Choosing The Best Car Lift
There are lifts for all budgets and needs and it can be broken down by vehicle type and use. For shop use, the BendPak and TCE are the only ones that are ALI/ANSI certified. Likewise, they are well built and designed to last. While the XK, Mayflower, and Triumph lifts can be used in a shop for light work they are more oriented towards home use. For the four-post lifts, it is difficult to beat the BendPaks for durability and build quality.
They are professional quality units that will last a lifetime in a home garage if properly maintained. The Triumph NOS9000 is another good option with a solid build quality like the BendPaks. As for scissor lifts, unless you only plan on doing light work like tire changes and suspension or are limited with space, a two-post lift is better. You have more access to the underside of the vehicle and they cost the same.
What are the ALI/ANSI certifications on car lifts?
The Automotive Lift Institute is a third-party industry watchdog that verifies automotive lifts meet applicable industry safety standards. Of all the two-post lifts reviewed here, only the BendPak and TCE models are certified. For use in a professional shop, local building codes may require lifting equipment to be ALI/ANSI certified. It is advised to check first before purchasing a lift.For home use, this usually does not apply but it is recommended to check with your local authorities first.
What are some things to consider before purchasing a car lift?
Car Lift Maintenance
Essential Considerations When Choosing A Car Lift For Your Home Garage
Size of the Lift
Your first step should always be to measure the space that you have available at home. Car lifts can be bulky, depending on the type. A four-post car lift, for example, has posts that surround your carits a massive piece of equipment.
If youre barely able to fit your car into the garage as it is, the four-post car lift would be too much.
If youre excited to buy a car lift, take this opportunity to clean out the garage. Once thats done, youll have a clearer idea of the space that you have available.
Height of the Garage
The next thing to consider is the height of the garage. A bottom plate car lift, for example, can lift a car almost to the top of its reach. The car will extend higher than the posts holding it up. Keep that in consideration when measuring your garage and working out what car lift you can reasonably fit inside.
Weight Capacity
Weight is one of the most important features when buying a car lift for a home garage. It doesnt matter if youre just changing tires or hoisting the car, the lift must have sufficient lifting power to do so safely.
We also recommend buying a lift thats designed to lift slightly heavier vehicles than your own. For example, if your car weighs 7,000 pounds, you could technically buy a lift to hold 7,000 pounds. Its tempting because a higher lifting capacity usually costs a bit more.
Were recommending a more powerful machine than you need for two reasonssafety and practicality:
The Height Range
The Width Range
Do You Really Need A Car Lift In Your Home Garage
To work seriously on cars, or live the life of a bonafide weekend warrior, you need a reliable means of lifting and securing your auto projects. QuickJack replaces the old-fashioned jack-and-stand combo, and its faster, safer and more convenient than non-hydraulic home car lifts. Theres no doubt that a car lift is a luxury, but so are cell phones, microwaves, air conditioning, etc. If you want to maintain a workmanlike DIY lifestyle without the hassle of jacks and stands, you need a QuickJack.
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Best Jack Car Lift Standsamazon Basics Steel Auto Lift Jack Stands
For easy-to-use and portable car lift stands, came in highly rated with thousands of positive reviews. At only 10.1 pounds, these lifts are light and easy to take wherever you need them, plus, they take up minimal floor space in the garage. The jacks have a lifting height of 18 inches allowing users the perfect amount of space to work on the underside of their vehicles.
This tool includes a set of lifts and both of these stands together have a 4,000-pound capacity. And with the products self-locking ratchet, you can adjust your car to the perfect height with efficiency. It is imperative to take the utmost care, as well as reading the instruction manual, and adhering to the safety instructions therein, when using these vehicle stands.
Specifications/features
Lifting capacity: 4,000 lbs capacity
Lift height: 18 inches
Product length/width/height: 7.4 x 6.8 x 10.6 inches
Product weight: 10.1 pounds
Bicycle Storage & Bike Racks
One of the biggest challenges in getting your garage organized is deciding on how best to store your bikes. Given the size of the average family there are usually at least 4 bikes that we need to find an optional storage solution for. The first thing we find out is how often the bikes are used. Most families have numerous bikes, however it is usually only the kids bikes which are in use. What this means is that the larger bikes must find a home within the garage that is both out of the way and won’t interfere with how the client would
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How To Pick The Right Car Lift For Your Home Garage
While there are many different types of automotive lifts, three of the most common are four-post lifts, two-post lifts and scissor lifts. These names refer to the shape of the lifts, with each one conferring specific characteristics that may or may not make it the right choice for you.
