Hey guys, I am in the process of starting to think about building another garage at my house (I currently have an attached two car garage), because I want a bigger work area. I would like to put a lift in one of the bays, I hope to have a garage that is the size of either a 3 or 4 bay garage. I really don't know much about lifts other than I want one...I'm tired of laying on the ground Do any of you have a lift or have advice as to which type/brand to buy? I am thinking I will get a two post lift and from what I have seen, it looks like you can get a nice set up for under 2 grand. Also, has anyone ever installed one? What all is involved? How is it secured to the floor/building? Just trying to get the ball rolling. I am thinking this project is at least a year off, but I would like to start talking about it. Thanks for any useful info.

 

I have two Bendpak lifts, a 4 post and a scissor lift. Between them I can get pretty much anything done. If you plan on doing a ton of work, a two-post is the way to go. I don't do a ton of work, plus I wanted to store another car in the garage safely and not have the suspension hanging for long periods of time, so I chose a 4 post.

Bendpak's reputation and customer service is second to none.

If I decide to build a monster garage/workshop in the back of my property, it will have a Bendpak 2 post in it.

I built my 4 post with the help of Ptatohed. Everything was easy and doable except for the ramps. Freakin' heavy. I installed a new subpanel with 220v outlets for the lift and my welder myself. The scissor lift runs off of 120v (20amp) circuit.

Securing a 4 post to the floor is optional. I chose not to, as I feel in case of an earthquake, it will be better to allow the lift to "walk" rather than bend. I confirmed this with the multiple people at Bendpak.

As for installing a 2 post lift, check out www.garagejournal.com forum. TONS of great information about lifts, installing lifts, garage improvements etc. You'll be surprised how much great info is on that forum. Before you buy a lift, call the manufacturer and discuss with them what is recommended for installation, as every company has different requirements/suggestions.

Here's the 4 post

 

^^^wizard thats a nice 4 post setup you have

 

I do all of my own work on all of my 6 vehicles Plus I work on other people's stuff, and buy broken stuff to fix and sell So that's the reason I was thinking a two post would work well. I found garagejournal when I was searching on google...I have only had a chance to read two threads, but they were great. Thanks for the input, I am going to keep on doing research.

 

I have a BendPak HD9 four post lift. The thing is awesome for maintenance and also allows me to park two cars in one spot. I also bought an RJ-45 scissor lift that rides within the inside rails of the lift. Do consider one of these for suspension and brake work. My lift is extra wide but not extra long. I just wanted something that could lift any vehicle I may ever think of buying. I can fit anything from a Suburban To an H1 Hummer on this thing. Plus, this model allows me to move one of the ramps in or out, depending on the track width that is needed for the car/truck/rider mower.

I highly recommend the BendPak brand. They have great products and even better customer service. Search the web. You'll find nothing but very professional folks that want to simply help you address whatever issue you have.

 

My garage doesn’t have a ceiling clearance for a two post. I tried a portable electro hydraulic unit from Allcitygaragedoors that can lift my car 40 inches from the ground. It left lots of space underneath to do the maintenance work. I had seen another one that could only lift 26 inches from the ground.

 

This gives a whole new meaning to the term two car garage.

 

Bedpak is one brand I am considering. I have joined garage journal to try to learn a little more. I am also in the process of getting quotes for a new garage. I would be building the garage to incorporate a lift so I would want a 2 post lift.

See above. I intend on building a new garage (I already have a small two car garage) so I will build it to have ceiling clearance for a two post lift.