Lifts? Opinions on this one and others...

[sled_dog]

Well Dad and I hit an auction today of a dealership that just moved. Lifts went for fairly crazy amounts. We've planned to put a lift in the new pole barn we just built so now we are shopping. Found this one on Ebay, called the place, $1900 shipped to the local freight depot(which isn't far).

http://www.completehydraulic.com/cl10000oh.htm

Looks like a nice unit, but hey, looks can of course be decieving. Anyone know questions I should be asking here? I put cars up and down all day long on a 9000lbs, cable 2 post lift. Means I know a slight bit more than my Dad, and thats not a lot.
The biggest thing that will ever go up on it is my Dad's truck and anything I get down the road. Dad's is a 2500HD, 6.0L gas, long bed extended cab with a work cap full of tools. So, I know a good 9000lbs will lift it fine. I've lifted similar trucks on my 9,000 at work plenty of times.

For us a lift will mostly be, projects. First planned project is Dad's street stock race car(simple little circle track car). Second is Dad's 1969 Firebird(he wants to tub it, I want to minitub). So its nothing like what I do at work all day, but still we don't want a crappy lift. Dad was hoping to spend around $2000 or 2500 but if it NEEDS to be more I could see it happening.

Help anyone?

 

[rdn2blazer]

do you know if the lock out feature is notches cut into a beam or welded steel pieces to the structure for the fingers to engage into? I like the idea of the notches, this garentees a safe as possible lock out situation. if its a welded lock out setup your relying on the welds not failing. not that they are not probably very strong but its just not as good a design feature IMHO. that is the kind of features I would look for.

 

[ryan22re]

but you would be counting on the welds not failing anywhere else too. i would be more concerned with the welds failing on the lifting arms, not the lock out system. better yes, but if used well below its lifting capacity, i dont see how it could be a problem.

 

[sled_dog]

but you would be counting on the welds not failing anywhere else too. i would be more concerned with the welds failing on the lifting arms, not the lock out system. better yes, but if used well below its lifting capacity, i dont see how it could be a problem.

yeah, I often stand there and look at my lift at work. The welds, well I'd be unhappy if they were mine on a chassis...