Need advice on buying a car lift.

We are in the very early talking stages about buying a car lift for our shop. They tell me that there are used units available all the time because shops upgrade or the dealers repossess them. But what we aren't sure about is if we want a drive on or a post lift that has arms that go under the frame.

Here is one type we are considering. It would have the advantage of not having things in the way when you are working below, like the drive on ramps, and we could also use it to lift bodies off of cars.



The other type is the drive on version. I know, from working at gas stations when I was young, that space is limited under the ramps, but they seem safer to me because of their design.





So, for those of you who have lifts, do you prefer the drive on or the post lifts ? Are there any pitfalls to look out for ?

Thanks.

Don

 

I have 2 storage lifts. High enough to park 2 cars

 

2 post lifts are easier to work around. The 4 post drive on makes storage alot easier. The 2 post you have to be careful of rocking the car back and forth when the car is in the air, but they do make real tall jack stand like that can be used to stabilize.

The down side to the 4 post is to do any type of wheel/brake work you have to have the rolling jacks that go between the rails and lift the car off the rails.


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That was one concern we had, that a car could tip backwards or forward off of the two poster and fall. I have heard stories where a car was ass heavy because the motor was out and it fell backwards.

The downside to the drive on is that I remember bumping my head lots of times when working under the drive on lifts. Those ramps were always in the way, but just seem safer to me somehow. I notice on Car Warriors they give both teams drive on versions, maybe because there is less chance of someone getting hurt if one falls.

Don

 

We have a Bend Pak Asymmetrical 2 post lift, we really like it.
10,000 lb. capacity, very well made, and easy to use.
Don't skimp on a lift, your life could depend on it!
KK

 

Most 4 post lifts are not bolted down. You can move them if needed, some come with casters. 2 post scare me a bit as well. I know the can hold the weight. It's just me!

 

I have both. I prefer 2 post lifts for most work. I've never rocked a car off of one. 4 post lifts have their place, ie transmission, exhaust with the car at ride height etc. general use >>>> 2 post for me

 

I have a Bendpak 4-post 9000lb 4-post lift in my garage and absolutely love it. I use it mostly to store a car over/under, but I use it a LOT to work comfortably and safely underneath. The 2-post lifts scare the bejezuz outta me. I'm considering getting another, to store another car in the garage.

 

Pretty happy with my 4 post. There are times, such as tire removal, and brake work where a 2 post would be nice. I have a sliding piece under mine that can be used for jacks to sit on if I need to support the front or rearend for tire removal.

 

Hey Don

There is a guy here near me. His company is called Portage Lift, on county Rd 18.... He gets trade ins from shops upgrade ect.....

Figured I would mention it

 

My buddy and I are sitting here looking at this thread. We both have 4 post lifts. For hobby use, we wouldn't consider anything else. Merely bolting a 2 post to the floor is like balancing a twirling plate on your chin. We have pulled engines, tranys, exhaust systems and anything else on the lower side of a car. Any 4 post comes with a sliding steel tray that can be used with a bottle jack for brake or wheel work, No problem. If you are considering a 2 post, find out and abide by the bylaws for footings, There is a lot of leverage when a car is in the air. As stated above, watch the balance and only buy a reputable unit, 4 post or 2 post. You only have one life to give.

 

I have a 4 post and do everything from engine swaps to suspension work. Yes it would be easier with a two post but I feel way better under the 4 post. I could have bought a 2 post for less when I bought mine but I went this way and am every happy with my decision.

This doesn't show the lift very well but I really like the picture

 

I also have both types and use them daily in my general auto repair shop.

They both have advantages and disadvantages as most about me have stated.

2 posts are great for general service works - brakes, tires, wheels, suspension even engine swaps are easier on a 2 post lift. The weight is not the problem - it is the length and positioning of the vehicle on the lift. You can buy support stands to place under the rear axle or bumpers or something solid if you have a vehicle that is longer than normal.

I have a 9k Rotary 2post and I try to use it only for cars, suvs, and regular cab 1/2ton trucks.

I also have a 12k 17' long BenPearson 4 post lift that I use for ALL extended cab trucks and anything larger than a 3/4ton. I do have a rolling jack so that suspension and brake work is easier. I also like it for checking "suspension noise/rattles" because you can leave the tires on and the suspension is loaded just like it would be on the street.

If you are doing mostly "hotrod" type work and don't plan on having 1 or more cars on the lift everyday I would suggest the 4 post with a rolling jack. Just the fact that you can have the vehicle at ride height will make alot of things easier to figure out.

Oh and I don't know how old you are - but remember that with a 2 post lift you have to get down and set them up every time. 4 post - drive it on, raise it up and then you can jack the car off the lift while standing.



FWIW: If I could only have 1 it would be the 4 post.


Couple of way OT vehicles: but here they are in action. I'm sure you don't need anything as big as my 12k. 7k is ususally more than enough for most cars

 

4 posts have built in storage shelves.

 

I like a Hunter with rolling air jacks

 

I work in the automotive business and see different lifts all the time.
Don, beware of some cheap two post lifts, google lift failure (overrated load).
Other wise for any shop that pulls wheels the only way to go is a two post.
If you are mainly storing cars and work on them once in awhile then go a four post. And pay extra for two sliding axle lifts.^^^^
The four posts take up a lot of room and work slower then the two posts.
Hog wash about tipping a two post. If it is secured to a deep foundation it will not tip or wobble. The only time you need a tall jack stand is on a pickup truck +1500 series. Unless you have a HD lift....
There are many on craigslist down here for 1K to 2K, every day....

 

My four post Bendpak works great! Allows me to store one car on top of another and saves a lot of crawling around on the floor under a car - something that becomes more important as I get older.

