Any lift recommendations?

[Epiphany]

BendPak Low-Rise P-6B has done me right. Extremely robust.

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[miccontreras]

A few additional comments regarding my Bendpak HD-9W.....

1) I bought it through a local reseller / installer and they did a great job of setting it up. No leaks in the hydraulics or air, and the cables and safety locks work great.
2) I give mine quite a workout. I've had it for nearly six years and other than occasionally cleaning it and greasing the various zerk fittings throughout, I don't give it much of a thought... it just keeps working.
3) I have the optional sliding jack bridge - really just a steel span that slides along a track between the runners. I use a heavy-duty scissors jack on it that I operate with a Milwaukee cordless impact driver and can lift any car up (one end at a time) and put it on jack stands on the lift. This allows me to do all sorts of suspension and brake work on the lift, just like a 2-post.
4) Installation of a 4-post is much easier than a 2-post. Mine isn't even bolted to the floor. And, as others said, you need stronger concrete pads to support a 2-post.
5) Absolutely no issue with lowered cars using the standard Bendpak ramps, but I do back lower cars onto it, rather than driving them on forward.

Couple additional pics - as you can tell, I have confidence that this thing isn't going to collapse on the lower car.

+1. I have the HD-9 (not the wide) and I decided it was worth the extra $1k, or so, to go with Bendpak over the cheaper alternatives. Prior to this I had a Bendpak midrise lift that was old, reliable and required little maintenance. I put it up myself (with some assistance with heavier pieces) and I felt the quality was high and it went together perfectly. I have the casters as well, which makes it much easier to move around. My S550 has been up on the lift for the last month getting suspension upgrades. I've seen a good number of posts from people that have purchased cheaper 4 post lifts and been happy. For me, the Bendpak name and reputation was enough to give me that extra comfort of parking valuable cars on it (and underneath) as well as personal safety. I'm cheap, but there are purchases where I'm not afraid to spend a bit more to get the best product I can.

Overall, a 4 post is a fairly simplistic lift and (as others noted) a lot easier to install. I chose to buy the name brand lift and install myself to save a few $$. I also learned exactly how the lift worked, safety features, etc., by putting it together myself. I went 4 post because I wanted it as much for additional parking as I did for working on cars. It is a weekend job and could be done in a day (or less) if you had a buddy or two to help. I could put up another one in probably half the time, but it will be a while before I purchase any more lifts.

Feel free to PM me and I can give you the email of the person at Bendpak that sold me my lift. They gave me the best deal I could find and she was super helpful.

Mike

 

[car crazy]

Wow. You guys had a very different BendPak experience than I did. Mine was about 2 years ago and I was working directly with the customer service manager. He repeatedly refused to do anything stating they are not responsible because the installer should never have accepted the lift from the shipping company in that condition. They never offered to fix all the problems. They simply placed blame on the shipping company they used. Bandpak shipped the left, Bendpak chose the shipping company, yet Bendpack refused to help. Additionally, BendPak refused to fix the problems that clearly had nothing to do with shipping and again stated the installer should not have accepted the lift. I spent weeks of phone calls and email and finally the dealer stepped up and helped at his expense. The dealer was also amazed BendPak refused to fix their manufacturing flaws. This was, by far, the worst customer service experience I've ever had in my life and I was dealing with the head of customer service. The gentleman was extremely unfriendly and very unhelpful. He placed the blame on everyone but Bendpak. Apparently he expected the installer to open the lift on the loading dock at the freight company and inspect the entire thing right there. Pretty unrealistic if you ask me. If you have no problems, you will be fine. If you have to deal with their customer service, ouch. BTW, as stated above, the stock ramps absolutely will not work for a GT350. Make sure you buy the extended ramps if going with BendPak. Cross your fingers and hope you don't have to deal with their customer service. I'm looking for a second 4 post lift for my garage and I'm strongly considering Rotary and watching this thread for any other suggestions.

 

[Muligan]

Stock Bendpak ramps on my HD-9W. I would not try to pull straight on, but backing on is no issue, even for an R.

 

[ARMRER]

Stock Bendpak ramps on my HD-9W. I would not try to pull straight on, but backing on is no issue, even for an R.

