Scissor Lift Safety?

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CV355

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Assuming things stay stable and Mother Nature takes a vacation from the '17/'18 beat-down, I'm looking at getting a mid-rise lift early next year. I've had some very, very bad run-ins with local shops (with the exception of East Coast Mustangs, excellent guys) so I'm going to take over all vehicle maintenance myself.

I can't fit a 2-post in my garage without knocking out a wall, and my wife would probably kill me if I tried to get a decent shop installed in our yard. So, the best solution seems to be a mid-rise lift:

MDS-6LP Mid-Rise Lift - Open-Center Mid-Rise Lifts - BendPak

There are portable versions but they just don't seem safe to me. Any suggestions on this? I'd like to have the option of portability so I can work indoors or outdoors. I've thought about putting threaded & epoxied concrete inserts so I can bolt it into our driveway/garage and remove it when done.

Plus I know family and friends would love to use it, and I'd welcome it.
 
08mojo

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CV355 said:
This is the one that looks scary:
MD-6XP Mid-Rise Lift - Portable Mid-Rise Lift - BendPak

Runs up on steel casters as it lifts. I would love an open center model.
Click to expand...

You need an open center model. You are not able to do much other than suspension and wheel work without an open center lift.

I have one of the Quick Jack setups. It's been the best tool I have ever bought (well, it was a gift from my wife). It's very stable, but it does not lift very high. While the low lift is a pain, anything higher would require other tools to do the same work. For example, if the car was 3 feet off the ground (as in the first link you posted) I would need a transmission jack. With the car still low (aka jack stand height), I can remove the transmission and support it with a regular floor jack.

28990471981_b9e9c55217_o.jpg
 
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08mojo said:
You need an open center model. You are not able to do much other than suspension and wheel work without an open center lift.

I have one of the Quick Jack setups. It's been the best tool I have ever bought (well, it was a gift from my wife). It's very stable, but it does not lift very high. While the low lift is a pain, anything higher would require other tools to do the same work. For example, if the car was 3 feet off the ground (as in the first link you posted) I would need a transmission jack. With the car still low (aka jack stand height), I can remove the transmission and support it with a regular floor jack.
Click to expand...

I was looking at the quick-jack, but I would like more lift. Ideally I'd like a nice 2-post but there's no way I can fit one.

Open center for sure
 
08mojo

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CV355 said:
I was looking at the quick-jack, but I would like more lift. Ideally I'd like a nice 2-post but there's no way I can fit one.

Open center for sure
Click to expand...

I hear you. I never really understood the mid-lift models. I'm either on my back or standing up. Crouching underneath the car just never made sense to me.
 
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DaleM said:
Jack stands for insurance.
Click to expand...

I live life on the edge. No jack stands. Just the jack on a floor pan.

(I joke, but I have seen brainlets pull crap like that before)


08mojo said:
I hear you. I never really understood the mid-lift models. I'm either on my back or standing up. Crouching underneath the car just never made sense to me.
Click to expand...

I would rather have my calf muscles hurting for hours from leaning over than my neck hurt for days from crawling around under the car.

Sitting isn't too bad. But there's just something pleasing to walk from a toolbox to the car and not have to really adjust much to do work. Some things you can't avoid leaning over for, but most maintenance is just easier in the air.
 
derklug

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We used to have a scissor lift at the shop that we used for 20 years with no problems. It gave a 3' rise and worked great for tires, brakes, suspension, and oil changes. it finally died, and we replaced it with a regular side post since the price was damn near the same. Ours was never bolted down and it never moved with a load on it.
 
08mojo

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There are also single post options if you can't get a two post lift in your space.

Trust me on this: you are not going to want to move around the scissor lift you posted.
 
