Low height lifts

[KLF]

Can't seem to find a thread on this specific topic, so I'm gonna start one.

House shopping now, everything we've looked at so far already has a 2-car garage (orders to my broker), but none of them have a 12' ceiling that a traditional 2-post lift requires. That's freekin' TALL for a residential garage. I've seen a few that were 10', although the opener encroached into that some. I really don't want the expense of a new garage at a later time to support just a lift, I mostly want to have the option of using it sometimes.

Does anybody here have any experience with these lower height lifts? Such as:

2 Post Car Lifts
Direct Lift Pro 9F - Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc

I do not want a drive-on lift. No use for that.

 

[-Spike-]

I used to dream about a lift, but after I built my shop I started really thinking about one. I've decided it would be more in the way than anything. Most jobs, all you want to do is get the tires off, any higher and you're just stretching to reach whatever you're working on- unless you can lift it high enough to stand under it. That works good for doing an exhaust, but do you really want to drop your tranny while the car is way off the ground? Plus the lift itself would always be in the way of other jobs. A high jack and jackstands is a hell of a lot cheaper and more portable than a lift.

-Spike

 

[debushau]

Have you thought about a mid-rise scissors lift? I spoke to Greg Smith a few times about my "needs" and a lift like that will get the truck up off the ground a few feet (4.5 max) and save a bunch of time over jack stands. Plus it's got to be much safer. A two post would be better but without an 11 foot ceiling, it just won't fit.

 

[KLF]

Well, a scissors lift is always in the way under the vehicle. You can't use the lift to do anything undeneath. And, once it's there, it's ALWAYS there, you can't get around it. Seems like defeating to me.

Just signed a contract on a house on Monday that has an oversize 2-bay garage, 26'w x 30' d. It's not insulated yet, still open trusses in the ceiling, the bottom is 10'9" AFF. The trusses run parallel to the orientation of the top bar of a 2-post lift, so conceivably I could sneak a full-height lift in there, put the top portion up above the cross-piece of the truss. Did some measuring with the pickup, I can still get 6' of walking room under it with the roof of the truck just below truss height. I just don't think I really need all 12' that a common lift requires.

Plenty of electric service to run it, I'd just have to make sure the slab was thick enough.

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Ken,

Pretty sure the ceiling in my uncle's garage isn't much over 11'. But for most of the stuff I've helped him with it works out just fine. Sure the odd full size van gets pinned to the ceiling while we roll under it on no-back office chairs but it sure beats crawling around on the floor with a jack and jack stands. BTDT and I hurt just thinking about getting up and down off the floor dozens of times to get tools and parts while working on something. Working on a vehicle is so much nicer with a lift even a 4 post drive on job (yes, that's what my brother and I have and we would rather have a 2 post lift).

Nick

 

[KLF]

I've used a lift a couple of times now, once you do you just gotta have one. I'm too old for that crawling out from under the truck over and over stuff, I want to enjoy wrenching.

There's a local place right down the street from the new house that sells and installs lifts (Home - Lift Works by Sullivan Tire), I'm gonna go talk to them, see what they say. I definitely see the issue with the low-height lift and the metal channel across the floor.

 

[LDowney]

Can't seem to find a thread on this specific topic, so I'm gonna start one.

Does anybody here have any experience with these lower height lifts? Such as:

2 Post Car Lifts
Direct Lift Pro 9F - Greg Smith Equipment Sales, Inc

I do not want a drive-on lift. No use for that.

Besides reading and learning here on 'mud, I also read and research on Garage Journal (http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/) for my shop. I have not specifically seen your question answered there either, but it is another resource available to you.

 

[debushau]

With the scissors lift, there are two syles - one is only for suspension/brake work as you can't get up underneath. The other does allow some space in the middle, it's a little better than a 4 post but obviously not as good as a 2 post. However, if you have almost 11 foot to work with, I would chance a two post. If you have 8 foot to work with, it's different.

 

[Toyo FJ40]

The direct lift from Greg Smith in your link is a good lift. I bought my lift at Greg Smith and I looked at that one. The main difference between that and one that needs 12' ceiling is the cables and hoses cross on the floor instead of the ceiling. I got the atlas 9 and it just touches my 11'1/2" ceiling. I think they both will lift the car the same hight so you would have to watch on a low ceiling. Greg Smith was great and if you feel like driving there was no tax. It will fit in a pickup.


Kevin