I'm looking at putting a shop building up in the future, and after the wonderful experience of pulling a tranny with the car on a lift, am considering picking up a used 2 post lift. I have no back ground with these. Any ones I should look for? Any I should avoid?

Thanks!

W.

Beware "deals" as there are Chinese-made two-post lifts now available in North America.

Two local shops bought them and both had partial collapses. Luckily no one was hurt.

I trust the Chinese on some stuff but not where 3500-odd lbs of Mercedes is right over my head.

__________________


Mac
2002 e320 4matic estate│1985 300d│1980 300td
Previous: 1979 & 1982 & 1983 300sd │ 1982 240d

“Let's take a drive into the middle of nowhere with a packet of Marlboro lights and talk about our lives.” ― Joseph Heller, Catch-22

More discussions on lift than you can shake a stick at
The Garage Journal Board - Powered by vBulletin
Probably make you more informed but also confused ;-)
Good luck!

__________________
1985 300D
The rest:
1957 MGA (comatose)
1965 Falcon (sleeping)
1966 E-100 (rust test in progress)
1976 Ford 3400 D Tractor (workhorse)
1978 Mercury Zephyer (5L playtoy)
1995 Isuzu NPR D (fetcher)
1998 Subaru Legacy (Spare)
2000 Toyota Sienna (School bus)
2008 Toyota Prius (Commuter)

I installed a Max-Jax three years ago and have been well satisfied.

__________________
1981 300TD 310k miles
1970 280sel 172k miles
1966 230 Fintail 162k miles

"Where are we going? And why am I in this hand basket?"

It's hard to find a non-Chinese hoist these days though there are a few makers in the US. Mine is from Pace Tools and has been in place 9 years or so and I use it a LOT. So far so good. The hydraulic pump is US-made.

The thing to watch is what's UNDER the hoist. Too often folks install them on a standard garage floor which, while nominally 4" thick, can have thin spots and remember that a 2X4 (used for the forms) are NOT 2X4. Be sure you have enough concrete under the hoist base (mine recommended 5"). If necessary you can cast 24" or so in a 18 or 24" diameter Sonotube to act as a footing. When the concrete guys came we just scooped out some sand where I knew I wanted the hoist and we used fiber-reinforced concrete for the whole floor - so far no issues even with the big Dodge up on it.

Dan

Have a look here for certified lifts. ( Also look farther in this post for more of my info )

http://www.autolift.org/what-to-know-when-purchasing-a-car-lift/

ALI / ETL Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) - Automotive Lift Institute

Automotive Lift Certification
Look for the Gold Label

There’s more riding on your vehicle lifts than cars and trucks. If you’re the technician who relies on a lift to get your job done every day, your safety is riding on it. If you’re the shop owner, service manager or dealer whose livelihood depends on your technicians’ safety and performance, your business is riding on it. With so much riding on your lifts, it’s crucial that they are chosen with care.

Since 1993, the ALI Lift Certification Program has made it easy for lift buyers to choose lifts that have been third-party tested and proven to meet the safety and performance requirements outlined in the safety standard ANSI/ALI ALCTV (current edition) “Safety Requirements for the Construction, Testing and Validation of Automotive Lifts.” Intertek Testing Services (ETL), an independent, worldwide testing organization, manages the program. Intertek (Cortland, N.Y.), MET Laboratories (Baltimore, Md.) and TÜV SÜD America (Peabody, Mass.) are the third-party Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) authorized to test lifts to determine whether they meet the ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2011 standard.

Lift testing includes verification of the structural integrity of all the lift’s systems and components, proper function of its controls and load-holding devices, proper lowering speeds, and overload protection. Part of the testing process involves loading the lift to 150 percent of its rated load capacity and ensuring that no visual deformation of any of the lift’s structural elements or components occurs. Instructional materials must also meet requirements outlined in the standard. In order for a lift to be certified, the manufacturer’s production facility also has to meet quality control requirements. Lifts can be tested and certified regardless of where they are manufactured and whether or not the manufacturer is an ALI member.

Lifts tested by the authorized laboratories and found to meet all of the requirements outlined in the ANSI standard receive a gold “ALI Certified” label and are listed in the ALI Directory of Certified Lifts. ALI certification is a buyer’s only guarantee that a lift meets the industry safety and performance standards. Note that certification is for an individual model of lift, not the lift manufacturer. If a manufacturer has one ALI-certified lift, that does not mean that all of its lifts are certified.

Unless mandated by an authority having jurisdiction (AHJ), lift testing and certification is voluntary for manufacturers. Responsibility for buying certified lifts rests with the customer. Be an educated consumer! Always look for ALI’s gold certification label before buying a vehicle lift.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Make sure the car is properly balanced when placing the lift arms. I've seen front drive cars get light when the rear wheels are removed because the car was too far forward and arms too far back.

Make sure the arm locks work, the arms can kick out if on the edge and down goes the car.

Make sure the lift safeties work, these hold the car up if a hose or lifting cable breaks.

As for brands stay with an established name that has a ALI / ETL Be sure to check with the link above to make sure they are actually certified, especially if buying used.

I have a early 90's Gilbarco ( rebranded Japanese near as I can tell ) it is a very sturdy lift. The only down side is the lift cables run on the floor between the columns.

Also, be wary of wording like this:

TRITON PRO 11K ALI/ETL Certified Symmetric Lift | LIFTS PLUS DEPOT Tire Changers, Virginia car lifts vehicle lifts.

" Certified to the OSHA recognized ALI/ETL Lift Standards. "

I ran their model name through the ALI site http://www.autolift.org/ali-directory-of-certified-lifts/browse-certified-lifts/ and it does not come up. This leads me to believe the company self certified using ALI specs but isn't actually certified.

The majority of the shops that I frequent in So Cal use the Bend Pak above ground 4 post lift and seem to be quite happy with them. I do not know the origin of materials or assembly for Bend Pak but from what I can see, it looks like a quality piece of equipment. The only other brand would be made by Hunter Equipment - I do know that they are very expensive and are top end professional grade. I think the choice of a 2 post versus a 4 post hoist could be dependent on your location - earthquakes or not. I have actually seen cars come off a hoist in an earthquake.

I have a MaxJax. It works well, I like the option of un-bolting it from the floor and moving it when not in use. It doesn't raise the car high enough to walk under so you need a rolling seat. Reasonably priced and usually has free shipping. I've used it on a 300D, 560SL and 280SE

I bought a Mohawk two post lift at the recommendation of my local MB Indy mechanic. They have other styles also. I was impressed with its heavy duty structure. It does not use any steel cables (wire rope) which I consider a huge advantage. The Mohawk lift costs more than many other brands that I considered but I thought it was the best value.

Walter:
PP Forum Member engatwork had a Morton Building erected on his property about three years ago. He has a two-sided lift. He'd be a font of info for you too, on what he's learned as an owner of one.

Be certain not to build the ceiling too low with a lift!

Thanks to all who replied. Lots of good info which gives me a place to start. I have had a time crunch since I posted this originally, and am just getting back to having time to looking into lifts.

Regards,

W.

Dan,
Got a pic of what that looks like?

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

You can buy good used American made four-post lifts. I want one where you can drive the vehicle on the lift and put it up.

__________________
Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

I have Forward 10 tons lift for last couple years and it is doing nice job.I put up Dodge diesel up without a problem.It was bought from Napa for around 3000$.

__________________
English second language.