Anyone have a lift in their garage?

A good friend of mine has a two post, asymmetrical lift in his newly built shop behind the house. It's very nice. I forget what brand it is... Atlas maybe? I'll ask him tomorrow.

Sweet!

In the technical drawing class I took my senior year of high school, I designed a 1850 sq. ft. house (we were limited to 2000 total living space for some reason) that had a 2500 sq. ft. garage, close to the size you're thinking of. It had a double door and a single door on the front wall, and another single door on the side wall. I had more fun designing the garage than the house! :)

Even sweeter! :)

Depends on what you're planning on using it for, I'd imagine. Two posters are nice if you want the suspension unloaded while the car is in the air. Probably more versatile than a drive-on four poster.

Harbor Freight has a Bend-Pak 7,000lb. two post for $2200, and a

12,000lb. four post on sale for $2900:

?itemnumber=90046 I have no idea how this price compares to other places, but Harbor Freight tends to be the cheapest around.

I want a garage with a lift!

Or even just a garage with a solid floor!

:)

The 4 post lift does one thing much better than the 2 poster. You can store two cars double decker style. The two poster supports the car from the frame not on the wheels so it does not make the best storage option. 2 poster does not have oil catch pans to keep the drips off the lower car. Those are a stock option on a 4 post llift.

The two post lift is much easier to do suspension/brake work. Lift the car and pull the wheels. The 4 poster requires lifting and then using a second jack to get the car off its wheels.

The assymetric feature on the two poster is worth the small extra fee. It means you can open the car doors with smacking the columns.

The right choice for you depends on how you will use it.

PS make sure your shop has a 10 foot ceiling at least.

Erich

I think every 4 poster I have seen has the hydraulic or air lift built right in front and back. It even slides so that you can position it where you want it.

Don Manning

I have an Eagle 4 post, you can put a car on it and roll it around. Much quicker for oil changes and stuff you can do with the wheels on the ground. If I need to unload the suspension, I lift the car, put four tall jack stands under it and let the lift down.

Al

If the budget gets tight and your area has a low water table, don't forget about the old service pit. It is much better than nothing. A friend in NM has a 6 bay garage at home. One with a lift built in the ground just like the commercial units, and one with a pit.

... only in my dreams... you lucky bass turd! *wink*

Kate

A lot depends on personal taste and what you are going to do. You name the style, I've used it... they alll have good points and they all have bad points. Bang for bux is a two post but you need a really solid footing - position the car wrong and it is a giant lever looking to go to work. A decent 2 post (say 6K# installed will run $6k-$7K Canajun.

I am currently using a 27,000# 4 poster.... with 2 jacking beams and the alignmet stuff attached, this is not a cheap hoist. Upside is that I rarely need to kneel down. Upside is that the suspension is in it's natural position. Downside is that they can be spendy. Footing is less critical but still a concern.

Check around... I know of several companies that sell reconditioned, used garage equipment - don't forget to check references, etc..... Anything that gets your car up off the ground is better than nothing - it all depends on how much green you are willing to part with.

\> I am currently using a 27,000# 4 poster.... with 2 jacking beams and the

I got a (3) - Ton roll-around jack in my (1) car garage. :>(

It's heaven. Here's what I decided:

1. I wanted a 2-poster. Generally, when I work on my car I want the wheels unloaded. I think the 4-poster ramps would get in the way all the time even if I jacked the wheels up. The 2-poster puts nothing under the car; you can get to everything.
2. I looked at the two companies that have been selling 2-poster lifts in Hemmings forever. Eagle and Autolifters. If I wanted a 4-poster I would have looked at a couple more companies too.
3. Autolifters is made in the USA and tested to really ridiculous load levels. Nobody really beats them on price. (They have cut their prices a lot in the face of Chinese competition.) The Autolifter's dimensions fit my building better, and that may not apply to you. So that's what I got.
4. It's pretty easy to put together, but the instructions were kinda short. I guess they know I'm mechanically inclined or I wouldn't be buying their product.
5. Absolutely love the lift and everything about it. All the neighbors are jealous.

I recommend Autolifters without any reservation. More than that, I recommend getting a lift. I am so totally spoiled. I won't even bend over to look at something happening under my car. It's unbelievable how much stuff you can do and how easily. I don't ever break or lose anything any more. I won't pull an engine without it, won't pull a tranny without it. I won't even change my oil without it.

So it's well worth $2 grand. I guess I'd say it's the best $2k I ever spent. People come buy driving a $35,000 truck and say "I'm so jealous of your $2,000 lift". What's up with that? They're too good for cheap and easy fun? Are you?

neener-neener-neener..... 8^)