Technical Anybody Got One of them Garage Car Lifts ?

Once again, I own a car that I can't get my aging and robust carcass under.
I know this topic has been brought up before but wondering about the latest market with Chinese reverse engineering selling them everywhere.
I only have room for one of those electric ones that put the car at a good creeper height, not to the ceiling. One of the more compact and portable type. At $1k+ tho I would appreciate some advice on which ones are pretty nice (and safe) and which ones are Harbor Freight quality.

 

What you use probably will depend on if you work on the wheels more or work under the car more. I've got the same problem being 70, having bum knees and the result of too much comfort food.
What about a decent used 2 or 4 post lift that is setup with positive stops so it only goes up so high?

 

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/index.php

Go to Ryan's Garage Journal site there are threads and threads and threads on lifts over there.

 

Yep...purchased mine about 2000 and have built 3 cars on it now.
It's a "Worth" built in Texas goes up about 7' and lifts 7000#s
When your old, fat, joints need oil, can't get your head back to see, need glasses etc, these are a great helper.

Used to be able to stand on my toes in a Pink Tutu and start a screw over and behind my head without looking.........not anymore!

 

The two posters extend out from the sides of the car and I am not sure I have room for one ?
Hate to take up slots for two cars.
The frame lifts fit completely under the car on each side. Would rather have the post type especially for safety.

 

We must be brothers from a different mother. Plus can't get my head back far enough to make the bifocals work.

 

The creeper high ones are a pain. You still have to get down and crawl. They are allways in the way when not in use. Good used ones come up for sale in Idaho for $500 often.

 

I have a 4 post that allows you to park a car under as well.I consider it one of the best investments I have made for carrying out maintenance on the vehicles and the parking advantage. I am lucky that we had a very high ceiling in the garage. Mine is the Direct Lift model sold here by Tufflift Hoists.

 

One guy I know got up in his attic and reframed so he could raise the ceiling over the lift then sheet rocked it all in. Looks like it was made that way.

 

One more thing to consider.A four post lift will work on just about any concrete floor, while a two post lift requires a thicker floor. I talked to the guy who built the storage units where I have my shop. He says that since they were build for storage, the floor is not thick enough to install a two post lift without installing special footings. A four post would be fine (luckily, that's what I would prefer). Something more to think about.

 

This scissor type lift is great for little stuff. Under an 8 foot ceiling shown. But my ''future downsizing''plans to take it with me to the last home when we retire may change. Crawling around to set it is ok now, but one day, who knows? Also, it tends to ''walk'' around each time I raise & lower it. Got a mark on the floor, might get fancy & install some guide tracks. The ones you can drive on would be easier, with the sliding jack plate for wheel removal. All regular service can be done this way.

 

Do you mean a model thet has runners like the old racks but only raises straight up ?

 

Back when i worked in a repair shop we had a drive-on style lift made by Hunter. It used a scissor type of lift system without posts, but a post lift would be similar. I can tell you that it was the preferred lift in the shop. Each end had air jacks to lift the vehicles off the ramps. The two post lift next to it of course required you to get on the floor to set the support arms. Perhaps the most beautiful part was that the concrete floor was cut out below the drive-on lift and when not in use sat flush with the floor.

 

I was a day late on a four post lift, one you could walk under and store another car under last weekend, $1,200. seamed like great deal. Bob

 

I have a four post Direct Lift. Got the sliding jack with it. Totally awesome.

 

I have a Direct Lift brand 4 post lift, but lacking enough ceiling room in my garage, mine is outside. I have a concrete pad alongside my garage, and while it would be nicer to have it indoors, that wasn't an option. I've had it for 13 years now, and it's been great. At 68 years old, I'm like those other guys with bad knees and too much girth to be crawling under cars when I could do it standing up. My lift isn't even bolted down, and it hasn't been a problem; after all, when you buy a Direct Lift brand lift, it comes with wheels for moving it around which pretty much tells you it doesn't need to be permanently lagged down.

As an option, I thought about getting one of those light weight aluminum or fabric covered shelter things and welding the uprights to the lift so it would go up and down with the lift. It would provide a little shelter for the vehicle on the lift, and by not being a permanent structure, it would at least pass our local building ordinances. Good thought, but I haven't done it yet.

