I'm just your average hobby tinker with a bunch of vintage cars and bikes. I'm currently in the last throws of building a 24'x36' shop on my property. I'd like to entertain the idea of putting a small 2-post lift in. Googling it provides a multitude of vendors. So I was hoping to fish for some feedback from you folks that have put in 2-post lifts. I'm not looking for a ton of height, as I only have 12' ceilings. It seems in the search of the forum here that Bend Pak is a preferred brand? If you have installed one in the last 4 or 5 years, would you comment on what brand you have, how hard it was to install? I'd like to put it in myself and while there are a lot of lift comments in the forum, not a lot of them seem to address how complex they are to install.
I bought a used Rotary assymetric 2-post lift for my shop at work.
It came from the service department of a dealership.
Great lift; got it for about $1600 and the local dealer charged about $350 to install it. It was worth it to me.
A good friend of mine has several lifts at his shop. He buys Bend-Pak or the local supplier's own brand.
I have used it for a few years (actually 6 looking back) and find it pretty decent, certainly don't want to go back to the days of ramps and jack stands.
I installed it myself with the only real problem being getting the posts off the trailer and standing upright (they are very heavy).
I too have a Rotary asymmetrical, 10,000#. When I bought it, 2005, Rotary was the only American designed and manufactured lift that was actually load tested. Best tool I ever bought.
Hello,
This is also just a hobby with me. I'm currently restoring a 68 Corvette. I'm in the metal business and the first thing I looked at before buying a new lift was how it was made and what it was make with. I decided on a Bend Pak. I could have paid $500.00 and had it installed but I installed it myself. I have a 24 x x36 x 12 shop behind my house and when I started to assemble the lift I found out I had a 11' 11" inside height and had to open the ceiling to fit the lift in. The easy way to lift the columns is to use a engine lift and raise it as far as possible then finish tipping it up. Don't raise it at the end but close to the middle. The hardest part for me was raising the cross bar to the top of the columns. You really need two people on ladders for this. I also decided on the symmetrical instead of the asymmetrical lift. I don't like the the way a car is positioned on a asymmetrical lift - looks like it could fall off. I have a F250 and its not a problem to open the truck door to get out with the symmetrical lift. I've had it about two years now and had no issues with it.
Don
The shop I'm working at uses Rotary asymmetrical. I like them. Well built and heavy duty. The first five were bought, like new, from an OLdsmobile dealership that was forced out by GM several years ago and last week the owner installed a new one. Now each mechanic has a hoist and a flat bay..:thumbup:
I went with the Bend pak XPR 10. it was a process to put it up, but I did it myself. I have had it for about 3 months and I love it. I read a few comparison articles and it seemed that the Bendpak come out on top. also, I bought mine new, because where I live the used selection is slim, and the Bendpak was about $3000.00 less delivered to my door.
I've had my bendpak xpr-10 Symetrical lift for 2 weeks now.Its been great! Its got to be the best man cave tool that I've had so far.
It seems well built. I looked for a used lift for a while now and they are hard to find here. I would have liked American made but they were way to much $$. For the money it seems like a very nice lift. It sure has made auto repair work easier. Get one you won't regret it. We set it up in a day.
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