Lift options? Brands, recomendations experiences, looking for informed opinions Options

[dcheek]

I've had a Greg Smith BP8000 for over 2 years. Works great. I bought it in Delaware and picked it up at their warehouse. No shipping charges, no sales tax. We actually picked up 2 lifts and got a discount. I installed myself with the help of 2 friends. The first one took 2 3/4 hours. The second one took just under 2 hours. You can't beat the price, and the quality is there. I had 4" of concrete and I own a Hilti hammer drill so installation was fairly straight forward.

[r_towle]

Greg smith 4 post lift, hydraulic piston failed after 4 years of heavy use. It's the o-ring, but all the installers I spoke with said get a new piston. Of course I will just try replacing the o-ring first cause I am cheap. This lift is not designed to be used as much as we did, and the super heavy stuff my boy put on it killed it.

[Calwaterbear]

thanks for all the input guys. I like 4 post lifts for storage, but I have worked under several cars on a 4 post, found it much tougher and more aggravating that working under a 2 post.

so out of the blue, my kid found someone selling a 2 post 9000 lb western lift used. She found it on Craigs list facebook - I have no idea that even existed, apparently completely separate of Craigs list, because i never saw this lift posted there.

anyway Western is made in USA here in California, and as far as I can tell has a good reputation, seems to be much more common in the professional garages, not so much hobbyist)

It was 10 years old, had new cables and tubes. I ran a big pickup up and down, worked flawlessly. So I lowballed the guy - and ended up with an 800 dollar used lift. Now I have to go pour a pad and set it up. sucks it slows down my 914 effort in the short run, but it makes so much stuff so much quicker and easier, I'll come out ahead in the end!

[Mark Henry]

It was 10 years old, had new cables and tubes. I ran a big pickup up and down, worked flawlessly. So I lowballed the guy - and ended up with an 800 dollar used lift. Now I have to go pour a pad and set it up. sucks it slows down my 914 effort in the short run, but it makes so much stuff so much quicker and easier, I'll come out ahead in the end!

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Good deal, Is it 220v single phase? Even if not a 3-phase a converter is fairly cheap off ebay. It should be a way better unit than a Chinese lift.
The pads, time and cash on the lift is well worth it.

If you have a good floor I'd just cut two 24" square holes 10" deep, drive a bunch of rebar into the ground. Drill some holes into the edge of the existing floor and jam some more rebar in that. Fill it full of cement, dry at least a week, rent a hilti for a day, a box of redheads and bob's yer uncle.

[Calwaterbear]

It was 10 years old, had new cables and tubes. I ran a big pickup up and down, worked flawlessly. So I lowballed the guy - and ended up with an 800 dollar used lift. Now I have to go pour a pad and set it up. sucks it slows down my 914 effort in the short run, but it makes so much stuff so much quicker and easier, I'll come out ahead in the end!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/thumb3d.gif)

Good deal, Is it 220v single phase? Even if not a 3-phase a converter is fairly cheap off ebay. It should be a way better unit than a Chinese lift.
The pads, time and cash on the lift is well worth it.

If you have a good floor I'd just cut two 24" square holes 10" deep, drive a bunch of rebar into the ground. Drill some holes into the edge of the existing floor and jam some more rebar in that. Fill it full of cement, dry at least a week, rent a hilti for a day, a box of redheads and bob's yer uncle.

Thanks Mark, I do have single phase, and a straight shot to trench it underground. Its too tall for my garage - plus my garage has radiant heat tubing, plus when I finish building a full shop - the garage becomes the game room - multipurpose - extra sq feet - no tax increase! So I'll pour the pad for now - after I finish the workshop, I'll move the lift, and the pad will be repurposed as a storage shed , or a carport

thats my plans