Discussion
For an extra £80 you can have a 2 post lift,
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/2-post-car-lift
Having used both ramps and 2 post lifts, I would recommend the lift every time. It leaves you free to work at suspension components without having to mess about with jacks and stands. It does however, need to be mounted on a decent reinforced conctrete floor.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/2-post-car-lift
Having used both ramps and 2 post lifts, I would recommend the lift every time. It leaves you free to work at suspension components without having to mess about with jacks and stands. It does however, need to be mounted on a decent reinforced conctrete floor.
you might struggle to get a new one for £1000... I paid £1500 for mine new, but a mate has just bought one off Ebay for £700 which is in nice condition.
I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
What you want is a nice pit with rails and decent beam jacks.
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
Mr Whippy said:
What you want is a nice pit with rails and decent beam jacks.
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
Interesting... In the 80's I managed 30 workshops for a big fleet company. Some of the garages had pits and none of the technicians liked them, they would always go for a ramp if one was available. When we finally took them out, no one complained. We only kept ones used for HGV's. The problems with a pit is many fold...The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
They are prone to filling with water if the water table in the area is high, unless you use a pre formed type.
they have to be long... as you have to have room at the front or rear of the car to get in and out.
they are a pain to keep taking the pit boards up
they severely restrict what you can do easily on the car... imagine doing some routine brakes or suspension work... you are back to doing it grovelling on the floor...
They are difficult to light
they are dangerous, We had several accidents of people falling in them, driving into them. They also collect gas if that's used in the area and is heavier than air
They get filled with rubbish and dust
Some councils require planning permission
Nope, I cant thing of a single advantage of a pit over a ramp!
Do you have one and use it?
I had a pit in a garage once .. all the points above are true.
In a regular single garage you virtually have to have someone drive the car over you.
Another issue I remember was that you then restrict where you can jack up the car - as you now have a big hole in the floor and the boards would not hold the weight.
Some area's at the side of the car are not easy to access from the pit.
I would avoid if I were you.
Plenty of ramp / 2 poster and innovative solutions around the market as better alternatives.
In a regular single garage you virtually have to have someone drive the car over you.
Another issue I remember was that you then restrict where you can jack up the car - as you now have a big hole in the floor and the boards would not hold the weight.
Some area's at the side of the car are not easy to access from the pit.
I would avoid if I were you.
Plenty of ramp / 2 poster and innovative solutions around the market as better alternatives.
buzzer said:
Mr Whippy said:
What you want is a nice pit with rails and decent beam jacks.
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
Interesting... In the 80's I managed 30 workshops for a big fleet company. Some of the garages had pits and none of the technicians liked them, they would always go for a ramp if one was available. When we finally took them out, no one complained. We only kept ones used for HGV's. The problems with a pit is many fold...The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
They are prone to filling with water if the water table in the area is high, unless you use a pre formed type.
they have to be long... as you have to have room at the front or rear of the car to get in and out.
they are a pain to keep taking the pit boards up
they severely restrict what you can do easily on the car... imagine doing some routine brakes or suspension work... you are back to doing it grovelling on the floor...
They are difficult to light
they are dangerous, We had several accidents of people falling in them, driving into them. They also collect gas if that's used in the area and is heavier than air
They get filled with rubbish and dust
Some councils require planning permission
Nope, I cant thing of a single advantage of a pit over a ramp!
Do you have one and use it?
With a light car not perfectly balanced and using a breaker bar on something you can easily get them moving around somewhat.
They need loads of headroom in your garage, which is often just as much of a premium in a smaller garage.
They are expensive and need to be maintained.
It's nice to lean against the walls in a pit.
The edge of the pit is a nice shelf.
Yeah I've had access to a pit for all my car owning life. It's a nice long one built down into an elevated building so no issues with ventilation and water table. It's got a stepped entrance at one end so you just walk down into it and then along under the car and up steps at the other end.
It could be improved but generally it's nice enough to work on stuff given that it is in the end just bricks and mortar.
Personally I'd have a 4 post lift any day of the week over a pit, but I expect they need a heck of a lot of space, electricity to work, maintenance checks, and they are not that cheap either. You'd certainly need a decent garage to get one in
Dave
Mr Whippy said:
What you want is a nice pit with rails and decent beam jacks.
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
A mate of mine has one & put it in when he built his garage.The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
He hates it & wishes for a lift of some kind.
On the rare occasions it get used, he has to pump it out first, & thats with his place at the top of a hill.
buzzer said:
you might struggle to get a new one for £1000... I paid £1500 for mine new, but a mate has just bought one off Ebay for £700 which is in nice condition.
I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
Buzzer, what kind of lift is that? I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
I did it come with the centre filled in like that?
no, the centre bit was added as I like to park both cars in the garage and the Elise was too low at the front to comfortably go over the ramp so I mad the cover out of some 25mm ply. I bought it from this company about 5 years ago. they don't appear to have gone up in price much looking at the site. Its great for working on bikes as well!
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/
buzzer said:
no, the centre bit was added as I like to park both cars in the garage and the Elise was too low at the front to comfortably go over the ramp so I mad the cover out of some 25mm ply. I bought it from this company about 5 years ago. they don't appear to have gone up in price much looking at the site. Its great for working on bikes as well!
http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/
Perfect cheers http://www.automotechservices.co.uk/
static2010 said:
Mr Whippy said:
What you want is a nice pit with rails and decent beam jacks.
