Direct Lift & Rotary Revolution Lift

[Mopar488]

I was watching Garage Mahal and they were installing Direct Lifts in the Hot Rod garage. I looked them up and they are owned by Dover Corporation and are built in China. Rotary Revolution lifts are also owned by Dover. The Rotary Revolution RFP9 and the Direct Lift Pro Park 9 Plus look very similar which makes me wonder if the Rotary Revolution RFP9 is not made in China also. I have also considered Backyard Buddy, built in the USA and Bend Pak HD9SW, not sure where it is made. I am looking to lift my Viper and my Dodge 3500 long wheelbase 4 door 4X4 dually diesel and park something underneath at times. I would also like to have the rolling jack in the lift to be able to remove a wheel while the car is on the lift. I had previously decided on a Rotary Revolution RFP9 and I am getting ready to pull the trigger, but I am not real fond of Chinese manufacturing at times. I really would like to buy USA for quality and patriotism. Suggestions and experiences on the above lifts appreciated.

 

[redtanrt10]

I've got a Pro Park 7 that I've had for 7 years. Great unit, good price, no issues. Search the forms, lot's of threads regarding garage lifts. If you have the room, get a good 2 post lift so you can easily work on the wheels and sills.

 

[johnk]

BYB, I have 2.....

 

[voi9]

Had my Revolution lift for the past 7 1/2 years and LOVE IT!!!!

 

[Brian GTS]

I have 2 Revolution lifts. Not a glitch with either one...great quality lifts. I highly recommend!

 

[JoelW]

You can't beat Rotary. Mine is American made and has never missed a lick. Chinese lifts are only for those folks who want their car to go up but are not sure they want it to come down. Seriously, one of my good friends is a tool rep and he says Chinese lifts are OK if you don't use them much. He sells and installs them but doesn't recommend them for folks who are serious about tools and cars.

 

[A1998]

I have had the Backyard Buddy for 7 years and love it. No Problems. I have the rolling jack tray which is fabulous, and use jack stands when I want to change wheels. I know they are alot more expensive now than they were 7 years ago, but quality and USA made is still #1.

 

[LifeIsGood]

There are a bunch of threads on the topic of lifts.

Check this one out...I already did the Direct Lift/Revolution research...

Anyone have a Lift King lift ? I do now. Pics!

 

[AviP]

but I am not real fond of Chinese manufacturing at times.

I would agree but it's metal and welding, not plastic. If you have access to these lifts anywhere and can inspects the welds, that should tell you about the quality. Good welds should look like the welds on your car. Bad welds should look like they are fewer and further apart and inconsistent in look and feel. My $0.02.

I hate all products coming out of China but it's usually because of thinner metal, cheap plastic construction and low quality control. I'm not sure if lifts fit that bill. Of course, I can't speak for the lift hydraulics.

 

[EllowViper]

Complete Hydraulics uses a China frame but USA made hydraulics and pump components. Like as been said, the metal is metal...doesn't matter where that comes from. What matters is what makes it work.

 

[01sapphirebob]

A lot of good info in this thread as well.

http://forums.viperclub.org/general-viper-discussion/618164-car-lift-my-garage.html

 

[SteveMat]

I'm in the market for a lift as well and it seems all the 4 post lifts in the 8000 lbs range are made in China.

 

[BAD BOYZZ GARAGE]

I was watching Garage Mahal and they were installing Direct Lifts in the Hot Rod garage. I looked them up and they are owned by Dover Corporation and are built in China. Rotary Revolution lifts are also owned by Dover. The Rotary Revolution RFP9 and the Direct Lift Pro Park 9 Plus look very similar which makes me wonder if the Rotary Revolution RFP9 is not made in China also. I have also considered Backyard Buddy, built in the USA and Bend Pak HD9SW, not sure where it is made. I am looking to lift my Viper and my Dodge 3500 long wheelbase 4 door 4X4 dually diesel and park something underneath at times. I would also like to have the rolling jack in the lift to be able to remove a wheel while the car is on the lift. I had previously decided on a Rotary Revolution RFP9 and I am getting ready to pull the trigger, but I am not real fond of Chinese manufacturing at times. I really would like to buy USA for quality and patriotism. Suggestions and experiences on the above lifts appreciated.

Here is the pecking order of the public traded New York Stock Exchange parent company or something like that:

Rotary - US
US steel, laser cut & welded colums and runways in the states. Longer direct drive hydraulic cylinders versus chain drive systems. Note Rotary's cylinders are built in their Asian plant on 2 post systems. Their Columns are typically asymetrical with asymetrical 3 stage arms on the 10,000lb two posts models and come Certified ( 2 post & 4 post ). The pads are flip up style and Rotary offers many attachments to fit your automotive needs. Premium grade and cost 30 to 40 percent higher than China brands. Great for permits & inspections for automotive shops.

