Hydrulic lifters scissor lift

stranger12
stranger12 Posts: 558 Forumite
Hi guys
I am looking to get a car lift for my home use

I have seen the ebay adverts costing around£1k for three ton lift

Are scissor lift difficult to maintain?

I always dreamed of having one for my car repairs

Are there any manufacturer you would use?

Is it the hydrulic lifters that hold the weight of the car in the air or will it have a manual locking mechanism?

Comments

  • Best to try and find reviews of the type of lift you are thinking of. It's probably a more specialised question than anyone on here can answer. You could try the manufacturers website ref. the locking question; I would assume they have to build in safety features.
  • Strider590
    Strider590 Posts: 11,874 Forumite
    I've seen these at kitcar shows and whilst I might be happy using one for a 600kg car, I don't think they look sturdy enough for a 1.5 tonne family shopping trolley. The quality of the welds, not using 8.8 grade bolts for the load bearing areas, just don't seem all that great for what they cost.
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  • If they are anything like the full sized versions in a garage then I would think the thing to most look out for would be that is has a Certificate of Conformity to an EU standard, assuming they haven't faked this then go for it.
    However I'm assuming your an amateur mechanic? Do you know what you're doing when raising a car using a wheels free system? If incorrectly positioned it can and sometimes does have fatal consequences. If the lift points aren't correctly placed and you remove something substantial like a gearbox, you shift the centre of gravity and the car could keel over. I'm not saying don't do it, I'm just saying make sure you know what you're doing.
  • arcon5
    arcon5 Posts: 14,099
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    They lock when at the required height, they won't hold in place by hydraulics. That would be dangerous.
    Wouldn't worry too much about weight. Just jack up at correct points or as far forward and to the rear as possible. In fact even jack on from subframe if you don't need to remove it for a gearbox for example. They are no different to other ramps, you jack up properly and double check when lifting every time.

    They should be reasonably maintainable free, barring oiling some bits every now and again. So long as you lock it off instead of leaving the car hanging on hydraulics
  • I think some good quality axle stands and a couple of larger trolley jacks would be preferable, then you are close enough to the ground to put a wheel or two under the car for good measure as a safety precaution. Apart from exhausts where it is handy but usually not essential, there aren't many jobs that require a complete lift to head height!
  • AdrianC
    AdrianC Posts: 42,189
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    I have an Automotech two-post lift in my home garage (and experience of working with them in a professional garage). With a two-poster, the quality and thickness of the concrete in the floor is CRITICAL. With a scissor, it's less so - but a scissor is much less flexible for work under the car.

    Whatever you're using - from the wheel-changing jack upwards - you MUST know what you're doing, and the kit MUST be up to the job.
  • Car_54
    Car_54 Posts: 8,165
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    If they are anything like the full sized versions in a garage then I would think the thing to most look out for would be that is has a Certificate of Conformity to an EU standard, assuming they haven't faked this then go for it.

    AFAIK there's no need to fake it, as the manufacturers effectively self-certify!
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