Car hoists? who has them?
03-03-2008, 11:06 AM
#12
Registered
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Hendersonville, TN
Posts: 726
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Steer clear of Bend Pak. We have one in our shop. Low quality, hard to get parts for and continually breaking down. We bought it new in 05, and in 06 we where having to make repairs, (cable frayed and a pulley failed). Rotary is the best I've seen by far. Just my .02
03-03-2008, 12:14 PM
#13
Registered User
Everything that isn't a structural member is imported. On a number of their lifts the entire machine is.
Bend Pak spends alot of $$ on marketing and catalog ads. They're paying Leno a small fortune for what they're doing with him now. They sell their products direct. They're also pretty much the least expensive among the legitimate brands. There really is no free lunch when it comes to a piece of machinery like this. The BP is ETL certified which means it meets the basic safety requirements. That's really no guarantee of longevity. One of the biggest areas manufacturers skim on is pumps and rams. The import pumps are good for about 2 years of average use. They're non-serviceable. A decent replacement (Fenner) is going to run $850+. Most of the hydraulic rams on these lifts are sealed cylinders- non serviceable. If you start looking inside, you'll see that many use a 2.25" bore with a 3/4 rod. That means the pump has to put out very high pressure which is hard on it- premature failure is really common. A quality lift will have large cylinders with substantial rods. The large cylinder bores allow the pumps to be run at much lower pressures, extending their lifespans. Larger rods reduce flex which wears out bores and the chrome on the rod which rides on the seals. Flexing rods leak quickly.
Lifts headed down hill several years ago when these cheap imports hit the market. Subsequently, most American manufacturers had to either compete on price or walk away from that segment. As such, materials aren't what they used to be. Machined steel cable sheaves with roller bearings were replaced by cast sheaves on bushings and now by one-piece "polymer" sheaves. The cables are junk- last maybe a year. Rubber lines instead of seamless stainless lines is common. And God only knows who welded it. This isn't an engine stand that, if it fails, might crush your toe. You'll be standing underneath it.
There is a very large pool of individuals who simply not believe that a $1400 2-post lift is a POS. I hear constantly "if it weren't safe, they wouldn't be allowed to sell it" Nothing could be further from the truth.
Bend Pak spends alot of $$ on marketing and catalog ads. They're paying Leno a small fortune for what they're doing with him now. They sell their products direct. They're also pretty much the least expensive among the legitimate brands. There really is no free lunch when it comes to a piece of machinery like this. The BP is ETL certified which means it meets the basic safety requirements. That's really no guarantee of longevity. One of the biggest areas manufacturers skim on is pumps and rams. The import pumps are good for about 2 years of average use. They're non-serviceable. A decent replacement (Fenner) is going to run $850+. Most of the hydraulic rams on these lifts are sealed cylinders- non serviceable. If you start looking inside, you'll see that many use a 2.25" bore with a 3/4 rod. That means the pump has to put out very high pressure which is hard on it- premature failure is really common. A quality lift will have large cylinders with substantial rods. The large cylinder bores allow the pumps to be run at much lower pressures, extending their lifespans. Larger rods reduce flex which wears out bores and the chrome on the rod which rides on the seals. Flexing rods leak quickly.
Lifts headed down hill several years ago when these cheap imports hit the market. Subsequently, most American manufacturers had to either compete on price or walk away from that segment. As such, materials aren't what they used to be. Machined steel cable sheaves with roller bearings were replaced by cast sheaves on bushings and now by one-piece "polymer" sheaves. The cables are junk- last maybe a year. Rubber lines instead of seamless stainless lines is common. And God only knows who welded it. This isn't an engine stand that, if it fails, might crush your toe. You'll be standing underneath it.
There is a very large pool of individuals who simply not believe that a $1400 2-post lift is a POS. I hear constantly "if it weren't safe, they wouldn't be allowed to sell it" Nothing could be further from the truth.
