The Bendpak installed is about $6k. About $800 to install. Seems like it is worth it to pay the installation for me. I have no way of dealing with the heavy stuff. This one is 220v, but I already have power right next to it, so that is easy.
Buying a 4 Post Lift advice
- Thread starter Mike69cuda
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Nothing is light, it took 5 of us to carry the platform with the cylinder under it into my trailer, when we took mine apart at the sellers house. Fortunately I had the answer at my end... and my Wife is a saint to boot !
I had mine on order and was waiting for it to come in. With a jack, delivery and taxes was going to be $8200 Cdn, and 3 days before that one arrived I got mine for $4500 cash! One year old and only used to store a Caddy on it. Kinda kicking my *** I didn't take the new one as well..
I had mine on order and was waiting for it to come in. With a jack, delivery and taxes was going to be $8200 Cdn, and 3 days before that one arrived I got mine for $4500 cash! One year old and only used to store a Caddy on it. Kinda kicking my *** I didn't take the new one as well..
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Mine is a backyard buddy, 7 or so years of near daily use. Free standing with a wheel kit. If its a free standing one, floor needs to be pretty much dead level at the posts or it may move a little. Mine walks a little, and i need to move it back a couple tines a year. Daily use though.
I bought mine new off a buy abd sell site,$2500. Guy bought it at auction and his dad wouldnt let it in shop.
I bought mine new off a buy abd sell site,$2500. Guy bought it at auction and his dad wouldnt let it in shop.
That is true, they will walk if your not on a level surface. My buddy has one that moves a couple inches a year.
The wildfire lift comes with the wheel kit. I can move it around by myself no problem at all. As far as assembly, the platforms are very heavy and I had to use my tractor to set them. The rest of it was easy to handle.
The wildfire lift comes with the wheel kit. I can move it around by myself no problem at all. As far as assembly, the platforms are very heavy and I had to use my tractor to set them. The rest of it was easy to handle.
Big_John
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
I have a Wildfire lift too. Nice folks to deal with and everything is as promised.
They told me I needed two people minimum to put it up, so since I have a bad back and an even worse neck... and a limitation on lifting anything too heavy, I said "challenge accepted!" and put the whole thing up myself, including taking it out of the truck.
I just used a borrowed engine hoist and a little common sense. Never lifted anything too heavy and the only help I got was my wife "spotted" for me while pulling the big parts out of the U-Haul.
They told me I needed two people minimum to put it up, so since I have a bad back and an even worse neck... and a limitation on lifting anything too heavy, I said "challenge accepted!" and put the whole thing up myself, including taking it out of the truck.
I just used a borrowed engine hoist and a little common sense. Never lifted anything too heavy and the only help I got was my wife "spotted" for me while pulling the big parts out of the U-Haul.
Well, that's sorta how it happened, but no one seems interested, so I'm not really worried too much about it. It's not my money or decision. ;)
Those are very cool!
So enlighten us on how a steel post base went through a non voided slab.
Read it again.....it was not a non voided slab. It was a 6" pour......but not under one post. My post was to try and give the guy advice he asked for, not to start an argument or give a litmus test for belief. Pretty simply, three guys (I was one) were pulling on a long prybar trying to move something on the car and the concrete under one post gave it up. When that happened, the weight shifted and pushed the opposite side post out of the foundation and that whole end of the lift hit the floor. We were glad it made lots of noise, because by the time the first post fell, we were out in the driveway. The second post had no void involved at all. He even had the original building inspector from Gray come out and he said the first post was mounter on top of an "air pocket" were his words. You could see it too. There was a lot of porous area where the post gave it up. Matt had the entire slab dug up and re-poured to 8" and by a different company.
JDMopar
Well-Known Member
I'd pick the Wildfire lift over the Bend Pak hands down. It's built like a Backyard Buddy, with the sliders on the outside of the columns. Unless Bend Pak has changed, you need an air hose hooked to it to release the locks when you want to lower it. I have a Super Lifts brand 4 post lift that I have had since 2008. It was made in Missouri, but they got bought out by another company. I picked mine up at the trucking terminal and put it together myself in about 2 hours. I just followed the instructions and used common sense and my engine hoist to put the runners on it. It isn't bolted down and has the wheel kit that I can use to roll it wherever I need it in the shop. They are a nice tool to have, but I had to learn how to work all over again when I got it. I'd laid on my back with a car on jack stands my whole life, so I hads to learn me some new ways! Every time I use it, I walk around it and double check all 4 lock tabs to make sure they're seated good before I get under it. Good luck with it.
Thanks for all the help guys! Lots of good insights here.
I have done a little research on the cement strength. Many lift manufacturers specify 3.5 to 4.25 inches thick with 2500-3000 psi crush strength. Trying to understand where these numbers come from seems to involve a lot of science with a lot of factors that are not easily understood.
