testpros

I am looking at lifts that can go high enough to fit my 75” jeep underneath and have narrowed my search down to the following:

1. Bend Pak HD - 9 series
2. BackYard Buddy 7000 lb series
3. Revolution Rotary lift.

Price is not an issue. I am looking for the highest quality, most reliable lift with the best post sales service.

Any suggestions to help me select one of these would be greatly appreciated.

BLAZBYU

I have the Eagle SS7000. Works great for both the car and the truck. Price was right, and still are. Sales and service are excellent.

hotwheels57

I have the BEND PAK HD9 four post lift...can't go wrong with it.

testpros

I'm actually leaning towards the Bend Pak since it is rated at 9000 lbs (and the other only 7000 lbs). Did you install that yourself? If so, how hard was it? I got an installation price of a whopping $1,500.

hotwheels57

No, I didn't have the ability to do the installation by myself (total weight is 1,500#+/-). CF member Patches did his own installation and he'll probably chime in. It's not rocket science to put one together, but it requires more than one person and at least an engine hoist to move the heavy pieces. My homeowners insurance also wanted a professional installation if they were going to cover potential liabilities in the future.
The HD9 has actually been tested to three times it's capacity, that's the ANSI standard independent test that you should look for on whatever lift you select. Some manufacturers don't build to those standards...IE, off shore Chinese copies of USA lifts.
Call BEND PAK or look for automotive equipment suppliers in your area. I was referred to an installer in Phoenix who ordered the lift, received and stored the lift, then delivered and installed the lift for $350.00. BTW: the installer has been doing commercial lift installations for 40 years and is 67 years old...he made me tired just watching him, but I helped.

3Vettes@Home

same lift here since 2000 without any issues http://www.eagleequip.com

BLAZBYU

My wife and I installed the lift together. Didn't need to pay anyone. I also purchased the dolly kit and I can roll the car and the lift anywhere in the garage I need it to be. I don't need a lift rated at 9000 pounds. I don't have anything that heavy to drive or work on.

FactoryRaceCar

Send a PM to Oaks99. He can help you a bunch. Currently he's got a FRC sitting uptop on the lift and a Vert at the bottom

FactoryRaceCar

BTW installation is not bad at all. It took 3 of us a total of 5 hours to install Oak's lift

testpros

I was told you need some kind of hoist to get the lift off a delivery truck. How are you folks that are doing your own install handling that? What specifically do I need and is it something I could rent easily?

3Vettes@Home

I went to the trucking co. for pick-up, they set the crate on a borrowed car trailer for me with their forklift. Two helpers and a engine hoist was all we needed for install (other than you have to buy Hyd. fluid) 4hrs. later....done

RWVH

I have had my lift for a year and it has worked great. It's not on your list, but it is the same one the oaks99 has. Took me and 2 Buddy's about 6 hours to install. This lift has several great features, I looked at them all before I bought mine. I don't really want to start a big debate about lifts, but if you would like to give me a call, I would be happy to discuss with you. Don't pay 1,500 for installation, its not that hard to do. Send me PM if you want to discuss it with your phone number and I'll give you a call.

RWVH

Was that the first time or second time ?

MIKE-C5

I like the BEND PAK HD9 How much is that lift

testpros

I was quoted $3,793 (for the 9XW) and an other $1,500 for installation (which is just crazy). I've also been recommended to look at the Direct Lift Pro Park 9 Plus. It looks like a very comparable lift currently on sale for $2,495.

Novat_99

You can't go wrong with a Rotary Revolution 4 post lift

hotwheels57

My BEND PAK HD9 was $2550, not including options (casters, jack bridge, drip trays, installation, etc). It's commercial grade used in dealerships and independent shops.

24695bob

I own 2 ...

1 a Back Yard Buddy since about 1990 or so and the other a Gemeni which I purchased in 1999..

I honestly do NOT care what you buy BUT I can tell you:
I feel much more comfortable under the Back Yard
buddy...

Posts that have 4 sides with a sleave that is outside the posts just make a much much more solid lift. I know I could back my garden tractor into the BYB with a car up and not worry about the lift collapsing...I can
NOT say that with the Gemeni...no way no how..

BTW..I got cheap and tried to save a few bucks with
the Gemini..(which I did) but boy everytime I get under it I sure wish I wrote a bigger check for another Back Yard Buddy..

