On 12/15/05, Mullen, Tim (IIS) <Tim.Mullen@ngc.com> wrote:
>
> Larry Spector wrote:
> >
> > The question I have is why go with a home use "parking
> > lift" (Backyard Buddy, etc.), instead of a 4-post service
> > lift (Bend-Pak, Rotary, etc.)?
>
> I've been curious about lifts and actually have permission to buy one,
> but my current garage has a low roof, and we plan on moving in a couple
> of years - so I haven't checked into all the details...
>
> That said, I suspect that the biggest difference (besides the large
> difference in price) is the speed at which it raises. For commercial
> use, it would probably be better to have a higher capacity and faster
> lift. For home use, I don't need a 7000 pound lift (heck my cars are
> sports cars and two are Lotuses), and if I had to wait 120 seconds
> instead of 30 seconds, I can handle that just fine.
>
Duty cycles on the parts. A commercial lift is going to go up and
down a dozen times a day, 6 days a week, for years. A hobbiest lift
is going to get used half a dozen times a weekend, tops. A broken
lift in a shop is major problem, in a home shop, it's a pain, but it's
not costing 60/hr until it's fixed. Commerical lifts also seem to
have more flexibility in how the car is spotted before it's lifted, as
well, though I haven't used enough home lifts to know if that's
common, or just limited to the couple I've used.
--
David Scheidt
dmscheidt@gmail.com
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