All three types of car lifts feature either a flat metal plane or arms onto which you drive and then park your vehicle before it’s lifted. In a four-post lift, four hydraulic posts located at the corners of the planes lift your vehicle up. In a two-post lift, the hydraulic posts are located on either side of the plane or arms. Finally, in a scissor lift, the lifting apparatus is made of crossed bars underneath the planes.
Again, each lift style has its pluses and minuses. Scissor lifts tend to take up the least amount of space, but since the lifting mechanism is directly under where the vehicle rests, you can’t park another car underneath and your access to the chassis is limited. Some two-post lifts may be able to accommodate vehicles underneath in terms of space, but they should not be used to do so. Finally, four-post lifts are sturdiest and can most easily and safely provide an additional parking space, but they are usually the most expensive.
Scissor lifts are the more compact car lift option, but parking another vehicle underneath it is out of the question.
Getting a car up in the air helps make many repairs that much easier.
Best Four Post Lifts For Home Garagetriumph Four Post Lift
Although most standard four-post lifts require a lot of floor space, this Triumph model is a four-post lift that is a great option if you have a smaller garage, as one user reported. This power unit is only 94 inches tall and 112 in. in width, but has a lift height of 82 inches meaning that this power unit still leaves a decent amount of room to store a second car below or to access the underside of your vehicle.
This storage lift features very easy assembly, according to many reviews, plus it has dual hydraulic chain drive cylinders, a caster kit, a metal jack tray, and three plastic drip trays to catch stray oil or car fluid so that your garage floor remains clean. One customer mentioned that the lift works really well, and the casters allow movement and repositioning. A few reviewers helpfully recommended checking the wheelbase of the cars you wish to lift in the future before buying this product to ensure it is the best fit for you.
Specifications/features
Lift height: 82 inches above the runway, 79 inches below the runway
Product length/width/height: 190 x 112 x 94
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Five Things You Need To Know Before You Buy And Use A Home Garage Car Lift
- Why are you considering buying a car lift for your garage? Factors like wanting to park cars on top of one another or wanting easier access to your car’s chassis will ultimately affect what kind of lift you need.
- What kind of car lift do you want? Again, your reasons for buying a lift will point you in a certain direction, but criteria like cost and lifting capacity will also help you decide between a four-post lift, a two-post lift, a scissor lift or a different kind altogether.
- Can your garage floor accommodate a car lift? Check to make sure that your garage floor consists of enough solid inches of PSI 3,000 concrete to support your lift of choice. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to have new concrete poured.
- Who is going to install your home garage lift? It’s highly recommended that you have an experienced professional perform the job, as it can be difficult and dangerous. Find an installation expert whom you trust — one with experience installing car lifts.
- Finally, and most importantly, what are the operating instructions associated with your car lift? Make sure to familiarize yourself with all of them in order to minimize the risk of property damage or injury.
Triumph Nt9fp 9000lb Two Post Auto Lift
- ALI/ANSI Certified: No
- Warranty: 1 year
The Triumph NT9FP 9,000lb lift is the perfect accessory for a home garage with limited clearance. This open-top lift is ideal for taller vehicles. While the load capacity is on the lower end at 9,000lbs and it is a bit narrower than others with a drive-through clearance of 96 this is not going to be the best option for larger trucks. However, it does include the extensions and all mounting hardware. With a maximum height of 109, this is one of the shorter two post lifts out there.
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How High Does A Garage Need To Be For A Car Lift
How high your garage needs to be for a car lift depends largely on the type of car lift you buy and the type of vehicle youre storing or working on. If you have very tall vehicles, your garage will need to be tall as well, and the same applies if you buy a 4-post lift versus an in-ground lift.
A rule of thumb is that your ceiling immediately above the lift needs to be about 12 feet high. This gives you enough space to work on most vehicles and accommodate your height.
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Powerbuilt 620422e Heavy Duty 4000 Lb Triple Lift Jack
One lovable thing about this piece is that it slashes the hassle and expense of maintaining, storing, and purchasing multiple jacks. It quickly lifts almost everything with wheels and works perfectly on vehicle transmissions and differentials. Besides, its patented design lets you lift trucks, ATVs, motorcycles, and cars with great ease.
Moreover, it enlists both removable lift saddle and padded lift rails to adapt to multiple types of vehicle frames. It also boasts a locking safety bar that holds the jack in place once the vehicle is raised, eliminating the hassle of supporting a lifted vehicle with jack stands. With a lifting capacity of up to 4,000 pounds, this piece features built-in tie-down loops making it easy to secure motorcycles in place for added stability. This is a high-quality unit with special features!
