I'm going to be ordering my lift for the new shop at the end of the week, found info on a few vendors to stay away from. Anyone know a good vendor?

No need to talk about kinds of lifts....thats been done....read most of them.
Already decided on the lift I'm buying, just looking for a good vendor, for obviously a good price, and cheap or free shipping... but most important for me is after sale support, if I have a problem, or need a replacement part I don't want to have to call china, or have the company have gone out of business.

This is the lift I'm getting, Dannmar Admiral 9000X.
Don't have the height for a full 2 post, but this one will lift high enough for me to walk under, drop engines, and work for vehicles other than 914s.

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So if you've had a good experience with or just know of a good vendor I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks,
Jeff

My wife got me a Danmar D-7 back in 2009. It works great

I think it was around $1900. delivered. It was delivered to one of our company warehouses (when I was sill working). Sorry, I don't remember which supplier she ordered it from

I used greg smith equipment and was happy with shipping and the product. I have 12 foot plus ceilings in my shop so I did not have to buy a low rise model but htey have many models available. They sell on volume so their prices are lower than most.
http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/?ibp-adg...CFZRj7AodOg8AhQ

That's funny....that's one of the vendors I read bad reviews on, no after sale support.
But maybe that's just one persons experience.

Jeff

Looks like that distributor doesn't sell Danmar, just Atlas.

I have had my eagle lift for 17 yrs. All These lifts have like one moving part, and I have never had to replace it- not one cent spent. What support do you believe you will need? Did you purchase the installation option and are worried about that? Looks like Danmar has a good network of vendors so you should be able to order parts from any of them regardless of whom you purchased it from. The only part(s) on mine I see needing to be replaced could be the hydraulic seals and hoses. Everything else seems to be solid. You are going to love it! I will add, 17 yrs ago my lift was made in the USA.

I bought mine from best buy auto equipment.
Shipping was fast. They have warehouses in all
parts of the US. Have had zero problems
so can't comment on customer service.

great service, good people.

rich

Appreciate the comments, I guess my concern is if there's a problem, bought a spa years ago, didn't work right from the start, under the warranty I would have had to ship the spa at my expense to LA, they would fix it and ship it back and pay my shipping IF they determine its a warranty issue, otherwise all at my expense.
I pulled the spa out of my deck, loaded it on my trailer and took it back to the seller,Costco, then went to a local guy and bought one, great after sale support.

Just don't want to be stuck with one with a problem, then have issues with a cut rate vendor.

Maybe I'm over thinking it.

Thanks again
Jeff

No comments on where to buy but it will be nice to have someone in the area who has a lift he would surely offer other 914World members to use

I bought my 4-post from ASEDeals:

http://www.asedeals.com/two_post_lifts_Dannmar.html

Easy to work with and shipping is part of their price...give them a call and they will hook you up.

Isn't there a long-haired guy in Napa that has one?



If you need one for occasional home use, try to find a pre-owned mid-rise scissor lift (like the one Elliot has) on Craigslist

... or you can get a brand new BendPak BENLR60 mid-rise for $1525., free delivery and no tax (unless you're in Ohio)

Nope, don't want a mid rise, or a sissor lift, I want to be able to walk under my car, I've crawled and bent over enough, I'm old and this shit ain't getting any easier, so this is my present to my aching body.

Thanks for all the suggestions, seems most places are around the same price and shippings included, even found out today Summit racing sells them, but $50.00 higher. Some offer free adapters, need to call asedeals tomorrow, they advertise a better price if you call....we'll see.

Thanks again everyone, I'll let you know when its due to arrive.....for those iching to help install the lift. Guess I need to go pick up my buddies forklift.

Jeff

Regarding the scissor lift, I was responding more to Brett's post, Jeff.

Actually, I would like to have one specifically for doing wheel & brake and suspension work

I hear ya on the old back ... in the same boat


Leaman and Mike D. had previously assembled lifts, so they jumped right in like they knew what they were doing, and with assistance from SLITS, Jim Hoyland, Mike Black22, Mike Ruby914, Tony ARG and a few others my lift was all together and running in less than two hours - start to finish :mueba


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1WYx5iTMd8

Oh, got it, told ya I'm old.

That went up pretty fast, not sure I'll have that much help, not that big of an active group in this area. This one seems pretty basic though, stand it up, get it lined up, drill some holes, bolt it down, run some power. I think I can do that.


Jeff

which vendor did you go with? total $ to your door please. 110 or 220 to power it? attachment bolts to a standard 4" concrete floor? i'm so done with on my back on the concrete.

Haven't ordered it yet, probably Monday, won't have the money till this weekend.
The one I'm buying is 220 power (only 20 amp), and specs show 4" rebar reinforced concrete slab minimum.

I'll post where, and how much once I get it ordered.

Jeff

OK hit a small snag, got the money today to finish my shop and order a lift, checked the measurements on the Dannmar lift and its too wide to fit between the beams in my shop, it measures 137.5", I've got 135". I could move the beams out... But that would be a lot of work......so any recommendations on a base plate lift other than Dannmar ( seems there only base plate model is a WIDE version)

Looked at challanger and bendpak....too expensive.

Anyone have one that style they could recommend

Thanks
Jeff

Have you thought about this one?

It is 105"-125"!

Dannmar Portable

Jeff, I guess I'm not understanding the problem

The specs say: Overall Width (Outside of Columns): 137 in. / 3480 mm.

The columns are stationary and: Overall Height: 113 in. / 2870 mm.

Are the beams higher than 113 inches? If so, sounds like it will work fine

Yes Jeff, I Did, But that one doesn't lift high enough to walk under, I did like the portability of it though.


Its not the height, the width between the beams is only 135"... but then the height of the beams is less than 113" so the lift has to go between them, so at 137" wide it won't go between the beams, and at 113" tall can't go under the beams.

