Car Lift experience and recommendations?

[540K]

I am searching online for comparisons and experience with the various car lifts available. I would appreciate any advice on particular brands and models. I will be raising a classic weighing over 5,000 lbs, maybe once a month to clean the underside and routine maintenance. Definitely 4-post with a caster option since I'm not going to be using it on a daily basis. One friend commented he liked Rotary better than Bendpak because the Bendpak he has requires a compressed air line. I'm going to research that more. I searched this forum and only found one thread from 15 years ago (thanks for your post, Ed!) If you know of any comparison websites other than those created by a manufacturer for marketing purposes, please let me know. I'm more interested in your personal experience and recommendations. Thanks car guys!

 

If you aren't comfortable mentioning brands publicly, feel free to message me.

[alsancle]

Find your wallet and buy the Rotary.

[padgett]

Personally I prefer a scissors lift like the Atlas Kwik Bay since a lot of what I do involves removing wheels and tires. The open center gives access to most of the underside and can use blocks to lift the car off the ramps for full access.

 

Nice thing is they are designed to be portable. Are quite a few of these but for me two things are important: that the lift be able to lock in position as soon as the tires are off the ground and that the rollers not be on bare concrete, that there are trays on the bottom to avoid high stresses on the flooring. I also had a 6300 lb RV at the time and needed something that could lift it.

 

ps most use compressed air to lift the locking blocks for lowering.

Edited August 26, 2017 by padgett (see edit history)

[Bhigdog]

I have a 2 post Bendpak so can't comment on a 4 post per se. I can comment that I've had my lift for going on 10 years and are completely happy with it. Well built and no problems. I use it with some regularity although not daily. I've no doubt  Rotary is better built but they are made for heavy use and you will pay for it.

If cost is not a consideration buy the Rotary. If cost is a factor then paying for something you really don't require and which  will provide no extra benefits makes little sense..............Bob

[Xander Wildeisen]

I have a two post, and two four post lifts. If I could only have one lift, it would be the two post. You can do more things with the two post lift. Only draw back to the two post, is body flex (can really move on a convertible). And you can not have the weight of the car down on the suspension. In some cases that is wanted.

[61-63]

I second Xander if you are only going to buy one get a two post.  I have both and in my experience while you CAN work on one sitting on a four post they are really best for storing while the two post is best for getting under/into everything.  The things I wish would have know to do was get an asymmetric rather than symmetric and get one really wide inside the posts.  I have early 60s full size Pontiacs and cannot enter or exit the cars when they are between the posts ready to be lifted or lowered; I have to exit the car short and push them to the point where I locate the arms under them to lift them up.  Asymmetric fixes this problem but having the posts farther apart too would be an advantage even with asymmetric.

 

Another thing I would recommend is to be sure and get a lift that will hold your tow vehicle because you WILL want to be able to put it up too at some point.  This means you will want at least an 8k lift but IMO 10k will make you feel even better due to the safety factor.

[Bhigdog]

25 minutes ago, 61-63 said:

get one really wide inside the posts

 

Roger that.....................Bob

[39BuickEight]

Another vote for 2 post over 4.

[capngrog]

In my experience, the two post lifts are the best for maintenance, and the four post lifts are the best for storage.  I began to form this opinion when I visited several large auto dealership's service areas.  I found that typically, there would be 20 +/- two post lifts and one four post lift.

 

I have a two post lift and love it.  It is the best tool this old man has ever had!

 

Just my opinion.

 

Cheers,

Grog

[Digger914]

I've worked under four types of hoists and in a pit with moveable lifts, they all have their good and bad. If most of what you plan to do is lift the body off a frame or leave a front wheel cradle on the ground a two post is the thing to have. On a two post cars need to be balanced and even when you're good on the lift points cars rock when you wrench on them and pickups can down right spooky.

 

For stability and versatility I like the four post rail rack, the only two things you can't do with a four post rail are get a body off a chassis and raise a car off the engine cradle.

 

[STEVE POLLARD]

For my storage needs, I have a Atlas 8000 four post lift. I had this lift now for almost 3 years, it's been great. For a additional cost I had it delivered and set up in my garage ( casters are included ) My lower back thanked me.

