Hi guys we are designing our new home and I came across in ground lifts and really like the design and discrete looks, but want suggestions as i'm not familiar with the pros and cons and if there are certain conditions that they should not be used in; As in we are located in Edmonton Canada that sees severe winter conditions and the concrete pad is subjected to freezing and heaving...

The lifts I like so far are the:
Rotary:
http://www.rotarylift.com/templatepr...o.aspx?id=1228

Challenger Lift: has 2 options: conventional hydraulic and also a water air system....not sure the water system will hack it in our cold conditions, but is an appealing system!

http://www.challengerlifts.com/inground-lifts.shtml

Are these also much more cost prohibitive then above ground 2 post lifts?(there are many more options in the above ground lifts including these companies and Mohawk and Bendpak...) Also is maintenance a concern compared to the above ground lifts?

Can anyone enlighten me?

Any info will be much appreciated!
Thanks
Shalil

 

Any scissors lift can be put underground for (I would assume) a fraction of the cost of those kind of deep-hydraulic-cylinder lifts. The key benefit of a submerged lift is that you're squeezing past or tripping over the thing for the 99% of the time when you are NOT servicing a car on it.

This isn't my lift, but I think it's a really smart solution for a small garage.

Most of the time -- nothing to trip over:



Then:



And if you want to go even higher, I've seen this Mohawk:





My own lift is odd -- it's primarily used for my 911. It's perfect for that, and was super inexpensive ($455, second-hand). But it's not what I'd suggest for most guys.



And if the shaky gif isn't enough for you, here's a video of the lift in action. Cue the orchestra:

 

Thanks Jack, still going back and forth between these and the traditional 2 post, the reason is that I'm up in Edmonton Canada and I can imagine that snow/slush and salt, will not mix well with the scissor lift...

 

I am in the same situation as we are beginning to plan for new house so will be anxious to hear what you learn as you go forward. The first option looks very slick.
Also be sure to think about garage celing height and height of the door lift runs to clear the car at the heights you anticipate. A friend of mine had 2 4-post lifts installed that also allow him to store a vehicle in the up position. Ran around 10K if I recall.

I realize I am paranoid, but how stable are the scissor jacks?

Amazing video from JackOlsen by the way.

 

clib,
So what i've come up with so far is that the Rotary and challenger in ground lifts are great but run around $10 with quite an involved install additional.

Next the Scissor lifts are nice too and no issues with stability but are also subject to corrosion which is a concern of mine since i'm located in Edmonton Alberta and it'll see lots of salty slush. Also no option to park under either the in ground or the scissor. The scissor also has limited access to the underside of the car.

They traditional 2 post above ground offers the best unobstructed access, but you have to deal with the posts in the way the 95% of the time the lift is not in use...however does allow you park another car under it, but keep in mind the car on the lift will have unloaded suspension.

The 4 post you mentioned is the best solustion if you primarily needed to store a car on the lift, but also has limited access to the under side of the care and also if you wanted to raise the wheels and tires off the lift to work on it you would need a couple bridge jacks which almost double the cost of the lift..

I think that the 2 post above ground best suits my needs, but i'm still confused at to which brand, each guy bashes the next and every time I think I have made a decision someone puts doubt in my mind.

Mohawk and PKS(Canadian brand) are the 2 best and most beefy lifts on the market, however either will cost me $7000 before install.
I thought of going with the Challenger SA10 but some one mentioned that its and off shore lift simply assembled in the states, Everyone says bendpaks are crap and that their hydraulics are garbage so I considered a rotary, but then I came across this comparo between the bendpak and roatary lifts i'm looking at and the bendpak seems to come out on top....
http://www.bestbuyautoequipment.com/...46#columnfront

I do like the Mohawk and PKS lifts but they are probably over kill for the amount i'm going to use mine.... but then again, I want something that is reliable and safe, after all my life depends on it if i'm going to be working under the damn thing...
So ya i'm confused... anyone able to help?

 

Thanks for sharing the info. Looks like a 2 post is a good option and the bendpak seems solid. I had read/heard good things about them before. I may just be sure the floor is built such that I can install safely later and then add later. I think the scissor lift would be limiting in the longrun.
B

 

Was just reading about MaxJax 2 post system. Allows you to move the posts out of the way when not in use. Lots of threads on install and use on the rennlist site.

b

 

I did come across that to, but didn't consider it because it's a mid rise lift

 

Lots of good information here.

The one thing I don't quite get is the idea that a scissors lift is more vulnerable to corrosion than other types of lifts. I would be much more worried about the steel (and seal) along the vertical hydraulic mechanisms of these pillar-type lifts, since that's not only a structural part of the lift, but also a sensitive part of the lifting mechanism.

With my particular lift, the hydraulic pistons are always up above the concrete and also shielded by the top. I can't see how I could get salt/slush/etc on the cylinder surface if I tried.

MaxJax is an economical option, and it has the advantage of being removable. The downside (from my perspective) is that a lot of the things I use the lift for take less time than it would take to re-install the MaxJax. And there are a lot of stories of guys having trouble getting the anchor bolts to get decent purchase with their MaxJax installs. That said, I've never read about a MaxJax failure.

 

any updates on the lift decisions?

Went over to a friends garage last nite. He has two of the 4 post bendpak lifts rated at 9K pounds. Has had it in for 6 years and zero problems using them quite a bit for storage and work - no issues at all and very satisfied with them. When he purchased it bendpak put him in touch with a regional installer who delivered and installed for a very reasonable amount. I am leaning toward 2 post and possibly bendpak given the prices. The asymetric ones seem to address some of the concerns on door access.

 

Bill I too am leaning toward the Bend pak, because of the comparo between it and the rotary, seems like it clearly comes out on top, in addition I can get it shipped for this price in Canada:
http://www.babco.ca/Automotive-Equip...BendPak-XPR10A

But I may still consider the Rotary or this revolution lift thats made by rotary.... Will come down to the cost and also local availability, and most importantly if the ceiling height will allow it.
http://www.revolutionlift.com/RTP10-...Lift-P3C3.aspx

 

Both look fine.
We are just starting to think about design of house/garage now so will plan for this type of design, then still have a lot of time to figure out which one. My friend did say (and other forums have confirmed) what great customer support he got from bendpack including the regional deliverer/installer he used.
All of these lift types seem like minimum pad height will require me to drive on small ramps to get under. My 993 is lowered to about RS specs and doubt will work without it.

 

Hi guys. Thanks for the great lift discussion. My garage floor should be poured this coming Monday and am way behind the 8-ball on my loft research. I have in-ground heating laid in the garage and would be interested in how deep the lag bolt go into the cement. I will have 7" of concrete poured on top of the heating 'hoses'. Hopefully that will suffice. Have either of you come across any information on this during your research?

Thank, Mike

[edit] RFP9 - 9,000 Pound Capacity Four Post Lift - install manual says minimum 4" bolt depth.

 

link to manual below. Page 16 has specifics on floor drilling on page 15. Seems like 4 inches suffice for anchors for 9K lift.


http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j...45175338,d.aWc

 

Zippy, you'll need to ensure the radiant heat tubes are clear of where you plan to install the posts. The bolts will be greater than 7 inches.