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View Poll Results: Is a portable car jack/lift worth it
Yes, versatile and safe 29 35.37%
No, std ramps and jacks are fine 4 4.88%
I'm considering one 24 29.27%
Get a 2 post installed if you have the money and space 24 29.27%
other (please specify in response) 1 1.22%
Voters: 82. You may not vote on this poll

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      04-13-2018, 05:49 AM   #1
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Portable car lifts

So what's the forum's thoughts on this.

"in general" I know there are good lifts and bad lifts.

But for the price point, is it' worth it ?
Or are just some drive on ramps and axle stands better.

The one's I've seen only raise the car up a bit, also there are some safety concerns with cars falling etc

I've not got a dual car garage, so I "was" thinking of this, but not wanting to pay, the $1500 plus price point

thanks
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      04-16-2018, 04:37 PM   #2
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I and a couple of coworkers/friends have the quickjack, and another friend has the EZ-car lift. We're all happy with them. The quickjack is super versatile and easy to use, and I'm very glad I got it.

I've taken it to others' houses in the back of my F31 easily, and have even lifted a 5300lb X5m with my 5000lb quickjack. I'm not worried about not being safe at all once the mechanical locks are in place.
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      04-16-2018, 05:11 PM   #3
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Have you got the height for a 2 post?
If so, go for that if you want to do serious spannering. Its a no brainer.

But to safely install a car lift, you need something like a forklift. The posts are way to heavy to safely manhandle.
And you need quite a thick concrete floor.
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      04-16-2018, 09:33 PM   #4
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i've thought about a scissor lift and cutting out concrete in my double garage to flush mount, but problem is i also wash my car in the garage so it'd constantly get flooded with water

so i keep going back to the quickjack, it looks like the better solution - we also have a supplier here in aus which makes it even easier to purchase (often these type of niche products are hard to get here, the cr spotless de-ironizer for eg was a nightmare to ship)

if you can be a bit clever in how you store the ramps (thinking of mounting them length ways on garage wall on hooks) and then permanently mount the pump on a shelf, it would be really quick and easy to setup

edit! like this
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Last edited by domino_z; 04-16-2018 at 09:39 PM..
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      04-16-2018, 10:10 PM   #5
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Comparing with a 2-post hoist is comparing apples with oranges. The portable lifts are only as high as axle stands. I'd much prefer to be working on a car above my head than lying on my back.
(ie. if you have the space for a 2-post lift, get a 2-post lift.)

They look safe and versatile. I'd take them over axle stands any day. ... the only two problems I see are

1) $2,000; and
2) each ramp weighs 43kg - so if you mount them on the wall like the picture above, you'll want a way to lift one end onto a hook then the other so you're not forced to dead-lift something as heavy and unwieldy as that.
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      04-16-2018, 11:37 PM   #6
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https://www.twinbusch.com/product_in...products_id=20

I got one from these guys, it was around $1600 shipped and I installed it myself. LOVE IT!
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      04-16-2018, 11:53 PM   #7
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      04-17-2018, 08:40 AM   #8
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Not worth the $ IMO when you're still on your back. I'll keep dealing with a jack & stands to save a few grand.
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      04-17-2018, 01:22 PM   #9
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I have the Bendpak Mid-Rise Scissor lift and love it. I was tired of being on my back since I do have back problems. I wanted to get a 4 post lift, but my garage wasn't big enough. I looked at the Quick Jack and the like, but they didn't go up high enough. I think this is the best alternative to both those options. The build quality is as good as you can find and I never feel unsafe underneath it. Plus, it lifts and retracts very quickly. It is more than your budget, but I think for the quality and portability, it was worth it for me.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...2674_200102674
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      04-17-2018, 01:38 PM   #10
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For $1,500 dollars you can get a used dual point lift. Go look in the yellow pages for hydraulic service places and places that sell hydraulic oil to shops. They often have use lifts in good condition for less then $1,500. My buddy got a four post drive on lift this way. But dual posts are also available in this price range.

You will need to know how thick your garage's concrete is. A four lift doesn't need to be anchored but a dual post lift does. The Asymmetric lifts are pretty nice. But in the end I think it will depend on how much room your garage has for the lift. And how tall your garage ceiling is.
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      04-17-2018, 02:12 PM   #11
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For low ceiling garages there are post lifts like one above or the Danmark MaxJax like I have. Need 4 inch thick concrete (kind of standard depth) and roughly 8 ft in height. Just fantastic. The safety aspect alone is worth the money, but SO nice to work on the car at the height you want. Love it.
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      04-22-2018, 09:03 PM   #12
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I was thinking of a MaxJax as well. The max lift hight is about 4 feet I believe so you can use a shot stool and roll around under it. It is kind of expensive though at around $2300 shipped from what I have seen. I am going to be building a car in my little two car home garage and just can't decided if it is worth the money and if so, should I just deal with a 2 post always being their or should I go 4 post.
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      04-23-2018, 08:22 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lakefront View Post
For low ceiling garages there are post lifts like one above or the Danmark MaxJax like I have. Need 4 inch thick concrete (kind of standard depth) and roughly 8 ft in height. Just fantastic. The safety aspect alone is worth the money, but SO nice to work on the car at the height you want. Love it.
I think the MaxJax is more versatile than the QuickJack and was considering one. Unfortunately, while I have 4” of concrete in the garage, it’s not the required PSI. So lame!
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      04-25-2018, 11:37 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rantarM3 View Post
I think the MaxJax is more versatile than the QuickJack and was considering one. Unfortunately, while I have 4” of concrete in the garage, it’s not the required PSI. So lame!
How does one even find out how thick their concrete is & what PSI? Clearly folks buying used homes are not given that info at closing.
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      04-25-2018, 05:12 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Never_Enough View Post
How does one even find out how thick their concrete is & what PSI? Clearly folks buying used homes are not given that info at closing.
I bought from the builder but did not get that information. I went to my county building department and got copies of all the drawings/records on file for my house. One drawing showed the garage concrete thickness and PSI specs. If you have an older home, you might not be able to get that information but a call to your building department won’t hurt.
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      04-27-2018, 09:05 AM   #16
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I picked up a quick jack, 7k

Works great and lifts easier and higher than jack stands. 24 inches of space or so, vs 12.

