Hoist

[50 F1]

Thinking about getting a hoist.  
 
I have a quik lift. This is the one that you drive up on and use a floor jack to jack up the back and then flip the back legs down. It puts the bottom of the vehicle about 2' off the ground so you can work under it.  
 
I also have a scissor lift. You drive over it and it has arms similar to a hoist that you set up under the frame and it has its own hydraulics and it goes up about 53".  
 
The quik lift is good for doing anything under the car but you are always are on a creeper or on the floor. And you have to use a jacking platform that slides on the ramps to jack up the car to get a tire up off the ramp so you can work on brakes etc.  
 
The scissor lift has all the workings of the lift right under where the back of the motor and transmission is, making it hard to do any work in that area. It only goes up about 53" so you are always hunched over. On a low vehicle you have to have ramps to drive on so you can get up and over it to get your arms in place. It is really great for body work. You can get your work area at the right height for standing or sitting.  
 
I would sell both of these and get a hoist.  
 
There are allot of choices. But mainly right now I am trying to decide between 2 post and 4 post.  
 
With the 2 less than perfect lifts I have now I would say a 2 post would be my best bet because I am tired of the limitations I have.  
 
But  
 
I really like the fact that you can move a 4 post around and it isn't permanently bolted to the floor.  
But when you want to do work that involves having the wheels off your back to jacking up from the ramps.  
 
I have 6'' concrete and 16' ceilings  
 
Talk to me  
 
Thanks for any info and opinions  
 
Mike

[Ohio Blue Tip]

About 10 years ago I bought a 4 post from Greg Smith in Indianapolis, it's a 9000 Lb., best thing I ever bought.
Paid $2500 delivered at that time.
You need to use a jack when doing things that require a wheel off.  I will get a center jack (bridge crane) soon, they cost about $700.  
A 4 poster with two bridge cranes would be the best of all worlds.
My two cents worth,
I don't even bend over to air my tires anymore!

[Crosley.In.AZ]

Plenty of options , look around

[kb426]

My friends with 2 posters seem to do really well. So many of the newer vehicles have to have the drivetrain removed from the bottom. The 2 post is best for that. They use them to remove bodies and whatever else the imagination comes up with. There also pretty cheap compared to what they do.

[tom36]

I also have a 4 post lift.  My reasoning when I bought it over a 2 post were,
#1. I mostly build cars and want the weight on all four wheels when setting it up.
#2. I have arthritis and bending over to set the arms on a 2 post is a pain (literally)
#3 I have the jacking bridge so lifting the front or rear up is no problem.  
#4. The entire center of the car underneath is open from front to rear for anything I've needed to do so far.

All in all, I'm pleased with my choice for the things that I do.  Tom...

[Crosley.In.AZ]

if a 2 post hoist is looked at , try for the clear floor model if you have the height where ever you plan to set up.

if height is limited.  I would prefer a 4 post hoist as mentioned for the clear floor space.  It can be a beach to hunch over to walk under the ramps...  I prefer that to stumbling over some cable - hose cover on the floor that can not be removed.

Over the decades working in various shops, when the hoist has cables on the floor... no matter how low the cover is... it always seems to be in the way

[idrivejunk]

I vote two post, if I can also upvote Tom's reason #2 for the main drawback that they have. Some stuff is so low now that you about have to jack it up to get it over two post arms, or extend your 4 post ramps to avoid damage. And being down there sucks. BUT- a two post accompanied by just a simple sturdy rectangular rolling dolly strong enough to hold a car body... enables you to do just about everything. I don't think you'd ever look back if you went two post.

[idrivejunk]

if a 2 post hoist is looked at , try for the clear floor model if you have the height where ever you plan to set up.

if height is limited.  I would prefer a 4 post hoist as mentioned for the clear floor space.  It can be a beach to hunch over to walk under the ramps...  I prefer that to stumbling over some cable - hose cover on the floor that can not be removed.