03-03-2008, 12:30 PM
#14
Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: WA
Posts: 2,430
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks Chris.... I don't trust Chinese made for something like this. The problems with some of their stuff lately (toys) says they cannot be trusted. Other labor well the quality is most times is you get what you pay for! 
I'll have to wait a bit for ordering. Was in the middle of moving when my Dog became sick. Dropped everything and stayed put an extra two weeks. Cube vans found out today for one way out of state are booked.
I'm regretting not picking a state more populated with forum members. Would be fun turning my house into BBQ, boat and auto repair central.
I'll have to wait a bit for ordering. Was in the middle of moving when my Dog became sick. Dropped everything and stayed put an extra two weeks. Cube vans found out today for one way out of state are booked.
I'm regretting not picking a state more populated with forum members. Would be fun turning my house into BBQ, boat and auto repair central.
03-03-2008, 09:42 PM
#16
Registered
What about mohawk?
The shop I'm friends with has two of them, and they both look like very high quality pieces to my uneducated eye. Not cheap though, one is a 15k lb, and the other a 10k. I think the 10k lb was 6,000$ or more.
Its been 3 years, and the 15k lift gets used all day long, every week day and I know for a fact its been working flawlessly.
The shop I'm friends with has two of them, and they both look like very high quality pieces to my uneducated eye. Not cheap though, one is a 15k lb, and the other a 10k. I think the 10k lb was 6,000$ or more.
Its been 3 years, and the 15k lift gets used all day long, every week day and I know for a fact its been working flawlessly.
03-04-2008, 05:57 AM
#17
Registered User
Yes, Mohawk is considered to be the best. There really is no competitor- in either material, construction... or cost. That 10K is $7 grand. Their 15K is $16 grand. All- hydraulic. No cables or mechanical equalization devices. They're basically constructed like a forklift. Same mast, bearings & basic design. Very safe.
If you PM your e-mail address, I'll send you a document that will help save your friend some headaches & some big $$. While the Mohawk is very high quality, it does have some design issues. They would be less of an issue if the manufacturer addressed them more clearly in the manual (assuming anyone would ever read it).
If you PM your e-mail address, I'll send you a document that will help save your friend some headaches & some big $$. While the Mohawk is very high quality, it does have some design issues. They would be less of an issue if the manufacturer addressed them more clearly in the manual (assuming anyone would ever read it).
03-04-2008, 06:03 AM
#18
Registered User
One of the real "tells" on a lift is warranty. Ask the manufacturer for a written copy of their warranty. Many have provisos that essentially shield them from covering anything. Some require that the part be removed & shipped to the manufacturer for determination. Can you imagine having to call a service company in to remove a hydraulic cylinder, then crate it up and ship it cross-country, only to be told it isn't covered because it's experienced "excess wear & tear"? Spme folks don't have weeks to wait.
Basically, they'll sell you a lift cheap and make it up selling you parts. Most will only give you warranty parts if you pay for labor buy their dealer- the majority don't cover service calls under their warranty.
Basically, they'll sell you a lift cheap and make it up selling you parts. Most will only give you warranty parts if you pay for labor buy their dealer- the majority don't cover service calls under their warranty.
03-04-2008, 06:49 AM
#20
Registered User
Nussbaum makes a high-quality product. Keep those screws lubed!
The problem with European lifts is not in their quality but in their distribution. Many of these companies look across the Atlantic and see a huge market. But, as soon as the dollar shifts, they bail. I have several customers who bought big (60K+) machines made in Europe when the dollar was strong and they thought they were getting bargains. Once they went home (and took their parts inventories) things changed. We do quite well re-engineering them to continue operating.
The problem with European lifts is not in their quality but in their distribution. Many of these companies look across the Atlantic and see a huge market. But, as soon as the dollar shifts, they bail. I have several customers who bought big (60K+) machines made in Europe when the dollar was strong and they thought they were getting bargains. Once they went home (and took their parts inventories) things changed. We do quite well re-engineering them to continue operating.