If I have good concrete, then I am ok at 4 inches. However, as Rusty has said, if you have concrete that is substandard, not thick enough, or on top of a void in the base, that could spell trouble.
Has anyone done a check on their cement if they didn’t know the thickness for sure? Is it necessary?
The easiest thing I could think of would be to drill a small hole & see what depth I break through. Or maybe find someone who can test it with one of those fancy ultrasound testers.
I have done a little research on the cement strength. Many lift manufacturers specify 3.5 to 4.25 inches thick with 2500-3000 psi crush strength. Trying to understand where these numbers come from seems to involve a lot of science with a lot of factors that are not easily understood.
If I have good concrete, then I am ok at 4 inches. However, as Rusty has said, if you have concrete that is substandard, not thick enough, or on top of a void in the base, that could spell trouble.
Has anyone done a check on their cement if they didn’t know the thickness for sure? Is it necessary?
The easiest thing I could think of would be to drill a small hole & see what depth I break through. Or maybe find someone who can test it with one of those fancy ultrasound testers.
Looks like a Back Yard Buddy or an Advantage Lift? How do you like it?
scatpackbee
Well-Known Member
Whatever hoist you get, buy the proper sliding jack adapter for it.
Here’s my poor man’s 4 car garage.
Here’s my poor man’s 4 car garage.
Definitely...
Or did you mean the sliding jack tray... Direct Lifts come with one..
If I recall, wildfire recommended 3k psi. I went with 4k because the cost was not much different. Too much=ok not enough= uhoh
I would go with at least a 5" slab.
I would go with at least a 5" slab.
Definitely will get the sliding jack adapter.
A rule of thumb for 4 inch concrete seems to be about 40 lbs / sq ft. For my space that is about 8600 lbs. About 6000 pounds of cars and a 1800 pound lift puts me at about 7800 lbs. Just an estimate, but seems I am in the ballpark.
A rule of thumb for 4 inch concrete seems to be about 40 lbs / sq ft. For my space that is about 8600 lbs. About 6000 pounds of cars and a 1800 pound lift puts me at about 7800 lbs. Just an estimate, but seems I am in the ballpark.
Mine is from the lift superstore. Not sure if that chain is in the states too? I am very happy so far. They use north american made pumps and include a lot of extras that are optional on other lifts. 3 steel drain trays and a jacking tray and the caster set
e58duster75
Well-Known Member
Ed, they are squeezed in there tight,
scatpackbee
Well-Known Member
Hey Dave, yup it’s pretty tight in there.
Like I’ve said before, I’ve mastered getting 10 pounds of **** in a 5 pound bag….
512Stroker
We are all here because we are not all there.
For what it's worth, my Rotary 4 post has huge plates under each post. It has been bolted in the same place for the last 5 years without any problems.
I built the shop that is sets in. The concreate floor is a 4 inch pour of a 6 bag mix and is reinforced with 1/4 inch wire mat, compacted 3/4 minus road crush base. The entire 40X54 ft slab sits on 3/4 inch rebar reinforced 12 inch footings.
To this day there is not one crack anywhere in the slab.
I can post pic's of the lift if anyone is interested.
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'Cuda_ragtop
Woulda, Shoulda, 'Cuda!
This is how I fit 3 cars in a 3 car garage.
Direct Lift Pro-Park 8S
My garage has a 10'-6" ceiling
Delivered and installed.
Bought April of 2019
Equipment Sales Co Inc. Snohomish WA
Direct Lift Pro-Park 8S
My garage has a 10'-6" ceiling
Delivered and installed.
Bought April of 2019
Equipment Sales Co Inc. Snohomish WA
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What is the make and model of your lift and scissor jack?
Lift model is shown in post #18 Buying a 4 Post Lift advice and the jack is their PRO4500. Just looked at their site and prices have gone nuts. $7990 Cdn for the lift and jacks are $1740. I should have taken the one I had ordered in late 2020, was only gonna be $8200 total for lift, TWO jacks, $300 delivery and 13% tax, now that would total $13,300!
Here's mine, it's an Atlas from Greg Smith Equipment. Other than the criminally ignorant, incomplete, and negligent assembly instructions, I'm very happy with it. I don't have it anchored yet, as I've moved it a couple of times trying to find the sweet spot in the shop. It's been in the current location for about two years so I think I'm ready to secure it to the floor. I like it a LOT, but it does have some hassle factor to it. You have to jack up and use stands to work on anything needing the wheels off the ramps. Using a cherry picker is a bit harder because you can't roll it under the car - you have to lift the runners up about 7" and block them, then roll the picker under. This means you lose about a foot of vertical lifting capacity. Not a big deal on a car but a real hassle pulling the engine on a truck. However, a two-post also has its hassles and issues they are just different. All that said, it's still some of the best money I've ever spent on my shop.
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