car lifts
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ymz
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Location
- Between Toronto & Montreal
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Other items to consider: (just to add to the confusion...)
If you trust the quality of concrete in your garage (I'm not that trusting), there's also the MaxJack - Princess Auto, I believe, used to carry it for not that much more than some of your choices... http://www.dannmar.com/dannmar-products/two-post-lifts/maxjax.asp
Then there's also a portable unit: http://www.bendpak.com/Shop-Equipment/QuickJack/BL-3500.aspx
And if you really want to go all out, you can see how much a "real" lift would cost - I think you'll be surprised at how more-or-less affordable some of them are... http://www.liftsuperstore.com/
(Or Princess Auto "real" lift: http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Vehicle-Lifts/2-Post-Vehicle-Lift/8316283.p )
Yuri
If you trust the quality of concrete in your garage (I'm not that trusting), there's also the MaxJack - Princess Auto, I believe, used to carry it for not that much more than some of your choices... http://www.dannmar.com/dannmar-products/two-post-lifts/maxjax.asp
Then there's also a portable unit: http://www.bendpak.com/Shop-Equipment/QuickJack/BL-3500.aspx
And if you really want to go all out, you can see how much a "real" lift would cost - I think you'll be surprised at how more-or-less affordable some of them are... http://www.liftsuperstore.com/
(Or Princess Auto "real" lift: http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Vehicle-Lifts/2-Post-Vehicle-Lift/8316283.p )
Yuri
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Johhny04
Veteran Member
Scissor lifts are good if your changing tires and brakes. I'm assuming not that helpful when you need to change a clutch, exhaust, brake cables or other stuff that requires access to the middle of the car. Plus your still going to have to lay on your back to get the work done, instead of standing up.
If I had the cash i would get a regular 2 post lift in the garage.
If I had the cash i would get a regular 2 post lift in the garage.
whitedog
Veteran Member
A couple of those have rollers so as you are lifting the car, they roll across the floor. Will your floor handle that?
I think the first one from Northern tool is a better lift because of that. it doesn't have stuff rolling across the floor.
I think the first one from Northern tool is a better lift because of that. it doesn't have stuff rolling across the floor.
full lift is out of the question. i have a 9" celing in my garage and its is just a standard suburban home double attached garage. so regardless i would never be ablae to stand under a car to work on. and space is a premium at times.
there seems to be a lot of good reviews on the ezcarlift. The price point is way high let alone shipping to canada. but than again it is the most versitile out of them all, it is very portable, no ac required to funchtion, takes up the leaset space. you can literally use it anywhere. gives you the most access compared to the other scissor lifts. and does come with a caster option but not sure how well it works.
there seems to be a lot of good reviews on the ezcarlift. The price point is way high let alone shipping to canada. but than again it is the most versitile out of them all, it is very portable, no ac required to funchtion, takes up the leaset space. you can literally use it anywhere. gives you the most access compared to the other scissor lifts. and does come with a caster option but not sure how well it works.
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mrrhtuner
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2011
- Location
- London Ont Canada
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta Wagon TDI, 2015 Passat TDI, 2015 Touareg TDI
A lift from princess auto? I would pass.
My old jack failed that I purchased from them. No way would I ever purchase a lift them them regardless if it's their brand or not.
My old jack failed that I purchased from them. No way would I ever purchase a lift them them regardless if it's their brand or not.
craig01b
Top Post Dawg
But, neither of the lifts from PA are made by them. Torin big red is a good company, and my small jack is made by them, and I love it.
Wingnut
Top Post Dawg
$1600 includes delivery in Canada:
http://www.babco.ca/Automotive-Equipment-Products/Ranger-QuickJack/BL5000-QuickJack
But if you can find a reasonably priced 2 post lift, I would get that. You may not be able to lift it all the way up to stand underneath it, but you can sit on a rolling stool to do a lot of things that would be much easier than lying flat on your back on a creeper. With a 9' ceiling, you could get about 4' of clearance under it. Much more usefull IMHO.
A couple at Princess at $2300:
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Vehicle-Lifts/2-Post-Vehicle-Lift/8316283.p
http://www.princessauto.com/pal/en/Vehicle-Lifts/2-Post-Portable-Hydraulic-Vehicle-Lift/8275612.p
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Wingnut
Top Post Dawg
The Max Jack is available at Costco for $100 cheaper than PA and includes delivery:
http://www.costco.ca/Dannmar-MaxJax™-2-post-Portable-Auto-Lift.product.10344259.html
http://www.costco.ca/Dannmar-MaxJax™-2-post-Portable-Auto-Lift.product.10344259.html
ymz
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Location
- Between Toronto & Montreal
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Great deal!!! (If only one could have that much confidence in the integrity of their poured concrete garage floor...)
Yuri
Wingnut
Top Post Dawg
Uberhare
Veteran Member
I've got a Challenger and old school Hoffman. Both are proper certified lifts. How much do you value your life? 
So its just under $2500 after taxes delivered from coscto. Not including the cost to move my garage door rails up more, get me some hilti anchors and probably some metal plates/shims for a larger footing.
watched the maxjax video on the costco site.
you think the township would mind if i also put anchor holes in the sidewalk that spits my driveway outside for the nice summer days to use out side.
LOL
watched the maxjax video on the costco site.
you think the township would mind if i also put anchor holes in the sidewalk that spits my driveway outside for the nice summer days to use out side.
LOL
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Muggins
Veteran Member
What's the point of a lift if you can't get unimpeded access to the underside of the car?
Only one worth buying of the ones listed here is the Danmar Maxjax unit.
Only one worth buying of the ones listed here is the Danmar Maxjax unit.
ymz
Top Post Dawg
- Joined
- May 12, 2003
- Location
- Between Toronto & Montreal
- TDI
- 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon, 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon
Depends... are you related to the mayor?
Before committing, I'd contact Danmar and inquire as to how to test the integrity of your garage floor... I know they've sold many units, but... as someone once said, a bit of paranoia can be the key to a long life...
Yuri
Wingnut
Top Post Dawg
Yeah. You can get 4 really nice floor jacks for much less than the Bendpak portable and will work just as well.
If your going to lift it, Lift it.
Muggins
Veteran Member
Exactly!
JSWTDI09
Top Post Dawg
We all have our crosses to bear. I wish I had a 2 car garage. I only have a one car garage. I seriously considered buying a lift like these (it was on CL used for under $800), but I did not want to have to drive up over the "hump" every time I pull into the garage.
Have Fun!
Don
clamb
Veteran Member
... Jealous
Maybe in my next house
Maybe in my next house
Well if you have to go with any of them, I'd go with the scissors lift.
I went back and forth for a coupe of years trying to decide between a scissors lift and a 2-post lift. They each have their advantages and disadvantages. I decided on a portable 2-post lift.
I am glad I went for the MaxJax. Costco has the best deal on them with shipping right to your door.
Another source to check is The Lift Super Store in Oakville. My friend has the Hemi Road Runner scissors lift.
Most if not all of them are from China. And most do not carry a lift certification (mine does not). A minimum for a real lift in my opinion is something like an asymmetric Mohawk A-7, but you are looking at about $5000 in the US (I called them...ouch).
Unless you are short, you can't stand under any of these consumer lifts. My other friend has a full sized 2-post consumer lift and at 6' 1", I cannot stand upright under the car.
Furthermore, you have to consider the height of your average garage ceiling.
Many owners of those lifts place 1/8" thick aluminum plates under the area that the rollers travel on, to prevent wear.
Which is why I went all out with my installation.
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Uberhare
Veteran Member
Most lifts require 6 inches of concrete as per their manual. Very few people have that. The installer I spoke with said anything over 4 inches is OK.