Nice to know, thanks-

 

[morjo02]

I have a 4 post lift from Advantage Lifts - great quality

https://www.advantagelifts.com/

 

[woodanator]

Hello everyone, I have spent the past hour reading old threads on garage lifts without finding a great answer to what I was looking for.
I am in the midst of researching 4-post garage lifts for my home. Safety is my number one concern. Are there any lifts that are able to be locked out? I want to be sure that I am the only one who can operate the lift, and that my two children can not accidentally (or intentionally) operate it. Do any lifts have a master key switch (or similar idea)?
Also, I have read where Bend-Pak has special locks integrated into their lifts as an added measure of safety in the event of a cable break. Are there any other "above and beyond" safety features I should be looking for?
In terms of quality and reliability, is Bend-Pak generally considered the benchmark?
Just to reiterate, safety is my top priority. I need to feel 100% comfortable with whichever lift I choose to install at my home so that I can rest easy when my children are out in the garage.
Thank you in advance!

 

[morjo02]

Hello everyone, I have spent the past hour reading old threads on garage lifts without finding a great answer to what I was looking for.
I am in the midst of researching 4-post garage lifts for my home. Safety is my number one concern. Are there any lifts that are able to be locked out? I want to be sure that I am the only one who can operate the lift, and that my two children can not accidentally (or intentionally) operate it. Do any lifts have a master key switch (or similar idea)?
Also, I have read where Bend-Pak has special locks integrated into their lifts as an added measure of safety in the event of a cable break. Are there any other "above and beyond" safety features I should be looking for?
In terms of quality and reliability, is Bend-Pak generally considered the benchmark?
Just to reiterate, safety is my top priority. I need to feel 100% comfortable with whichever lift I choose to install at my home so that I can rest easy when my children are out in the garage.
Thank you in advance!

reach out to Tony from Advantage Lifts... great product

 

[ZX3ST]

I have 9ft ceilings in my garage, so I went with the Danmar MaxJax and have been very pleased. Plus I can unbolt the columns and roll them away when I'm not using it, which is a plus in a somewhat cramped space.

 

[64Chevy]

I have three 4 post lifts and a 2 post lift (in a shared warehouse). The 2 post lift is a Rotary and is awesome. The 4 posts lifts I didn't purchase and I cannot recall the brand.

One important point--2 point lifts need to be installed on a specific thickness of concrete at a specific strength (sometimes specified as PSI). In my warehouse the installer needed to cut out 4x4 foot square (or maybe 5x5) of the existing concrete floor, dig down, and pour "footings", whereas some four post lifts (most, probably) don't need to be attached at all, and can even be used on gravel/dirt (with the appropriate cautions about the compressibility of the substrate).

 

[TRS7139]

The 4 post models are generally safer, they have welded blocks on a posts and a cam lock that rests on them. To lower you must pull a spring loaded lever to clear the blocks on the way down.
You can jury rig a hidden switch up high to disable the pump to the ram.

 

[64Chevy]

The 4 post models are generally safer, they have welded blocks on a posts and a cam lock that rests on them. To lower you must pull a spring loaded lever to clear the blocks on the way down.
You can jury rig a hidden switch up high to disable the pump to the ram.

My two post has the same safety system.

 

[honeybadger]

If you need a low-ceiling lift, take a look at the Danmar M-6 (previous version was called the MaxJax). It's fully certified and my car has been on it for almost 3 months now while I am waiting on engine parts. A bit quirky, but a great option for those of us with low ceilings.

 

[earlSpilner]

If you need a low-ceiling lift, take a look at the Danmar M-6 (previous version was called the MaxJax). It's fully certified and my car has been on it for almost 3 months now while I am waiting on engine parts. A bit quirky, but a great option for those of us with low ceilings.

The M-6 is a "portable" lift according to there website. How is it to move? It looks like your is bolted to the floor.

 

[miccontreras]

The M-6 is a "portable" lift according to there website. How is it to move? It looks like your is bolted to the floor.

I had previously posted recommending the Bendpak 4 post HD-9 since that I what I have and it works great. I don't have the trolly jack for it but I have the platform. Regardless, trying to raise a wheel to do brake work on a 4 post is a pain without the expensive trolly jack. I saw another post about the Quick Jack, so I bought one of those from Costco for $999. It is lightweight and portable and works very well. It is also made by Bendpack and a fair bit cheaper alternative if you don't need the additional parking from a 4 post and don't want to install a 2 post (portable or permanent). Both of those are better options (and more expensive), but I don't have room for a 2nd lift in my shop, so the Quick Jack filled a nice need I had.

Good luck with purchase. I expect if you buy from any of the reputable people / companies (and I don't mean only big name brands) you will be happy. I went with the Bendpak name for the comfort factor and it was right in my price point.

Mike

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