Hello fellow HAMBERS. I am sick of laying on my back working on my treasures. I have a 36 x 36 ' shop and I would like to purchase a vehicle hoist. Heres the problem: Because I have floor heat, I dont want to drill any holes in my concrete for fear of hitting a heat line. I was thinking a 4 poster but do they all have to be anchored to the floor? Could a guy weld large say 2 x2' or 3 x3' plates or "feet" to the bottom of the posts? Has anyone els on this site eno****ered a similar problem? I will ***ume that most responses will be from Canada or northern states ha ha. Thanks for any input or suggestions. Ward
You are talking about raising the entire car? If so, then i think you could weld the "feet" in, but it better be engineered right. i will try to locate a few links that i've seen that deal exactly with this problem as i've looked into something similar for different reasons.
I have a 4-post, use it often, and it is not bolted to the floor. It also has removable casters so you can re-position it if you want. You will enjoy having a lift. I would like to have a two post also but can't really justify it at this time. My suggestion is to buy the largest capacity 4-post you can afford. Most are like anything else today, Made in China. The better ones are pricey. I really liked the BendPak brand but couldn't afford it.
I have two lifts one is made by Perfect Park the outher is made by Danmar thay dont bolt to the floor thay are both four post
Then you're looking at the wrong stuff. I have a 4 post from Greg Smith Equipment, made in China by an American owned company. Great lift and a good company to deal with. It uses a ladder lock system not those little teeth welded to the post. It's not bolted down and is very stable, I'd buy it again in a heartbeat, I broke my back a few years ago, and wouldn't be able to keep building cars without it. That things been going up and down nearly every day for probably 5 years now without one bit of trouble. I wish it was American made, but it was less than half the price of the American made ones, and I just couldn't justify paying that much price difference. One thing to consider, is buy the extra height one, not only so you can park under it, but also so you can put it up out of the way and have flat floor space to work on without hitting your head. oh, and do a search, there are other threads on this subject that might help you.
I have a Direct lift 4 post and it works great, it also came with the caster kit, i bought this model for its lifting height and the mobility. I have to use it as an elevator of sorts to get cars onto a Mezzanine. Didn't totally kill the pocket compared to some, although my 2-post for $125 bucks was easier to cough of the $$
I've owned and used a Backyard Buddy for 20-years. It's a 4-post lift made in Niles, MI. It's free standing and I've moved it outside occ***ionaly using two flor jacks. I've always felt safe working under it and I believe the safety locks and construction are the best. If I were to buy another, I'd buy a BYB in a minute.
I have a 4-post Bendpak, extra high version, and it's not bolted to the floor. The installer actually recommended NOT to bolt it down, he prefers it to be allowed to "walk" if it wants to, rather than wrack and potentially bind up and/or break something. So far so good, but I only use mine on weekends, not a pro shop that constantly cycles it.
Seems everyone has a opinion about their favorite lifts. I own a Greg Smith Direct Lift 9000+. Had it about 5 years also. Never any problems. Came with a caster kit so you can move it if you want. Im almost 60 and will never lay on the floor and work on a car again.
I have a 4 post lift that isn't mounted to the floor. It came with the wheel accessories so I can move it around.
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