I'm very close to pulling the trigger on a four post lift. I've contacted Bend-pac, Aclifts, and Revolution.... I want rolling jacks so the Revolution is out. Aclift doesn't have rolling jacks either but they reccomend another company. The Bend-pac is 9k lbs rated and the other two are 7k lbs. Also the Aclifts are 3 weeks out. Anyone have any advice or thoughts?
I have two bend pak lifts inthe shop. A 9K two post and a 28K 4 post. The two post is used everyday and is adequate for the job. It is a little rough around the edges compared to other lifts. The four post is a friggin monster and also is adequate for everyday auto repair shop. Bend pak makes cost effective equipment. They are not as nice as my Forward and Rotory lifts but for a home garage application it would do well for you. So stop hesitating and go buy the damn thing!!! Bret
Call Randy Brown in Indy. he sells all kinds of lifts and very reasonable Tell him I told you to call his phone # is 317-691-5127 hope this will help Thanks Bob Miller [email protected]
Thanks guys, Due to measurement issues in the garage I can not go with a 12k Rotary or that would be the lift I would choose. The Bend-pac looks like the right one to go with. While I was waiting for the quote to be pdf'ed to me via email I thought I'd ask you guys what you thought. So that's what I was waiting for. I got the email w/ pricing tonight and will do the deal tomorrow. I will also call your guy, Bob, and give him the opportunity to quote. Thanks I will post a pict when done
I've had a Bend Pak 10K 2-post asymmetrical for about 6 years. It works great for me, in fact my 308 is up on it now while I do a major. It came with all parts, clear assembly instructions, and even a can of touch-up paint. It went together very easily, all the parts fit without any jiggling - bolt holes lined up, etc. A six-man crew of farmers (these guys really know their way around big, heavy equipment, and are very safety conscious). It cost me a box of doughnuts, a gallon of coffee, a couple of packages of premium frankfurters and some beans (good deal). Did I mention I Love My Lift!
Hi, Have had two BenPak 4-post lifts for storage in my garage for the past year. American-made, good quality. Pro: very happy Con: 220v power, require compressor for safety releases I would certainly buy these again. My brother ran 220v from downstairs fusebox into new box in the garage, specifically to run lifts. Then ran copper piping from the compressor across the ceiling down to each. Installation charge is well worth the money. Buy the aluminum ramps, drip pans to span the gap, and one jacking bridge. Have yet to find a bottle jack to fit under the 328 though. Email me at [email protected] if you'd like pictures. Best, Carl
Mike, Just a couple of questions, if i can hijack this thread for a minute: 1) Will both arms fit under the car without having to drive it up on planks? 2) Can both arms swing in, under the car, without having to jocky back and forth. 3) I don't have the garage built yet - What headroom clearance do you need, (how high must the ceiling be)? I can hardly wait to get off of my knees, (be nice guys, I'm talking about working on the car, not pleading with my wife to let me build the garage). thanks, chris
You can get the lift with a 100v motor if you want. I selected the 220v because it raises faster and the electrician is going to run the curcuit with a kill switch. Thanks for the info
I also have a Bend-Pak 2 post asymetric lift. 1. Both my 308 and 330 need to be driven up on 2" high wood blocks for the arms to clear the chassis (308) or exhaust (330). My 240Z and Chysler Van don't need to be. 2. Yes if the car is positioned correctly. I have marks on the floor where to set the blocks. Then when I drive the car up on them, it is correctly positioned. 3. About 12'. See the Bend-Pak website for exact dimensions. In general you only need that clearance where the two posts are located. However, consider the clearance needed where the front of the car is at full lift height with the hood raised. Similar at the rear with the trunk open. Go for it. Getting the lift was the best investment I ever made. To look at when/how I built my shop, see http://www.parrotbyte.com/kbc/ferrari/Shop.htm
I've had an Eagle two (2) post lift since this past January; easily the best tool I have bought for my own self preservation. My intended use was more for servicing as opposed to extra parking space, though I needed that too. My ceiling is 9'3", so I opted for the floorplate style lift. Since I'm barely 5'8" and primarily work on low-profile cars, I can stand straight up under all but the tires. My only regret is waiting as long as I did. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Ditto to the answers Kenny gave you (above) I built the garage with a 13' cathedral ceiling. I had to match an existing roofline, so I used scissor trusses. A little extra clearance at the top is useful when fitting the structural cross member and stringing the cables. Randy is also correct that the floorplate versions take up less height, but I was afraid that I would trip on the floorplate all the time. The arms stop with about 2" clearance above the floor, and I have read suggestions that you sink the pads 1.5" -2" below the floor level which would lower the arms and eliminate clearance problems. Maybe with a floorplate version you could sink the pads and the floorplate in a trench so it was just about level with the floor. My pads are 24" X 24" X 24" with lots of rebar. You are suposed to situate the car with the center of gravity on a line between the two posts, so I usually lift the 308 backwards, with the CG between the back edge of the door and the rear wheel well opening, with the short arms toward the engine bay. You can download the whole installation manual from the Bend Pak site to assist with planning. One interesting note - there is a graph with different hydraulic fluid options, depending on temperature. My farmer buddies brought a 5 gal bucket of some fancy John Deere hydraulic fluid that we tried first. The damn stuff had Viagra in it - the lift went up... but wouldn't come down! I pumped it out and replaced it with standard Chevron stuff and it worked fine. My garage is heated, so it never gets below 55 out there.
So far, that hasn't been too much of a problem; even the transmission jack (shown above) has never needed to be where the tunnel is. Next garage, I would like to do just that. Where we're at now, it was an existing five (5) year old house; I had nothing to do with how it was laid out.
Rotary makes great lifts and what we use at the shop. I did call Rotary and the 12k will not fit in the space and the Revolution is only 7k lbs and will not accomodate rolling jacks.
i have a ben pak HD 9 , got it for 1850. including shipping on sale this past spring, and a rolling jack was i think 600.00 including shipping from americanlifts.com . http://www.asedeals.com/garage_lift.html is where the lift deal came from they have them now for under 2500.00 including shipping. they were great to deal with, i assembled the lift by myself in about half day. i ran the electric prior to the lift coming.. if you dont get a 220v motor, you will not be able to lift as much weight/and or speed is decreased / and poss blow fuses.. you cant beat a larger capacity pump.... just like on air compressors ,you need to get 220v for true performance..
ps i got the hd 9 so it would be able to fit well in the opening of a 9 ft garage door , and be able to adjust the ramps width. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
That's a good price - any idea why a $650 diff.? That's who I'm getting my price from as Bend-pac recommended them. I'm having 220v run on monday.
Hmm, my arms go flush to the floor. This is on a Bend-Pak 2 post asymetric lift with the overhead bar. Maybe you have an adjustment problem?