Forward - Canadian / US
Built in the Rotary Asian plant made from asian steel. Built to their highest standards as well utilizing on Forwards two posts lifts, Rotary's longer direct drive hydraulic cylinders versus chain driven systems. The columns are symetrical with asymetrical 3 stage arms that typically have a lower pad height than Rotary by a small margin. This also gives you a few more inches of drive through capacity over the Rotary two post ( 10,000 to 12,000lb models ). Not as many pad & accessary options as Rotary. All Forward lifts are Certified just like Rotary ( 2 post & 4 posts ). Premium grade and cost 20 to 30 percent higher than China Brands, because of construction standards & certifications. Great for permits & inspections for automotive shops.

Direct Lifts - China
Built in Rotary's Asian plant made of asian steel. Two posts that are 7,000 to 8,000lbs rated are chain driven and the 9,000 to 10,000lb rated systems are direct drive hydraulic sytems utilizing shorter cylinders than it's Rotary / Forward family. The columns are symetrical with asymetrical 2 stage arms. These two posts lifts are not Certified. The 9,000 to 10,000 lb systems are very well built but are non commercial by design ( cost ). Not recommended for automotive shops because you really should be looking at a Certified lift for many reasons. On the other hand the Direct Lifts 4 post systems like the 8,000 to 9,000lb units come Certified and are very nice units. When you order a Forward brand 4 post 9,000lb system, you are getting a Direct Lift unit. These would be considered their mid-level grade. Good for permits & inspections for the automive shops.

I have done my research like you all have because I am purchasing for my shop as well.

Hope this helps out some. So now you can call your local rep and have some general ammunition.

BAD BOYZZ GARAGE, INC.
Toddy

 

[TrackAire]

I was watching Garage Mahal and they were installing Direct Lifts in the Hot Rod garage. I looked them up and they are owned by Dover Corporation and are built in China. Rotary Revolution lifts are also owned by Dover. The Rotary Revolution RFP9 and the Direct Lift Pro Park 9 Plus look very similar which makes me wonder if the Rotary Revolution RFP9 is not made in China also. I have also considered Backyard Buddy, built in the USA and Bend Pak HD9SW, not sure where it is made. I am looking to lift my Viper and my Dodge 3500 long wheelbase 4 door 4X4 dually diesel and park something underneath at times. I would also like to have the rolling jack in the lift to be able to remove a wheel while the car is on the lift. I had previously decided on a Rotary Revolution RFP9 and I am getting ready to pull the trigger, but I am not real fond of Chinese manufacturing at times. I really would like to buy USA for quality and patriotism. Suggestions and experiences on the above lifts appreciated.

I have the Direct Lift version and yes, they are both made in China. You can download both manuals and they are identical down to the part numbers. Rotary does make some of it's lifts here, but they are usually the higher end units used in shops.

So far I've had a Viper, H1 Hummer, Powerstoke Super Duty and Diesel Excursion on my lift. It's a 9k lb unit. I talked to the Direct Lift Reps at SEMA and they told me it will handle at least twice its posted poundage.

I wanted to buy the BenPak (Chinese also) too, but they had no dealer support in NorCal....same with Back Yard Buddy, etc. Direct Lift had a dealer in the Bay Area and stood behind the install, which they did.

Really, as long as you stay with a name brand unit, you're way good when it comes to a four post lift. Now that I've got one, the way they lock down when the car is in the air it ain't going anywhere. For some reason, I'm much more cautious about picking a really good quality 2 post lift....they just make me more nervous since the bolt down pads are a major part of the support. Concrete quality and getting the bolts to stick in the concrete is not a job for beginners.

Good luck with your choice,

George

 

[v10enomous]

Here's the thread on my lift... It's a Dannmar. Essentially an older generation Bendpak or something like that. I've had it one year. It gets raised and lowered 6 or 8 times a month... Flawless so far... It's a big lift. I have large doors on my garage and the lift almost disappears from the outside when it's raised.

http://forums.viperclub.org/general-viper-discussion/633587-dannmar-d7-x-4-post-lift-experience.html

 

[MarcRoth]

Rotary lifts are the best lifts to be had for a service shop or high end repair facility, but for a home garage as you only lift a car once in a while a direct will do just fine,They all have safety locks when the car or truck is lifted, So they will be just fine.

 

[hou99gts]

x2 on what BBG said, I have an 8k Direct Lift which is certified and have not had any problems with it. I have a car sitting on it at all times (I have the Vipers stacked in the garage).