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
A mate of mine has one & put it in when he built his garage.The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
He hates it & wishes for a lift of some kind.
On the rare occasions it get used, he has to pump it out first, & thats with his place at the top of a hill.
Hoonigan said:
static2010 said:
Mr Whippy said:
What you want is a nice pit with rails and decent beam jacks.
The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
A mate of mine has one & put it in when he built his garage.The big cost then is in jacks, but apart from those it's a rather passive install wrt maintenance etc.
I suppose only issue is if you are dropping things out from underneath a lot, gearboxes and engines that won't go out the top etc then life will be harder.
You can do lots of jobs much more easily like this as you can hop in/out the car nicely without lifting/dropping the car or leaving someone stuck up in the air.
Just don't fall in it.
Dave
He hates it & wishes for a lift of some kind.
On the rare occasions it get used, he has to pump it out first, & thats with his place at the top of a hill.
Ooops! 3-wheeler ingress is a new one
I just had my Z4 up on a two post lift the other day. It was seriously time consuming centring the car so the arms would fit under without clipping the side skirts. A pit would have been a lot faster for the task at hand as you can just drive over, jump under, and back out in a few minutes.
4 post is better for speed I suppose, but as said not cheap or small.
I guess the whole issue is that a 'pit' is variable. You can have crappy ones or very good ones. A really well made pit could be very good for your 'normal' person at home doing tinkering. There are also some tasks that are actually easier in a pit vs lifts or jacks etc.
I just had my Z4 up on a two post lift the other day. It was seriously time consuming centring the car so the arms would fit under without clipping the side skirts. A pit would have been a lot faster for the task at hand as you can just drive over, jump under, and back out in a few minutes.
4 post is better for speed I suppose, but as said not cheap or small.
I guess the whole issue is that a 'pit' is variable. You can have crappy ones or very good ones. A really well made pit could be very good for your 'normal' person at home doing tinkering. There are also some tasks that are actually easier in a pit vs lifts or jacks etc.
buzzer said:
you might struggle to get a new one for £1000... I paid £1500 for mine new, but a mate has just bought one off Ebay for £700 which is in nice condition.
I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
Can I ask how steady that is and how easy to operate? I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
I've a bit of a disability and would love something like this to lift the car so I could try and clean/polish the sides of the car with ease then have someone help me take the wheels of then I could leave it up for a couple of days while I try and do some simple cleaning.
Can't really use tools but I'd like to try and do a bit of cleaning of wheels and stuff, and suppose pretend i'm doing a bit.
Stooping down can be dangerous for me as well so this would be helpful.
There is no way I could manage axle stands and a jack. Very frustrating when you can't do these things
so I need something super steady and safe.V8A*ndy said:
buzzer said:
you might struggle to get a new one for £1000... I paid £1500 for mine new, but a mate has just bought one off Ebay for £700 which is in nice condition.
I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
Can I ask how steady that is and how easy to operate? I went for a medium scissor lift for several reasons...
I didn't have the height in the garage for a full lift.
If I had put a 2 or 4 post one in there it would have turned my garage into a one car garage. As it is now I can simply drive over the ramp as its very low when down, and still get two cars in there.
Its wheel free, which is what you want most of the time.
Two posters can be a pain to get in and out of the car.
I've a bit of a disability and would love something like this to lift the car so I could try and clean/polish the sides of the car with ease then have someone help me take the wheels of then I could leave it up for a couple of days while I try and do some simple cleaning.
Can't really use tools but I'd like to try and do a bit of cleaning of wheels and stuff, and suppose pretend i'm doing a bit.
Stooping down can be dangerous for me as well so this would be helpful.
There is no way I could manage axle stands and a jack. Very frustrating when you can't do these things
so I need something super steady and safe.
Yep, looks good for getting stuff to head height like wheels/suspension, but is it any good for actually working on the underneath of the car?
It looks a bit half way, too low for standing, but too high for laying down on a trolley...?!
They generally look ok though, good for just getting a vehicle up off the floor for wheel/suspension related jobs so you are not bending over all day at a wheel with a jack in the way!
Dave
It looks a bit half way, too low for standing, but too high for laying down on a trolley...?!
They generally look ok though, good for just getting a vehicle up off the floor for wheel/suspension related jobs so you are not bending over all day at a wheel with a jack in the way!
Dave
static2010 said:
If you need to with the scissor lift you could secure it to the floor with anchor bolts.
Prefer the idea of it rather than a 4 poster as I need to work round it for detailing etc.
agreed, mine is held down by 4 bolts in each side. It came with some wheels as its technically portable. My mate uses the wheels on his and drags it outside in the summer to work. I found that the ramp would move as you tried to drive on it though so I bolted it down.Prefer the idea of it rather than a 4 poster as I need to work round it for detailing etc.
Its great for cleaning the car as well...
I would have liked a double scissor one so I could stand under it, but the height of the garage precluded that. As it is, I can get a standard height car to full lift, which is a meter. that's about the right height for working on brakes and suspension. For working underneath, I have a little stool with wheels which I sit on and move about on, its actually quite comfortable doing this.
With the height of the garage the alternative was grovelling on the floor, and this is a thousand times better... I would not be without it now.
Gassing Station | Home Mechanics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff