Bill Bourne Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Hi everyone I'm considering buying a scissor platform lift and wondered if anyone has had any experience of these. I have 2 on my shortlist, both adverised on ebay (links below) which seem to be good quality/good price etc. I've toyed back and forth with a 4 poster/2 poster and other scissior lifts, but this type seems to be the best compromise and best fit inside my garage. Both are around the same cost/delivered etc. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ON-OFFER-2-PLATFORM-3-TON-HYDRAULIC-ELECTRONIC-CONTROL-SCISSOR-LIFT-1179-VAT-/121067061604?pt=UK_Lifting_Moving_Equipment&hash=item1c3028c164 http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/products/as-7530d-garage-scissor-lift/ All comments appreciated Thank you Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RogerH Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Hi Bill, just as an observation the cross tubes at ground level may make it awkward to move under the car (unless of course they can be remove when raised.) There where some at the NEC and Stonleigh shows last year where the laft and right were independent - having no cross tubes. Roger Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TIMS Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Bill I have the previous generation Automotec unit which I have set into the floor and boarded over the cross tubes to remove the problem that Roger raises. The unit is VERY heavy and is not something I would want to be proposing to move around the workshop at a whim. Also there would have been no space to fitt a rubber lifting block between my TR6 and the lift if I had left the unit at ground level. The guys at Automotech were most helpful. No connection just a happy customer. PM me and I will send you a telephone number so we can talk further if it would help. Regards Tim Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Malcolm Tatton Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Bill, A pal of mine has just bought one of the Automotec ones and is very happy (even to the extent of encouraging me to buy one!) I haven't seen it yet, but as he is a garage mechanic by trade who has bought this for use at home when he retires, it must be OK. Malcolm Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Bill I have one of the 'Strongarm' units (best part of 5 years now) and find it very good. The only issue is the width of it being just fractionally wider than the inside track of the wheels (tyre wall to tyre wall - they just scrub a little). to overcome this I have wooden ramps the length of the car to drive onto. However, Tims solution would work equally well - no doubt better and more convenient too!!! The lift is ideal for working on wheels and suspension each end, but getting to the centre of the car is difficult/awkward... As Roger has mentioned, there is the alterenative design that has two parallel ramps that leave the centre clear for access. Cheers Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Hi Bill, I also decided on the scissor lift option, if I had more room I would have gone for the posts with the fingers that are placed under the car. ( Sorry can't think of the correct technical name.) I am using the mini tilting lift supplied by AJ Autos and usually advertised on eBay at around £450. Normally the lift is stored and slid under the car when required for use. However I do not have a garage wide enough to be able to do this so I made a central part of the garage floor lower and store the lift in position. This involved making wooden covers that the car drives over and which are removed if the lift is to be used. The system works well, but as already said it is not ideal for working at the centre of the car. This lift also tilts which is how I use it most of the time. I can't attach any pics at the moment , but could try when I get back to my pc. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Denis Posted February 21, 2013 Report Share Posted February 21, 2013 Those look neat, but a bit expensive, and you would have to have a high ceiling! I just gave 20 quid to a Road Repair gang working in my street to Drill a hole through my garage floor, and I dug out an inspection pit! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Bourne Posted February 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Hi everyone - thank you very much for your comments. Does anyone know the company that makes/supplies the ramps without the centre bars ? Only I haven't spotted anyone yet that supplies those. In the meantime, I think the Automotec option, and fitting into the floor like Tims, seems to be a very good solution.Ok it's going to cost around £1600, and whilst thats a lot of money, it is a one off purchase and I really get fed up of jacks,axles stands, lying on my back, getting muck in your eyes and so on. Anyway I'm getting old and I like my comfort. I hadn't thought through properly the problem of getting the blocks under the car, as the ramp is around 11 cms high and the height from the floor to my sills is around 9-10 cms. I didn't think the issue of the crossbars would be a problem, although not ideal, I'm sure you should be able to get at everything. These scissor lifts will lift the car to around 1mtr, and I guess like most garages, mine has a ceiling height of around 220 cms. So you can only lift the car to around 1 mtr high, but, that is ideal for sitting on a small mechanics seat underneath. I'm lucky to have a double garage, but there are a number of changes I will have to make and consider before fitting a lift. Namely, moving a fitted bench, currently in front of the car/parked area, the garage door is an up/over type which protudes over the rear of the car, and I also have a sewage pipe going under the concrete floor of the garage (yuk). Not my doing, and how far down, I don't know yet, hence my preference would be to not fit into the floor and just move around as and when needed, but I agree with Tim, I don't think moving a 580kg lift around is going to be easy. Anyway I'll get there in the end, but a re-arragement of the garage is now the 1st move on the cards. Then I will probably go for a solution like Tims. Tim/ Ian - yes I would like to see your set up's sometime. I will PM my tel No. - Ian, I can't seem to send you a PM for some reason. Best Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kevo_6 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Hi Bill I don't have a lift at the moment, but have been looking a various ones and came across these. Maybe not quite what you are after but worth a look. http://hamercarlift.com/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Bourne Posted February 22, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Hi Kevo Yes I've looked at these, but discounted because the cost is around £1200, OK it's cheaper than a scissor lift, but the extra room it would take up in the garage is too much for mine, it's also a hand rachet system, plus you would also need the cross jacks to lift the wheels. So by the time you finished it would propbably cost/delivered around £1400. So for the extra £200, I think the scissor lift is a better solution and you wouldn't need the cross jacks. best regards Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueTR3A-5EKT Posted February 23, 2013 Report Share Posted February 23, 2013 Why not single post? