4 Post car lift(hoist to us)

I am considering the Pro Park 8S from Greg Smith Industries.

Any comments by other owners of these lifts

Paul
<!-- / message -->

 

You get what you pay for.....I would only go with the back yard buddy.Just my $0.02

 

What are you going to do with the lift? Is it just to store vehicles? Work on? How frequent will you use? I'm not a fan of 4 post lifts. They are constantly in your way if you are wrenching on a vehicle. Pain in butt to remove wheels and tires. Difficult to work on side of vehicle ( rocker panels etc.) reaching over the lift. If you are going to be using it for working on vehicle instead of just parking you vehicle on it, I would suggest you look into a 2 post asymetrical. Just my .02

 

From what Ive seen,been told ,2 poster is the better type.

 

I have a BendPak 4 post hoist in my garage. It works great, and makes it much easier to work on a car. Also good to help keep 3 cars in a 2 car garage. Remember you will need a ceiling height of about 12 feet (a little less than 4 metres).

 

I have a 2 post in the shop now, there are things that I NEED a 4 post for. Like dealing with suspension at ride height. An example is for exhaust work. Quite a few things really. I'll be getting one soon. Just need to figure out where to put it.

 

I have the Direct Lift pro park 8 from Greg Smith. I did a LOT of research before I bought it. It uses the same lock ladder and dual safety catch system as found on much more expensive professional models, I wouldn't even consider buying one that uses those little blocks welded to the side of the posts.
I'm VERY happy with it, considering I paid less than half of what a backyard buddy would cost (and they don't come in an extra high model). I wanted to buy American, but I just couldn't justify the price difference (though it is an American co.). My buddy has one built by rotary (I think it's called a revolution), it is built heavier than mine especially the posts (and again priced at over twice what mine was), and rated less (7K) so I have to wonder who rates these things, but for what I do, mine has proven itself in the 2 years I've owned it. His also has ramps that hang down creating a wheel chock when the lift is up but get in your way hanging down like that, mine stay up (I even added stops to keep them from drooping), though I must add a wheel chock plate manually.
I would recommend that you buy the extra high one though, that's what I did. It's narrow and shorter than most extra high ones, and that can be a problem if you're working on big stuff a lot, my 95 dodge ram club cab barely fits on it.
The reason I suggest you buy the extra height is so you can get it out of your way. There are times when I need to do something in my garage and need the floor space, I'm 6'5" and can still walk right under this one without ducking, you can't do that with the standard height ones. My ceiling is only 10 ' so I can't put a car up high enough to stand under it, I have to sit on a stool to work, but it's still a great addition, and being able to put it up high when empty and out of the way is really nice, and also allows me to park my sons lifted Jeep under it.
Greg smith was easy to deal with and shipping was fast and no problems. I think you're on the right track.

 

I researched 4 post lifts for about 8 months and I finally bought a 8S from Greg Smith. I am satisfied with the service and quality of the lift. A friend of mine has a backyard buddy and I can't say anything bad about it except the price. You can buy a 2 post and a 4 post from Greg Smith and have change. If you are a commercial operation you may need to spend more money, but you don't see backyard buddies in a commercial operation. The 8s will allow it to go in and out of a standard 8' high garage door. I bought 2 of the sliding jacks and can raise the vehicle off it wheels and do whatever i need to do. The width of the 8S is not so wide that you really have to reach a long way over the ramps. In fact my Corvette C5 it just about post to post in width. The locking system of the ProPark models are as good as anyones. A two post has its advantages,but as you get older you don't want to get down on your knees every time to set the pads. A four post lift keeps the area of most work open at all times. The 8S or any of the ProParks are movable on the wheels they provide and are easy to move out of the way in a building for other items coming in. I assembled my lift by myself, but used my tractor with a loader to provide the lifting. The assembly manual on line is better than the one packed with the unit. No surprises, follow the steps, level, and start using.

When you look at lifts the major item is the weight. More steel equals more strength. the lift cylinders are all about the same weight from any of the lift companies and the runways are designed for a certain weight for the span and are relatively speaking equal. So the remaining weight is in the actual structure, more is better. Some companies overstate the weight and the material thickness of the various structural pieces. Look before you buy. Buy from some company you know will be in business if you would need some parts in the future. Follow all safety rules and enjoy . Greeg Smith is a no BS kind of guy and I will be dealing with him again in the future. I do not work for him or have any connection other than as customer to him

 

Some ACCCC members have had some experience with garage lifts:

ACCCC Garage Lift Article

 

I bought an Eagle 4 post because of the width. I don't like how narrow some 4 posts are. I love mine and I can park two cars in one spot and I only have a 10' ceiling height. Its a 15,000 lb. I wanted the posts beyond the 9' opening of my roll up doors.

