No pun intended?!

 

I think the 2 post 4 post issue can only be solved when you decide what you will be using it for.If you are doing brake,wheel,suspension work all the time then 2 post is the way to go,But if you are doing body work,lawn mower,golf cart,atv,need a large work bench,wielding table,car storage,and many more options then a 4 post can't be beat,As far as removing body from frames,You can run straps from roof trusses,lift truck up hook straps then lower lift and body will hang.Remove frame,put roller table on lift,raise tell body is on table ,lower lift and roll body off .Check My gallery.Mine has wheels and has been used bolted down and unbolted.I made some cross braces for between the ramps covered them with 2x10s and had great platform to work from when biding my garage.just roll it to where you where working and lift to what ever height you want.It was perfect for putting windows in gable ends.It also will make loading heavy items into a truck easy.put item on ramp,raise to right height back truck up to ramp and roll into truck.I also can put my small tractor on it to work on.Try putting a 8n ford on a 2 post. So yes a 2 post will be much better for some jobs,But in the long run a 4 post is more useful.

 

Good point. Two post lifts are a pain on low vehicles. They're not impossible ( I have to use a floor jack on my Fiero to "pre-lift" it to get the arms under) just more work. I really need a couple of 2 x 12's on each side to pre-lift my low cars, but then I'd end up tripping over those. Some jobs end up easier to do in the driveway than getting the car on the lift (plus, my old eyes see better outside). The two post lift gives access to a greater area of the car's undercarriage, and it does allow easier access to suspension bits and such. The four post would work better on my low vehicles, but not my vehicles with 6"+ of ground clearance.

 

I bought a used 9000lb asymmetrical two post Manitowoc lift about a year ago. The biggest vehicle I've lifted on it is my '04 Dodge 4X4, dual cab with 8' box. The truck isn't as heavy as some mentioned on here but the lift works great. When I have my '04 up on the lift I use a screw jack that I got with the lift to add support to the back of the truck. Just a little insurance, I just have to remember to remove it before lowering the lift. I almost forgot about two weeks ago.

I bought the Manitowoc after doing a good amount of research on lifts. This unit is built a lot heavier than any I've seen and was told that Manitowoc engineered their lifts to lift twice their rated load.

From the day I installed it's been saving me money. My business building was designed with the auto hobbyist in mind and the floor was design for a lift with 5" floor.

 

Doing body work, it's nice to get them up to eye level, instead of having to bend over to work on lower fender or rockers. With the two post you can have then up and still get your head under the fender or rear quarter panel. With a drive on lift that is harder to do. My frame machine is drive on and often I will pull what ever I need to and then move the car over to the lift to do the final body work. If you push and shove on them it is scary to see the car move as the lift arms flex.
As has been said it depends on what you plan to do. If I was lifting heavy or long vehicles I would get a 4 post.

Larry

 

Kevin, I did not bolt mine down, I do have the lift wheels , tried them onced, didn't like them , I would rather hook the over head hoist to one end and stick a floor jack under the other, much faster if I want to move it across the garage. That being said I did weld a 1/4X2" flat stock all around the base plates to tie all the legs together.

 

Hey Bigwin56f100 i have been on this forum since 03 and forgive but what are reputation points and how and what do they mean? Thanks

 

What are some good brand names and good suppliers?

 

I am a fan of buying an older used built in USA lift. I bought a used 2 post asymmetric Rotary lift a few years go and love it. Lots of US steel and a really good wide base. Cost was $1150 (craigslist) and I installed it myself.

 

If anyone is still following this- I found a used Rotary 4 post lift. I hope to get it to my place and installed next week.

 

Good for you!

I'm waiting to get my new garage up, then I'm installing an in-ground two cylinder lift. Which will be in about another 50+ years.

 

That's not fair Garry, you couldn't get a Twinkie under the front bumper of Homade!