 

What ever you decide I'd say benpak.
I have one of each. Mostly use the 2 post everyday. 4 post for storage or final assembles.
If I had to choose 1 I'd go with a 2 poster.

 

we have bendpaks at work...very well made....two post is great for much...but four post with jacks is my fave...

 

I would say that in my opinion anyone that is touting the advantages of a drive on rack is a hobyist and not doing multi functions on a daily basis . It says Dons Hot Rods and I assume you do this for a living , so I would imagine you are put in situations where a car will come to you on a tow truck and you need to get it in your shop . It is quite easy to have the truck back in , and with the aid of a floor jack , guide it between the posts . Also if you are doing engine , transmission ,rear axle and exhaust(basically any thing but oil changes and storage) I cant imagine anyone even thinking of a ramp style hoist .

For those are questioning the stability of a twin post I sure don't understand how they get by in every service center in the known world using them .

I have tried helping out friends with 4 posters and would rather them just bring it over to my shop where I don't have to battle with all the obstructions .

 

positively 4 post order ex tall ex long.... and there movable with casters that come with the lift...

 

I have the 4 post the OP posted, from Greg Smith...9k and really happy with it..The ramps are removable and can go at either end..I didn't bolt the lift down, figured I'd put it in the wrong place and want to move it anyways..I took the lag bolts and nuts and made them into jack screws by welding the nuts on, get the columns plumb with the jack srews finger tight...And your good to go...When I got it where I wanted it I drilled a hole in the mounting plate and down into the cement floor and put a pin in just to keep it from creeping around..Easy to adjust for cable stretch and making the rails level.. Be sure you get one wide enough and tall enough, 12ft ceiling min, 14ft much better ....It came with Jack tray [damn rugged] and Casters, at the cost of $2054.00 delivered to my house..After all the praise I've given there is a BUT...The Caster wheel bearings were a joke and the wheels were all different sizes and not round, so I had to do some work to get it to roll easy...AND you will bang your head more often and harder than you'd like, DO NOT wear a baseball cap that has a button in the middle!!!!!!!! ..

 

Wow, a lot of very good info there, thanks, guys. It is just for our hobby shop, but we would use it a lot if we had one. I saw a program on tv where they had a two post but it had long outriggers at the very bottom that extended out a couple of feet in both directions. That looks like it would stabilize the uprights more than just those little square pads that bolt down.

It seems you guys that have the 4 posters don't have a problem with reaching stuff underneath and the ramps aren't in the way much. You've given me a lot to think about, thanks.

Don

 

Don I spent my early years working in shops with single post air over hydraulic hoists with the big piston that comes out of the floor and the four arms that swung out. I did mostly front end and brake work in those years and being able to pull all four wheels off at one time was paramount.
When I worked at Midas they had the drive on hoists that were great for exhaust work but I was always hitting my head on the runners and when they are down you pretty well have to walk all the way around them rather than just stepping over them.
The last shop I worked in had two post hoists with swing in arms and pretty high load ratings that were mounted right. I never once felt unsafe but I am a safety freak and always lift any rig just off the shop floor and shake the daylights out of it. I worked on everything from Subarus to F250 extended cab diesels on them and never worried. As someone else said, I think the biggest worrywarts about them are the amateurs who have never done this for a living

What ever you do choose a professional quality hoist that is rated for enough more than you ever expect to lift with it that you won't have issues later. Then choose the style that will work best for what you want to do with it.

Lastly, where you are going to put it in the shop may be a factor. I would only have a four post hoist in the far end stall of a shop where I didn't have to walk around it every time I wanted to transverse the shop. Having to walk clear around one every time you go to the tool box, door or just to the other side of the shop becomes a big pain in the butt when you do it thirty or forty times in a a day.

 

we have both styles in our shop. The 2 post is killer for mechanical stuff and separating/mounting bodies. but the posts get in the way for body work and panel alignment. The 4 post is killer for body work, chassis set up, and panel alignment but mechanical stuff is not as easy to access as the 2 post. If you go 4 post I highly recommend purchasing the rolling jack that are available, These greatly increase its versility and speed. (no scissor jacks to mess with to remove tires0 Please buy a quality USA lift, knockoff are dangerous.

 

Thanks to both of you for the additional info.

Don

 

You'll probably get a 50-50 response. I went with 4 post as a compromise between storage, work and safety. I am really happy with the decision I made.

What I am would like find now is a mid-rise scissors lift that I could recess in the concrete floor under the lift to be used for wheel and tire changes and brake work.

I used to put off little projects just because the cars were a in pain in the ass to get in the air, you'll wonder how you ever got along without one.

 

I bought a two post Bend Pac in 2008. I like it and use it about 2-3 times a month as a hobby lift. A stop on one of the arms broke and I did not get any satisfaction from Bend Pac. They wanted me to buy a new arm ($$$$$) when it was their spot weld (not really theirs, its make off shore, like all of the lifts) broke.

The spot welds that you cannot see (inside the arms) are not adequate. I did repair the stops in that arm and will fix anymore that fail. I would not pull to hard when extending the arms as the stops will pop off. And you will see when you go past a stop as they paint assembled and you will see where there is no paint if it comes out too far. I have pictures.

Other than that, I would not be without one. I would like to have a 4 post also. They both have there unique applications, but can be used vice-versa, with time, etc..

cb1

 

In my business where we can check dozens of cars a day for different things, a drive on is the only way to go. Our techs fight over it. It has a trolley jack. A no-brainer.
From now on we get drive-ons.
Yes the two post lifts are very useful. We have three of those.

 

Thanks. One concern I have is the fasteners that would go into our concrete floor to hold a two poster in place. I have most of our tools bolted down with concrete anchors and lag bolts, but those work loose from time to time. What do they use to securely fasten the bolts down on those lifts ?

Don