Garage lift

[JB]

Finally, next month we break ground on my (almost) dream garage. They can never get big enough you know but this will be 1200 sq/ft. with 12' ceilings. The questions I have are about a lift. Like what type of a lift should I put in. How many posts? Drive on? If 2 post, do I need footings? I'm leaning toward 4 post because I can store another car. I need suggestions along with reputible manufacturers.
Thanks,
JB

 

[Doug]

DC Kid,

I've had both, a 4 post/park under and a two post lift. What do you want to do with it, use it to park a car underneath or as a work lift? I went with a two post lift the second time around because I wanted the wheels free and more room to work underneath the car. Another benefit of a two post lift, it took up less room in my garage.

With a four poster you will need a jack to get each wheel free.

The four post felt more stable and allowed me to park another car on the bottom. With a two poster you must pay a little more attention to get the car balanced on the forks.

I bought both from AutoLifters. They have since gone out of business - pressure from the cheapo Chinese lifts, or so the story goes. Whatever you decide make sure to buy a reputable brand and you will be happy.

 

[Daryl Adams]

I have two lifts in my garage, one a bolt-down four poster and the other a non-anchored four poster by Backyard Buddy. I prefer the Backyard Buddy hands down. It simply stands on four 12" x 12" plate "feet" and was a breeze to assemble. The bolt-down job required precision layout, anchor bolts, etc. The Backyard Buddy also lifts a bit higher. The only snag I've had is a slight leaking of hydraulic oil from the vent, but it's not enough of a problem to even warrant any adjustments. Oh, and the Backyard Buddy also runs on 120V, whereas the bolt-down was a 220v system. There are other similar units out there. I prefer the four post as they are being used for parking as well as maintenance and just seem inherently more stable and safe.

 

[Daryl Adams]

John has a good point. When I do brake work I lift the car and lower it down onto four jackstands to pull the wheels.

 

[Sandy]

I have a 4 post that sounds similar, can be anchored or mobile as well. Most of the 4 posters also offer a Jack Tray that can be used for jack stands/bottle jacks to lift the car while on the lift (sits in the gap).

My friend has a Flat like Scissor type that bolts to the ground and if you don't need park under works really well for working on/under the car and you can park one car on top without much trouble. Wheels are free when lifted and seems pretty stable.

I think the one I have is from American Lifts in San Diego, they were an advertiser on the board here a long while ago, they came out and assembled it with a little help was done in about 2 hours.

Sandy

 

[Alex Hirsbrunner]

If you get a backyard buddy 4 poster (I am very happy with mine), get the rolling work platform option - definitely worth the money. This lets you lift two wheels (or what ever) at a time with just a small hydraulic "bottle" jack. I also found that a couple of under lift stands really come in handy - like these:

Harbor Freight Tools - Quality Tools at the Lowest Prices

Al

 

[Mike Dozier]

I've used both...4 post is only option if you want to store (2) cars in one spot. And it's the only option if you want a free standing (movable) lift.

But if you have the space...I prefer the 2 post...it's more convenient for
most jobs. They must be anchored down of course...but nothing special
so long as your floor is typical good quality 4 " concrete.

MikeD

 

[John Killgore]

LIFTS: Go to: BENDPAK.COM, autolifters.com..see 4-poster lifts with/wo rollers..very easy to operate...

 

[Doug]

LOLA one-off,
AutoLifters is toast. Bankrupt.

 

[Rob]

I have a UNIC Stongman portable in my garage. It is the bees knees in my mind. I can not use it for storage of a vehicle as there are roller legs that would prohibit driving under it, however it is portable (on wheels). So I can use it, then tuck it away in the corner. Therefore having none, zero, notta, no floor space allocated to hoist. On nice days, I even roll it out on my driveway and lift the cars outside.

UNIC is out of business as I understand it, but I see them up for sale every now and again on the internet. I have had it for about 7 yrs and am quite happy with it.

If anyone is curious enough to see it, I can take a pic and post.

 

[Randy V]

Rob - I'm very interested in seeing pics of your lift.. As I have a very low overhead in my shop, I have only a few options.

I noticed that Fran has something that looks like Motorcycle Lifts for the chassis as they work on them at RCR. I was going to ask him about those also..

 

[Rob]

Hi Randy,
Here's a pic of the beast. It's essentially a pallet jack on lots of steroids. Lifts car to full height. Well...almost, I have to bend my knees just a little if I don't use the rubber blocks (spacers, seen in pic). I have lifted kit cars to 1/2 ton pickup trucks. One of the coolest features is that I can lift a car as high as about 1.5' off the ground then roll the unit around. So, I can transport imobile vehicles. Or, if I just decide I want to spin the car around because I working on the other side now and can't see the TV, I just grab the handle and spin it. Pretty cool.

Only giving positives.....here are some negs:
- Body of hoist makes it impossible to work on the one side of the car where the hoist is. i.e if you lift from drivers side, you can't work on the drivers door or open the drivers door.

- I can't fold it up and put it in the tool box when I'm done.

I will be using it this weekend (oil change on the stang), so will try to take a pic of it in action.

Re the cycle lifts that Fran uses, they are great for the car builds (I have considered getting one to replace the big wood buck you can see in the background.) However, they are not useful as a regular auto lift. Capacity is no where near enough. All depends on your job criterea I guess.... looking for a hoist or a fuctional build table.

 

[Doug]

Check out the single post lift at SuperLifts. Cool, me likey!

http://www.superlifts.com/

 

[Rob]

John, this is a very cool option too. I have this on the wish list for when I finally get a storage hoist. The beauty is almost no floor space taken, especialy when compared to traditional 4 post platforms. The one disadvantage is to the best of my knowledge you can't get the wheels of the runner, so service options are limited. Have you looked into how much these are? There is no price on the linked page.

 

[Randy V]

Rob - That's great!!! I'm going to see if I can find a walk-behind Forklift on the used market around here. Should be pretty much the same thing..

 

[Fran Hall RCR]

Just talked with the Superlift guys about their single post lift.
Smaller unit is 6k including shipping...larger unit is 8k including shipping...6-8 weeks out on delivery and they are custom made per order.
Nice but pricey compared with 2 or 4 post lifts.

 

[Rob]

Damn boy....you aint kiddin. You can get a 4 post for $2K.

 

[John Killgore]

Gentelmen: Have "Revolution" lift by Rotary Lift...4 poster hydraulic..No#LP20160. see Auto lifts and motorcycle lifts from Revolution (800-604-3359). Was looking for bill..can't find..believe it was around $2,200? SUGGEST building next home with 5-7 car garage or one with 11-13 ft ceilings..

 

[Rob]

Here is my "Unic Strongman"
As mentioned, they are out of business, but worth grabbing if you can find one (IMHO).

 

[Randy V]

Yup Rob - That's what I need!!!

I'll be scanning eBay and Craig's List for one.

Thanks!