On Installation.... Sorry but my time in the garage is all relaxation ...and putting the lift together was very very relaxing... BTW I assembled the BYB a week after I had a Bypass operation on my heart (as soon as the wife left for work however) I was out in the garage ...

Bob G.
50 bucks is the max I would pay IF I did not want to have some fun to have ot installed...

Patches

First, here are a couple of threads I posted on my Bend Pak HD-9 installation.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1468748

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1470876

I will only speak to the two types / brands of 4-post lift I am most familiar with - the AutoLifters which a friend of mine owned (AL now out of business but being produced by former AL employees - same design as the BYB) and the Bend Pak HD-9 I currently own. I spent many a weekend under the AutoLifters (7K lb. cap.) over a few years and have owned my HD-9 (9K lb. cap.) for less than a year.

The AL uses the fully boxed post section with collar-style crossbeam ends while the BP has a C-channel post design with internal runners that slide on ladder locks suspended from the top caps.

There seems to be a perception that the C-channels can spread under load, but that's not how these lifts work. There is virtually no side load on the posts and certainly nothing to splay the channels apart during raising or lowering. Basically, they are cable and pulley systems with crossbeam and column supports to manage the transmitted loads. What's important is that the members remain stationary (rigid) and no one corner binds - or lets loose - during the lifting or lowering process destabilizing the equilibrium enough to allow one of the posts to tip too far.

The posts can actually tilt in/out a certain amount without destabilizing the lift. I've seen this happen twice in person - once on the AL lift when one of the manual lever-actuated locks didn't engage while lowering and the other the first time I actuated my BP and one of the cables was still too loose. Both times, the tilt in the post was completely recoverable because the lift was not allowed to travel beyond one lock level. Remember that the entire mechanism is tied together with a tesioned cable system and tends to want to stayed tied together rather than spread out.

I have noticed that neither design has more tendency for the coner attachments to decouple from the post or allow post tilt. Both designs are quite secure. What I have noted are the differences in lock designs which is the reason I went with my BP. The BP has a double lock system - the first is a pneumatically-actuated, "normally-closed" set of ladder locks. These are the primaries and the only way for these to allow the lift to lower is to keep one's hand on the release button and hydraulic release continuously until the lowest lock is passed.

The secondary, "slack-cable" set of locks are purely for safety. Should a cable break or go slack for any reason, that corner lock will release and automatically lock into the next detent, not allowing that corner to drop uncontrolled. This was the failure suffered recently by an AL lift with pictures posted here.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show...ht=autolifters

I'll qualify that by saying that could have been prevented with proper maintenance and replacement of a faulty pulley setup that the manufacturer warned of. But it does illustrate that, ultimately, it's up to the owner/operator to safely install, maintain and operate his lift.

Also, high quality components and construction are vital when weighing the issues of cost and safety. My Bend Pak is made in America with solid engineering backed by decades of commercial lift design and construction, high-strength, high-quality components and great workmanship, including beautiful welds. The cost was comparable to it's competitors too.

I spent a lot of time researching lifts before ordering mine and I still believe I'd make the same choice today that I did when I chose the BP. Others have their own thoughts and opinions - and requirements. My decision was between the All American, the Revolution (Rotary), the Backyard Buddy and Bend Pak. Cost was not the primary factor, safety was. Check all the certification and testing that a manufacturer does on it's lifts - that alone is a very educational process.

Whatever your choice is, have a healthy respect for the potentially dangerous piece of heavy equipment that a lift is. Safety should be foremost on your mind always when working around a lift. That behavior alone should keep it a safe and fun piece of equipment to own.

As always, this is JMHO.

My buddy's AutoLifters. Note the collar-style beam ends.


The channel and ladder setup on my HD-9. You can see the air-cylinder-enabled main lock and the spring/lever pulley secondary safety.


The vette represents just a little over a third of it's rated weight capacity.


My dd parked under it.


Good luck with your decision and be safe!

oaks99

go to www.gregsmithequipment.com great guys to do buisness with mine is 9000 lb lift so ican get my f250 diesel on it and weight is not a problem . lift was $2600.00 and i also added j3500 jack to raise front or back off of ground so we can remove wheels .


me and my homies

any questions just send pm this is a direct lift 9000 lb