Rotary’s are probably the best lift on the market these days. Not cheap but great quality
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4 post garage lift question
- Thread starter prs97
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I had to do the same when I installed my two post lift. I didn’t have the height so I had to get an architect to draw up plans to raise one half of the ceiling.
For the lift, my installer said to look at the shipping weight. The heavier the better as it equates to more steel in the construction.
For the lift, my installer said to look at the shipping weight. The heavier the better as it equates to more steel in the construction.
I think I'd be narrowed down to an Advantage or a Challenger as far as 4 posts go. Advantage seems to have lots of differences that point to quality & safety. The Challenger one would have the edge for the smaller footprint.
I have to admit that the Bendpak Autostacker is intriguing. Looks to be the most compact of all & could help with getting the top car out more often than perhaps a 4 post list. But that price tag! Seems like they were around $5K before the 'rona and are now around $11-12k! Bananas!
I have to admit that the Bendpak Autostacker is intriguing. Looks to be the most compact of all & could help with getting the top car out more often than perhaps a 4 post list. But that price tag! Seems like they were around $5K before the 'rona and are now around $11-12k! Bananas!
Advantage lifts are top notch. They also offer a longer warranty than most. Let me know if you want any pictures. I've owned mine for a couple years now.
I have a lot of money invested in it, but it's top quality.
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I'll chime in with my Challenger 4 post, I've had it for a few years and haven't had any issues. It's a US manufactured lift as well. Whatever you end up going with my biggest suggestion is to make sure its ALI certified, that should set a baseline for overall quality and safety.
Just had an architect friend do a review and it sounds like a lift would fit by doing a cathedral ceiling in the garage but it's still a matter of effectively squeezing 5 pounds of potatoes into a 5 pound bag.
Yes, it will fit but it's not a pleasant experience to try shuffling 2 cars around in such tight quarters.
Yes, it will fit but it's not a pleasant experience to try shuffling 2 cars around in such tight quarters.
OK Guys, so the Bendpak HD9 is a great fit for my cars but in a single bay I won't be able to get to / from the doors in a car parked below. The posts will block me when i have the '69 parked beneath. I really need the HD-9XL so I can squeeze past the posts but I'm concerned about the rating reductions with my short wheelbase cars. The 930 is only 90" wheelbase and the '69 Mustang, while a long car is only 108". I'll be using this for work as well as storage and plan on 2 of the bridge jacks. Ill technically be over the rating when the 930 is jacked up. Thoughts? Advice?
Yes, as the weight moves towards the center of the ramps the amount of weight the lift can support is reduced. A 9k pound lift is really only rated at 9k if the wheels are close to the columns.
For instance, if you go the Bendpak's site for the HD9XL (BendPak HD-9XL Four-Post Lift - 5175859):
Minimum Wheelbase
Rated Capacity:
135" (3,429 mm)
75% Capacity:
115" (2,921 mm)
50% Capacity:
95" (2,413 mm)
25% Capacity:
80" (2,032 mm)
So a 95" wheelbase car you're only rated to 4500 lbs, not 9k.
i assume it's even worse when lifting since lift points are rarely outside of the axles but inside (shorter than the wheelbase). You're also adding like 300 lbs per bridge jack.
Just because other manufacturers don't list this data doesn't mean the physics is different.
Had minimal issues with my bendpak 9000 in the 15 years I’ve owned it. Had to replace the cylinder when I moved two years ago, due to a bad design from bendpak. Customer service was horrible, never ended up getting them to understand why the lift design was flawed (at max height, a part of the cylinder contacted a brace, causing the cylinder to bend over time). I ended up simply paying $400 for a new cylinder and had it installed when I moved the lift. But the lift has otherwise worked flawlessly
This is the main reason I decided against bendpak and they were the first brand I considered when looking for a 2 and 4 post lift. I did a lot of reading into it and back in the day the VP of the company hung out on garage journal dealing with any customer service issues personally, I know at one time they had great customer service. That seems to have changed in the past 5-7 years. I'd read stories about people with older bendpak lifts who couldn't get parts and bendpak just told them to buy a new one.
Meanwhile you can still buy parts for a 30 year old Rotary no problem.
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