very easy on the brain, very easy on the body with a couple floor jacks, the heaviest part is the runway with the hydraulic cylinder. All the others can easily be handled with two people, the post by one. I would budget 6 hours for two guys the first time and 2 hours after you do it once.

I agree, two guys, 6 hours. Costco.com.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...21_Medium_.JPG

I would definelty opt for the aluminium ramps!!!!!

Agreed. But at $250 for the pair, I thought I could lift the steel ones a few times for that price. Good exercise.

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'll pull the trigger! :D

As a suggestion, if you have an engine lift, it makes moving and aligning the parts much easier. The ramp with the piston in it is quite heavy. Take your time and have fun with it.

Ray

It's been a few years since this thread was active, but as some of its info is likely still good, I thought I'd revive it rather than start a new one. One piece of info that has changed is that Costco no longer offers a four post lift on their web site. I'm interested in any other new information that folks may have about their four post lifts.

Does anyone have any new suggestions as to which four post lift to get and which to avoid?

Hello All

I have had the Backyard Buddy for 10+ years installed in two different garages/houses and it has never given me a moment of trouble or concern. There have been many cars besides mine on and under this lift and through the years everybody that has looked at agrees with me that it is the best combination of utility, ease of operation and safety.


I've seen the less expensive units desrcibed above and agree that there are issues with each of them. You make your choice and live with the decision as time rolls forward. You willl have the lift for many years and the increase of up front expense over the years is easily amortorized.

Tony R.

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...aby_Garage.jpg


Back yard Buddy under the Cobra.....with its garage mate from days gone by.

Direct Lift works for me
 

I have had a direct lift for about 2 years. I drove to Delaware and picked it up along with a sliding hydraulic jack that can lift up the front or back tires off the lift for brake work, changing tires, etc. When I bought it I managed to get 10% or better off the jack and oil drain. I am very happy with it. I have 6' 8" under the bottom ramp when in the top locked position.
I put it together with the help of my Dad and it took about 6 hours most of which was just figuring out the instructions and correcting some rerouting of cables that I did not need to touch in the first place. I will say this. The guy at the Greg Smith told me that 2 people could put it together without mechanical assistance. When I found out the ramp with the cylinder weighs 400lbs, I decided to rent a forklift for the day. It was a great decision. 200lbs for each person to lift and wrangle into position would be quite difficult. 400 lbs can do a lot of damage to you if it gets moving in the wrong way and gets dropped. If you install it yourself, spend the $200 and get a forklift.
The rental company picked up the forklift by accident without us noticing while we took a brief break after getting the lift assembled. Without the forklift, I was forced to move the 350lb sliding jack into position manually. I managed to accidentally get my fingers caught between it and the floor and bruised the bones. Hurt like hell for several days. :eek:
Anyway overall very satisfied. Lift the 4 runner all the time with no issues and no visible stain whatsoever. Attached a pic of the setup.

JB

I've been looking at a Bendpak HD9-ST, and plan to buy a lift in the July time frame. It seems to be a big more robust than a few others priced a bit lower. Does anyone have one or have an opinion about it?

Lifts For Sale
 

I have two Rotary Lifts For Sale

Are these two post or four? Rotary is as good as it gets.

lifts
 

These are two post lift, 10,000 lbs.

Hello All,

When two friends of mine and I put the four post Backyard Buddy together, I plugged into 110VAC and after putting the hydraulic fluid in the tank I was using it.

I helped another friend install a two post lift into a garage with 10' ceilngs, after working out where the posts would sit, drilling the twelve holes into the concrete with a heavy duty drill/impact hammer and having the 240VAC installed, he was also using it 3-4 weeks later.

Point is that the installations are very different and you need to make the decision on what you plan to use the lift for. If it is storage and work under the car the four lift will fit your needs; if you are looking at storage and lot of suspension/tire work the two lift may be better suited. With the four post you can get the integrated tire jack and still get the advantages of both. Some would argue that the two post allows for more room to work around the car. I believe it is your situation that determines which will work for you and your planned use.

Think it through now, you will have it in your garage for a long time.

Tony R.