If well taken care of, a vehicle lift will last around 10-15 years before a replacement is necessary. However, whether you’re a first-time purchaser of lifts or have done this in the past, careful thought and consideration should still rule your decision-making process. Lifts are essential pieces of equipment that allow maintenance facilities and repair shops to run productively and efficiently.
In this guide, we cover the latest lift trends (spoiler alert — safety is ‘in’ … though when has it ever been ‘out’?), how shops can productively use lifts to increase their productivity, the different types of lifts available, purchasing and maintenance considerations, and what it means to be ‘safe’ while operating a lift.
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Safety should always be top of mind – especially when working with equipment like vehicle lifts that when operated improperly could have disastrous consequences. Apart from ensuring that all those who will be operating the lift have been fully trained and preventative safety measures such as an annual (at minimum) lift inspection by Automotive Lift Institute (ALI)-certified lift inspectors is performed, shops can also keep their employees safe by providing the appropriate lift adapters and accessories.
Accessories like adjustable creeper seats can help prevent neck and back strain and swing arm safety head guards work to lessen the impact of a blow to the head if a technician trips into the lift or stands up too suddenly. Having these additional tools can mean the difference between a fully staffed shop and technicians out on worker’s comp.
Which lift to pick?
ALI recognizes seven lift types — two-post, multi-post runway, parallelogram, scissors, inground, mobile column, and low/mid-rise. In conjunction with these lift types, a lift can also be installed in multiple ways — mobile, inground, or surface-mounted — and vary in how it contacts a vehicle — frame-engaging, wheel-engaging, axle-engaging, drive-on, and pad. With all these options, it can feel overwhelming when deciding what will work best for your shop or facility.
To help alleviate some of your decision fatigue, we’ve put together a chart of all the lift types covering which will work best in shops with limited space and the best uses for each lift — light-duty vs. heavy-duty, under-vehicle access, and so on.
Overall, make information and best practices a priority when it comes to your lift purchases and upkeep as well as your workers’ safety.