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Motorsport Mickey Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 I'm not sure, but I think this last post is spam, there is no mention of a car lift in the advertising. Mick Richards Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ianhoward Posted June 6, 2013 Report Share Posted June 6, 2013 Mick Tend to agree!!! Cheers Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eddie Cairns Posted August 5, 2013 Report Share Posted August 5, 2013 Bill Sorry for the late reply and probably far too late. There was one model of 1 mtr high lift scissor lift with no crossbars. It was the Strongmantools Conway.. Cost circa £3k and it could be used with a shallow pit to get a full 1.8 mtr lift in a garage with a low roof. I believe that that model is no longer a current model in the range. They now sell the Clifton that has ground level cross bars. I'm a lift expert who has read every brochure and know all the facts but never used one in anger just like most Internet browser. eddie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Bourne Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Hi Eddie No your not too late, in fact good timing - although the shopping list has changed somewhat. Since the original post, I have decided to build a new garage - which will have an eave height of 2.5 mtrs - rising to 4.5 metres in the centre. So I'm debating between a scissor lift or a 2 post lift or a 4 post lift. All of them (on ebay) seem to range in cost from £1200 for the 2 post up to £1900 for the 4 post. They all have pros and cons, but overall I think I favour the 4 post lift and the model that can me moved on wheels outside, for those awful cleaning underneath jobs, plus I could also (when inside) park - just - another car underneath. But if you have any other suggestions or advice,as I might be missing something, I would very much appreciate it. Before buying, I want to see the actual lifts. So not quite ready to buy yet - perhaps within next 2-3 months, by which time the garage should be finished. Best Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Bill Be careful here,I have had all types old and new but there is one thing that is fact you will not move a 4 post ramp on wheels unless the floor and ground are mirror flat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bill Bourne Posted August 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Hi Neil mmm - yes I have been wondering - and felt that a visit to one of those suppliers was imperative to see if I could move it easily. Either that or I'm going to need some serious steroids. Good point though - I'll bear it in mind Best Bill Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tony Millward Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 I recommend the 2 post lift, it has good access all round when the car is off the ground, more so than a 4 poster. Cheers Tony Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eddie Cairns Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 At the moment I'm building an extension to my garage that has an internal height of 4 mtrs to install a lift. The two post has great access to underneath the car, needs careful placement of lift pads and if a heavy object is removed from the car it may unbalance the car. You have to be very careful with the pads and older chassis cars tend not to like them. The two post tends to have the post at the car doors which means it can be hard to get into the car to move something inside, They cannot be moved outside to hose down a car underneath. You need circa 8in concrete with reinforcement The four poster is easy to drive on but **** for wheel and suspension access and you need to buy a jacking beam to work on suspension. 6" of concrete is fine for them and they are safer as it is harder to unbalance the car but not old secondhand 4 posters without the various safety features. There is a bit of a problem re old cars, new cars. If you are doing Midgets and Spitfires they need a narrow centre section on the lift but more modern cars need a wider section check the track measurements on a selection of old and new cars. Have a look at the Strongmantools 4 post pdf and they have both widths but a Range Rover will not fit on a narrow lift and similar with some older narrow cars on wide lifts. Strongman do the mobility kits but if someone is under a car and someone crashes into a four poster bolted to the floor no problem. If not bolted to the floor it is a problem. Don't say but I will be careful and that will not happen. But like you I do not want to do a undercar washdown in the garage. Full height scissor can be let into the floor but needs planning when you are laying the floor. So less dead space in the garage if let into the floor. Good suspension access but you need cross bars for the likes of Suzuki Jeeps and Morris 1000 etc. Tend to be over £3k. At the moment I'm thinking of a two post in the garage and and older but safe four post outside somewhere else but I cannot work out where. Then there is insulation, heating and design of the electrics to consider. PM me with a phone number if you want to chat but as I warned full of lots of facts and ideas but not got a lift yet so an armchair expert. I'm extending my 20ft x 20 ft garage to 20 ft wide by 40 ft long with the back half at 4m internal clearance. Just got the structural calc drawings from the structural engineer. Hope to be in place end September. eddie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eddie Cairns Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Looks like a nice Glenfinnan all bolted down. eddie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ntc Posted August 6, 2013 Report Share Posted August 6, 2013 Eddie Yep good bit of kit only thing I wish I had bought is the manual jacking beam as the hydraulic I have is to quick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TR NIALL Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Neil,you forgot to set the Alarm for the Garage,someone's Robbed the Lift. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Richard71 Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 I have a builder in at the minute digging out the concrete floor of my garage to accommodate my new scissor lift. My TR6 is being stored elsewhere while the work is taking place, I'm a little concerned that I may have made a pig's ear of marking & measuring where to cut, so, can anyone tell me the overall length of the rear wing? If it's more than 50" I've had it! Thanks in advance, Richard. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
stuart Posted August 7, 2013 Report Share Posted August 7, 2013 Your about 5" short. Stuart. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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