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I'm about to start the construction of a separate 2 bay garage. The garage will be heated/cooled and sort of a man cave/space to work on the car.
I'm going back and forth on flush mount vs 2 post lifts. The flush mounts allows me to use the space for more since the lift is flush when retracted. This is new territory for me so I'm not sure about reliability, functionality, etc, of the flush mount lifts.
I have a 2 post and I love it.
The flush mount seems interesting but I wonder how much of a footing they require seeing as they are recessed into the floor that much. It does free up a ton of floor space though.
I have had both. I prefer the 2 post but did not have room in this house for it so I went with a 4 post. Better for storage but for work 2 poster hands down. I would get one with a clear floor meaning all cables are overhead. As for one that disappears that would be cool but I assume you are burying it in the floor. I would assume that would add a ton of cost to it.
IMCO they all have trade offs.
The 4 post is easy to line up the car and get in and out of the car. Downside is the tires are not hanging and it takes up the most room.
The 2 post is the most practical compromise of cost and serviceability. It can be a little more challenging to line up the car and opening and closing the door while getting in and out. They also seem to be the most popular in professional service bays today.
The in ground downside is the cost and what happens if it has a problem. The big plus is it doesn't take up any room and it's doesn't effect getting in and out of the car.
In a perfect world cost being no object and never needing repairs the in ground would be the ideal choice.
Who lives in a perfect world?
The cost of the flush mount appears to be less - approximately $1,000 less on average. I'm assuming the additional cost will come with the installation. I'm going to talk to my builder and will report back on installation cost. I'm expecting the need for a thicker concrete pour to make it work.
I would suspect that since the in ground lift is below grade and hydraulic, the problem will be with building code due to possibility of a leak and soil contamination. I'm not a greenie by any stretch of the imagination, but watching construction sites that are going to be auto shops, nobody appears to be using in ground lifts that I've seen.
The cost of the flush mount appears to be less - approximately $1,000 less on average. I'm assuming the additional cost will come with the installation. I'm going to talk to my builder and will report back on installation cost. I'm expecting the need for a thicker concrete pour to make it work.
What do you mean by "flush mount"? Is that in ground, or surface mount to the floor?
This reminds me of the lifts back in the 70's gas station garages, 2 post, one that lifted the rear end with an in-floor post with a yoke on it that contacted the rear end axle tubes (probably bent many of the vette rear strut rods that we are seeing) and then had an in-floor post for the front that could be moved closer or further from the rear one depending on how long the car was.
Then there was the in-floor 2 post that had 2 large cylinders, one on each side, with 2 arms attached, much like the surface mount 2 post lifts we have today, that would be positioned under the side frame.
I have a two post Mohawk lift and two four post lifts. The two post is great for brake/suspension work. The four posts are good for storage and oil changes.
I love my in ground scissor. Only downsides in my opinion are that you can't use it with an engine crane, and it doesn't allow storing an extra vehicle underneath if that's what you want (I don't). Upsides are plentiful - easy to use, best option with low cars, out of the way (part of the floor!) when not in use, also makes a useful adjustable height workbench/platform, can use it as a motorcycle lift, etc... I think it is the best option for a home garage hands down.
Edit: P.s. Have you discovered Garage Journal yet?
Last edited by Metalhead140; Mar 19, 2017 at 11:54 PM.
I love my in ground scissor. Only downsides in my opinion are that you can't use it with an engine crane, and it doesn't allow storing an extra vehicle underneath if that's what you want (I don't). Upsides are plentiful - easy to use, best option with low cars, out of the way (part of the floor!) when not in use, also makes a useful adjustable height workbench/platform, can use it as a motorcycle lift, etc... I think it is the best option for a home garage hands down.
Edit: P.s. Have you discovered Garage Journal yet?
I've not discovered Garage Journal yet. Guess I'll google it now and peruse... Thanks for the recommendation.
That in ground scissor lift does look nice, but I went with a 4 post, and a rolling jack. I was looking to get all of my toys in the garage plus my wifes car. I picked up the rolling jack that rides on the inner rails to install my new suspension parts. Working on the car has never been easier! No more crawling on my knees or slithering under a car!! When I use it for storage, the corvette is on the lift, I store 2 motorcycles under the lift, my DD behind the lift and my wifes car resides next to my DD. Its a nice setup
If you decide on a 2 post lift check your ceiling height. If you have enough height, about 12'-4", the cross bar that the cables ride in can go overhead instead of on the floor. I only had 12'-0" and had to use the one with the floor plate to house the cables. It really gets in the way believe me.
If you decide on a 2 post lift check your ceiling height. If you have enough height, about 12'-4", the cross bar that the cables ride in can go overhead instead of on the floor. I only had 12'-0" and had to use the one with the floor plate to house the cables. It really gets in the way believe me.
The 2nd bay where the lift would be will have pitched ceilings - not sure the exact height but approx. 14 -16ft, I believe. That was something we altered while designing our house to ensure the lift would fit and be able to go up to max height
Appreciate that head's up though. Not something I think that everyone likely considers on the front end.
When I was young, my uncle's shop had several different lifts, 2poster, and a 3 different styles of inground lifts, including a scissors lift like the one you showed. The only drawback I remember was having things get in the way, like airhoses and light cords, or parts/tools/debris falling in the channels and causing problems.
Have you seen this option? a single post lift, and it is portable- the base is similar to a pallet jack. I got one like this a few years ago and really like it.
Either way, having any lift - scissor, 1/2/4posts, is gonna be great! Great that you get to design and plan your shop-build! Don't forget, plenty of lighting and outlets including 220v for compressor and welding!
Last edited by CV62Air; Mar 24, 2017 at 12:44 AM.
Reason: misspelling
If you're using it to actually work on cars, 2-post is the only way to go! Many more advantages over all the others. Best money I've ever spent...
If you're using it to just do light maintenance once in a while, then the other compromises are ok. My floor space is best used for quality mechanic work. Nothing better than proper tools to do a job!
Flush mount vs 2 post Car Lift
