Just signed the pole barn contract

[w30bob]

Carter,

Looks like the floor turned out real nice.......is Santa bringing you your lift for Christmas?

regards,
bob

[Carter]

A couple of lifts would be nice but I only have 6" of concrete that will support a lift in the bay behind the 12' door and Sandy has plans to put a back deck on the house before she finds the $$$ for my lift so no joy this Christmas, also I still have no electric power although conduit has been run underground and when the other house is sold we will complete all of our ongoing jobs.

[T. Highway]

Carter,

I learned this electrical question from Clark Griswold of the vacation movies "What kind of power are you running 220 or 221?

Bert

[w30bob]

Hi Carter,

I'm curious........which type of lift are you looking to get....the 2-pole or the 4-pole? I've been doing a little looking at lifts myself and the 4-pole lifts are pretty neat. Since the weight of the vehicle is distributed by 4 posts instead of 2 the loading on the concrete isn't much more than what the tires of the vehicle put on it, and the 4 posts do not have to be anchored into the concrete, making the lift sort of portable if need be. The other cool thing is the lift acts as a parking garage....one vehicle on top and one on the bottom.....a real space saver.

My buddy with the garage has two of the 2-post lifts and while they work well I've always been concerned with those concrete anchors coming loose. The other issue is with a 2-post lift is the posts are always directly in line with the doors, making getting in and out of the vehicle, while on the lift, a bit of a chore.

Anyway, just curious.

regards,
bob

[Master Yota]

I used to work in a transmission shop doing re/re work. We had both style of lifts. For complete unrestricted access the vehicle, the two post has it covered in spades. No platforms in the way, no ducking and banging your head while getting under the vehicle. Just pure joy to work with. The four poster we had was strictly used for trucks and Rv's that were too tall to fully fit under the top cross bar of the two poster's.

We currently have at home, an 11k lb. two poster that's 14' tall that will be installed into our garage. Interestingly enough it has one 4' long "foot" welded to the base of each post. These feel spread the load out from the base, allowing the lift to be installed on as little as a 4" concrete pad. The only downside to this particular 14' hoist, is that our shop only has a 12' ceiling...

[Carter]

Bob and Ray, (You guys remember the comedy team with that name?) I have not investigated which type to buy, I have plenty of headroom so that's no problem. Want to get one capable of lifting the M and my dump truck which are the heaviest of the fleet. A friend of mine who owns a local Chevy dealership gave me some info from the supplier Ferguson Corp. an automotive equipment sales company and I plan to contact them about which they feel would be best for me but I think a four poster would work well for what I have in mind and now Bert, I am not sure if it will be 220 or 221 V.

[Master Yota]

My personal preference is the two poster, simply because I "build and modify" a lot of different vehicles and the access to the undercarriage is superior. If you're looking at more maintenance oriented work Carter, then I would go for the 4 poster. Its easier to operate with the "drive on/off" design, and a pair of jacking beams underneath will let you lift the vehicle while on the hoist for changing tires and whatnot.

[w30bob]

Hi Master,

I agree, the 2-post is better for mechanical work, as it's super convenient and gives unlimited access. But for me my primary use would be storage, so the ability to use drip pans with the 4-post would be a must have.....unless anyone has found a way to make an M37 not drip. So for me........and just me......the ease of installation, drip pans, and access to the driver's door would swing my decision to the 4-post. But as you say, for mechanical work the 2-post can't be beat. Hey, if you have a lift in the first place you're lucky....either way. Thanks for the info.

regards,
bob

[Master Yota]

Any lift access should be considered lucky. I wouldn't turn down purchasing either style of lift if one came along at the right price. One thing to consider with the two poster and an M37 is that the M isn't as wide as a full size pickup at the door location, and the doors are a lot shorter when compared to modern trucks and cars. That should make accessing the cab quite a bit easier when its on the lift; unless you're built like me, I hardly fit through the door anyway...
Two post hoists are also available with the lift posts rotated outward (inward?) to give more door opening clearance.