I've had a "Backyard Buddy" drive-on lift for 18-years and have never had a problem with it. It gets used 2x-3x/week for the last 10-years.
I bought a used Rotary and would gladly do it again, I bought it from the local Rotary service people. They replaced all the cables and put a new motor on it. I would say there should be some clarification to your statement. bingo,
I have a Direct Lift Propark 9 and its great. wider and taller than most but I can drive my extended cab PU on it with our folding in the mirrors.
I've got a Direct Lift Propark 9 as well. Best investment I've ever made. Use it all the time. Must have removed/installed the coupe body a gazillion times before final assembly with it. The downside, all your buds know you have it and want to do oil changes, and other simple little fixes, like clutchs, tranny repairs, the usual little simple stuff. I generally have one of my cars on it. Once you have one, you can't make it without it.....
I have a 4 post drive on. Stinger. It is about 15 years old. Installed it myself. Moved it to two different houses. Best tool there is.
I originally brought a 6,000 pound Challenger 2 post lift as a package deal. We got a cheaper price when a friend ordered 4 of them at once. My friends liked theirs at first but mine never got installed when I owned it. My shop wasn't ready yet and by the time I got it built and then 2 years later before i got concrete, it sat at a friends shop for a good 3 years or a little longer(out of warranty) in the corner. In the meantime my friends all traded up to the 9,000 pound lift but stayed with the challenger brand. I can't remember but they all had similar problems with the smaller ones. They are all happy with the bigger one. Then someone came along and made me a horse trade deal on mine and by the time I was done horse trading, came out real good. In the meantime, I got to know a guy 1 mile down the road from me that sold Manitowoc Lifts, so I brought a new 9,000 pound 2 post from him for around $3500. a little more than the other companies but it was a neighbor, from a Wisconsin Co(my home state), so i did it. I installed it myself. If i wanted the company to do it, then it was another $400.00. I use it all the time and it never let me down yet.
I'm sure that there are alot of good lifts out there but I have a four post Backyard Buddy and wouldn't buy anything else. The quality is top notch.
Just installed a Benwill GP-7 two post for low ceilings. Havent worked under it yet but already happy with the purchase.
We have a 2 post in our shop. 10,000 lbs lift cost 1700 plus 300 for setup. I 've had it for 3 years now with no problems. I want a 4 post thats my next buy.
I have a 2 post floor plate lift from Target. I have owned two different styles from target and they have both worked flawlessly. The only reason I had to buy another is the first one was to tall for my home garage after I sold my commercial shop. Two post is the way to go. I did the install myself. Easy
Perfect Park 7000 with aluminum ramps, drip pans, jack tray and wheel kit. I've had it for 5 years with no problems. I decided that I was too old to be crawling around under a car on jackstands, plus it allows me to park 2 cars in the floor space of 1. Jim
I have a Rotary 9k that I got used for $800 that was 2years old then. I have had it for 6 years and would not go without it. That said I am in the market for a second lift, has anybody ever used one of these? I think it is the way to go for maitnance type simple work. http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Master-Series-SPL-6-Portable-Single-Post-Lift I like the price and the fact I can move it anywhere but worry about it tiping.
I have a 2 post 9k capacity that i could not do without. I buddy bought one like mine from a dealership that closed, i think for $800 recently. He of course had to move it..sweat equity lol. There are quite a few available used, for pretty cheap.
My brother bought me an Eagle two post lift a few years ago and it works great. I later realized he got it to make things easier for me to work on HIS stuff.
I bought a Bend Pak 12,000 a few years back because arthritis has limited my ability to get up and down, now I use it for everything. It's great to be able to work on things standing up. Had to pad the ends of the arms to soften the blow when I'd run my forehead into them, Hoist tip, don't wear a hat with a long bill when working under it.
I have an old Auto-Lift 4 post with a caster kit. One advantage to the 4 post is you can move it to where you want it. In fact I used it as scaffolding when I put the ceiling in my shop. Can't live without it once I got it.
I have one of each, a bend pak 12,000# and a direct lift 9000#. My wife bought me the four post first for the garage to make more room for the cars, but when I got tired of trying to do suspension work, brakes, ect. I decided to splurge and buy the two post.
I have two four post lifts love both one for working on the car even washing and waxing. why bend over the other for stacking. thinking about gettin one more
I found an old Gilbarco air over hydraulic lift and put new seals in it. The garage was set up for a pit so it was easy getting it to work.
I have a 40+ year old Gilbarco single post lift that cost $400 used when I bought it about 15 years ago. I dug the hole (about 8' deep) by hand and installed it before I poured my garage floor. It gets used at least once a week and has been one of the best tools I have ever owned.