Works great for the E92, I can easily do exhaust work, fluids, wheels and tires... as high as a 2post, no but simpler and cheaper.
Lifts the lifted Jeep almost off the ground with the extra lift blocks. I have for years put one jack stand at a time and took 5 times as long and quite the pain in the ass.
Have not put the M2 on it yet, but will when I do a detail job.

Well worth it in my opinion, if you do any work at home.
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      04-27-2018, 09:10 AM   #17
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I have the quickjack, it is fantastic

Would still prefer a 2 post lift but it doesn't fit my garage
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      04-27-2018, 01:03 PM   #18
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I was debating the QuickJack vs MaxJax a few months ago...I like the QuickJack being truly portable but the MaxJax getting 2-3x the height. I used a buddies MaxJax to install lowering springs and it was fine. While it can't reach a height that'll allow anyone to stand and work, my buddy put casters on a BMW seat and it was nice being able to sit upright. What ultimately forced my hand is MaxJax told me they were on backorder until like June and I kinda got to the point where I wanted something now vs continually putting it off. My limitations are also that my 2 car garage only has like 75" of ceiling height due to a heater duct (but makes for a nice heated garage) vs my 3rd car garage has like 90". I also have the limitation of depth and needing to be able to move the lift forward or backwards as needed to accommodate vehicles of different lengths vs the MaxJax is pretty permanent once holes are drilled...I have about 4-5' of room from the front bumper to the wall when I've given myself about 1"' from the back bumper to the garage door with the X5M on the lift. Mind you that if it's winter and I'm trying to not let the heat out, so that meant I couldn't use the front and rear center jack points, which meant I was doing a lot of left right left right left right, trying to find other jack points since I've got stands in the stock locations, jackstands sometimes tipping as I tried to get each corner to their max height...now it's just slide them under, hit a button and 30 seconds later it's 2' in the air.

I got the 7000EXT (weight capacity and length was needed for the X5M and my Harley Davidson F150) and opted for the 12v version since it's as portable as it can get and while fitting nicely in the back of the X5M. I just finished installing aftermarket downpipes and it was very convenient being able to raise and lower the truck as needed since they're put in from the top, aligned to the exhaust at the bottom, loose installing bolts/clamps back and forth before final torque...I'd have been back and forth between a stool and creeper had I not had my QuickJack...it literally crossed my mind when I was going back and forth, up and down, that this is why the QuickJack is great for my garage setup. It'll also be nice to have with me this year on our drive to Bimmerfest from Seattle because 20+ BMW's driving that distance and back almost guarantees someone will break down and I'm tired of crawling under cars via flimsy jacks and/or wheels pulled up on curbs!

So far I've used it on my X5M, my 328ci (just to make sure it wasn't too long for the the shortest wheelbase xar we have) and currently my 740iL is on it...laughably this car is so long that I had to remove the rear bumper with this car so the garage door could close and I'd still have like 2' between myself and my work bench! Eventually I'll finish off my 3rd car garage in my house remodel via raising the roof to be flush with the rest of the house and buy a real 2 post, but in the meantime with all the work I do currently with friends and family, I'm very happy with the QuickJack vs a jack and jack stands or drive up ramps based on how quickly this thing works and it feels much safer as well.
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Last edited by m5james; 04-27-2018 at 02:07 PM..
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      04-30-2018, 08:17 AM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Haywood View Post
I have the Bendpak Mid-Rise Scissor lift and love it. I was tired of being on my back since I do have back problems. I wanted to get a 4 post lift, but my garage wasn't big enough. I looked at the Quick Jack and the like, but they didn't go up high enough. I think this is the best alternative to both those options. The build quality is as good as you can find and I never feel unsafe underneath it. Plus, it lifts and retracts very quickly. It is more than your budget, but I think for the quality and portability, it was worth it for me.

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...2674_200102674
I really like this one. Harbor freight also sells a similar one for less. Do you have any issues reaching the jack points of some cars with the arms?
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      04-30-2018, 04:03 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by flyinb501 View Post
I really like this one. Harbor freight also sells a similar one for less. Do you have any issues reaching the jack points of some cars with the arms?
No. I'm really only using it for my e36 M3. Works great. I did have to get some 2x12 board to put under the wheels since the arms did scrap once I drove over the lift. Works fine now.
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      04-30-2018, 07:29 PM   #21
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I think they weighed too much to be dragging around when I looked at em a while back. I also didn't want them to indent my pavement in the driveway. I don't have the room for a formal lift in this garage, so it's jack and stands for me now. Next house, well don't get me started.
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      05-01-2018, 10:53 AM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E92 M Sport View Post
I think they weighed too much to be dragging around when I looked at em a while back. I also didn't want them to indent my pavement in the driveway. I don't have the room for a formal lift in this garage, so it's jack and stands for me now. Next house, well don't get me started.
How could they indent your pavement when your jack stands don't? They have SO much more surface area contact with the pavement than your jack stands do.
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