Is a lift necessary?

[Restomod]

it's not necessary, but man oh man will it make your life easier!

xx2!!!!!

[wedgehead]

lift Would not want to work on cars without one.

[dhutton]

Get the lift. I haven't seen anyone here who has one say otherwise. Once you have it you'll never look back.

[BonzoHansen]

I love my epoxy floor. Much brighter + cleaner, easier to clean up. Did it myself u-coat-it. 3 years+ no problems. Something went wrong when you did yours.

A lift is more useful in a 30x50 garage than a nice floor. I'd always prefer a 2 post lift if its primary use is work and not storage.

Your floor is aleady messed up so putting it off longer probably would not matter.

[bret]

I have a Rotary 4 post lift at my house and several Rotary 2 post lifts at our shop. I love them all. The 2 post is likely the most universally useful.

DON"T cheap out with a chinese lift!

If you have a concrete floor that is not brand new it is tough to get any epoxy to stick. I' m told it can be done but with varying results.

[Vegas69]

I spoiled myself on 2 post lifts working on cars for a few years. Everytime I crawl under my car on a creeper I'm reminded of how nice it would be. I don't know about you, but I always end up forgetting 12 things. Lift!!!!!!!

[brans72]

Lift all they way!!! you can change your own oil,rotate tires,do brakes,side work to pay for your car etc. I say leave the floor and do the lift. I don't think a pretty floor will hold up to welding,grinding,beating etc over years and years but a lift is a no brain investment. my .02

[69Nova]

This is how my garage looks right now. Half of the clutter is me going through stuff that was passed down to me.







I guess I'm worried that if I try and re-do my floor myself it will turn out like this again and I will have wasted even more money. But like you guys are saying I could probably save enough to buy a lift.

[mach1stang]

You built your shop the right way (doors on the long side) mine is the opposite so yours would not be as bad as mine. But I still have to say Craig had the best answer, it is not necessary but it does make things nicer to do.


Still got to go with the floor, the reflective-ness of the floor will make it brighter, cleaner looking.

Kody

[Charley Lillard]

I have two 4 post lifts. A US made Backyard Buddy and a Chinese made one. Big difference in quality but the US made is over 4 grand while the Chinese is under 2 grand. If you are not a pro shop and aren't wearing the thing out the Chinese one will work fine. Buy a hoist and do the floor later. My workshop floor is bare concrete and is great. You might look into having you floor ground to a fine finish. Was expensive but getting cheaper. Very smooth finish that is almost non slip. No coating to worry about coming up. Get a lift...best thing you will buy for your shop. You will wonder how you did without one for so long. Here is one like my cheap one.....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-Pos...motiveQ5fTools

[Rhino]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/4-Pos...motiveQ5fTools

Am I reading this link correctly? It comes with a caster kit? I don't think I'd want the potential for my car to move around while it's 8 foot in the air.

[jy211]

what about trying a company that does concrete staining?

[69Nova]

Yeah I'm thinking about just seeing if I can get someone to grind just the top little bit off to clean it up. I'm a little nervous about epoxy coating so I think thats a good route.

[Nine Ball]

Am I reading this link correctly? It comes with a caster kit? I don't think I'd want the potential for my car to move around while it's 8 foot in the air.

Casters only work when the lift is all the way down. That is how they function, the down position of the lift forces the casters to support the lift. They are removable, you only use them when you need to relocate the lift. Never with a car on top.

If I had to choose (I did) between epoxy or lift, it would be a no-brainer. Lift all the way. I built quite a few cars on jackstands, and it is a pain. You also gain more parking space with a lift. I have two Rotary lifts now, a 2-post and 4-post. The 2-post is more versatile.

[Jim Nilsen]

Have you ever seen the floors in Jay Leno's garage? With his $$$$$ he still has ugly floors in most places. The floor the Bugatti is sitting on or at least was a couple of years ago was as bad or worse than yours.

You walk on the floor so treat it as such and put your money in the lift or your car.

I am glad that I didn't spend the $2500 to do my floor because I would have been an Ahole about keeping it nice and would be a frustrated man about something like a floor.

Remember that the floor only has to hold you up and let things roll on it to be a good floor.

[dropit69]

are power tools necessary? no can do it with hand tools but HOT DAMN are they nice to have..first thing im doing when i get to build my new building is a lift..way too handy..my garage now the floors havent even been sealed adds to the look with the stains..lol

[406 Q-ship]

Between epoxy floors and a lift........handsdown LIFT. Sure it will be easier to wipe up spills off a smooth floor, but when your climbing up off your back for the twenty sixth time then a lift will be the most wanted item. Ask yourself this how many times do you have the car up on jackstands? If the answer is more than three times a year then it is lift all the way. Thank God I have the keys to work and can use their lifts.

[monza]

I have three cheap chinese four post lifts, mostly for storage. For sure not as nice as the beefy American made ones. They work great and I can't really see any areas where they would fail/brake for the average guy. A busy shop for sure beefier would be better. I also have easy access to a two post lift.... it's a toss up which way to go, both work great.

Lift before floor for sure, so handy. Nice shop buy the way!

I did do my floor with a quality epoxy system worked great, as said before prepping the floor is the key (chemical etch). I spent three days prepping a 20X40 garage floor. Cost of the epoxy was only 300-400.00. I've also hired people to do a floor with mechanical etching and a cheap epoxy coating, it looks like crap.

(please don't flame me for the chinese lifts, already went through that)

[bret]

Your floor is not "ugly" it's ..."charming". Think of it as being a rat rod floor...full of character!

[John Wright]