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Car Forum / Driving, Maintenance, Tuning / General Car Topics / November 2007Scissor Lift
I'm looking to put a lift in my garage for hobby use. I don't have the headroom (9ft ceiling), for a 2 or 4 post lift. I've considered digging a pit but now leaning toward a scissor lift. I've not seen one in person. Does anybody have any information, first hand experience or an opinion if these are worth the cost... seem to run around $1500-2000. > I'm looking to put a lift in my garage for hobby use. I don't have the > headroom (9ft ceiling), for a 2 or 4 post lift. I've considered digging a > pit but now leaning toward a scissor lift. I've not seen one in person. Does > anybody have any information, first hand experience or an opinion if these > are worth the cost... seem to run around $1500-2000. I looked at those, and dismissed them for a number of reasons. What do you do with it when you're not using it? Takes up a lot of valuable floor space. It's good for tires, brakes, etc. But it really limits access to the middle of the car - transmission, oil pan, etc. I purchased a Kwik Lift. Kind of like giant car ramps. I reall like it. Mostly I use it to work on my Cobra. But have also used it for my wife's COugar and my mom's Subaru Easy to get under the middle of the car for whatever work needs to be done. Not so high that things are out of reach. Suspension work is very easy using a bottle jack and jack stands. It gets in the way if I need pull the engine. But it takes about 20 minutes to take it apart and get it out of the garage. About 30 minutes to put it back together. I leave it in place and just park on it. www.kwiklift.com  Signature.boB 2006 FXDI hot rod 2001 Dodge Dakota QC 5.9/4x4/3.92 1966 Mustang Coupe - Daily Driver 1965 FFR Cobra - 427W EFI, Damn Fast. I haven't ruled out the Quicklift, I like the simplicity, versatility and cost, but I was looking for something I could use a chair under vs. a creeper. But again not seeing one of these first hand maybe I'm wrong.... can you use a mechanics chair, the shortest chair I have is about 15" from the seat to the floor. >> I'm looking to put a lift in my garage for hobby use. I don't have the >> headroom (9ft ceiling), for a 2 or 4 post lift. I've considered digging a [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > I leave it in place and just park on it. > www.kwiklift.com > I haven't ruled out the Quicklift, I like the simplicity, versatility and > cost, but I was looking for something I could use a chair under vs. a > creeper. But again not seeing one of these first hand maybe I'm wrong.... > can you use a mechanics chair, the shortest chair I have is about 15" from > the seat to the floor. No, you definatly need to use a creeper for under car work. But it's at the perfect height for a mechanics chair on the side of the car, like brake work. You really wouldn't want to use a chair anyway. That causes you to hyperextend the shoulders and the neck. It wouldn't take long before that got real uncomfortable. A creeper makes an excellent support for your lower back. Also, it's difficult to lift in the upright position. I can easily install my IRS diff while lying on a creeper. Kind of like doing a push up. I would think it would be more diffcult if I was upright. Signature.boB 2006 FXDI hot rod 2001 Dodge Dakota QC 5.9/4x4/3.92 1966 Mustang Coupe - Daily Driver 1965 FFR Cobra - 427W EFI, Damn Fast. >I haven't ruled out the Quicklift, I like the simplicity, versatility and >cost, but I was looking for something I could use a chair under vs. a >creeper. But again not seeing one of these first hand maybe I'm wrong.... >can you use a mechanics chair, the shortest chair I have is about 15" from >the seat to the floor. Personally, I'd go with a good floor jack and a good set of four jack stands considering your headroom issues. I agree with the other reply that says that these things take up room, and really limit the access to many places under the car. In fact, get two floor jacks, then you don't have to more it from one end fo the car to the other! <bg> I've got 2 floor jacks and plenty of stands but I'm looking into developing a small scale oil/lube business, keeping it under 50 customers. Not looking to get rich, just keep busy & networked in my retirement. I figured some folks may be adverse to jacks and stands as well as the time factor and since the main use would be oil/lube service a chair would be easier than a creeper. >>I haven't ruled out the Quicklift, I like the simplicity, versatility and >>cost, but I was looking for something I could use a chair under vs. a [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > In fact, get two floor jacks, then you don't have to more it from one > end fo the car to the other! <bg> >I've got 2 floor jacks and plenty of stands but I'm looking into developing >a small scale oil/lube business, keeping it under 50 customers. Not looking >to get rich, just keep busy & networked in my retirement. I figured some >folks may be adverse to jacks and stands as well as the time factor and >since the main use would be oil/lube service a chair would be easier than a >creeper. I think if you are going commercial (even small scale) you won't be happy with a scissor lift. I've known at least one shop that tried it (same thoughs and problems that you have) and in the end they decided that it was a waste of money. The ripped out the ceiling, and put in a regular 2-post lift. As everyone mentions, scissor lifts are great for wheels and tires, but terrible for anything under the vehicle. Were this me, I'd look at increasing the head room in your shop. I've almost 15 ft in mine (designed it that way) which is just about right. Ideally even a bit highwer would not hurt, but for most cars and smaller trucks, even 12 ft is more than enough. My (strong) suggestion is not to waste money on something that you probably won't be happy with in the long term. But then again, who knows, you may be as happy as a clam in his shell with it. Personally, I'd just as soon use jacks/jackstands than a scissor lift, both will probably get about the same height, which is to say not high enough for comfort... Even with the scissor lift, I suspect you'll still be on that creeper... >>I've got 2 floor jacks and plenty of stands but I'm looking into developing >>a small scale oil/lube business, keeping it under 50 customers. Not looking [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] >enough for comfort... Even with the scissor lift, I suspect you'll >still be on that creeper... Why not wheel ramps? They're a lot faster. I have elevated the whole car by backing on to wheel ramps and putting jack stands under the front of the car. PS: Emergency brake, wedges, blah blah blah... -- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere? >Why not wheel ramps? They're a lot faster. I have elevated the whole >car by backing on to wheel ramps and putting jack stands under the >front of the car. > >PS: Emergency brake, wedges, blah blah blah... Nothing wrong with *good* ones, I just don't use them, mostly because for those vehicles that are not running (for whatever reason) wheel ramps don't work as well! <bg> Ok you-all convinced me, scissor lift is not worth the cost. >>Why not wheel ramps? They're a lot faster. I have elevated the whole >>car by backing on to wheel ramps and putting jack stands under the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > for those vehicles that are not running (for whatever reason) wheel > ramps don't work as well! <bg> >Ok you-all convinced me, scissor lift is not worth the cost. Get a concrete saw and a shovel and dig yourself a pit. ;) >>>Why not wheel ramps? They're a lot faster. I have elevated the whole >>>car by backing on to wheel ramps and putting jack stands under the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >> for those vehicles that are not running (for whatever reason) wheel >> ramps don't work as well! <bg> -- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere? A pit is also an option I've not eliminated.......yet >>Ok you-all convinced me, scissor lift is not worth the cost. > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > lab~rat >:-) > Do you want polite or do you want sincere? > A pit is also an option I've not eliminated.......yet Due to the possibility of heavier than air fumes accumulating many (most?) building codes would not allow a pit in a non-commercial application. If you are not in a regulated area then you would have to take serious precautions for venting. >A pit is also an option I've not eliminated.......yet Well, I eliminiated it eventually in my design. I could just see it: in the pit, oops, need a tool, up out, get tool, in pit. Opps, need a different tool. Up out, get tool, in pit. Pits are not common today, and there's a reason for that! <bg> >>A pit is also an option I've not eliminated.......yet > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Pits are not common today, and there's a reason for that! <bg> If the work he's doing is mostly oil changes, I don't know why it would be that difficult to work in. Venting is something that would have to be taken into account, but it's done all the time at Jiffy Lubes and the like. It really isn't reinventing the wheel. And down here in Fla. they have to deal with a water table, something most of the rest of the country doesn't have to contend with... -- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere? The pit I'm considering would be sit down height since it's for lube service only. The appeal to me on a pit is no lost floor space vs. other options. >>>A pit is also an option I've not eliminated.......yet >> [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > lab~rat >:-) > Do you want polite or do you want sincere? >The pit I'm considering would be sit down height since it's for lube service >only. The appeal to me on a pit is no lost floor space vs. other options. "Excuse me while I walk over to the workben... Yaahhhhhhhhhhh.... Thump! I guess that's not a loss of floor space, but it is one hell of a big first step! I know, you will 'cover' it... And what's this 'sit-down' pit idea? Secretaries sit down, receptionists sit down. Mechanics don't sit down. IMHO it won't work. > "Excuse me while I walk over to the workben... > Yaahhhhhhhhhhh.... > Thump! > I guess that's not a loss of floor space, but it is one hell of a big > first step! Yep, done that & it hurts. > I know, you will 'cover' it... Yeh Yeh Yeh, like you always would ! My father in law had a pit in his coach garage. It was the biggest pain. It was covered in Railway sleepers.It took 10 minutes of grunting to lift them and the same to put back.It was always full of water & needed pumping out, that took half an hour. As the sleepers varied in height and weren't quite flush to the floor, it made jacking anything up (place own swear words here) difficult. YMMV Give me a smooth concrete floor anytime. If your just doing oil changes, I'd go with the ramp. HTH SignatureTerminal_Crazy Mitch - 1995 Z28 LT1 M6 terminal_crazy@sand-hill.freeserve.co.uk Lancashire England http://www.sand-hill.freeserve.co.uk/terminal_crazy/ >>Why not wheel ramps? They're a lot faster. I have elevated the whole >>car by backing on to wheel ramps and putting jack stands under the [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >for those vehicles that are not running (for whatever reason) wheel >ramps don't work as well! <bg> I have those plastic composite ones, and they're great. BTW, a friend and I rolled my El Camino up on them one time.... -- lab~rat >:-) Do you want polite or do you want sincere?
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