Challenger E10 2 post...........................$2600 includes freight 3 gallons AW32 Hydraulic Fluid.................... 48 can use ATF and save 20 dollars Professional Install...................................450 does not include wiring wiring materials+25amp breaker....................75 estimate .......................................................: $3173 total I shopped this hard over the past week and ordered from a CA distributor. (Equivalent to a Bend Pak for slightly less money.) The difference for me was this one has hydraulic lines run on the outside of the post that will make it easier for me to self service when I eventually blow a line. This was a tough choice as I liked the Bend Pak one piece post vs the Challenger two piece post. The challenger was also available in blue that helped ease my grief. Both have cables overhead and a clear floor. The retail price is fixed by the manufactures and it was hard to shop for any discount. 2% is available for a cashiers check from a few of the distributors. I asked all for movement and did not get too much. One guy offered an accessory at a discount but I didn't want to spend the $200 more to save $50. The cashiers check discount was attractive, but a pain that I didn't want to go to the bank! I can not vouch for warranty of either though my local service guy had a preference that he liked the Challenger for HIS ease of install. The 10 holes required to be drilled to mount the lift to the floor are 3/4 inch by at least 3.5 inches deep. It requires a hammer drill and a good bit. smile. I have 11 gauge fabric in my pad and I didn't want to go through the effort. I am waiting on the unit to ship as the small family business needed 48 hours to clear credit card funds to send the factory. I understand and don't blame them for not wanting to be on the hook for my purchase. Total time from purchase to delivery is still estimated to be 10 days. The Factory is in Louisville , Kentucky. If you want to bash USA vs China made.....This frame is made in China and shipped to Kentucky. It is married up with the pump and accessories before being shipped out. I do not yet know the origin of these add on items. (My local supplier was $300 higher + tax of another $180, it was in stock...I don't mind waiting to save $480) The other item I should share is that you really want a 3 piece telescoping set of front arms rather than a two piece if you have smaller cars as this will enable you to get to the closer pick up points. I doubt I will ever lift a vehicle that weighs even 5000 lbs but I am a worrying type and try to buy equipment rated much higher than I think I will need. Kind of like buying Harbor Freight 3500 lb jack stands. smile Any questions, just email , pm or give me a call. I am looking forward to getting the lift installed. George
I have used both a Mohawk and a two post Direct Lift. Never, repeat never, buy a Mohawk if you can get a Direct Lift. Mohawk lifts are more expensive and are not nearly as good as a Direct Lift.
I have a bend pack four post lift... I love it i have done full back halfs zed frames pulled motors on it.. The big plus is i can use it as a crane to pull bodies off chassis by myself.. Well worth the investment.
I have a bend pac 10,000 # 2post I love it. I have had it for about 7 years, only problem so far was bad cap on the motor. I use it for all kinds of fab work.I don't do any kind of mechanical work without putting it in the lift bay.
I have a 2-post assymetric Ford-Smith lift that I bought about 20 years ago. I installed it myself in my old shop and then moved it into my new shop a few years ago. Installation is pretty simple for people with the skills generally found on this site. However, the components are heavy enough to require equipment to lift and position them (unless you have some really strong friends). I'd love to have a 4-post lift too, but would recommend a 2-post if you're only going to have one lift as they are more versatile. I also recommend the assymetric style as it offers much easier access to the inside of the car on the lift.
I don't get why you say you can't do suspension work on a 4 post. I bought these when they were on sale and they make the 4 post even better. I paid just over $30 for each one. Just shove them under the axle or front frame and lower the lift a few inches until the tires lift off the ramps. They are 4000 lbs rated each one!! Any if you are worried about how sturdy they are, they have as big of a base as the two posts. http://www.harborfreight.com/2-ton-capacity-underhoist-safety-stand-41860.html I bought a 15,000lb 4 post about 15 years ago. It wasn't very common to see homes with them. I paid $2600 for mine and got the extra wide one. 9' between the posts. I wanted the posts to be as wide as the garage door without impeeding the opening. I also wanted something wide enogh that both car doors could be totally open. I spent about 6 months looking at 4 post lifts before settling on the Eagle lifts. They had free shipping also. I have never had any problems at all. and would love to get another. Alot of the cheaper ones look flimsy to me. Each ramp on mine use 2- 6" I beams and a piece of 5/16 steel diamond plate weded to the I beams. Thats 4-6" I beams just for the ramps!!! I set mine up by myself in about 4 hours with an engine hoist.
Yes....well I have a Mohawk and I've been working on, under, and around lifts for almost 50 years. I found Mohawk to be one of the finest lifts made. I am in the market for another lift and price is not how I want to shop for a lift. I am hoping you will share your experiences and give some detail on how you've come to your conclusion about lifts.
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