not many in that price range...
You wont find a lift for under 1500 bucks (new) that is much good..there are some "parking lifts" for that price in catalogs like Northern Tool,but it says right on them "not reccomended for daily bussiness use"..that tells me they don't hold up for long if you raise and lower it a lot!..for a "backyard" mechanic they might be fine though...
Used is the way to go,in my opinion..I run into "deals" once in a while,like when a garage closes or is sold, and new owners want the place "gutted" so they can remodel the building to their specs..but I haven't been able to be the lucky one to "score" a lift so far..mostly because I lacked the means of getting it home..(now I have a friend with a ramp truck,so I'll probably never see another lift going for cheap!
)..
I'd like to have a lift in my shop,I feel its pretty worthless without one--I'm always begging my friend to use his,it makes working under vehicles so much easier ..I ache for days after lying on a cement slab,crawling on the floor!..
But I blew all my money putting the building up,and probably wont ever get enough up to buy a lift now..
I liked the lift my friend had for doing wheel alignments--it had two "tracks" you drove the car up on,then it lifted the car..it was open in the center,and had a rolling air jack--made tranny and exhaust work a breeze..had turntables for the front wheels,and had an 11,000 lb rating!..I was stupid to let that one get away!..I like that style better than the "two post" ones--no smashing the side mirrors on the posts,or struggling to get out of the vehicle,since the doors often hit the posts..or having to work on it outside,because the vehicle is too wide to fit between the two posts...
I have seen others here in my area find good used two post lifts for 800-1000 bucks,but they had to pay to have it installed ,and hire a truck to get it there..I have seen many different brands,they all seem to work pretty well,I cant say there is any particular brand to avoid or seek out..seems they all have their problems sometimes..my friend bought a "Bend-Pak" lift used for 800 bucks that is like new,but he had to have the motor on the pump rebuilt already,despite it not being used that much before ho got it..cost him 200 bucks to have the motor rewound..still cheap compared to a new one though....
