2 POST AUTO LIFTS

[JACKED88]

Anybody in the auto lift business? My nephew is looking to put a 10,000 or 12,000 lb lift in his personal shop. A 10,000 would be more than enough but he wants the addition width that normally comes with the larger 12,000 pounders. He wants it wide enough to be able to back his goose neck trailer between the columns without hitting them. (107") That and to be wide enough to clear his tires/wheel between the carriage/lift arms.

We're not sure what brand to buy. I've been doing quite a bit of research for him but haven't decided on who's lift to purchase. He needs to stay under $3000 bucks including shipping. (a few companies offer free shipping) Experience and or suggestion are welcome. Keep in mind this is going in a personal shop and will get minimal use. I'll be surprised if he/we lift more than a few vehicles a month. That being said doesn't mean we wanna sacrifice quality. (or our lives while standing under a 8000 pound truck)

 

 

Although it would be a tight fit for his trailer, here's a few in the 10,000 lb range we're considering.

 

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/Dan ... er10cx.htm

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/FOR ... -dp10a.htm

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/Ben ... r-10cx.htm

 

Here's a couple of 12,000 pounders.

 

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/Dir ... t12vsm.htm

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/Aut ... 12k-fp.htm (pictured is the base plate model, it comes in the clear floor model for $2995 delivered)

 

There's a few others but these are getting close to the top of our list. I know these aren't top quality lifts. Top quality lifts come with a somewhat higher price tag. Like double. Thats why I'm in favor of him getting one of the bigger better more bang for his buck 12,000 pounders. I'm pretty sure he'll agree considering he and I both tend to over kill everything we get our hands on. Why should a lift be any different???

The columns on those lifts are made with either .187 thick material or .240 material. Naturally we'd prefer the heavier .240 (the columns on most top of the line lifts are made with .187 material)

 

Thanks in advance for your pro's, con's and opinions on auto lifts.

 

Keep on truckin!!!

Robert

[91coMANche]

I am not in the business but I am also in the market. Lots of people I know have service or storage or both lifts. There seems to be one theme: you get what you pay for. Let you nephew know that its worth the additional couple hundred bucks or whatever it is to buy an American unit instead of the imported ones. There are massive differences like double shear pulleys and full welds not to mention what you cannot see, which is the strength of the steel used in China versus the US.

[Akula69]

I don't know what the economic conditions are over there in Texas right now, but if they suck as bad as they are here in Louisiana you moght be able to pick up a quality used lift for little or nothing (assuming you have the ability to remove it and transport).

 

One of my friends was able to get a lift for less then $1000.00 from a closing dealership. He went in and inquired and they told him he could buy it if it was removed by a certain date.

 

Think closing dealerships, auto repair shops, and older full serve gas stations. You might also want to check the auction houses in the area for deals.

 

Good Luck.

[jpdocdave]

^ X 1,000

 

I see auctions listed on CL all the time, and closing shops as well. That's the better ticket.

 

On the other hand, I don't think you can go wrong, you aren't going to be using it for commercial/professional use. The unit is not going to take a beating.

[terrawombat]

About five years ago, my father and his cousin picked up three 2-post 12,000lb lifts from a garage that closed down and actually had six lifts they were selling. Obviously, they were used, but we got to test them before purchase and the hydraulics were fine as well as the mechanical stops. Total cost: $1,000 for all three. Unfortunately, I don't have a shop with enough roof clearance to install them in!

[JACKED88]

I am not in the business but I am also in the market. Lots of people I know have service or storage or both lifts. There seems to be one theme: you get what you pay for. Let you nephew know that its worth the additional couple hundred bucks or whatever it is to buy an American unit instead of the imported ones. There are massive differences like double shear pulleys and full welds not to mention what you cannot see, which is the strength of the steel used in China versus the US.

98% of all lifts sold in the U.S. are made in China. There is only a small handful built in the US. Mohawk, Gemini, American Custom, Panther and Superlifts is about all your gonna find.

Call any company that sells the lift of your choice and ask um where their lifts are manufactured. Unless its one of the lifts listed above, the lift itself is gonna come from overseas and then the manufacturer supplies a supposedly US made power unit. Yes, the companies may be based in the US but their lifts are manufactured overseas. I was told this by three of the biggest lift suppliers in the country.

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/

http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/

http://www.derekweaver.com/update/index.aspx

 

Still not convinced? Go to any lift manufactures web site (other than those listed above) and see if you can find anywhere that says their lifts are "Made in America". Sold in the US .... Yes. Manufactured in the US .... No.