This might give some perspective.

Click to view attachment

Jeff

Take that shit out and spring for a pair of glue lams...

You Buying.....I just hate doing shit twice, If I would have known, I would have spaced them wider...just seems easier to buy a narrower lift, just don't want a piece of crap.....then one of you guys will come over and use it ...get hurt...try and sue me...then i'll have to hire a hit man...everyone loses


Jeff

I see the issue now

The posts on my lift are only about 6', but it's a 4-post.


Do they sell 2-post lifts with 'shorter' (than 9.5') posts?

Can you offset the lift about 6-12" to clear both beams?

No, the base plate models all seem to be around the same height, but for some reason the Dannmar one is a wide version, so it's posts are too wide. Most others will fit between the beams, now I just need to decide what brand to buy.

Dannmar does have the portable 2 post that has shorter post height, but then it doesn't lift as high.

Looks like my choices are Atlas (not Ali certified), warrior?,
Eagle, can't remember the other one.

Jeff

Bend-pac?

That would probably work......but it would bug me, every time I looked at it, I'd want to straighten it out, (like a picture on the wall).




Looked at those Rob, too expensive, at least $1k higher than most other brands.
I don't need the best, not running a shop, but don't want a cheap crappy one either.
There's got to be a nice safe middle of the road lift out there, or I'll just buy the Dannmar and move the beams.

Jeff

I have an atlas brand. I like it. It doesn't seem cheap to me, but was affordable. I too did not want to spend top dollar because the lift will not be used every day like a dealership would. Mine is not a baseplate lift but they do have one:
http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-BP-9F
Its about 126 outside to outside of the posts.

Atlas-BP8000

132" overall width
81 1/2" lift hight with adapters

Here is a pic of my Atlas lift. It was easy to put up and is smooth operating. With this car on the lift I have wrenched on it and it doesn't shake like some lifts that have cheap arms do.
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Zambezi is that a whole house fan that you made a cabinet for running in your shop? I'd love something like that ... <thinks of yet another project to get started on ...>

See this thread I posted awhile back. The finished install is a page or two back.

I did not want the interference of posts in my small shop and wanted full floor use. It will lift my GMC 2500HD truck as well as my quad or lawn mower sideways for oil changes or blade changes.

You can drop 914 engines, do brake jobs etc.

Couldn't be happier with the lift but it's not the cheapest option.

Thanks for all the comments and information. Did some more research turns out Dannmar does make a standard width base plate model, just not shown on all the websites, the wide version must be a better seller.

So I can get the Dannmar and it will fit......but now with Zambezi saying how much he likes his Atlas, I'm leaning that direction, wouldn't mind saving $800.00.
What to do...what to do.

Zambezi, love the car on your lift, thats the only body style vette I would consider owning, the rest do nothing for me...very nice.

Jeff

Wind tunnel?

Yah, thats a shop ventilation fan. Got that from an industrial equipment seller. It was SWAG he threw in when we bought a used mill from him for our work building. We now have a fully air conditioned building so don't use big fans anymore, so I confiscated this one. The 61 Vette is my boss's car. Adding A/C and rebuilding the power glide trans. One of only a handfull of auto vettes. Most of that vintage were manuals.

I bought a tire machine from them, had a problem with a parts and it took them more than a month of calling them and listening to excuses until I finally got the part (that I paid for) I would never do business with them again.
I also told the sale person I would tell everyone I know about their crappy service.

Check Craigslist, I just bought a $6000 Rotary for $1500 from a guy closing his shop
Click to view attachment

I have been checking craiglist and other places for a used one. Haven't found a used one that would fit my shop. But funny you should post that....I just sent a guy an email on a used Rotary lift....we'll see if it will fit, waiting for him to give me measurements. Its a 2 post 7000# for 1300.00


Jeff

Nice setup... My dad would kill to be able to afford a '62 vette (with a '61 paintjob) having kids got in the way of his vette dreams

I paid $1000 for my 8 year old, 2-post AAMCO, built like a brick shithouse made in the USA.
If you are looking used make sure it's single phase.

Found a used lift for sale 20min from my house

Went and looked at it this morning and bought it!

Got the trailer hooked up getting ready to go pick it up today

More later

Jeff

Congratulations. This calls for some type of celebration.

Cool ... you're gonna love it

OK well here it is, went on the trailer without to much trouble, got some car dollies under it and winched it on with the electric winch lennie (lennies914) gave me a while back for picking up his project car and taking it to his shop. Thanks lennie if your out there...worked great.

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In the Shop

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Already in use, needed to do a brake job on the work truck.

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Iknow Iknow....it is exactly what I said I didn't want....but it was cheap...and I could pick it up today. So the plan is keep looking for a good deal on a two post, still have $2K left in my lift budget, and then I can either sell this one, or just keep it and have two

Sold my diesel work truck and some how managed to talk my wife into using ALL the money to finish the shop, buy a lift,(or two) and if there's any left start working on the Suby car How I got her to agree to that still baffles me.....but I'm running with it....before she changes her mind.

Guess I got a brake job to go do!

Jeff

Click to view attachment It sure comes in handy

Hey Jeff, if you decide to sell the mid-rise after you get your 'real' lift, let me know

I'll keep you in mind, but McMark is already first on the list.

If I run across another one in my search for a two post I'll let you know, not sure if I'll want to get rid of this one though, after using it yesterday I can see how it could be handy to have both, this ones not too bad to move around, it has holes in the frame, you can jack one side then the other and put wheels under it and then roll it around....just need to pick up some HF wheels.

Jeff

Mark bought mine that I bought from Paul Sayagh and he uses it all the time...

You should try this they also have good auto equipment....
http://www.autoequipmentdepot.com/lifts.html