Hoist vs stacker

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4spdragtop

4spdragtop

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Hi all, contemplating putting a hoist in to shop when addition gets built.
Then I got thinking about a "stacker".
Pros/cons? Small square footage on the addition, approx 15'x 20', and hoping for 20' to roof peak.
Does "beg for forgiveness" still trump asking for permission?
Thanks
Steve
 
What's a stacker? Is that a Canadian thing?
 
Screenshot from Bendpak

Screenshot_20230918-004413_Google.jpg
 
Well Rob a 4 post is better for storing a car.
Personally, I am a bit more comfortable working
under a car on a 4 post but either one works.
They both have advantages and disadvantages.

If you are doing suspension work or brakes,
really anything that requires the wheel off a two
post is really much more convenient by far.

I have one of each in our shops = I do not know how
I ever got by without them!

However, my Hobby has really gotten out of control the
last couple decades!
 
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i have a 4 post and really unless you're working under the car every other type of operation is cumbersome. if you're trying to do actual work, a two post is where it's at.

that stacker is slicker than deer guts on a door knob.
 
Thanks guys, ultimately the stacker/lift/hoist would be for working on vehicles as opposed to storage, the majority of time. That being said the cuda gets stored from Oct/Nov-April and I'm sure that I would need the "hoist" to work on other vehicles.
RustyRatRod said:
Oh ok. I call um a 4 post lift.....but I can sure see why some might call them a stacker. lol
Click to expand...

33IMP said:
Looks like a stacker can lift more than one.
If you need the room, and have the height, and budget, the stacker is a no brainer.
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junkyardhero said:
i have a 4 post and really unless you're working under the car every other type of operation is cumbersome. if you're trying to do actual work, a two post is where it's at.

that stacker is slicker than deer guts on a door knob.
Click to expand...
 
Hey Steve, debated this myself. Pros and cons for both. Stacker would be great for oil changes and storage. Two post for everything else. I have a 2 post and love it.
Check out this place.
Car Lifts in Ontario | The Lift SuperStore Ontario
I bought mine from them and they installed it. They are located in Oakville and have a showroom with working lifts, 2 and 4 post, that you can see and try out.
Had mine for 5 years now and makes working on cars so much more enjoyable.
 
I can't verify the thickness of the concrete in my shop.
I also want turntables to do alignments.
...and some 4 post lifts have optional sliding jacks.
Those jacks make removing wheels easy.
Plus a 4 post with jacks can also be used to stack a car for storage.
 
Buy a 4 post and get rolling jacks to lift the wheels off the runways . 2 posts are better for maintenance but 4posts allow you to store another car. 4 posts require less ceiling height and concrete thickness . A 2 post requires 4-6” of good concrete or you will need to cut and repour 4’x4’ pads where the columns go. Some 4 posts have trick adapters to actually move (relocate) the entire lift in the shop.
I installed and srviced lifts for a while .
 
Steve, I have a 4 post lift in my garage. It's good to store cars up top and to put them over onto a rack I built to store 4 in the place of 2, but it is kinda sucky to work under. It's fine to change oil, R&R a transmission or an 8 3/4 chunk, but kind of a pain in the butt to try and do any front suspension work. I wish I had the room and the $$ to add a 2 post in my shop and keep the 4 post, but I don't. The one thing you might want to do is check the specs on a 2 post lift that you would like and see how much room you will have in the addition between the side walls and the posts. 15 feet wide might be a little tight between the backside of the posts and the walls. Either way though, it is nice to not have to lay on your back to work!
 
You will have folks swearing that a 2 post is ‘better’ than a 4 post and vice versa. It‘s gonna down to what you‘re going to use it for the most Steve. Once you decide on which lift type, there will be folks who swear by one brand over another too.

I had a 4 post installed last year and just using it for storage last winter was worth it in my mind. Like you, my Scamp is up for most of the winter. Sure I’ll take it out on dry days when there’s no snow on the roads which happens more often than what you get back east. That might be once a month, maybe once every two months from late October to mid March. I park my daily driver under the Scamp in the winter.

I bought a rolling jack for mine so I can take the wheels off it when up. The rolling jacks are not cheap so I only bought one. If I need to take all 4 wheels off then it’s just using the jack to lift up one end to put on jack stands under, then rolling the jack to the other end and lifting that up with the jack. Yeah takes more time but I don’t see needing to have all 4 wheels off happening often.

IMG_1717.jpeg


It’s a nice problem to have to be shopping for a lift!
 