 

I bought one from Auto Lift about 7 years ago and then they went belly up. Heard this was the lift that Backyard Buddy based theirs off of. With a 2 post you can't move it around the shop like a 4 post. Both have there pros and cons. Don't go cheap, your life will depend on it.

 

I don't have any experience with any other brands...I have a 2 post bend pak and love it.

 

A bridge jack is a really nice addition if you can afford it, but not necessary really. I raise the lift, then set jack stands on the floor under the car, then lower the lift to raise the car off the runways. Then set another set of jack stands under the cars frame supported by the jack tray that is included with the lift. On most cars, the jack stands usually end up sitting partly on the runway and partly on a heavy railroad plate that I lay across the jack tray. It works great.

 

hunh? Better rethink that one. I don't care how heavy it is, shitty welds and substandard materials are not as strong as proper welds and good quality materials regardless if they weigh more. There is no way you can simplify things that easily.

 

I have 4 BendPak 4 post lifts. They are great. Much heavier duty than most.

Doug

 

#### Bingo as they both have an advantage of one over the other. That's why I have one of each !! Problem solved. And by the way don't scrimp on any lift !!! >>>>.

 

yep. it'll be another Rotary for me...

 

i sure like mine but i mainly just use it drip oil on the hood, roof and trunk lid of the car parked under it.

 

Backyard Buddy does have an extra height option. That was one of the reasons that I went with them. Mine is an extra foot taller than the standard height. I'm 6'4" and at full lift, I had to stretch to scrape some old undercoating off the floorpan of Mommas Roadrunner.

The Backyard Buddy was a cinch to put together. I started on it at 8:00A.M. and at Noon it was done. The only help I had was my engine hoist and a floor jack.

 

I bought the Direct Lift Atlas 9 - 2 post from Greg Smith Equipment and I've been very happy. I use it at least 3 or 4 times a week on average.
I had planned to buy the 8, but for the price difference and some of the upgraded features, I figured it was worth it.
Plus, I live 65 miles from Greg Smith. I was able to look all of them over before buying. They loaded it up and I was using it with a couple of days.

 

I am in Australia and our choices here are limited.The Pro Park is imported
by a reputable firm here.There are also cheap Chinese products.
and I am sorting out the chaff and weeds.

I will be using it for general maintenance such as checking under cars for loose nuts and bolts,grease and oil changes etc.Mailny needed to make a 4 car garage into a 5 car one.I will use it to park a lighter vehicle on top.
(New project coming up ).

I have 14 ft ceilings so no height problems.Other cars are long and heavy.
(Hudson and 63 Riviera) so I don't think a 2 post is practical and doesn't allow extra parking.

 

I have owned 2 a Superior which I don's see anymore and my current Directlift9000 lb.
I did alot of research and yes for 4-6K you can get nice units but in the 2-4K range you wont beat direct lift. I use mine daily, its solid and large enough for a dually long bed.I paid less than 3500 and it came with oil drain and 2 sliding jacks. A must for brake jobs and changing tires. I sound like a comercial but I have no affiliation just appreciate the quality and the Dover company specifications it is made with. Thats more than 2cents worth Good luck

 

I import several types from a company based down under.

www.powerrex.com.au is the web site. The do have foundries in Korea and China. The do not list the 4 post economy lift that you are considering, but we bring them into the USA.

Have you heard of Powerrex?

 

I checked their site and the unit looks very nice but probably more than I need.Also much wider and I do have a width limit.

I like the Pro Park(or similiar) because of the castor setup and the ability to move it close to a wall if not working on a car.

 

Get the 4 poster insted of the 2.
Go to your local muffler/brake shop and ask for the number of the guys that service them, they know where all the hoist for sale are. I got mine that way from a Midas muffler shop, 12,000 lbs, delivered and set up for $1800 buck. It didn't go up and down fast enough for Midas production work BUT I have all day to watch it go up and down at that price. Sometimes I will throw visqueen over it and down the sides and make it into a paint booth for "whatever". In the winter you put one car on top another underneath. Go with the 4 poster if you do any kind of chassis work..................... JMO
ps. it's not that difficult to narrow the hoist if need be.............