 

[JoelW]

The problem with a 4 post is that you usually drive on the lift and then cannot access wheels/brakes without lifting the car with a jack underneath. Very unhandy. There are some 4 post hobby lifts especially made for stacking cars. They can be moved around easily but I have a friend who has one and it is a pain to work on the car. Great for storage, not so great for tinkering. And, for all of you folks who say metal is metal - not so. Anyone who believes the Chinese don't scrimp on metal quality are taking a chance. Just remember the quality of early Chinese castings and you can see what I mean. You have a car worth tens of thousands. Buy a good lift. Talk to folks who use them regularly. I am not saying all Chinese lifts are junk but tool guys who sell quality tools will tell you that they are not as good as those who have been making them for years. You get what you pay for. Funny we are so proud of driving an American car but are willing to buy something to work on it somewhere else.

 

[past ohio]

We have a dealer that pays for advertisement on our website....I have seen the changing at the top of the forum page show them from time to time for either a 2 or 4 post lifts, near Indianapolis....I think the Indy area has become the "mecca" of lift sales...

 

[Phun70]

You might also check out max jax usa lifts. They aren't full rise lifts, but if you have low ceilings and a somewhat deep garage, you can fit two vipers in without too much difficulty by putting the lift as far forward in the garage as possible, lifting a viper on it and then pulling the front of the other viper underneath the first one. I've done all the measuring and it will work!

 

[Kevan]

I'm going in-ground.

 

[Jerry Dobson]

The original full size Revolution Lifts were Rotary Lifts. In fact, I had a few arrive with "Rotary" on the uprights instead of Revolution. The other Dover names are more recent and I have not installed any of them for comparison.

I have a four post Revolution and a two post Rotary at home. I use mine seven days a week. I have also helped install other lifts. Some are pure junk. The area that scares me the most are the lock-stops. Some of the cheap lifts have welded catches. If it's a "cold weld" and fails, the car will drop. Rotary does not use welds for the stops, it's a CNC cut plate. Rotary also has a double catch system that will keep the car from falling should a cable break. BendPak also has this.

In some cases, a Rotary shipping weight is 1000 pounds more than a Chinese lift. That tells you something, thinner = weaker.

A Chinese lift can be OK for storage, but do you want to pull a transmission under that non certified lift? Cables on a certified 7000 pound lift should snap at 21,000 pounds. I bet a cheap lift will snap at 7001 pounds.

There are a lot of brands to choose from. Just make sure it is a ALI certified lift.
http://www.autolift.org/

 

[Voodoo Rob]

We recently moved and our new house came with a near new Direct Lift 4 post. For a hobbyist the lift will do all I need it do. It has caster adapters for moving it if needed and drive on ramps that allow a stock Gen 2 to roll on without scraping the lower front. Rated at 7,000lbs I just used it to put an exhaust on my 2500 8.1 Suburban (6,000lbs). It comes with a sliding tool/jack rack. Sliding pneumatic or hand pump jacks are also available options. Best way to add an extra parking spot!

 

[CCBrian]

Rotary 4 post for 12 years and ZERO problems...US made.

 

[wing]

I have a Stinger 4 post model that I have used for 14 years with no problems. It will lift a 3/4 ton, 4 wheel drive, crew cab diesel.

 

[Mopar488]

Lots of good info & thanks to everyone. I am still taking everything in consideration. Has anyone used one of the rolling jacks that will telescope under a Viper and raise it off the lift for wheel work? I am wondering if there is enough clearance under a Viper to even consider the rolling jack purchase. The rolling jacks are available from Direct Lift and BendPak, but unfortunately not from Rotary Revolution, only a jack tray from them, which is disppointing since the lift seems nice. The Bendpak uses pneumatics to release the safety locks simultaneously, but I do not really want to have a compressor hooked up to a lift, not sure if this is mandatory.

 

[Brian GTS]

Mopar - I'll tell you what I do with my Revolutions. If I need to do wheel work, I raise the lift a foot or so, align jack stands at all four corners, and then slowly lower the lift until the car is suspended by the jack stands. Of course, be sure you have proper padding on your jack stands so they don't mark up the frame.

 

[VIPER PIT]

Cy Tech Double Park, made right here in the USA. Had one since 1998. Works great and it is certified as well.

 

[Camfab]

The Rotary Revolution WAS made in USA, it's now CHINA. I Believe the lower end Bend Paks which were also made in USA are now CHINA as well. I was ready to get rid of my lift (basically a backyard buddy) and upgrade to the Revolution, but after finding out that Rotary sold out the Revolution Product to the Chinese I'm done.

Not to derail this thread, but has anyone but me noticed that many Craftsman Hand Tools are now made in CHINA as well. ***, that was the only reason I would still step into that dump.

 

[LifeIsGood]

Mopar - I'll tell you what I do with my Revolutions. If I need to do wheel work, I raise the lift a foot or so, align jack stands at all four corners, and then slowly lower the lift until the car is suspended by the jack stands. Of course, be sure you have proper padding on your jack stands so they don't mark up the frame.

Exactly how I do it (with my Direct Lift).