 

Steve

[Bloo]

All hoist types have different ways that they shine. For working on cars though, four posters don't let the axles hang. Great for fitting exhaust, some suspension work, etc. All that ramp metal is in the way for most other work. The axles and suspension are in the way, too.

 

If you are working on cars on the hoist, and can only have one hoist, what you need is a two post hoist with the columns offset forward. Nothing else really comes close.

[alsancle]

Since 540K is buying a lift to store the car and clean the bottom vs. work on it like a mechanic,  he really needs a 4 post lift with the weight of the car on the wheels. 

[padgett]

Agree, all have different pros and cons. I needed a non-permanent lift (portable) that would fit under a 8.5 foot ceiling and allow easy wheel/tire removal and engine/transmission/axle/gas tank work. Multiple car storage was not needed so a two cylinder scissors lift with 3 feet of open space in the middle made sense for me.  Friend has different needs and a big two post was his best solution. Agree about wide/offset enough to open at least one door. Finally are many 6,000 lb lifts. My RV being 6300 lbs, 148" wb, and 85" wide required something a little different.

[JACK M]

I don't do well rolling on the floor. A two poster requires crawling under for every lift.

A four poster is a drive on and go.

I use my lift daily.

For brake work I have a sliding jack that will pick up one end or the other. I can even put one end on stands and then jack up the other end.

If I need to unload the suspension the sliding jack will widen to the chassis.

Never did care for  the two posts, the old in ground one posters even less.

[c49er]

I work on old cars  ......... big long 145"Chryslers/ Packards and others using a 2 post Rotary professional lift.

I'm older now and setting the arms is sometimes a real pain to get them set  just right...up and down.... up and down on the knees. I don't like it the way the cars move doing heavy rear axle /trans work sometimes.

At home I decided long runway 4 posts with rolling jacks would make it quick and easy to get the cars on the lift. The two rolling jacks made all chassis work safe and easy.

10 years later it's still so true.

I have a pit...single post and two long runway 12,000lb 4 post lifts.

This works 100% for all my personal cars.

[540K]

On 8/26/2017 at 9:42 AM, alsancle said:

Find your wallet and buy the Rotary.

 

 I've been told I can squeeze six pennies out of a nickel, but, as you know, I'll pay up when it's important - particularly for safety.

 

So far I have compared the specs on Rotary, Bendpak, Advantage, Backyard Buddy and Direct Lift. I have some questions to ask when businesses open on Monday, but at the moment I'm leaning towards Direct Lift. Partly because there's a dealer/installer within 30 miles. The Rotary is the second choice but it just seems like overkill for a 14K# lift, which is apparently their lowest rated lift now. One thing I've noticed so far is a lack of any significant negative reports on any brand. I'm not sure I can go too far wrong given my needs.

 

Thanks for all the responses and advice! I'll keep digging. Anyone with Direct Lift experience, let me know.

[Bloo]

One more thing, ask how the safeties work. On some older lifts you will always see them disabled because they make an ear-shattering noise as the lift is moving. Quiet safeties that still work would make the decision on brand for me.

[Frank DuVal]

On my two post 10K Dannmar lift, I just hold the lever in while raising the vehicle to keep the clunk noise down. 

 

I lost a mechanic friend when a Ranger fell off a two post lift and pinned him against his tool box, another mechanic friend had a Caravan fall off a two post lift with the metal pads because the vehicle was wet. Lift safety is always on my mind. 

 

Don't laugh at the source, but every two post lift owner needs hoist jack stands. And I'm not talking those unstable pogo stick types. Mine are from Harbor Freight (you cans top laughing now). Put three of these under a car and it will not move when prying, jerking, and removing heavy parts.  Keeps 1 ton extended cab trucks nice and stable. I would say use four, but after I bought the third one, everything was stable, and they do take up floor space! 

 

I do not have experience with a Dannmar four post, but I can recommend the two post 10K  (Brigadier) 10ACX model. It is from China, but did not require machining of parts like other cheap ones I have helped install!

[Bloo]

21 minutes ago, Frank DuVal said:

 

On my two post 10K Dannmar lift, I just hold the lever in while raising the vehicle to keep the clunk noise down. 

