Car Lift Comparison

Auto lifts come in a variety of styles, but most of them can be divided into of categories based on how they engage the vehicle: wheel engaging automobile lifts and frame engaging style automobile lifts. By far the most common auto lifts from each section are four-post lifts (wheel engaging) and two-post lifts (frame engaging). Less common automobile lifts are known as specialty lifts and include scissor lifts, transportable lifts, mobile lifts, in-ground lifts and parking lifts. Here's a speedy breakdown of each type of auto lift and what it can do for your home or business.

Two-Post Automobile Lifts

Two-post automobile lifts are the most common type of frame-engaging auto lifts that you’re likely to find in a professional automotive shop. With amazingly sturdy posts and supportive stabilization arms, two-post automobile lifts can holding a gigantic variety of vehicles at a height that’s comfortable for both the automotive technician and the DIYer. However, the best reasons to own a two-post automobile lift are the reduced cost compared to four-post automobile lifting options, the small horizontal footprint for space saving convenience and the entire, unobstructed access to the wheels.

Both asymmetrical & symmetrical two-post garage lifts work fine with lighter vehicles, so the distinctions are mostly moot unless you are going to focus on heavier, unbalanced vehicles. Two-post automobile lifts are not common in residential garages because they are much taller than other automotive lifting options, need more attention to detail to reach designated vehicle lifting points & don’t grant the vehicle stacking convenience found on four-post garage lifts. In most cases, a two-post automobile or van lift is most beneficial to garages that see cars & trucks going up & down all day.

Two-post auto lifts are either thought about symmetrical or asymmetrical. Symmetrical automobile lifts are simple to identify because the posts face each other dead-on, & the support arm assemblies each hold about 50% of the load. Asymmetrical automotive lifts, on the other hand, feature swing arms that are not the same length in the back & front, & a rotated post design. The result of these features is a shifted middle of gravity (which is greatly beneficial to longer, unbalanced trucks) & better clearance for vehicle doors, giving the operator direct access to the automobile interior even when the automobile or van is raised.

Four-post automobile lifts are also popular among hobbyists and home-users because they usually don’t need any kind of floor anchor. Smaller capacity four-post lifts may even become transportable with the addition of an optional caster package. Thanks to the solid four-column design, four-post auto lifts are also ideal for storing vehicles when space is available.

4-Post Automobile Lifts

Four-post automotive lifts offer owners lots of versatility when it comes to heavy lifting. In general, four-post automobile lifts can hold higher capacities compared to two-post lifts because of the additional support columns. They are also very user-friendly due to the drive-on and park process of mounting that is typical for wheel engaging lifts. Lots of quick-lube stations and muffler shops prefer a four-post automobile lift over any other kind of auto lift.

However, for capacity, mobility and storage in your automobile lifting solution, you can’t do better than a four-post automobile lift.

On the flip side, all the additional building material in the construction means that four-post auto lifts are usually a bit pricier than their two-post brethren. And in the event you plan to make use of your four-post automotive lift for wheel service, you will probably need to invest in rolling or sliding bridge jacks to lift the wheels off the runway.

Scissor auto lifts come in a huge selection of capacities and heights to benefit both professional shops and home hobbyists. Low-rise automobile lifts raise up to 36-inches above the ground, mid-rise auto lifts raise between 36 inches and 48 inches and full-rise scissor lifts can go anywhere above that.

Scissor Automobile Lifts

Scissor lift is a broad term that encompasses all automobile lifts that raise their payloads with accordion-like mechanisms beneath the runways. Depending on the configuration of the cylinders and raising rods, a scissor lift can be described as parallelogram type or pantograph type.

Scissor automobile lifts can fall in to either the wheel engaging or frame engaging categories. Thanks to the low-profile, vehicle mounting is usually a hassle-free operation. Tiny is necessary beyond positioning the automobile or truck over the scissor lift. Some slight tweaking may be necessary for frame-engaging style scissor lifts.

However, scissor automobile lifts increase in size immensely in higher weight categories. Parallelogram style scissor lifts in particular are known to be some of the heaviest lifters on the market.

When not in use, scissor style automobile lifts retract in to a low profile. This is ideal in the event you are a home user and require to be able to park your vehicle over the automobile lift when its lifting functions are not necessary. However, scissor style lifts never disappear unless installed below the floor and cannot be used to stack vehicles in slot. Also, because the raising mechanisms are directly below the runways, it’s impossible to stand directly beneath the vehicle.

As you can see, there are plenty of different benefits to think about when purchasing a automobile lift. Knowing your space restraints, vehicle dimensions & setting a budget for yourself will go a long way towards helping you pick which auto lift style is right for you

Nonetheless, scissor lifts are a popular choice among home users & professional users similar & are worth your consideration.

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