Vehicle Lifts

Choosing a vehicle lift for your workshop

A lift is the piece of equipment a workshop is built around. It decides which vehicles you can take, how quickly a bay turns over, and how comfortable the work is to do. Most garages buy one every fifteen to twenty years, so it is worth specifying against the work you expect to be doing at the end of that period rather than the work in front of you today.

Three things settle the decision, in this order.

1. What your building allows

Clear height to the lowest obstruction decides which types are possible at all — not the roof ridge, but the trusses, lighting, ducting and shutter mechanism. Baseplate two-post lifts start from around 2,800mm, clearfloor from around 3,500mm, and scissor lifts work comfortably below both. Our guide to workshop space requirements covers how to measure properly.

The floor matters as much. A two-post lift transfers everything into anchor bolts at the base of each column, so we specify at least 180mm of sound, cured C20/25 concrete. Our guide to concrete requirements explains how to establish what you have.

2. What work you do

Two-post lifts give the best underbody access with the wheels hanging free, which suits general servicing, brakes and repair. Four-post lifts are drive-on, very stable, and the natural platform for wheel alignment — though you need a jacking beam for wheels-off jobs. Scissor lifts need the least height and suit tyre and brake work in a tight bay. We compare all three in detail in our guide to choosing a lift type.

3. Capacity, with margin

Vehicle weights have risen steadily. A mid-size electric SUV can weigh what a large diesel 4x4 did a decade ago, and light commercials run to 3,500kg gross. For most general garages, 4.5 to 5.0 tonnes covers the range with room to spare. Buying at the limit is the most common regret we hear — see choosing lifting capacity.

Installation and compliance

Every lift we supply is installed to the manufacturer's instructions and BS 7980, with an installation certificate for your records. Before first use, lifting equipment needs a thorough examination by a competent person, and every six months thereafter — our LOLER guide sets out what that involves.

If you are unsure what your building can take, a free site survey settles height, floor, access and services in one visit before anything is ordered.