Car hoists

26Red · Jan 13, 2009

Found some old car hoists on craig"s list. They are single post, air over hydraulic, buried in the ground kind (globe brand). I"m thinking it would be a cool additon to my garage. Probably over kill for my uses. Does anybody know much about these lifts? Anything I should watch out for?

CWL · Jan 13, 2009

I've always been told that you need at least 14 feet height clearance for a lift. It would be a heck of a job to dig the hole for one inside of a building if you are not in soft soil.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2009

Personally, I would stay away from the buried in the ground ones UNLESS, you completely rebuild it before you install. Think about this.... if something fails and its underground, bust up the concrete, repair it, and re-do the concrete!! sounds like alot of head ache. How much they asking? Might want to look into Rotary Lift or google car hoist and see what a new one runs. Just my .02!

S.Crum · Jan 13, 2009

I was in the market a few years back. Those old in-grounds could be had for scrap value. Seems the DER and EPA more or less banned them. Apparently a lot of sites have been contaminated by hydraulic oil leakage from those. A Bend-Pak or other similar above ground 2 post or 4 post lift looks like a wise investment.

RockyMo · Jan 13, 2009

I would avoid the old inground hydraulic lifts at all costs. They were enough of a headache to work with years ago, leaking seals, oil contaminates ground, lift is low on hydraulic oil and runs empty for last 3 feet of lift, system now on air, all this adds up to the last 3 feet the car moves at lightspeed or a little faster (at least it seems that way) until it hits the top. This can actually through the vehicle off the lift. After working as a mechanic and using lifts for 30 years or so, I would just buy one of the above ground electic lifts. They are not that expensive and a whole lot safer.

Rocky in MO

TimV · Jan 13, 2009

26red: as others have mentioned, there's a reason these things can be had for scrap value--they are obsolete and can get you in trouble with a whole alphabet soup of regulatory agencies--EPA, DEC, OSHA, etc. just for starters. If you install it and there is a leak (and even if there isn't one to start with, there WILL be at some point) you are responsible for cleanup, and you'll have a very hard time convincing an insurance company to pay for cleanup (which will run into 5 figures, with 6 or 7 figures a easy possibility) as these lifts have been chased from the market by just such problems. I was recently involved in a cleanup/rehabilitation project stemming from a similar lift and it was a nightmare. Get a decent 2 or 4 post above-ground lift if you want one.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2009

Check out "Back Yard Buddy". Friend has one and loves it.

jose bagge · Jan 13, 2009

with used dual post lifts going as cheap as they are (I have sold several 8,000 lb Rotary lifts for less than a grand when relocating stores), I don't think there would be much of a market for ingounds. A lot of hassle when things go wrong- and they will go wrong. When we've bought old shops that had ingrounds, at the first sign of trouble we pulled 'em, capped em and installed dual posts on top of them
Another dual post advantage for the home owner- lift the car overhead, set the lift locks, and pack mom's car underneath!

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2009

I'd tend to agree with the others, I remember hauling a bunch of those from a job site, about 20 years ago, buried em all with the fill we were hauling, what a mess, oil all over the place, was just the tri-axle dump driver, some of the crap people bury.

You would be much better off with a used 2 post, 2 years ago I pulled 3 from a job I was doing, sold 2 and kept 1, reasonably priced at $900 each, you can find em around $1500, just make sure you know how the safety lock works in them, when I put this 6000 lb mohawk in, I've got a good contact in that business to help me upgrade the hydraulics and advise me on the installation, there is not a lot to them, I'll also get the safety jack stands for another means of safety, keep an eye out, you'll find one reasonably priced.

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2009

I have two that have been in continuous operation for 50 years at three locations, both globe brand. They have never needed a minute's attention. I personally use these lifts, they are not ones that "someone's brother's friend's cousin used in the 70's." They are smooth and dependable, and work as good as the day they were built. They are very simple machines, and I can tell you that there is not many places on them that can leak underground. They are a large hydraulic cylinder, and the closed end goes down. I Question the validity of the lifts causing the oil contamination mentioned below. I can't remember the last time was we even added oil to them, I guess twenty years ago when we moved them the last time. They are fantastic.

I would not buy a cheap worn out two post lift if my life depended on it (and it will if I am under it!)

Anonymous-0 · Jan 13, 2009

Leave them on craigslist.

26Red · Jan 14, 2009

Can you still get parts for the Globes? I was thinking about making the hoist serve double duty as work table that rises out of the floor. Just kicking around ideas now.

Found a newly used Rotary brand for $3800.. from a closed GM dealer. Too spendy for me, but that would be nice.

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Jan 14, 2009

The lift that 26RED posted is what you want. Globe lift doesn't exist anymore. Like the others said, any more than a seal on the posts, you're busting up the concrete to repair. 26RED's lift is a self contained meaning that if something leaks/goes wrong, the lift is easily pulled up out of the pocket in the ground, easily repaired, and put back. No concrete work.
Above ground lifts, while better than no lift, stink when it comes to getting in and out of the vehicle, there's always the potential of scratching doors on them, they're in the way for anything else. Cheaper to install, but a pain for anything else.

bradk · Jan 14, 2009

Like others said,leave 'em on Craig's List.An above ground asymetrical two-post lift is all any shop needs.

I have Eagle 9,000lb's in mine and paid about 3 grand new(back 8 yrs ago).

I've worked in shops that had those old underground oil leakers and never felt safe under them even with functional lock.

shannon from ohio · Jan 15, 2009

Once dug up, they are nothing but SCRAP IRON because they are ""ILLEGAL!!"" to reuse now Per OSHA and state codes and they are "Widow-Makers" Just like the old split rims on the trucks. Be Careful.........

504-2 · Jan 16, 2009

The hoist are 6 ft tall and it will take a 40 in wide hole. If they leak and need seals it is all replaced from the top. Do not ask for permits and tell anybody that asks that the hoist was in the ground when you bought the place and you put a building over it. I have two of them and my brother has one. You will need 12ft clearance and 14 if you have a 4X4.

Car hoists

26Red

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CWL

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Anonymous-0

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S.Crum

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RockyMo

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TimV

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Anonymous-0

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jose bagge

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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Anonymous-0

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26Red

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Brian Jasper co. Ia

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shannon from ohio

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