 

Ben-Pac is the biggest bunch of flakes around.They can't ever give you the correct assembly instructions for a start.

 

“DIRECT LIFT’S” A “Certified Nightmare” so far!
I read postings on how good they were supposed to be, so I bought one recently (4 post pro pack 9 plus) and had hidden damage from shipping which gouged and scraped it all up (on the bottom where the main runway is) and Greg Smith equipment so far has advised that when it leaves their store, its mine and not their responsibility (even tho I paid for them to ship it, they choose the shipping, and they haven’t answered the question of if they check the bottom of the 2500 package at their warehouse before it leaves), They first advised me for two weeks that they were filing a claim with the shipping company and waiting for a response, only to then tell me that it was my problem to file a claim. There are stickers on the box to call immediately if you see damage, but if you cant see it unless you unpack it...............?? But I did call them immediately at the loading dock and advised it had some scratches i could see (not real bad where i COULD see) and advised there was a loose bolt that had fallen out of the packaging.........Greg Smith Equipment assured me to unpack it and if there was a problem to contact them! When I finally got it all unpacked and flipped the runway over it was scraped and gouged from one end to the other with mild dents.
So after two weeks of doing the foot work of getting prices for powder coating, or a suitable textured paint (like the tech recommended), and waiting for a response, I get an email from Greg Smith Equipment saying to call and file it myself and now give the shipping co. a price of replacing the runner (I refused the touch up spray paint since it wouldn’t hold up and you would need many, many cans)
Then I find that the wheels have holes too small for the bolts and you have to spend hours re-drilling out the oblong holes, and the bolts have to be put in just right so as not to bind up the wheels. Then the control motor/unit can only be put on one end (not two like they say) the safety release lever is hit by the ramp (if you choose the end with the ramps) and you have to cut/notch out the ramp to be able to use the safety lever to lower your car, and/or not risk the ramp weight moving it for you if you reverse the configuration. It also looks like it will have to be anchored, seems it is way too wobbly to feel safe by putting 6 or 7 thousand pds above my head. Especially by designers who cant get the bolts and holes right, or safety catch clearance, and seem to know about it but dont care!?
Greg Smith equipment advises that the manufacturer is aware of the problems but havent fixed it yet, I wrote the manufacturer and they wouldn’t reply!!! Why would you sell something you have to modify but not tell anyone or fix????
So after 2 weeks and now having to start over, I call again due to my being a bit irritated at this point, to only get to speak with Greg Smith himself (which at first I thought was kind of an honor) who was irritated by me sending an email to his staff indicating that many of my friends looking to buy lifts were disappointed, concerned and wouldn’t buy one unless all the issues were resolved on it. He perceived it as that I was spreading rumors and he was not so professional as he told me to call back and they would hold my hand as I filled out the claim forms………? He also advised for me to just pack it up and ship it back…………(Let me just unbolt it all and find a bog box) I wont go into the rest of it, but it wasn’t a professional response like I thought it would be. I went back and reread my emails I sent to see if I had sent something vulgar or out right rude threatening some sort of massive attack on his company but didn’t find the issue, nor did others.
More icing on the cake, is when I went to use the pro jack 4500, the jack wouldn’t pump up, fortunately the tech at Greg Smith sent me a replacement (have yet to try it).
Anyone buying a "Direct Lift" might want to ask some questions or beware, wish I had gone another route!
I have pictures (and some interesting emails) if anyone needs them to see what they may be getting into! Or feel free to stop by my shop with my nice restored car is sitting on the gouged and scraped up new lift! A few mods and parts and it seems to work fine now, just don’t look at it in the light! Good thing we car guys can modify and make things work!

 

I have a Auto Lifters 4 post lift. I found it used for about the same money as the made in china lifts everybody is selling. It's the best money I ever spent. The good news is that when Auto Lifters went belly up the company was taken over by the employees and they continue to build the same solid lift today in Newton, Ks. The name of the company is All American Lifts @ 316-283-2242. They are hands on and very easy to deal with.

 

I got the Bend Pak HD9-ST the narrow model, fits in the garage well, but had to modify the ceiling a bit.
Just what every old guy needs.
HemiDeuce.

 

Clever mod! Never thought of that one!!
I should have stayed American also on my lift! Once bitten I guess.............but this was a big bite!