Over the decades working in various shops, when the hoist has cables on the floor... no matter how low the cover is... it always seems to be in the way

Also this^^^^. All the 2 post lifts I have worked under had "clear floor" so I took that for granted in my comment. Forgot about the ones with cables on the floor, that would certainly be a significant hindrance if shop space did not allow for the height of a clear floor model.

[UGLY OLDS]

I have 7' ceilings & cracked concrete... :cry:

 My vote goes to a four post....You can fab the "bridge" to fit between the runners after you complete the "drip pan" that also fits between the runners ...ALL very handy & easily removable if needed.......Think channel iron & some welding..  Maybe some LED strip lighting along the inside edge of the runner   :?:    

Sure, you still need to jack something up to remove a wheel, BUT it's MUCH easier to raise the corner, (or the rear axle), with a bottle jack & place a jackstand on the runner when it is at "shoulder" height.....  
A good friend has multiple four post lifts ...The only issue we have working there is bumping our heads...  When we put the car at a comfortable height for us to work on, he cannot reach it ... :?   ( He's a little feller.. "Vertically challenged" I think is the PC term   )

Bob..

[416Ford]

A dedicated spot is always a concern. Will the hoist be in the way or will you have to walk around it no matter what you ate working on? If so then you should look at the four post mobile units.

[wayne petty]

2 post lifts that might want to move around...  there is a chance of mounting them properly to steel plates in a H pattern..  so it could be moved around the shop..  it would probably require some W beams flat along the outside of the mounting pads to reduce flexing..  those could be pie cut and the top bent down and rewelded. to make them less of a trip hazard.


the big thing about 2 post lifts.. the concrete below the mounting should be extra thick..  or the surface step cut. the outer cut only part way thru the concrete and the inner cut all the way thru..   the area dug out... compacted..  rebar or roll of reinforcing wire set in..   this allows you to pour the concrete and have less chance of the floor settling.

huge hint... post hole auger a pit directly under the post mounting..


these are just ideas.. you need to throw to the wall and see if they are cooked or not..

concrete ripped out of the floor... not a great idea.

[sirstude]

I have a 4 post myself.  A couple of reasons, I have never used a 2 post, and am a bit uncomfortable with them.  We had center post hydraulic hoists when I was in the business.  Also, I bought an extra tall hoist and my wife parks under it so I gain the parking space back.  I have 10 foot ceilings and had the end stall converted to a cathedral ceiling so the car goes up into that space.  I always seem to have a car parked on it.  The Olds has been there for the last bunch of years.  My hoist came with 2 steel pans (1/2 inch material) that slide back and forth and I use a couple of different jacks to lift the car up when I need it off the surface.

Doug

[Arnold]

My friends with 2 posters seem to do really well. So many of the newer vehicles have to have the drivetrain removed from the bottom. The 2 post is best for that. They use them to remove bodies and whatever else the imagination comes up with. There also pretty cheap compared to what they do.

  Live where I live in the rot capital of the universe and it won't be all that long before a "newer" vehicle can get a LOT  :!: of help in removing the drive train via the bottom

[chimp koose]

There is a post on the Canadian rodder site where a guy removed a drivetrain on a two post and had the vehicle tip back from a new center of gravity . Rotten rocker panels make 2 posts hard on unibody rust buckets . I had a 4 post years ago that had two of those sliding jack trays with an air operated jack . Worked great .4 post sits on top of the floor and can be moved , 2 post needs to anchor , we had a 2 post to donate to a car club here years ago , they couldn't use it as they had in floor radiant heat and were afraid to pierce a line putting in the anchors . Scissor ones are a PITA , walk to the front or back to get out from under the car . Remember the 2 post with a front and rear post for under the axles ? Those should be buried in a mine shaft . I also had a single post lift . Great for tires and brakes . And nothing else .

[chimp koose]

One more comment about 4 post . mine had the rolling tray under it on 4 steel wheels . You could hook a chain to it and lift engines and walk them back just like a mini shop crane .