 

 

This is exactly what I was talking about. Frank can quiet his while using it without disabling anything. This is what you want. Hopefully other owners will chime in.

[540K]

1 hour ago, Bloo said:

 

This is exactly what I was talking about. Frank can quiet his while using it without disabling anything. This is what you want. Hopefully other owners will chime in.

 

1 hour ago, Frank DuVal said:

On my two post 10K Dannmar lift, I just hold the lever in while raising the vehicle to keep the clunk noise down. 

 

I lost a mechanic friend when a Ranger fell off a two post lift and pinned him against his tool box, another mechanic friend had a Caravan fall off a two post lift with the metal pads because the vehicle was wet. Lift safety is always on my mind. 

 

Don't laugh at the source, but every two post lift owner needs hoist jack stands. And I'm not talking those unstable pogo stick types. Mine are from Harbor Freight (you cans top laughing now). Put three of these under a car and it will not move when prying, jerking, and removing heavy parts.  Keeps 1 ton extended cab trucks nice and stable. I would say use four, but after I bought the third one, everything was stable, and they do take up floor space! 

 

I do not have experience with a Dannmar four post, but I can recommend the two post 10K  (Brigadier) 10ACX model. It is from China, but did not require machining of parts like other cheap ones I have helped install!

 

I noticed that noise on the video of the Direct Lift, but I figured a nice ca-chunk isn't a bad thing to know the safeties are engaged. Thanks for the lever tip. I'm still leaning towards Direct Lift, though I have moved up in size in case I ever want to put my truck on it. Maybe I shouldn't say "leaning" when talking about lifts! 

Edited August 28, 2017 by 540K (see edit history)

[Bloo]

A nice cachunk wouldn't be a bad thing.  Some of them make a ringing bang-bang-bang that seems like it might split your eardrums. Although I have never disabled one myself, I can understand how a person would not be able to stand even one more bang. 20 years ago I saw many disabled in shops. Maybe this noise issue is ancient history by now. It certainly should be. I doubt you would be able to tell from a video.

 

 

 

 

 

[Paul Dobbin]

8 hours ago, JACK M said:

I don't do well rolling on the floor. A two poster requires crawling under for every lift.

A four poster is a drive on and go.

For brake work I have a sliding jack that will pick up one end or the other. I can even put one end on stands and then jack up the other end.

If I need to unload the suspension the sliding jack will widen to the chassis.

Never did care for  the two posts, the old in ground one posters even less.

     I don;t do floors well anymore either.  Just to lift the car with a two post lift. its 8 trips to the floor!  Set the lift arms at 4 corners then

    lift a few inches and check all the lift points again before going up.  Gets old fast.   I bought a 4 post and love it.

    Another big consideration for me was clearance under the lift tracks.  With 3 cars that are 68" tall, the 67" clearance of small 4 post    

     lifts

    was not enough.  I had to go to the longer size to get 70" to be able to park under it.  I like to set it at 74"so I can walk under it anywhere     without hitting my head.  If you are over 6'2", wear a helmet.

    Just drive in the barn onto the lift and raise the car, no hassel.  Plus I can gain a parking space for work area.  

c

[Mark Shaw]

1 hour ago, Paul Dobbin said:

     I don;t do floors well anymore either.  Just to lift the car with a two post lift. its 8 trips to the floor!  Set the lift arms at 4 corners then

    lift a few inches and check all the lift points again before going up.  Gets old fast.   I bought a 4 post and love it.

    Another big consideration for me was clearance under the lift tracks.  With 3 cars that are 68" tall, the 67" clearance of small 4 post    

     lifts

    was not enough.  I had to go to the longer size to get 70" to be able to park under it.  I like to set it at 74"so I can walk under it anywhere     without hitting my head.  If you are over 6'2", wear a helmet.

    Just drive in the barn onto the lift and raise the car, no hassel.  Plus I can gain a parking space for work area.  Get the taller one...

c

 

I am under 6' tall and still have to duck under all three of my 4 post lifts & cannot park my tall cars under them.

Edited August 28, 2017 by Mark Shaw (see edit history)

[Bloo]

Taller ones are probably available.... Mind the ceiling......

