Other: 4 post lifts 2 for 2 damages

[mch]

I ordered a new powder coated lift; 4 post, from a company in Texas. Upon delivery I sent photos to the owner showing damages of gouges, nicks, scratches and overall damaged powder coating on each and every part. After 3 months of fighting, they agreed to replace. That weekend while raising one car the lift broke and dropped a car 4 ft. Seems the cap on top of the vertical post that has a bolt for the stainless steel cable broke off. Moving forward, they paid me for the lift and car repair. Upon disassembly the rep. saw that 3 of the 4 caps were only tack welded and never fully welded all around. He said I was lucky that I wasn't killed. Beware
So, I ordered another power coated lift from another major manufacturer that advertises in every publication. After installation I saw every piece of powder coating was scratched, gouged, torn and damaged; none of these damages could ever have occurred from installation.. The installer called the manufacturer and I send photos that day. Currently I am being told by the manufacturer, trucking company and installer, NOT MY PROBLEM.
Both companies advertise made in the USA, highest quality and quality control. B.S.
So, words of caution, upon delivery, if you see any cosmetic damages, photograph, call and refuse delivery; even though you have paid for the item and for delivery. Carefully look at all welds and hardware. If like me you are not a mechanic or not used to having a lift, call someone who has that knowledge.
Presently I am being stonewalled. I have asked one of the reps. if indeed they want me at their next display competing with other vendors with a full size poster of pictures.

Ill keep you posted if a resolution to my satisfaction occurs. Hopefully sooner than later

[DEEPNHOCK]

When I ordered my first 4 post lift I was all excited waiting for it to arrive.
After a while I called and was given the proverbial 'soon' answer.
After that answer was rejected, some searching was done.
Turns out the 4 post was in a shipping container with a bunch of other 4 post lifts.
And that container was somewhere on the bottom of the Pacific ocean.
So........
After a stretch another 4 post lift showed up and had been providing excellent service ever since.

[sweetolbob]

Dang, that's a horror story. I bought mine from a local, to the state, company Aresco. http://aresco.org/4_post_EFP8.html They delivered and assembled it. I'm not sure mine could drop as the dogs would engage if the cable loosened.

Good luck with yours. Bob

[63 R2 Hawk]

My Bendpak 2 post asymmetric lift arrived in perfect condition and has worked flawlessly for over 5 years now. They even provided a rattle can of matching paint in case it did get scratched. Far as I know, it's never been out of America. I prefer the 2 post because I have better access to body panels and wheels/suspension. It regularly lifts my almost 8,000 lb truck without any issues.....

[Dan Timberlake]

"Seems the cap on top of the vertical post that has a bolt for the stainless steel cable broke off...... and dropped a car 4 ft. "

Yeah, as others said, I'd expect there would be an automatic mechanical back-up system on any lift. Or were the safety stops 4 feet apart?

[nwi-region-rat]

I have a four post from Greg Smith, in Indy...arrived in very nice condition, only scratches were ones I did....haven't yet put a car on it, but have ridden it like an elevator a lot. Got to admit, it moves more that I am used to. I didn't bolt it down, says you don't have to...I have radiant floor heat, so I don't want to hit a tube.

[DEEPNHOCK]

My 4 post is used 110% of the time.
My favorite use? Sharpening mower blades on the riding lawn mower, and the blades on the belly mount deck on the tractor.
Sling the nose to the cross bar and pull the tractor up on end (super wheelie).
Sit on the roller stool and zip the blades off with the impact.
No laying down...no bending over...
Happy boy...

[Mrs K Corbin]

A word of CAUTION......
1. ensure that the safety stops work...
2. Ensure that you use them, the cable is just to raise or lower the vehicle, not maintain its position.

OH and I would go ahead and bolt it down, just to keep it from doing the splits and ruining your day.

