BobJ....we will try to repost pics soon using your info. Funny..this thread is about posting about a lift...not a pic!! haha
Bill--nice lift....everyone should have a LIFT in their shop....no more bad backs!! haha
Bill...

 

Bill,

This wouldn't be the first time a topic has gone a little off tack.

 

Bill looks good, here is what it looks like with a truck!!lol

 

Roger,
It looks like you have a well equipped shop. I haven't had Willard, my 49. up on the lift yet but I have had my 2003 Ranger on the lift-changing spark plugs from underneath, a real pain made doable with the lift. I find that I use the lift for all kinds of jobs to avoid the bending over. I put a 1/2 sheet of plywood on the arms and set whatever I need to work on at the best height. I have had my portable generator up for a tune up after the recent ice storm and my snow blower up for some work. Willard will see the lift in a while but I am working other projects right now.
Thanks for your posts back when I was still looking for a used lift which did come from closer to you than to me.

 

Bill, I love the lift, as I stated in an earlier thread. I'm in the market for a new shop; I am trying to allow for a "maybe" lift down the road. What ceiling height should I leave for a lift? Thanks for the info. on the concrete thickness and rebar. I wondered about the truck's weight pushing down at 2 or 4 post spots and what thickness will be right for the job. Great job with the lift and the ceiling bump out, sounds like you are putting it to good use already.
later Mike

 

Mike, I indicated concrete thicknesses in my earlier long post in response to Frank's questions. If you are building a new shop I would pour at least 6 inches with rebar in the locations where you would locate a 2 post. With a 4 post almost any thickness will be ok.
If you want to keep your options open on lifts, I would have the ceiling height over the lift area at 13 feet. Low clearance 2 post lifts are made but if you plan on that then you will be a bit limited in your selection. My shop ceiling was 10' before I raised it to 13'.

 

Or you can just put in a cathedral ceiling like did! Thats because i built this house knowing there would be a lift in one day, little did i know that the lift would be in before we moved in!!!LOL

Bill, i know what you mean about the lift for many projects, from cars to trucks to saw horses to even loading and unloading heavy items in my truck. I even use it to lift my front tractor up to work on her! What a great tool/toy!!

 

Looks great! Nice ceiling work. I, too, am on the 30 year mantra. Too bad my back already hurts, lol.

 

The lifts are great, I wish I had one. I do have the next best thing, a forklift. I don't know how I would be able to run my business by myself without it. I'm on my second one, the first one I bought at an consignment auction for $1000. It was kind of beat up and when I brought it home my wife gave me a hard time for paying that much for it. I would feel save to say that it has saved me well over $1000 in medical bills and added employee expense. I've loaded tons of projects myself with the truck, if I didn't have it I wouldn't have been able to do it. I don't left anything that weighs more than 50-75, if I can use the truck to do it, saving my back many times. It also doubles as an extra set of hands holding pieces of wood that need to be cut, and as an assembly table so I easily raise and lower projects so I can get to different parts of them as I work on them. They also work good at moving inoperative trucks and lifting engines and the like.

I had the first truck for over nine years, it leaked when I got it and got worse so I decided to sell it and get a better one. Like I said, I paid $1000 for and sold it on eBay for $515, not a bad payback. I bit the bullet and paid $5000 for the one I have now but even at that price I think it's worth every penny.

 

Thanks for the info. about the height. I have been wondering about this site and missed your answer.
Thanks, Mike