[capngrog]

7 hours ago, Bloo said:

One more thing, ask how the safeties work. On some older lifts you will always see them disabled because they make an ear-shattering noise as the lift is moving. Quiet safeties that still work would make the decision on brand for me.

 

A lift safety letting me know that it's working is music to my ears.  I've never heard a lift safety make an "ear-shattering noise"; however, that may be because I've only been working around lifts for less than 15 years.

 

Cheers,

Grog

[Digger914]

4 hours ago, 540K said:

 

 

I noticed that noise on the video of the Direct Lift, but I figured a nice ca-chunk isn't a bad thing to know the safeties are engaged. Thanks for the lever tip. I'm still leaning towards Direct Lift, though I have moved up in size in case I ever want to put my truck on it. Maybe I shouldn't say "leaning" when talking about lifts! 

 

Not pushing the Direct Lift over any other, have noticed that cables over head last longer than cables on the floor when wet and road salt get involved, but with Direct Lift sales and service only 30 miles away that ought to weigh heavy in the choice direction because everything eventually breaks. Only an irritation when you push the button and the lift doesn't go up, little bit surprising when you push the button and it doesn't stop going up and a real problem when one goes up and won't come down.

 

When you have a car stuck on a hoist, the color of the hoist and the name painted on the side mean nothing,  parts and service today mean everything.

[tomcarnut]

I have two Direct Lift four posts  used for storage mostly that I purchased last year. I also looked at the Bend Pak but did not like the need for air. A friend of mine has had one for several years with no issues. So far they have worked fine but I use them only once a month at most.

 

Tom Muth

 

[Matt Harwood]

I have a 10,000 pound Bend-Pak that we use for the big cars and for actual service work. Very stable and easy to use. The heavier Bend-Pack units have pneumatic locks, which need an air compressor and about 50 PSI. I don't much like the system, although it has never been a problem. Well, that's not true--when they ship the lift, the locks have these huge springs on them that are for European safety regulations and you need 120 PSI to retract them with the springs in place. After blowing out two pneumatic cylinders with too much pressure, the Bend-Pak tech line guy said to remove the springs and throw them away. I asked him to put it in writing so that if I had problems or it killed someone, I was doing it with Bend-Pak's blessing. He did and I did and there have been no more problems.

 

I also have two 8000 pound Atlas 4-post lifts that I bought from a client who didn't need them anymore. They are not nearly as sturdy as the Bend-Pak, but they're fine for putting cars in the air for inspections and photography, which is how we use them. I had my '41 Buick Limited on one of them to do an oil change and it didn't seem to mind that (Buick is about 5000 pounds). I don't like to do really big jobs on the Atlas lifts because they're not as stable as the Bend-Pak, but for light stuff, no problem.

 

Also, I don't anchor my lifts to the floor, which will obviously help with stability. I have caster kits with both lifts so I can move them around, which we do periodically depending on the cars in the showroom.

 

That's a lot of words to say that the bottom line is that you should buy the best possible lift you can afford. Don't skimp on quality to save a buck. You only need one thing to go wrong and it's either very expensive or very painful (or very dead). Don't be tempted by a cheap lift. I would not have bought the Atlas lifts given a choice, but to get two of them for $1000 was a no-brainer and we only use them for light-duty stuff. Buy a good one and you'll never regret it.

[DavidAU]

I have the Aussie version of the Direct Lift  (same hoist, different name) for about 5 years and use it constantly with no problems .   It would be about the best tool I ever bought and I can tell you once you have one you will wonder how you ever lived without it. 

[JACK M]

54 minutes ago, DavidAU said:

  It would be about the best tool I ever bought and I can tell you once you have one you will wonder how you ever lived without it. 

 

YUP !!

[540K]

Thanks again to everyone. I've just about decided on the Direct Lift Pro-Park 9 Plus. I might have gone with the Pro-Park 8 Plus Long, but the 9 isn't that much more $ and I can probably put the pickup on it when I need to (would have been handy when I was putting those running boards on). Haven't found anything negative about it from actual users. $3500 including lift, casters, drip trays, jack tray, delivery and installed with oil. Dealer only 30 miles away. I can't see $1800 more value in the Rotary for my puny needs. 