M91196

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I ended up with “the one that’s trying to kill you”
MD6XP

Originally headed to the 7000# quick jack and found with the mid rise scissor I could get 48” of lift, more than I can use before my garage door opener is an issue.
Access to the transmission on a RWD for removal is a no go but that wasn’t going to be easy with a quick jack either and that isn’t my main concern.
At that price point I went for the bend pack under $2K vs the same money for the quick jack with adaptors.

The open center mid rise are awesome, just not in the budget for me.
The conventional style 2 post offerings, there are some new ones that are awesome for under 10 foot ceilings and reasonable, just take up too much floor space for me.
Max Jack concept looks good but I’d want permanent installation and that was the same issue with floor space.
In the end I never could find a used one for sale so people must not hate them so I went for it.

Doing brake work, oil services and detailing on the mid rise is awesome.
 
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M91196 said:
I ended up with “the one that’s trying to kill you”
MD6XP

Originally headed to the 7000# quick jack and found with the mid rise scissor I could get 48” of lift, more than I can use before my garage door opener is an issue.
Access to the transmission on a RWD for removal is a no go but that wasn’t going to be easy with a quick jack either and that isn’t my main concern.
At that price point I went for the bend pack under $2K vs the same money for the quick jack with adaptors.

The open center mid rise are awesome, just not in the budget for me.
The conventional style 2 post offerings, there are some new ones that are awesome for under 10 foot ceilings and reasonable, just take up too much floor space for me.
Max Jack concept looks good but I’d want permanent installation and that was the same issue with floor space.
In the end I never could find a used one for sale so people must not hate them so I went for it.

Doing brake work, oil services and detailing on the mid rise is awesome.
Click to expand...

My garages have a low ceiling- 8'6". Most 2-posters are 9'3" or higher, so that's out of the question for me until 4 years from now when I plan to build an outbuilding (or preferably add to the house with full vinyl siding and all).

I figure the thing will pay for itself after a few oil changes, some brake jobs, and some drivetrain work on the Mach 1. Not to mention how easy detailing would be. Crazy thing is, we have 4 vehicles and a motorcycle, and my annual mileage is < 2500mi between all of them. We're changing oil at 1000mi intervals or less. Seems like a waste, but my LOLvo will last forever that way. But, drive on Rt123 a few times and your brakes are shot from all of the idiots who jack on their brakes randomly.

If I do get a garage extension at some point, I'd have a lift flush-mounted. As I stated earlier, the wife will kill me if I try to bump that schedule up.
 
M91196

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CV355 said:
My garages have a low ceiling- 8'6". Most 2-posters are 9'3" or higher, so that's out of the question for me until 4 years from now when I plan to build an outbuilding (or preferably add to the house with full vinyl siding and all).

I figure the thing will pay for itself after a few oil changes, some brake jobs, and some drivetrain work on the Mach 1. Not to mention how easy detailing would be. Crazy thing is, we have 4 vehicles and a motorcycle, and my annual mileage is < 2500mi between all of them. We're changing oil at 1000mi intervals or less. Seems like a waste, but my LOLvo will last forever that way. But, drive on Rt123 a few times and your brakes are shot from all of the idiots who jack on their brakes randomly.

If I do get a garage extension at some point, I'd have a lift flush-mounted. As I stated earlier, the wife will kill me if I try to bump that schedule up.
Click to expand...

The one you linked in the OP is awesome, I just didn’t have the budget.

Doing brakes and wheel work while standing(cars) is nice after all these years.

After using mine for the type of stuff I still want to do I can say it was not the worst 2K I ever spent.
6223a35568cb029aad51a8db41823843.jpg
 
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M91196 said:
The one you linked in the OP is awesome, I just didn’t have the budget.

Doing brakes and wheel work while standing(cars) is nice after all these years.

After using mine for the type of stuff I still want to do I can say it was not the worst 2K I ever spent.
Click to expand...

Have you ever felt it move around while working on anything? Holding up ~4000lbs on 4 casters scares me- just like when you go to lift anything with a standard jack and the damn jack starts rolling.

I almost got crushed one time. Paranoid since then.
 

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