Thanks all for the replies folks, lots of good points both ways.
@mbaird , why is it that 4 posts have a lower ceiling height vs 2 posts?
@glenn340 thanks for the link!
During winter storage the car will be where the hoist is, and that room will be tight, approx 15x20 and hopefully 20 high to roof peak.
Thanks
Steve
 
Because the bridge has to be high enough to not colide with the roof of a pickup or SUV. Where as the 4 posts have no bridge . Tops of 4 post columns are around 7-8’ where as tops of 2 posts are 11-12’ depending on brand , capacity and if it has extensions .
 
Thanks Mike, wow that's quite a difference in heights, especially when rafters will be for storage of some sort. Thanks for explanation.
mbaird said:
Because the bridge has to be high enough to not colide with the roof of a pickup or SUV. Where as the 4 posts have no bridge . Tops of 4 post columns are around 7-8’ where as tops of 2 posts are 11-12’ depending on brand , capacity and if it has extensions .
Click to expand...
 
I've had a Maxx Jaxx for 10 years now, it only lifts about 4 ft, but my ceiling is only 10ft anyway. It makes working on anything so much easier, my brother has three 4 poster lifts in his shops, and one of them even lifts high enough that I can walk under it without ducking, and I'm 6 ft 7 tall! Amazing! If storage is more what your after, the 4 post is a better choice IMHO.

20230408_144913.jpg


20230408_144915.jpg
 
Nice collection! 70 Z?? Yeah Can Tire has Maxx Jaxx at times. I, eyeballed those, still undecided, be a bit anyway.
With it only lifting 4', you dont find it awkward underneath? To me it would seem like half standing/half laying down lol.
missing linc said:
I've had a Maxx Jaxx for 10 years now, it only lifts about 4 ft, but my ceiling is only 10ft anyway. It makes working on anything so much easier, my brother has three 4 poster lifts in his shops, and one of them even lifts high enough that I can walk under it without ducking, and I'm 6 ft 7 tall! Amazing! If storage is more what your after, the 4 post is a better choice IMHO.

View attachment 1716143571

View attachment 1716143574
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Some 2 post lifts have the connections in a tunnel you drive over instead of a "bridge".
It does make it fun to position the car correctly.

I've seen three 4 post alignment racks go through craigslist within 200 miles of my house in the past 5 years.
Two had one air/hydraulic trolley jack, one has two of them.
All were under $2500. Just couldn't get things lined up to acquire any of them.
There was one last year but the lister wanted 15K.
I asked if that was a typo, and they acted insulted.
You can get a new one for just a little more than that.
 
I'm gonna add my 2cents. If I can afford it I'm going with either and advantage 4 post or a wildfire 4 post lift and get their Hydraulic "bridge jack" (Wildfires link WF4500A | wildfire-lifts). two big reasons - 1) I want the safety of a 4 post lift and 2) these two in particular don't have to be bolted down and =can be moved (unloaded of course). Advantage lift guys say the the Wildfire is an copy of theirs from 7 years ago and they are more stout. Both are REALLY pricey so ... you know wanting and getting are 2 different things....


www.advantagelifts.com

Advantage Lifts - High Quality 2-Post Car Lifts and 4-Post Car Lifts

Discover Advantage Lifts, your trusted source for high-quality 2 post and 4 post car lifts. Our lifts are designed for low garage ceilings, car collectors, car restoration specialists, and DIY Automotive Enthusiasts.
www.advantagelifts.com www.advantagelifts.com
 
If I were to buy a new 4 post lift right now, it would be either a Wildfire or an Advantage. They are both patterned after Backyard Buddy 4 post lifts, which are the Mac Daddy's of 4 post. To me, the design of the sliders surrounding the outside of the posts is much safer and stronger than the ones (like mine) that slide on the inside of the posts. Also, the lock slots are much more robust than the other design. If I ever hit the lottery........lol.
 
4spdragtop said:
Nice collection! 70 Z?? Yeah Can Tire has Maxx Jaxx at times. I, eyeballed those, still undecided, be a bit anyway.
With it only lifting 4', you dont find it awkward underneath? To me it would seem like half standing/half laying down lol.
Click to expand...
The Z28 is actually a 73, he has a very nice collection of cars, mainly GMs, but still pretty sweet.
As for working with the Maxx Jaxx, anything I do in the brake/wheel area can be done standing up, while undercarriage work is done while sitting on a rolling stool. Perfect, no, but I was never able to stand up straight under pretty much anything on a hoist in any shop that I worked in. The lift the the black Z28 is on lifts to 7 ft, only one I've seen that goes that high. If you have the room and you want the storage space, go with a 4 post.
 
Get them both! I have a 2 post hydraulic and it does everything I need it to do. I am contemplating buying a stacker strictly to double the storage space in one of my bays. I have to find one wide enough to accommodate my boat underneath.

I have stored the Demon "up" on the 2 post and still have room to park the Kubota underneath.
 
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