[sweetolbob]

My 4 post is used 110% of the time.
My favorite use? Sharpening mower blades on the riding lawn mower, and the blades on the belly mount deck on the tractor.
Sling the nose to the cross bar and pull the tractor up on end (super wheelie).
Sit on the roller stool and zip the blades off with the impact.
No laying down...no bending over...
Happy boy...

Yup!!!

Also good for servicing the underside of all the yard equipment, sliding the heavy cap off the pickup bed for removal and whole lot more things you can find for it to do.

Folks that installed mine said they don't recommend fastening it down permanently but I never asked why. If it's loose you can use the included self-lifting casters to move it around.

The supports on mine have a separate slotted plate that engages dogs on all four legs automatically. It shouldn't be able to drop more than a few inches and all four dogs would need to fail for it to be catastrophic.

The one thing I still do is check for some slack in all the cables before I get under it, that way I know the dogs are set on all four corners and it's not the cable holding it up.

[DEEPNHOCK]

Not trying to steal anyone's thread....
I do hope that the OP's supplier comes through with a decent product...

But, when it comes to car lifts, the floor is key, and everybody's floors are different, but...
I had my floor put down where the center was 6" thick (fiberglass reinforced) with rebar in it...
Just for lift capability.
My 4 post is not bolted down, and the posts are straight and don't move around at all.
Right now the lift is next to the rear door in my shop.....
When race season starts it will be moved to near the front door of the shop.
Reason? So I can back the trailer up to the door, flip the ramp down on top of the 4 post ramps and adjust the 4 post deck so it is at trailer deck height.
Roll he car straight back out of the trailer and onto the lift.
No down and up stuff. Makes loading and unloading an easy one man deal.
It helps that the overhead doors were installed so they went all the way up the wall before turning upward next to the roof.
The openers are a trolley style, so there is no motor or bracket hanging down, and a car can be all the way up and the overhead door will still clear the car.
Love the setup... Hey... Even Jay Leno is using my style door openers

<snip>
Folks that installed mine said they don't recommend fastening it down permanently but I never asked why.
If it's loose you can use the included self-lifting casters to move it around.
<snip>

[1badstude]

I bought a rotary 2 post over 10 years ago no issues knock on wood I even lift my 1 ton work truck. Would not by from the company's marketing to hobbies as I have heard these stories more than once as always you are only as good as your tools.

[bensherb]

I have two four post lifts an one two post. The two post was there when I bought the place, it came from a service garage the previous owner had owned . It operates via two big screw jacks and works well if you keep the screws greased up. The two four post lifts are from Direct Lift and work like "sweetolbob's" with a separate slotted plate that dogs engage on all four legs every 6" or so automatically, the hydraulically pulled cables are only intended to do the lifting and the dogs do the holding. They are their tall or high lift version and will lift over 7 feet high. I bought them at a "Goodguys" car show and picked them up at the distributor as it was only 50 miles away. I assembled them myself and it was quite easy to do by myself without help, though a little finesse and a floor jack were necessary. I bought one of them 13 years ago and the second 5 years later and have never had any complaint or problems with either of them at all. I'd buy from them again if I had room for it.

[Dan Timberlake]

Is yours one of these ?

http://www.gregsmithequipment.com/Atlas-Garage-Pro-8-000

Is the motion fore and aft, or side to side?
Are the thin foot plates flat, and do they contact the floor with no gaps (tested with .005" feeler gage) ?
Perhaps some strategic shimming could help. Although The stiffening potential of thin plates even bolted down is pretty low.

Or, maybe a few struts (angled steeply upward, or triangulated to reduce cranial damage) from the tops of the columns to the building structure would stabilize things.

[Alan]

Dan, That looks just like mine, except for the wheels on the caster kit on mine are iron. Must be made by some outfit in China and decals placed to suit the seller. I have had no problems with the unit in 15 years, except for the a-holes that sold it to me. They were a bunch of crooks. Auto-lifters in San Diego.

[Dan Timberlake]

Should have been more specific. Sorry. I was responding to nwi-region-rat.
He said his moves around a bit, and he is skeered to bolt it down because of his radiant heating.