Two post lifts
Discussion
I have the opportunity of purchasing a second hand two post lift and should like to get your thoughts.
The two post is a 1989 Stenhoj Mascot with lift capacity of three ton. It is currently fitted with a three phase motor and has led a sheltered life in a country estate workshop and seems in good working order. The price including the need to change the motor for a single phase 2.2Kw unit would be in the order of £600.
My garage is a new three bay unit with about 2m between cars and a further 2m between front of cars and workbenches across the rear wall. I maintain a three old classic cars a day car and a Land Rover. Ceiling height in the garage would dictate whilst the bulk of the cars would lift to 6' the Land Rover would be limited to 4' clearance underneath. Not ideal.
Due to the nature of the entrances to the garage the lift would have to be sited in the center bay and whilst it would be good to locate it on one of the side bays, this is impossible. Mainly due to the fact that the vehicle could not enter centrally to the lift as the base of the lift would need to be set away from the edge of the floor slab that buts the wall.
Located in the center of the garage the lift would encroach on all three bays making it more difficult to position the two side vehicles and open their doors and to move the roller tool box around. On the plus side it would allow access to drive shaft on both sides of a car and generally make it easier to access a lifted vehicle.
When I built the garage my thoughts were for a movable scissor lift such as the Strongman Clifton with its 1m lift capability and storage under a vehicle capability, but new at £1800 the second hand two post looks interesting.
What do you guys think?
The two post is a 1989 Stenhoj Mascot with lift capacity of three ton. It is currently fitted with a three phase motor and has led a sheltered life in a country estate workshop and seems in good working order. The price including the need to change the motor for a single phase 2.2Kw unit would be in the order of £600.
My garage is a new three bay unit with about 2m between cars and a further 2m between front of cars and workbenches across the rear wall. I maintain a three old classic cars a day car and a Land Rover. Ceiling height in the garage would dictate whilst the bulk of the cars would lift to 6' the Land Rover would be limited to 4' clearance underneath. Not ideal.
Due to the nature of the entrances to the garage the lift would have to be sited in the center bay and whilst it would be good to locate it on one of the side bays, this is impossible. Mainly due to the fact that the vehicle could not enter centrally to the lift as the base of the lift would need to be set away from the edge of the floor slab that buts the wall.
Located in the center of the garage the lift would encroach on all three bays making it more difficult to position the two side vehicles and open their doors and to move the roller tool box around. On the plus side it would allow access to drive shaft on both sides of a car and generally make it easier to access a lifted vehicle.
When I built the garage my thoughts were for a movable scissor lift such as the Strongman Clifton with its 1m lift capability and storage under a vehicle capability, but new at £1800 the second hand two post looks interesting.
What do you guys think?
Steve-sau6c said:
Located in the center of the garage the lift would encroach on all three bays making it more difficult to position the two side vehicles and open their doors and to move the roller tool box around. On the plus side it would allow access to drive shaft on both sides of a car and generally make it easier to access a lifted vehicle.
A four post lift would seem a better fit for that, since the posts would be out of the way of doors etc.LimSlip said:
Is the floor thick and strong enough for a two post lift? ISTR the minimum requirement is 4 inches of reinforced concrete.
This is what spoiled it for me, as whilst part of my base is laid on an existing slab, so easily 6 to 8 inch deep, the other side where one of the posts would sit was only 4, and not reinforced, so would have needed ideally to dig up a section and relay correctly ...... went another route in the end. My two post was 150mm requirement for concrete.
When I bought it the guy didn't take my word for it he came round and drilled a test hole. Only then would he fit the lift. Real jobs worth.
Mines a two post so probably similar to yours. I would never be without it and to be honest if I didn't have 150mm then I would make it so.
I even lowered it into the floor so I could get the pads under any car.
On a slighty separate point, I had the roof rafters changed so I could put the lift up to full height in a 4m tall garage. Having said that I quite like having the cars down lower than that and have a swivel castor office chair which I sit on when doing most jobs under the cars.
When I bought it the guy didn't take my word for it he came round and drilled a test hole. Only then would he fit the lift. Real jobs worth.
Mines a two post so probably similar to yours. I would never be without it and to be honest if I didn't have 150mm then I would make it so.
I even lowered it into the floor so I could get the pads under any car.
On a slighty separate point, I had the roof rafters changed so I could put the lift up to full height in a 4m tall garage. Having said that I quite like having the cars down lower than that and have a swivel castor office chair which I sit on when doing most jobs under the cars.
julian64 said:
My two post was 150mm requirement for concrete.
When I bought it the guy didn't take my word for it he came round and drilled a test hole. Only then would he fit the lift. Real jobs worth.
Can't say I blame him, imagine if it wasn't thick enough and it fell over on someone.When I bought it the guy didn't take my word for it he came round and drilled a test hole. Only then would he fit the lift. Real jobs worth.
julian64 said:
My two post was 150mm requirement for concrete.
When I bought it the guy didn't take my word for it he came round and drilled a test hole. Only then would he fit the lift. Real jobs worth.
Mines a two post so probably similar to yours. I would never be without it and to be honest if I didn't have 150mm then I would make it so.
I even lowered it into the floor so I could get the pads under any car.
On a slighty separate point, I had the roof rafters changed so I could put the lift up to full height in a 4m tall garage. Having said that I quite like having the cars down lower than that and have a swivel castor office chair which I sit on when doing most jobs under the cars.
Proby a requirement for there insurance for the installationWhen I bought it the guy didn't take my word for it he came round and drilled a test hole. Only then would he fit the lift. Real jobs worth.
Mines a two post so probably similar to yours. I would never be without it and to be honest if I didn't have 150mm then I would make it so.
I even lowered it into the floor so I could get the pads under any car.
On a slighty separate point, I had the roof rafters changed so I could put the lift up to full height in a 4m tall garage. Having said that I quite like having the cars down lower than that and have a swivel castor office chair which I sit on when doing most jobs under the cars.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff