Home Parking/Service Lifts

[subcamper]

Now that I've moved out to the country I can finally purchase the item I've wanted for years- a home service lift. My barn has a 10 foot high "ceiling" (distance from floor to 2x6 crossmembers) so I can lift the Suburban around 4 to 5 feet high. At my old house, the height was only 8 feet in the garage, so it didn't make much sense to spend the money on a lift to only lift it a couple of feet.

 

Does anyone have any experience or recommendation on these lifts, usually described as "parking/service lifts"? There seems to be two categories, the very inexpensive lifts around $1900(probably Chinese made), and the better ones around $3100 (probably USA made).

 

If the cheap ones are good enough for routine maintenance, etc then I don't want to spend extra money. However, my life depends on the integrity of the lift. If the cheap ones will flex and bend as I tug on hard-to-remove parts, then I don't want them.

 

I feel at this point I have lived long enough to earn the right to avoid laying on my back with rust falling in my eyes!

 

Steve

[Mr. Smith]

If the cheap ones are good enough for routine maintenance, etc then I don't want to spend extra money. However, my life depends on the integrity of the lift. If the cheap ones will flex and bend as I tug on hard-to-remove parts, then I don't want them.

Steve

 

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You answered your own question. Is going cheap worth risking your life? My father paid 2500 and change for his 4 poster from some place in MA, American made quality.

[doverarjim]

A guy I know had one installed at his house and it was about $2800.00 and the company that installed it came here from Dallas Tx to do it. I watched him pickup his f250 ps with it and it seemed to handle it ok I think it was rated at 10000 lbs.

[chris_kucia]

Don't know what you think about this, but another option might be a used lift.

 

Might be able to purchase a heavier-duty one from a closed shop that just needs some paint and maintenance, but you'll end up with stronger structural members than you'd get with an equivalent new lift.

 

Compared to a shop, you'll probably be babying it, so it should last forever.

 

Have to run the numbers to see, and it will be more work intially - maybe involving a factory tech to look it over for maintenance, but it might be worth it, depending on what's out there.