Pros
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Features In The Market
Car lift technology has come a long way, and after considering the factors above, youll need to look at the hottest and most useful features offered. You might not even have the same vehicle the next day, so be on the safe side and pick the lift with the most viable features, options, and accessories.
You need to understand terms such as lift height and width, asymmetrical and symmetrical, clear floor and floorplate lifts. Compare differences in lift time, portability, maintenance, and weight.
Look for the lift with the most options available so that you can adapt if you buy a pickup truck tomorrow or need to work on your mothers Smart. Adapters for larger and smaller vehicles, jack trays, purpose-built contact pads, telescoping arms, frame extensions are some optional extras that can evolve with your vehicles.
The Best Car Lifts For Home Garage Safety & Stability Within Reach
Crunching, bending over backward, flashlight in your mouth, tools in your hands, squinting to see while you desperately try to get the smallest fix in your car?
If at least a portion of this sounds all too familiar to you, then youre in dire need of a car lift in your home garage.
Whether you have multiple vehicles that you want to stack, or you are an aspiring mechanic just learning the ropes, doing the majority of your repairs, a decent car lift is essential.
To ensure that you will get what you need, I will assist you in your search for the best car lifts for home garage!
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Car Lifts For Home Garage Buying Guide
When looking for a car lift for your home garage space, there are a few factors to take into consideration, particularly when it comes to safety.
If your garage space is limited, the larger industrial-grade two-post lifts or four-post car lifts probably wont fit, and, if they do, will take up all the floor space in your garage. If your space is a little roomier, you may be able to get one of these heavy-duty lifts in there.
Taking into consideration the size of the power unit, the length, and the width is the first step in seeing if the particular vehicle lifting unit works for you. If it doesnt, and your space is limited, car ramp lifts, scissor lifts, or more portable, low rise or mid-rise lifts are a better option.
In addition, the weight of the vehicle you need to lift will play a role in your selection process since each vehicle lift has a maximum weight capacity, so you want to make sure that the car lift you choose can actually lift your vehicle. For larger cars, trucks, and SUVs, a heavy-duty, large pound-capacity car lift, for instance, one that can lift a vehicle of 9,000 pounds or more, will be required.
Last but certainly not least, is taking note of the safety features each vehicle lift offers. Automatic safety locks, safety lock release, a lock bar, arms restraints, hydraulic flow restrictor, anti-sway blocks, and cable chains are all great safety features to look for.
Bendpak Lifts: An Animated Look At The Legends In Lifts
Check out this animated video by BendPak, showcasing just some of the benefits of a BendPak home garage lift. There are some great reasons in this video to look at a home garage lift not only for storing and working on your vehicle but protecting it from the elements as well. Find out why BendPak lifts are perfect for most residential garages, condominiums and even apartments. With half a century of experience, the folks at BendPak know a thing or two about helping people get the maximum benefit from limited space. By bringing the same professional lifting and parking equipment found in your mechanic shop to your home garage, BendPak has the solution – and we’re here to help you in any way we can.
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Quality Service & Price Are Our #1 Priorities
Ross, the owner of Lift King, is a car guy through and through. He expanded into hobby lifts because he hated seeing his fellow enthusiasts being taken advantage of with high prices and low quality! He travelled to all the lift manufacturers personally to test the quality and strength of all the units available. Having found the best lifts, he tied up the rights for Canada, and the rest is history!
Whats The Difference Between A Symmetric And An Asymmetric Lift
In symmetric lifts, the post symmetrically divides the vehicle by keeping it balanced in the center. Theres a greater distance between the columns, and the vehicle can be hoisted while facing backward as well. Asymmetric lifts keep two-thirds of the vehicle behind the post, so the doors can open without any obstruction from the post.
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These Are Three Common Designs Of Car Lifts:
- Two Post Lifts The two-post vehicle lift is a very common and versatile lift. This type of lift can be used on most vehicles and has easy access to most mechanical work. Advantages of this design is that you are not raising vehicle on wheels, so you have access to all parts for the vehicle for repair tasks. If you need lift for parking purposes please look at our four-post lift selections. Check out our Quick guide section for more information on two post lifts.
- Four Post Lifts One of the great advantages of the four post lifts over the two post lifts is mobility. The 2-post lift must be fixed to the floor, but the four-post lift is highly stable and can be operated independently. Consider the thickness of the flooring and whether you can afford to secure the lift to the ground. If you cant fix it, or if you need a less durable lift, look for four post lifts that dont require additional support.
- Portable Scissor Lifts If youre a fan of hydraulic lifts that make your work faster and safer. There are many portable lifts out there to meet all your needs and help you have the power you need, anywhere and everywhere. Enjoy more mobility with the same lifting force and safety you need to work with.