I also checked out the Mohawk stuff. Very pricey. As well as PKS Lifts, which seems to have now been bought by Snap-off. Here is a list of all certified lifts: http://www.ali-directory.org/ali/ali2.nsf/frmHome?OpenForm
All lifts, have parts from China. ALL of them. Even the big famous Rotory uses arms and frames welded in China. Anyone who says 100% North American made is lying. You'd have to let me tour the entire factory before I believed it.
The other issue is ceiling height. Most need a minimum of 145 inches. Well...I have 143.5.....We modified it and it works fine at that height. I can stand under a car without issue (6 ft tall), but not a van or truck. I also considered the pad height. Some have a min. clearance of upto 5 inches!! I often remove the pads in favor or rubber blocks to lift Porsche's, even with my 3.5" min pad height.
I paid $3500 installed for my Challenger Lift 4 years ago. I wouldn't live without it now. As a bonus, I can double park in the garage now.
I also checked out the Mohawk stuff. Very pricey. As well as PKS Lifts, which seems to have now been bought by Snap-off. Here is a list of all certified lifts: http://www.ali-directory.org/ali/ali2.nsf/frmHome?OpenForm
All lifts, have parts from China. ALL of them. Even the big famous Rotory uses arms and frames welded in China. Anyone who says 100% North American made is lying. You'd have to let me tour the entire factory before I believed it.
The other issue is ceiling height. Most need a minimum of 145 inches. Well...I have 143.5.....We modified it and it works fine at that height. I can stand under a car without issue (6 ft tall), but not a van or truck. I also considered the pad height. Some have a min. clearance of upto 5 inches!! I often remove the pads in favor or rubber blocks to lift Porsche's, even with my 3.5" min pad height.
I paid $3500 installed for my Challenger Lift 4 years ago. I wouldn't live without it now. As a bonus, I can double park in the garage now.
All pricing with tax from my MS Excel spreadsheet...
The MaxJax and installation (I did it all myself) ran me a total of $4799.55 of which the MaxJax from Costco ran me $2485.99. So $2313.56 for all "installation materials" and "extras" for the MaxJax.
Installation materials: stainless steel, wood, angle iron, fasteners, concrete pre-mix, rebar, tool rental (concrete saw, concrete vibrator), etc.
Extras: Faster flat face hydraulic couplings (the ones that came with the MaxJax are junk) that ran me $99.44, a pail of Shell hydraulic fluid, new fittings (details on my site), etc.
Either way (scissors or 2-post) would have me do concrete cutting and pouring. I would not have a scissors lift unless it was sunken into the concrete floor. Everyone I know that has one has stacked 2 x 12 ramps made to drive onto to clear the scissors lift (unless they have a SUV).
My MaxJax installation is rock solid, level on all axis and totally free of leaks. No regrets and a solid investment that is realized the older one gets.
Better to spend it on that than useless bling.
I have a standard-sized two-car garage.
It is still portable in that it is "bolted" down but thanks to some careful planning, I do not have to move my columns.
The MaxJax column mounted closest to the garage wall can be left in place permanently in any MaxJax installation. It does not get in the way and what some owners do is simply unbolt the MaxJax column that is in the center of the garage (we're talking a two-car garage here) and roll it next to the other column when not in use.
What I did was place my MaxJax columns further towards the back wall of my garage so that when I park my car with the back of it close to the garage door (about half a meter away) and with the car more towards the passenger side, I can open my door fully without the door making contact with the MaxJax column.
The way I have my columns positioned, I have 2 feet of clearance ahead of the car when it is centered front to back physically, and 1 foot of clearance when it is centered on the C of G (did the moment-arm calculations). This of course for my particular car. Of course you can always back the car in and have more room on the end you happen to be working on.
1dieselsteve
Veteran Member
I want a lift as well, but don't know which one. I may in the future buy another diesel truck so I definitely want it to be strong enough to lift it. All I plan is just to do the basic, oil changes, tranny fluid, brake jobs, if needed, and tire rotation. Not into big overhaul stuff.