 

To the extent anyone cares, I ruled out:

Bendpak - requires air compressor, a little more expensive, but the best warranty. 

Advantage - more expensive, less warranty, not certified.

Rotary - less clearance, lots more money, less warranty

Backyard Buddy - important specs not on their website, lots more expensive, not certified.

 

I did not look at Challenger, Revolution, etc., but would have if I had any qualms about Direct Lift. Could have researched more companies for weeks, but have found enough forums with comments on Bendpak, Direct Lift, Rotary, BYB to draw the line. For the most part, people like what they bought, whatever the brand, and if they have experience with more than one brand, both were okay. At some point it comes down to dimensions and cost rather than brand.

Edited August 28, 2017 by 540K (see edit history)

[Robert G. Smits]

540K, thank you for starting this thread and doing all the research for me..  I have had a 12K  two post for over 10 years love it for restoration work but need a movable lift for the small jobs, especially when the other lift is in use.  Getting the arms correct for a 30 minute oil change is a pain.  When the dually is on the  lift it always worries me because of the movement and I also use hoist jack stand now..  Thanks again.  Bob Smits

[C Carl]

Well , I have 4 of these treasures from the good old Boeing Surplus days. 10 ton capacity each , 5' 2" of travel. I have included some items of greater or lesser familiarity for scale. Yes , there is a little ironic humor in my intent. I recon lifting a mere 6400 pound car with a 40 ton capacity lift would be basically operating unloaded. Would you do it ?   - Carl

 

P.S. : I got this scrap so long ago that I was able to pick one of these up at the time. I wouldn't even try it now. Oh , yeah ; I adopted Joe there from University of Washington surplus. Very low adoption fees , and he earns his keep. However , I think it is time to relieve Joe of this task. Contortions and acrobatics have become rather time consuming and unpleasant.  - CC

 

 

Edited August 29, 2017 by C Carl
Add P.S. (see edit history)

[Janousek]

I like the pneumatic locks on my 4post bendpak.  I always have shop air so it isn't a problem.  I also have a  full rise scissor bendback that is 15+ years old and all I've done is grease the pivot pins.   I'd do a bendpak, Rotary, or Mohawk.  Most of the others look to cheap for me to be under a 5000 lbs car.  

 

A buddy has a rotary revolution 4post with a hokey handle that pulls 4 cables to release the locks.  The cables stretch and go out of adjustment leaving one lock half locked sometimes.    He saw my bendpak with the air locks and commented how nice that would be.  

 

Everyones different I guess.  I'm adding a 2 post bendpak soon but my go to will probably be the 4 post for service.  It's nice to pull right up on it without crawling around on the floor looking for lift points.  I've done that years ago.  

[Robert G. Smits]

540K, I just spoke to a independent lift installer in Fort Worth.  When I told him what lift i was purchasing he stated that this is the best 4 post on the market today.  Before he retired he worked for Rotary.

[Spinneyhill]

On 8/28/2017 at 5:38 PM, Digger914 said:

 

little bit surprising when you push the button and it doesn't stop going up

 

With only 2.7 m ceiling and a car 1.9 m tall, that would be my greatest worry before buying!

[Bhigdog]

1 minute ago, Spinneyhill said:

 

With only 2.7 m ceiling and a car 1.9 m tall, that would be my greatest worry before buying!

 

Simple enough to install an emergency stop switch. Damn things don't go up by magic. Sheesh..................Bob

[C Carl]

Limit switches are simple and virtually 100% foolproof. Spinney' , I'm not sure going to heroic measures to pick up .8m of lift will get you much more than Joe gives me. Maybe a solution similar to Rod's here ? Or , if you have any space between the ceiling and the roof , cut into the ceiling and truss across uprights connected to the lift. The lift would then become a structural member , with the roof becoming stronger than before.   - Carl

 

[Matt Harwood]

2 hours ago, Spinneyhill said:

 

With only 2.7 m ceiling and a car 1.9 m tall, that would be my greatest worry before buying!

 

Most lifts only go up as long as your finger is on the button. At least every one I've ever used was configured like that. There's no way you can push the UP button then walk away and let it go by itself. I have to believe most lifts are the same way--that seems like basic safety.