I was numbed by the options too, until I called Tony at Advantage Lifts. I told him my situation on ceiling height, concrete, electric supply...he pointed me to the right lift immediately. It was at the shop in 3 days.
You will need a couple of strong friends to lift the posts. The reason the package is heavy is that it is all strapped together. Break open the box and move it piecemeal. If you buy used it will already be in pieces. Watch you don't kink the cables... Rotary has lots of support and their tech line is very helpful. Parts are easy to find. Remember they are made to last decades in commercial use. Shop for accessories, prices and quality are all over the place.
Craigslist Bowling Green - I was surprised at the lack of lifts like you said. Up here in the land of disposable cars there are always 2 or 3 on Craigslist.
I picked this one up but have not installed it yet. 10000 pound Challenger two post CL10 VERSYMMETRIC CAR LIFT extra tall Auto Lift, ANSI certified. CL10V3 Versymmetric Car Lift | Challenger Lifts .
I ordered a Challenger 10K asymmetric lift from Advantage. I think it was in the neighborhood of $3400 shipped to the shop.
I have 5 Challenger Lifts, 2-12k's and 3-10k's, and once you get through the install and the "detailing" of the install they are very nice. I had a 10k rotary because I believed the hype, and that lift lasted about 3-4 years before I sold it and replaced it with a Challenger. The lift installers prefer the Rotary because they are easier to install.
I think I'm leaning toward a Defender 10k asymmetrical. Installed for about $3k. Local guy installs them and has them in stock. He's about 2-3 weeks out in scheduling. Defender DBx10 - 2 Post Lift (proquip.solutions)
Jim, Relieve the rafters above that 10' ceiling and put that hoist back up. Doesn't cost a lot, you won't regret it. I have plenty of ceiling but two buddies have done it in there 10' garage and works great. Only suggestion is when opening up the ceiling make it a s big as possible. This way it clears more then just roofs of the car but also antenna and maybe even hood open.
I was going to do that initially, but after evaluating the space I have here, with my chassis table hogging a bunch of it, I elected not to install the hoist in this shop, but to build another.. now if I just had the time.. JW
Go asymmetric - best use of space + you can open doors. Be sure and pad the posts so the doors don't hit! Look for Gold Label of the ANSI Accredited ALI Certification too. Re-torque floor bolts every year.
I bought an atlas 9000 asymmetric arm hoist last year and love it ...they do hog a bunch of space in your shop but worth it IMO..a friend and myself had it installed in 5 or so hours.. My ceiling is 11 ft and the hoist has 2 sets of bolt holes for column height .
This is the lift I'm buying. Supposedly, it is built by the parent company of Rotary and has a similar S-beam construction instead of a larger C-beam construction. How deep into a garage do they usually install them? I'm trying to get some measurements to see if I need to move anything around in my garage before they show up for the install. I should have a full foot between the ceiling and the top of the lift so it won't hit lights or anything. Here's the specs but nothing detailed. Lifting Capacity : 10,000 Lbs Rise Time : 50 Seconds Rise Height : 78" Total Height : 11'7" Total Width : 11'3" Width between Post : 9'2"
Its really how you want your garage set up as to how you want your lift set up. I put mine close enough to my North wall so that I could get around it comfortably and far enough from my west wall so I could get a table or Engine puller in front of the car if needed.
I see yours appears to be configured as a symmetric lift. I can have mine installed as asymmetric or symmetric. How far is your post from your garage door? I'm currently looking at about 12-13 feet from my door.
My garage is only 28' deep by 32' across. Here's a view of it. The relief cut is in the middle at about 14' so that means I have to be on one side or the other of it. Wide angle makes it look strange. There are shelves and a desk that I'm standing on to take the picture. I can move them. 11'3" at 5" off the right wall is about where the block under the motorless GS's front tire.
Center it on one of the doors. If it helps you can always back a car in so the engine is at the door end in case you need room at the front of the car, if the lift is symmetric. With asymmetric the car always goes the same way, engine to the "short" end. The front wheel is always at the same place - they sell a plate or you can paint the floor. Look at the installation drawings. Your garage door opener may have to get moved or deleted... Also: "Our Direct-Lift(r), Forward(r) Lift, Rotary(r) Lift and certain Weaver(r) Lift brands are manufactured by Vehicle Service Group, a wholly owned operating company of the Dover Corporation" "These plants are located in Indiana, USA, China, Germany and Italy. Vehicle Service Group is the largest lift manufacturer in the world, owning Rotary(r) Lift, Direct-Lift(r), Forward(r) Lift and Revolution(r) Lift brands," Don't see Defender listed... Is the defender certified?