What they do is certify an overseas plant to manufacture their lifts. That plant is whats called an ISO9001 certified manufacturing plant. Those plants are supposedly overseen by US corporations to make sure the lifts are being made to their quality standards. That doesn't mean their lifts are certified. Only that they meet that companies quality control.

[foreman1063]

I just got this Bendpak model from Garage Equipment supply On ebay, They will entertain offers on their listings. I got mine for $2450 with free shipping. Ordered it last Wednesday and showed up Monday, cross country. Great place to do business with.

[dfreeman616]

i also suggest finding something used, i've seen good lifts for as low as $500 around here, but figure $1000 is pretty common for a decent used lift.

 

we have 5 bendpak's at my shop, and another one at the other location my shop has. they're a decent lift for the money. you just need to make sure the releases are properly adjusted (cable operated) and lubed up. otherwise, they tend to not fully release and you get a vehicle coming down sideways... :no: check around though, you might be able to find someone to install it for $3000, i believe that's all we payed to have each lift installed and shipped, ready to go.

[JACKED88]

We took some measurements of my nephews trailer today. He needs a minimum of 104 inches between the carriage/lifting arms to squeeze his trailer wheels between um. Nobody makes a 10,000 lb lift with that much drive through clearance. That being true, he's gonna have to go big and get a 12,000.

 

Here's the two we're considering;

http://www.derekweaver.com/update/Pro-1 ... aspx?id=19

Direct lifts are manufactured by the Dover corporation who also makes Rotary Lift, Forward Lift, and Revolution Lifts. Their said to be the largest lift manufacturer in the world.

 

http://www.naautoequipment.com/tp12kc-d.html

I really like this one. It's manufactured under two names. Complete Hydraulic and Nortech. I still need to call um for more details on it and to find out who actually manufactures it. By the pix I've seen it appears to be well built. Even more so than the Direct lift. The carriage and arms look considerably stronger.

Here are some better pix of the Direct lift with the Atlas name on it. Atlas lifts used to be manufactured by Dover. Not sure who's puttin their name on um now. Anyway .... Compare the two carriages and lifting arms. Complete/Nortech verses Direct/Atlas.

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Photo ... e=TPPRO-12

 

I'm leaning heavily towards the Complete Hydraulic / Nortech lift.

 

 

We haven't ruled out buying a used lift. Problem is finding a 12,000 that's in good condition. Most shops use 10's or less. Others use in ground or 4 post lifts for their heavy lifting. In doing so it keeps um from having to use up as much floor space as a 12,000+ lift requires. At 12 1/2 feet wide a 12,000 lb lift is a monster.

[JACKED88]

About five years ago, my father and his cousin picked up three 2-post 12,000lb lifts from a garage that closed down and actually had six lifts they were selling. Obviously, they were used, but we got to test them before purchase and the hydraulics were fine as well as the mechanical stops. Total cost: $1,000 for all three. Unfortunately, I don't have a shop with enough roof clearance to install them in!

Oh yeah ..... So where are those lifts now? Hopefully their inside your shop taking up valuable space meaning it shouldn't be too hard for me to finagle you out of one. Right???

[terrawombat]

It is sitting in my fathers machine shed under a tarp. His cousin has two of them and installed. He was going to sell it but I told him to hold onto it for me when I finally get a place with the roof clearance for it whenever that may be.

[JACKED88]

Oh well. It never hurts to ask.

 

Yeah, those 12,000's are pretty tall. You have to have at least a 12-14 foot ceiling. Thats not an issue for the building we're putting one in. It could be over 20 feet tall and still not go through the roof.

 

Good luck on your getting a taller place. Once you do and get that lift installed, it'll become the most valuable pc of equipment in you shop. (assuming you don't already have a smaller/shorter one where you are)

 

Later.

Robert

[terrawombat]

It will no doubt be the best tool in my shop. I just did a transmission swap on a ZJ last week. All four corners of the car on jack stands as high as they could go. Lots of lying on my back reaching for bolts. Lots of contorting my body into different configurations that it was not designed for. Dropping the trans took about 8 hours. Installing it took another 8 hours. I can confidently say I could have finished the entire job in about half the time if I had the vehicle up on a lift. Plus, I would have felt a lot safer going under the truck than with the setup I had, but you gotta work with what you got!

[JACKED88]

Shoot, my bones are too damn old to be crawling around on the ground. I did something as simple as a rear brake job in the driveway the other day and I'm still sore from it. My nephews installation of a lift in his shop can't come soon enough for me. I'll be using it more than he will.