 

We put in a 4 post lift and love it. Until you can find a way to do something like that, I suggest you buy one of the blue foam mats that they sell at Walmart for $6. They are made to go under sleeping bags and let you sleep in sub zero temps. Use it to lay on and get on your knees on. It's less than an inch thick but it sure saves the knees and in the winter it keeps the cold concrete floor from freezing you. We also cut them up and use them for insulation on the cars.

 

I bought a Danmar Max Jax for my shop with low overhead. I use it all the time wishing I would have gotten it sooner. Would have saved me a lot of time on prior projects!
It is portable and bolts to the floor. Raising up to about four feet.


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none here, pit with power and lights recessed into the sides does me

 

I bought this one for $300 used. It's a 6000 lb, 24" lift. I absolutely love it. The wood blocks in the picture are used to avoid interference with the dual exhaust plumbing.
ATTACH=full]3591753[/ATTACH]

 

There are a lot of reviews on youtube for many different types of vehicle lifts, just do a search. I ended up with a scissor lift from Harbor Freight. They seem to run a 25% coupon most every holiday, and it does not exclude hoists. Got mine delivered to the house for about
$1200. I've had it since a little after Easter, and to this point I'm quite pleased with it.

 

I bought a BackYard Buddy 4-post life in 1992 and I use it for everything. I've pulled motors, changed transmissions,, rear axles, etc. I use it for waxing cars. It gets used at least 2-3 times a week, maybe more. I've had zero problems with it in all that time & usage. It's made in America, well engineered and I always feel safe underneath it. I'd buy another in a heartbeat !
Shop6 by TagMan, on Flickr

 

The MaxJax is great. Boss has one in his garage

 

My advice to those looking to buy a lift... if you are unable or find it difficult getting up and off the ground for whatever reason, you want a drive on ramp muffler shop type regardless of how high it goes.
The old gas station chassis lift type have their advantages for brake, suspension work, etc. buy you still have to get up and down to place the arms under the vehicle.
The ramp type is always ready, just drive onto it

You can purchase, or make jacking plates for the drive on ramp type that will assist getting the wheels off the ramps when required. I just use bottle jacks and short jack stands.
I made my own spanner plate to set my oil catch pan on while changing oil and or fluids at whatever end of the car.

As stated in a previous post I have built 3 complete cars on mine and could not have done it in the time frame I did without it, in fact I don't know if I would have even built numbers 2 and 3 without it. I was a lot younger and agile on build number 1 even though I had purchased the lift for that build.

I automatically park my 40 on it when I pull into the shop as the ramps are only about 4" off the ground, Makes it easy to clean top, sides, tires and under carriage at what ever level is comfortable. Just cleaned the 40 last night top to bottom.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

Nothing like advice based on real time experience ! thanks
The drive on ramp styles interest me the most. Used, even more.

 

Had an in-ground, single post, air/hydraulic one I bought used from a service station equipment supplier at my last house (probably illegal nowadays; sue me), and have a new purchase, 2-post, above ground one at my present house. Well worth the investment.

 

It is a bigger investment but I would buy(again) a Backyard Buddy. I used it two or three years before I "raised the roof" over that area. It was so nice to just drive on, lift high enough for good creeper working height, do what I wanted and then put back down. It was SO nice that I was in not particular rush to raise the roof.
USA is USA and I'm very comfortable with the design as far as safety.
I guarantee you will like the convenience. No prep required; put it together and drive on. A couple pals and an afternoon and you are done... except for drinking the beer!!
The club members that did not buy BYB at first later sold their lifts and switched to BYBs.
We probably have over a half dozen lifts in our club of about 20. The rest of them wish they had one.

 

I might add that it's like owning a car trailer..........you got a lot of friends all of a sudden.

 

I buy old boogie boards at yard sales for a buck or 2 and use them to knee and/or lie on for almost everything around the house that requires kneeling or getting down on the ground.

 

Slightly off topic but still relevant. I have a detached garage that was constructed with trusses. No posts to avoid or work around is nice. The problem is that the ceiling height is too short for a lift.

The rednecks around here say that a truss structure is a little trickier to "raise" but it is easily doable. The problem, according to them, is that it will take more beer to get the job done.

Any real carpenters out there? I feel that it can be done but feel as strongly that I don't have the smarts to keep the roof up where it belongs. Any suggestions?