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Looking for any user experience with these . I am wrestling with the pros and cons of traditional 4 post vs this.
Bendpak autostacker
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If you don’t need to take tires off for service and are looking for more of a storage and oil change type lift, they are great.
I have 3 off brand 4 post drive on lifts that were all under $4k and they have been great. Also have a couple name brand ones in the shop and they work the exact same and have had no problems either
I say 4 post drive on because the autostacker is a scissor lift vs vertical cable. I don’t care for scissor lifts. The scissor lifts suck if you want to park a car under it or walk under it in my opinion because the side is blocked vs open. The 4 post ones are easier to live with and most come with wheels if you want to move it around.
I have 3 off brand 4 post drive on lifts that were all under $4k and they have been great. Also have a couple name brand ones in the shop and they work the exact same and have had no problems either
I say 4 post drive on because the autostacker is a scissor lift vs vertical cable. I don’t care for scissor lifts. The scissor lifts suck if you want to park a car under it or walk under it in my opinion because the side is blocked vs open. The 4 post ones are easier to live with and most come with wheels if you want to move it around.
...And to add onto what saagz87 said, if you need to take off the wheels and tires on a 4 post, they make a bridge jack for them that fits in between the rails that you can use a standard floor jack with.
They look like this:
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Thanks for the feedback so far.In my case the wider autostacker does give 8 inch additional door clearance on the lower car. Also the scissor bars have less blocking effects the higher it goes up..I'm blessed with 12 ft ceiling heights..The only real advantage I see is the smaller footprint esp in the down position.
We have had this “Complete Lift” in our garage since 2005 and has been flawless.
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I thought that the ones that leak go downstairs?We have had this “Complete Lift” in our garage since 2005 and has been flawless.
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I think I see drip trays and/or cardboard.
Oh yeah, 10.30 second car has a bit of seepage so cardboard on top of the drip trays are your friend.
Love my 4 post lift. Some of the best money I ever spent! Glad I got it when I did too. Prices went up a ridiculous amount in the last couple years.
RoadRunnerus Haulusassus !!!!
'17 Daytona, Ray Barton forged 392. '21 srt durango. '22 jailbreak challenger
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4200$ at Lowe's. 8k capacity
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1,180 Posts
I'm not going to gain any friends here with this post but I feel the need to still say it as I've seen it go wrong If you get a 4 post lift (well any lift) and if that lift has the platform ride inside the outside post (the C beam style post), please secure your post with bolts to the floor. Thier are two major types of 4 post lifts out their. Those that are boxed and those that are C beam style. The boxed type has the platform ride around the whole post where the C beam rides on the inside. Normal day to day it doesn't matter but if a cable breaks those post with the C beam can bend outward and cause the safety locks to not engage properly. Still a good idea to lock your post in with bolts with the box style post but they are less likely to push out if their is a failure than the C beam style.
Since the square beam post are less common, here is a picture of what those look like. You will see that the platform rides along the outside of the post vs internal to the post.
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Back to the OP question - I see no benefit at all of the autostacker as a long term solution. If you are wanting something that you can safely park under and also would like to use to service your vehicle get a 4 post.
Since the square beam post are less common, here is a picture of what those look like. You will see that the platform rides along the outside of the post vs internal to the post.
Back to the OP question - I see no benefit at all of the autostacker as a long term solution. If you are wanting something that you can safely park under and also would like to use to service your vehicle get a 4 post.
Something like I'm looking to do. What is your ceiling height?
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It's all going to depend on what you plan to lift and store. Ideal height is 12+ feet but 10 feet is what I would consider min for storage and servicing. I have just shy of 9 feet 6 inches in my garage and it just barely works for my lowered viper and mustang. I can't stack anything with the hellcat on or under the lift.
Thanks for the info. We are building a home now and I believe the garage will be 11 ft ceiling, so hopefully we will be good.
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You should be good. See if the builder will raise it a bit though as it never hurts to ask and every little bit helps when it comes to lifts; as the more room is always the better.
Since you are in the building process, think about the garage door and how you want it to work. Most builders are going to have the rail be parallel to the door opening. You need it raised to ride along the ceiling. I had to get that done after we moved in (my builder wouldn't raise the ceiling nor change how the tracks were installed). Wasn't super expensive but another $400ish to get the room I needed.
Couple other things I wish I did:
- Have a 240v plug installed in the wall by where the pump will be. It's always nice to have a 240 in your garage for welders and other things (down the road if you don't have them now) but most lift pumps have options for 240v which makes them work much faster. Standard plug works just fine but I still wish I did the 240V upgrade.
- Think about how you want your garage door to open. To save space you can install the openers that go on the side of your garage door vs above them. They are a little more expensive but don't take up valuable room above your lift. I WISH I would have had that done to my door.
- Put a drain in under the lift. I know, a little " privileged " looking here but I wish I had one so I could wash things under my cars while on the lift and in the garage. Form builders wont even consider this but if you are doing a custom build it shouldn't cost much extra.
Something I did that is easy to overlook:
- If you are planning to ever store a vehicle on your lift, have a standard plug installed in the wall by the lift as well. This way you have easy access to a plug for a battery tender which also comes in handy for shop lights if you are working on a vehicle there. Again, not necessary but stupid cheap to add in the building process that you'll find that comes in handy later.
All good heads up suggestions, thanks man.
I put in a Titan 4 post last year and I second the advice of bolting it to the floor (with 12' ceilings). I put in hydronic floor heat and intentionally routed the lines around the posts and made the pads thicker and reinforced. Now one bit of caution, the SDPL-8000 is narrow if you are putting a widebody car on it. My car is 77" and the lift between the closest vertical surface is 80.25" so needless to say it's tight. I decided to invest in cameras that link to a phone app so I can see both sides as I pull it on. In hindsight, I wish I had ordered the wider lift.
Question for you, I am getting ready to purchase a lift for my front garage the ceiling will be 9’ 9”. If your ceiling was that height would you be able to get your Challenger and your Mustang on the lift? I have an 05 Mustang also and my goal was for them to occupy the lift spot.
I did t really want to put the lift in the other garage even though that ceiling 15‘
Eddie
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