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Automobile Lifts
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Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 10:31 AM

John Friese mentioned his lift in the thread about GPS. I thought I'd start a new thread on this. I use a Hanmecson mid-rise scissor lift. 6000Lb cap, 52" raise and takes about 25 secs to max lift. I got it barely used for $1000 (new about $1300). Weighs about 1000lbs. I can move it around my shop myself. I partially raise it, put some go-jaks (another great product!) under it and its like its on ice. It will lift most anything including pickups with ease. Without a doubt the best tool in my shop.
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John Bevins
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Re: Automobile Lifts
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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 11:29 AM

Hi John,

The lift you have is the type I looked at for years but I didn't want the heavy weight or large size of it. I also didn't like having a hydraulic line and pump to see all the time or fall over. The lift I bought is good for 4000 lb. which is plenty for an Amphicar but is smaller and light enough to easily turn on it's side against the wall. Sometimes I want the garage flloor clear for other projects.

I know this lift is more expensive than the Harbor Freight variety but it's exactly the kind of lift I was looking for. It's kind of rare when something you've been looking for, for a long time, just suddenly shows up. I was very happy to find it, even at a "made in America" price.

The ladder in the photo is leaned back more than it appears but I always worry a bit about earthquakes and what could happen. I've lived in California for over 30 years and have only felt 2 earthquakes, neither of which did any damage.


John Friese
67 White
67 Red
jfriese@mindspring.com
Cell: 805-570-4778[IMG][/IMG]

Last edited by jfriese : 05-30-2008 at 11:40 AM.
  
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Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 11:37 AM

John

That mid-rise Scissors Lift does look like a great tool and the price is
certainly reasonable. I bought a 4 post lift about 7 years ago that does go up
about 66 inches or so. With add on wheels, I have moved it outside when I was
cleaning up a chassis. So it is an imperfect world. Yours is faster and
less expensive by a factor of 2 to 3, but I can walk under mine and park a
vehicle on it over another vehicle if I wish. I appreciated the information just
the same - maybe for my next life ! Vic



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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 11:52 AM

Hi Vic,

Wow, a four post lift, that's pro mechanic stuff. I surely don't have the room, or really the desire, for something like that. This lift is just perfect for lifting the Amphicar in a home garage setting. Bye the way, the lift is not completely up in my photos and since the jack is very thin I could use my old 4 x 4 posts to raise the car about 5" more than in the photo. That's plenty high enough to make brake, bearing and wheel service a heck of lot easier.

John Friese
  
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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 12:36 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by SplitPersonality View Post
John
That mid-rise Scissors Lift does look like a great tool and the price is
certainly reasonable. I bought a 4 post lift about 7 years ago that does go up
about 66 inches or so. With add on wheels, I have moved it outside when I was
cleaning up a chassis. So it is an imperfect world. Yours is faster and
less expensive by a factor of 2 to 3, but I can walk under mine and park a
vehicle on it over another vehicle if I wish. I appreciated the information just
the same - maybe for my next life ! Vic
There are many choices out there, so finding one for anyone's wants should be easy. If I ever thought I'd be using my shop for full on restorations, I would have put in higher cielings so I could use a 4 post or 2 post lift. If I ever get the acre I want, I will have a 4 poster too. I am a bit shorter than most so the lower lift is not much of a problem except it is in the way when refinishing the bottom of the hull. My lift always has something broken on it so storage is not a concern like it is with John F's situation.

The mid-rise is perfect for body/suspension work. 2 or 4 Post lifts can get in the way in those situations. It's a give and take situation.

I have had to turn down 2 free in-ground single post lifts because I had no place to store 'em. Once I get a bigger property, I will look for a in-ground lift and place it in the driveway. When it's down, it's out of the way, but up it is up, great for messy outside jobs like pressure washing or sand blasting chassis.


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Re: Automobile Lifts
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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 01:11 PM

John

Don't think I don't count my blessings. All my adult life I dreamed of
having even a simple pit. The 4 post movable lift is heaven. We live on 2-1/2
acres and the first thing we did was to build the garage ( which unfortunately
due to my proclivities, is a storage area to a large extent ), but then we
built the house. Though they are not attached ( they are about 75 feet apart ),
to my thinking that is the proper order of business - a nice garage with a
house attached ! Only kidding, but I am very fortunate. For the first time in
my life, I can back 4 vehicles out and another 4 if I wished ahead of them.
Actually, as I am rapidly aging, my fleet is slowly disappearing at the rate
of sell 2, buy one ! However, I am making headway "I think." The way the
prices of particular vehicles are rising, I wish I still had a few that I sold
for way too low - such as a 1948 Ambassador convertible - one of only 990
built or a 1933 Chrysler rumble seat convertible. My top story ( and I realize
many of us have several stories on this order ) is when I was stationed in
Germany and discovered a 1937 Horch Convertible under cover in a junkyard.
(some where I actually have a couple of pictures I took of it.) It had dual wire
wheeled sidemounts, was in super shape and probably had not been driven
since 1945 (this was in 1963 and I was way off the beaten track in Bavaria ) At
that time, I had never heard of a Horch. I was living in a small rented house
and what would I have done with it. The asking price -1000 German Marks ! !
(The exchange rate then was 4 to 1 = $ 250. !!) By chance, a German friend
whom I had known in the states was from a wealthy family and I happened to
mention the Horch to him on the telephone. He told me they were very expensive
cars - that his father had had 3 of them. Hitler gave one e.g. to Eva Braun I
know. With this information, I went back to the junk yard. The owner had
somehow begun to sniff something price wise and had now doubled the price. I
actually went up to 1900 Marks ( = $ 475 vs the $500 asking price then ). At
Hershey 4 or 5 years ago, I saw the same thing in deplorable condition for
$150,000 and I saw one through a dealer for 1/4 million or so. Some story.
However, if my Crystal Ball worked better, somehow I would have borrowed $ 25 -
50,000 around 1970 and bought a Duesenberg or how about a dozen Amphicars for
next to nothing ! Capt. Splash with the "Split Personalithy"



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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 01:36 PM

Lifts? Who needs lifts? I just hold it in the air with one arm while doing maintenance with the other one. Pansies. ;-)
  
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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 02:20 PM

It takes you one whole arm? I can do it with a just two fingers.....
----- Original Message -----
From: PeterP
To: dougklink@gmail.com
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 12:36 PM
Subject: RE: [General Amphicar Discussion-t-20036] Re: Automobile Lifts


Lifts? Who needs lifts? I just hold it in the air with one arm while doing maintenance with the other one. Pansies.
  
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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 02:22 PM

Who needs lifts? I just hold it in the air with one arm

CaptJohn can do that too---- but then he wouldn't be able to move his wheelchair to the next position----------of course then, he could get a "nurse-assistant" for that-----company expence, tax write off, ect ect

Female nurse, of course


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Re: Automobile Lifts - 05-30-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterP View Post
Lifts? Who needs lifts? I just hold it in the air with one arm while doing maintenance with the other one. Pansies. ;-)
Or better yet, use nature's lift.

Just float it in a lake with a shallow beach (or be a good swimmer) and you're good to go for doing any brake or suspension work.
A mask and snorkle helps.
Sure it's kind of a pain if you drop any bolts into the muck and bodywork on the hull is a little more difficult, but think of the fun.

-Victor


Victor
Clear Lake, IA
  
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