used to seeing rolling bridge jacks with the sprung wheels that only allow the jack to roll when unloaded. The springs compress as soon as you raise the vehicle with that design, placing the load on the frame of the jack rather than the wheels.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Weld broke. I had the weight of the car on it for over a month and I never adjusted the wheels. I’m sure my actions contributed to what happened.

The frame of the jack also rides over the same edge if the ramp that the wheels rest on. All 4 wheels could vanish in an instant and nothing would happen. Even with one broken wheel, the jack still slid on the Ramps with no problem.

 

[racecougar]

What adjustment were you supposed to make to the rollers?

 

[Pool Fixer]

You can adjust height.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Also, this area is where the frame of the jack sits over the rail on the ramp.

 

[racecougar]

Unless you're retracting the wheels to allow the frame of the bridge jack to rest on the runways (which would be a major PITA), the wheels are bearing the full weight.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Unless you're retracting the wheels to allow the frame of the bridge jack to rest on the runways (which would be a major PITA), the wheels are bearing the full weight.

What i said was misleading. "They do not fully support the vehicle so there was no danger"

what I was trying to convey was that structure of the jack itself hangs over the rails... even with the wheels adjusted "up" or how most people will have them, there's very little gap.. 1/8" maybe? so.. even if a wheel breaks, which happened to me, nothing falls on you.

I should have said it differently.

 

[PeterN]

Seeing the pictures, I understand how it has a lip going over the runway groove to be able to retain the weight in lieu of the wheels. Different design than the Wildfire "jack" tray as it has no overlying flange above the runway groove, just the wheels and welds supporting the weight. No mention I could find on how much weight it can support. I've only used it to support an oil pan and after hearing about a weld failure and no secondary support system I think that is all it will be used for. Wildfire claims having wheels on the jack tray keeps it from binding when moving, which is true. I like the sprung wheel system mentioned previously on other bridge jacks.

 

[racecougar]

^^^ Now that is sketchy, IMO. As you said, one wheel, axle, or weld failure and you're dropping whatever load is being supported.

 

[Pool Fixer]

Seeing the pictures, I understand how it has a lip going over the runway groove to be able to retain the weight in lieu of the wheels. Different design than the Wildfire "jack" tray as it has no overlying flange above the runway groove, just the wheels and welds supporting the weight. No mention I could find on how much weight it can support. I've only used it to support an oil pan and after hearing about a weld failure and no secondary support system I think that is all it will be used for. Wildfire claims having wheels on the jack tray keeps it from binding when moving, which is true. I like the sprung wheel system mentioned previously on other bridge jacks.

While the jack tray does not have the same redundancy of the bridge jack, its axles are not welded. It’s actually a solid axle pressed into a larger sleeve.

It’s still a single sheer point with no redundancy but it does not rely on the same type of welded axle shaft that the bridge jack relies on.

 

[PeterN]

I looked on the Wildfire website to see if I could find the weight rating for the jack/oil tray. Couldn't find anything so I contacted Wildfire and they said it was 3500 lbs. The bridge jack they sell is 4500 lbs. It sounds like they updated their bridge jack so now the wheels ARE spring loaded so the weight being supported is on the frame going over the edge of the ramp and not the wheels. I was told this was updated a couple of years ago but some of their pictures on their site did not reflect the change. I added a screenshot of what I assume is their latest bridge jack with sprung wheels.

 

[mikegt4]

Chad of the 'This N That Garage' YouTube channel uses a Wildfire 4 post lift and bridge jack, it seems to work well for him.

 

[finn]

Chad of the 'This N That Garage' YouTube channel uses a Wildfire 4 post lift and bridge jack, it seems to work well for him.

Nothing bad to say about Wildfire lifts, but beware anything you see on YouTube. Companies give free products to YouTube influencers in return for product placement on the shows.