2 Post Lift Purchase
 

Just thought I would see if the group had any recommendations for what brand 2 post lift is the best for the money. I know there is no such thing as cheap but good or in this case safe. Do not want to get squished under a car.
I have been looking and there seems to be a problem with Bendpak for shortage and delivery. They will take your money and you get delays.

Rotary is the best in the industry but not cheap since it’s a professional lift, Forward is their import brand and really solid. Challenger is good, Bendpak is their homeowner lift. Mohawk is a fantastic US made lift as well, comparable to Rotary and just as expensive.

Everything else from there is import homeowner lifts and while cheap usually don’t have replacement parts, if you go for something like that purchase it locally and make sure that they will repair it when you have an issue. One of my old lift service companies is selling Tuxedo brand lifts and likes them for a cheap homeowner lift, they can get parts for them and feels they offer great quality for the price.

i have no problem with used but... i purchased an old 9k benwill right after my garage went up. it was already disaasmebled and had been sitting for a while. it loo ked like it was in really good shape and the price was right. well a piston rod had gotten corroded from sitting so long so first install by myself, and it wa unable to be used. took piston out, had it remade, at more then what i had paid for the whole lift, installed it and it went up fine, but would not return to floor level. i screwed around with it for too long and too many gallons of hydraulic oil and finally got professional help. they came down and had same issue, would not return to floor. so we removed th enew piston and he took it back to his shop, to find a small piece of teflon blocking the return passage. problem solved, reinstalled, and been great ever since. lesson leanred is it would have been cheaper to buy new in th elong run not sure if they are made as well but aggravation wise much better.
I have had good luck with the 2 4 post lifts i have bought used, but i was able to confirm they worked at time of disassembly.
i wouldnt be afraid of used just verify it functions completely.

My father and I worked together in construction for about 30 yrs. He didnt talk much. What he instilled in me though is,' you are only going to it once do it right' .Meaning I've been looking also at 2 post lifts when ready I'm going to spend the money buy quality USA made and not less expensive foreign. Then not look back,after yrs seeing construction accidents I want to make as possibly sure as I can a lift will not collapse on me.my 2 cts. Pouring concrete floor 5 inches thick. I remember a yard of 4000psi was $30.00, I just paid $2400.00 for 10.5 yds! Long story why one reason I thought radiant heated floor was the way to go saving the money to do it.

Agree with everything above! My school has over 20 Rotary lifts. Built in 1998. Not a single failure in all those years on any of those lifts. They are in constant use, 6 days a week from 7:00 AM to 9:30 PM. If you can afford a Rotary, nothing better IMO. I have 2 Forward brand lifts. Have had issues with both of them. BUT service and parts and warranty have been just excellent. They really take care of the customer after the sale. No issues in the last 9 years. Buy an ALI (American Lift Institute), certified lift. A little extra margin of safety and resale value. It means at least one example passed some testing and evaluation.

You certainly can’t go wrong with Rotary but if it’s just a DIY home garage, a commercial grade lift isn’t needed. There are others that fit the bill and more than up to the task. I have an ALI certified 10k Derek Weaver lift - it’s been fantastic. Derek Weaver lifts are under the Vehicle Service Group umbrella, and probably the most competitively priced of the quality lifts.

https://www.derekweaver.com/learn/ty...n3uLydb0izq0x-

i bought an 11k# 2 post off ebay for 2250.00 shipped. works great, ive had a bbc 1 ton dually on it, my duramax, even had a pontiac stored on it for a year.

then got a bargain on a xl tuxexo 4 post 8k lift, was new in a attached garage...had to take it down. both are handy, but the 2 post wins if your doing alot of work..i like the ease of storage on my 4 post tho

I installed a Challenger VLE10 2-post lift in my garage last year. Made by Snap On in their own China-based facility, but I'm very pleased with its quality and function so far.

Also, nothing against Bendpak, but two things kept me from them. 1) The pump motor was VERY loud on the models I saw/heard (high pitched whine). And 2) most importantly, they were slightly over 12-foot tall, which didn't work in my garage where my ceiling is exactly 12-foot. The Challenger VLE10 was just under 12-foot and fit perfectly.

bought a 2 post 7K asymmetrical that was made in Texas.
not one issue with it altho its storage for one in the air for last 4 yrs


Neighbor is national distributor for a Chinese company that makes 2 post,4 post,and in floor platform.
The last one is the most useful.
the pic is similar to his,couldnt find his website

Derek Weaver
 

I read the about this on the web site. Direct Lift was Derek Weaver now owned by Rotary.

That Rotary Lift Consolidated/VSG acquired Direct-Lift in 2007 and is now a valuable team member of the largest lift company in the world. Today Direct Lift is a proud member of the Vehicle Service Group, LLC. (A Dover Corporation company) family, and is the number one supplier of above ground hobbyist lifts in the U. S. and Canada. Dover Corporation, a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange, has been in the business of producing and selling safe and reliable vehicle lifts for more than 95 years. was what I was looking at. I read the about us on the web site.

Used
 

Leaning towards a slightly used 2 Post.
There are a lot of car businesses in Dallas going under in the last 3 months.
No sales and the banks are foreclosing.

One business was Tri Color car dealership.
They had purchased over 300 Coats brand 2 N 1 Lifts in 2022 that were all 10K
They are ALI Gold certified and I can pick up a very nice hardly use one for 3500.00. They are Symetrical and Asymetrical hence the 2 N 1 label.

I have seen many Rotary lifts and Challengers but they are older ones and are used hard with no maintenance. They usually run about 2500-2800.

Direct lift and Rotary revolution are made in China now?
Rotary still makes a few high- end professional models in America but the cheaper ones are made in China.

BendPak is now made in China.

Mohawk is still made in the USA. but they are 11K for a 10K lift.

Thanks for all the recommendations.

I was going to post about shops closing and looking for a used unit.;)
For a home shop', it's the way to go.

See this guy, Installed Atlas 9k. most lifts are instock in wharehouse. Very good at what they do. Will also install used lifts
The Lift Doctor LLC
136 Bridlewood Ln
BRIDGEPORT, TX 76426 United States
[email protected]
(214) 400-3192

I am in dallas too

I bought a used 10k Forward 2 post lift from a local shop that was in business for over 40 years for $2000 bucks 2 years ago. it was only 6 years old and still up and operational. i paid the installer that put it in $900 to take it down and put it on my trailer and come to my house a few weeks later to put it back up. greatest thing since sliced bread.

Thanks
 

Thanks,
Will check him out and see what he has available. Cannot wait to get a lift. Working off the ground sucks.

X2 on the Atlas. Reasonable price and a very nice lift.

Coats 2N1 Lift used
 

Well I ended up getting the used Coats 10K lift.
basically brand new and hardly used from the now
Chapter 7 defunked business of Tricolor Auto.
Funny story is that the CEO and the BOD committed bank fraud, wire fraud,
and securities violations buy double selling cars as collateral for lines of credit to different banks at the same time. Busted.

They had 60 retail outlets in the southern part of the US and were headquartered in Dallas.
They had just purchased these new in 2023. Over 400 lifts.

Very nice lift.
Butcher Pump and motor.
Basically no wear on any of the components. Came with all the adapters
and extra lift components.
The best part is they are ALI gold certified.
Too good of a deal to pass up.

I got my BendPak thru asedeals.com a long time ago - had zero trouble with them or it at all.