[earossi]

Has anyone researched and installed a garage lift to work on their cars? I am in the research phase, and most of the available lifts appear to be almost the same in design; however, there is a wide variation in pricing. I would be looking for one of the four post cable operated lifts that are out there. Pricing on the ones that I have looked at in catalogs vary from about $2K up to about $5K. Obviously, if all else is the same, I would probably opt for a $2K lift rather than the more expensive one.



Any advice would be appreciated.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[t2s2]

I have a Backyard Buddy four poster, 7 foot, 7000 lb. https://www.backyardbuddy.com/dimension.htm Despite the, ahem, rather peculiar name, it is a great piece of machinery. Very well constructed and easy to use.



I chose a four post lift because it is more stable; I have a phobia about cars falling on me. The drawbacks are that the car drives up onto a deck, so your access to certain areas is limited. For most jobs it's not a problem, though. I also got the optional jack that allows you to lift the car off the deck to take the wheels off.



Let me know if you have any questions.



Terry

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[wjk_glynn]

[quote name='t2s2' date='Dec 30 2005, 11:01 AM']I have a phobia about cars falling on me...[/quote]



Gives me the willies as well.



Karl.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

eric found a really cool lift - here is the link:



http://eagleequip.com/page/EE/PROD/LI-LM/601-001

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

oops - that was the second one he found - here is the first:



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

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SILVY968]

I have been looking at MID height lifts. 26" is too low for me, I am looking at 36"-48" MID lift.

I will probably build one, but here is the best I have found so far to use as a single piston lift base to build a custom unit from. The custom unit will come with lift pins set up for the 968, I will make them available to the forum members.



http://www.hydraflex.dk/uk/autolift.htm

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[Dave]

Almost talked the wife into keeping the 944 as daily driver / 968 as race-only car; stacking these with a lift in my modest-height-ceiling garage. Based on my calculations, I would have had 4" between the cars and cleared the door. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/smile.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />



'Course, all that went out the window when I bought a VW (too tall). Now the minivan gets stuck in the driveway and the wife/teamowner gives me dirty looks. <img src="/forum/images/smilies/968/wink.gif" class="smilie" alt="" />

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[earossi]

[quote name='t2s2' date='Dec 30 2005, 01:01 PM']I have a Backyard Buddy four poster, 7 foot, 7000 lb.  https://www.backyardbuddy.com/dimension.htm  Despite the, ahem, rather peculiar name, it is a great piece of machinery.  Very well constructed and easy to use.



I chose a four post lift because it is more stable; I have a phobia about cars falling on me.  The drawbacks are that the car drives up onto a deck, so your access to certain areas is limited.  For most jobs it's not a problem, though. I also got the optional jack that allows you to lift the car off the deck to take the wheels off.



Let me know if you have any questions.



Terry

[right][post="13924"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





Terry,



Thanks for the post. I did look at the Backyard Buddy at a car show several months ago, and agree with you that it is very nicely built. If pricing weren't so high (about $3600), it would be my first choice. But, there are lifts out there that are very similar to the Buddy (except for the closed tube posts) that sell for about $2000. So, my question is whether paying almost double for the Backyard Buddy is really worth it.



I also forgot to mention in my first post that the lift will serve a second purpose of allowing me to store 3 cars in my 2 car garage; so, the midheight lifts mentioned in some of the posts aren't really what I want.



Back to the Backyard Buddy....what made that your choice and what issues have you had with it since buying it? Also, what were the logistics of getting it to your home? These lifts weigh about 1500 pounds and I guess are shipped disassembled on a pallet, right? Did you have to offload it? Or, did the carrier have some way of getting it off their truck? Lastly, how difficult was it to put together? Is it a one man job? Or, are the component weights high enough to require you to use a helper?



You comments would be appreciated.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SANDOVAL]

The problem with Mid-lifts...You have to build a ramp and platforms arounnd them they stick up too high search Rennlist "Mid rise lift" or something along those lines and you will find information about them. I plan on getting a low rise lift soon the lift flash posted is great for wheel work and safer then using floor jacks/standss which I am trying to eliminate.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[t2s2]

[quote name='earossi' date='Dec 30 2005, 10:34 PM']Terry,



Thanks for the post.  I did look at the Backyard Buddy at a car show several months ago, and agree with you that it is very nicely built.  If pricing weren't so high (about $3600), it would be my first choice.  But, there are lifts out there that are very similar to the Buddy (except for the closed tube posts) that sell for about $2000.  So, my question is whether paying almost double for the Backyard Buddy is really worth it.



I also forgot to mention in my first post that the lift will serve a second purpose of allowing me to store 3 cars in my 2 car garage; so, the midheight lifts mentioned in some of the posts aren't really what I want.



Back to the Backyard Buddy....what made that your choice and what issues have you had with it since buying it?  Also, what were the logistics of getting it to your home?  These lifts weigh about 1500 pounds and I guess are shipped disassembled on a pallet, right?  Did you have to offload it?  Or, did the carrier have some way of getting it off their truck?  Lastly, how difficult was it to put together?  Is it a one man job?  Or, are the component weights high enough to require you to use a helper?



You comments would be appreciated.

[right][post="13951"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]





Hi--I thought the differences in quality were worth the difference in price. As mentioned, I have a phobia about cars falling on me. I also have a top of the line Arai helmet and wear a HANS device--to bed.



Mine was 2000 lbs on a pallet, delivered by a smiling trucker who had little interest in helping me get it down from his trailer. I ended up calling a towing company and we winched it onto a rollback, then backed it into my garage and slid it onto the floor. The heaviest piece was the ramp with the hydraulics in it. It weighs 400 lbs. It took two of us to assemble everything, using floor jacks and an engine hoist to move stuff around.



My only issue was with one of the ramps. A hole was misdrilled, and the ramp had to be exchanged for a properly drilled one. The factory was great about this, paying to ship the new one out and take away the defective one. Yes, it was a hassle, but they made it right.



BTW--having a lift will make you popular with your car buddies and the neighbors, though, alas, not necessarily with the ladies. I wrote about this in my column in the November 2004 issue of 911 & Porsche World.



Terry

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[SILVY968]

[quote name='SANDOVAL' date='Dec 30 2005, 09:27 PM']The problem with Mid-lifts...You have to build a ramp and platforms arounnd them they stick up too high search Rennlist "Mid rise lift" or something along those lines and you will find information about them. I plan on getting a low rise lift soon the lift flash posted is great for wheel work and safer then using floor jacks/standss which I am trying to eliminate.

[right][post="13953"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

SANDOVAL

The min height in the mid rise that I am using as a base for a custom lift is 4.5" tall. My height off of the floor is 5.25. Out of the box I should be able to roll over it without rolling up on 2x's first.

When I build mine I will put lift pins on the octopus arms to help with this problem.

Do all of the pistons and frame work get in the way on this type of lift?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[sp4149]

Are we talking about two very different styles of lifts in this thread?

It seems the low rise lifts are very nice for wheel changes etc. but if you are doing any major drivetrain work the center lift section is in the way. I imagine even changing a starter could be a pain.

The four posters on the other hand seem to be fine for wheels on maintenance gives nice access to everything inside but any wheel work other than maybe a brake line flush is not as easy.

Are there any of these low cost lifts may as sidelifts? This is what seems to be the trend in repair shops, allows access to wheels and inside as well.



Seems like a functional choice, what work you intend to perform, is the first decision to be made when choosing a lift, unless you have room for two...



-sp4149

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[968gene]

anyone have information on these two post lifts? They seem to fulfill all of the wishes expressed above. http://stores.ebay.com/Complete-Hydraulic-Sales

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[earossi]

Hey, I just visited the website for the Backyard Buddy, and they have raised the price for the four post 7000# lift by almost a thousand dollars! Which pretty much puts it our of contention for me.



Anyone else got any experience with any of the other lifts that are out there in the $2000 - 3000 range?

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[t2s2]

[quote name='earossi' date='Jan 2 2006, 08:46 PM']Hey, I just visited the website for the Backyard Buddy, and they have raised the price for the four post 7000# lift by almost a thousand dollars!  Which pretty much puts it our of contention for me.



[right][post="14031"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]



Ugh. Sorry to hear about the price hike.





I just spent all day working on the car, doing water pump, seals, and belts, and having a lift made it a whole bunch more tolerable.



I havea friend who has a scissor lift. I'm surprised how much access there is under the car with it. And of course wheel work is a non-issue.



Terry

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[earossi]

Terry,



What you worked on today is exactly what I need to do! Just another reason to get the lift! When I had a 944, we did all the work you mentioned, but mostly on my back or leaning over the engine bay. These cars are really not all that hard to work on............but, trying to do it on your back without proper access or lighting makes it hard work rather than the fun it should be!



Ernie





[quote name='t2s2' date='Jan 2 2006, 08:55 PM']Ugh.  Sorry to hear about the price hike. 

I just spent all day working on the car, doing water pump, seals, and belts, and having a lift made it a whole bunch more tolerable.



I havea friend who has a scissor lift.  I'm surprised how much access there is under the car with it.  And of course wheel work is a non-issue.



Terry

[right][post="14034"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[earossi]

Terry,



Where did you end up sourcing your water pump and seals? Also, if you replaced your rollers, where did you get them?



Ernie

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[t2s2]

[quote name='earossi' date='Jan 2 2006, 09:05 PM']Terry,



Where did you end up sourcing your water pump and seals?  Also, if you replaced your rollers, where did you get them?



Ernie

[right][post="14037"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post][/right][/quote]

Paragon products. www.paragon-products.com. Jason Burkett is the owner, a great guy.



I did not need to replace the rollers this time around.

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[earossi]

Flash,



I took a look at the ASE lifts using the link you provided and they appear to be some of the least expensive I have seen.



As stated before, I would like to go with a four post lift that would allow me to safely store my 968 above my regular driver.



Was Eric positively impressed with the quality of the scizzors lift he purchased?



Also, ASE offers an entry level lift for about $1800 that aappears to be a clone of all the other lifts I have looked at that are designed to handle 7000#. For several hundred more, they offer a lift capable of handling 9000#. Though the less expensive lift is certainly capable of lifting the 968, would there be any safety advantage to buying the lift that is rated at 9000#?



My greatest fear is of my better half doing some "contact" parking with one leg of the lift and having the 968 offload onto her Lexus! The video of the Backyard Buddy shows this scenario and the fact that their lift can support the weight of the car on only three legs!



Also, for anyone that has purchased one of these free standing lifts......have you made an attempt to tie it off to a wall of your garage for stability?



Regards,



Ernie

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.

[flash]

not sure if he bought it yet - he found that one and sent me the link, and i think we are both getting them - with the garage i have now, that's the only one that will work for me

Partial Post: Please Login or Register to read the full post.