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Thread: MaxJax 2 Post Garage Lift Q+A

  1. #1
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    MaxJax 2 Post Garage Lift Q+A

    Any of you guys (or gals) have any experience with these MaxJax lifts? Costco has them on sale for $1999 thru the end of Sept and I am thinking of buying one. The photo is linked to a thread on another forum where a guy installs one in his garage.


    Rick
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    Back when these first came out you could find them for about half what they cost now. I know a couple people who bought them back then. I don't have one but I've worked under one. As you probably know they don't allow you to stand under the car. But you can work on a rolling stool pretty well. It's a heck of a lot nicer than working on jack stands like I do in my garage. But if you have the ceiling room a real 2 post isn't that much more and they are much nicer to work under. Of course you can't detach a regular 2 post and roll it into the corner either.
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    No tie across the top combined with installation on a typical 4" slab means this thing can't wait to tip over. Too short to be very useful anyway.
    For a bit more you can have real lift. If you don't have the ceiling height or enough concrete to anchor a proper two post don't bother. My$.02

    If you can leave two black stripes from the exit of one corner to the braking zone of the next, you have enough horsepower. - Mark Donohue

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    I am using one since 3 years, I like it, no problems at all. Fully sufficient for a DIYer, and it can be easily rolled into the corner. Here a pic of my one, I made a tie across for additional safety, as we have a lot of earthquakes here.
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1T6VPYEiEF...0/P1160661.jpg
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  5. #5
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    Put a four post lift in my garage, made by Backyard Buddy. The four poster allows me to store a car on it, or work under it. I do have a 13 foot high ceiling in my garage.

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    ALI certified. No. However made by Dannmar who do make decent lifts. For an additional $500 you could have the brigadier model which is ALI certified.

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    Get one so I can come over and use it :-P If I had a lift at home I would not even look at any indie to do work for me, they are all scammers.

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    Quote Originally Posted by zubbie View Post
    ALI certified. No. However made by Dannmar who do make decent lifts. For an additional $500 you could have the brigadier model which is ALI certified.
    Look, if it's good enough for the Shogun... enough said.

    Muhammad Ali???

    Quote Originally Posted by corcovado View Post
    Get one so I can come over and use it :-P If I had a lift at home I would not even look at any indie to do work for me, they are all scammers.
    I may get it, but regardless, anytime you want to come south and do some work on the car, I've been getting a lot of E34/M60 (and E36) training...
    Last edited by Bimmerick; 09-11-2014 at 05:14 PM.
    Rick
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    Check out Garage Journal, there are a ton of people there who have these. There are many very long threads with great information on them. There are also a lot of people will full sized lifts that weigh in as well with comments. Check out the general garage section and do a little searching.

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    Quote Originally Posted by HE53 View Post
    Check out Garage Journal, there are a ton of people there who have these. There are many very long threads with great information on them. There are also a lot of people will full sized lifts that weigh in as well with comments. Check out the general garage section and do a little searching.
    Can you possibly give the cliff notes for the overall consensus/impression/opinion from the peeps over there for lazy fackers like me?


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    Quote Originally Posted by twastheglow View Post
    Can you possibly give the cliff notes for the overall consensus/impression/opinion from the peeps over there for lazy fackers like me?

    not really possible. It all depends on your tastes and application.

    There are commercial well rated and expensive lifts (rotary, mohawk, Bendpak etc), there is offshore junk, there is stuff in between.

    There are 2 post, 4 post, overhead, portable, direct drive, pulley drive, symmetric or asymmetric.

    You can buy new or used, ALI certified (American Lift institute) or non certified.

    You owe it to yourself to read and understand the lift options and make a decision that is right for you.

    You are going to get underneath something that can kill you. Not the time to be a Lazy facker generally....
    Last edited by zubbie; 09-11-2014 at 09:52 PM.

  12. #12
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    Exactly, it all depends on what you want and what space is available and how often you use it. Simply make a list for your own needs and then select what to buy. In my case priorities were matching what they (maxjax) mention under features.
    I do not use it every week, so portability was important, and a must: it should be easy to install and do-able by one person, so the rollers underneath come handy.
    mobile power unit
    hydraulic system
    low profile arms
    and last but not least: From stowed to go in less than 15-minutes

    If I would have a pro shop and use a lift every day, then for sure I would have bought a pro tool, for that the lifting and lowering action is too slow. But for me as a DIYer it works sufficient.
    Shogun tricks and tips for the E32 series are HERE!

  13. #13
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    Seems like an awesome option for the DIYer. I wish I had enough garage space for something like this.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by shogun View Post
    Exactly, it all depends on what you want and what space is available and how often you use it. Simply make a list for your own needs and then select what to buy. In my case priorities were matching what they (maxjax) mention under features.
    I do not use it every week, so portability was important, and a must: it should be easy to install and do-able by one person, so the rollers underneath come handy.
    mobile power unit
    hydraulic system
    low profile arms
    and last but not least: From stowed to go in less than 15-minutes

    If I would have a pro shop and use a lift every day, then for sure I would have bought a pro tool, for that the lifting and lowering action is too slow. But for me as a DIYer it works sufficient.
    A lot of what Shogun says here is influencing my decision making process also. Below is a pic of what I am using now to get under my cars. It gets the car 8 inches off the floor... It works but is pretty low and clunky.

    I have been considering building a detached garage and installing a lift, but my children would prefer that I send them to college... The MaxJax will work in my house's 2 car attached garage, and can be set up and stored quicker than my ramps. It will go high enough to do any job (like replacing a dirty torque converter, doing an auto to manual swap, etc.)

    I would love to have a "big boy" lift, but in an average homeowner's garage, it's just not feasible.



    - - - Updated - - -

    Quote Originally Posted by HE53 View Post
    Check out Garage Journal, there are a ton of people there who have these. There are many very long threads with great information on them. There are also a lot of people will full sized lifts that weigh in as well with comments. Check out the general garage section and do a little searching.
    FWIW, the photo in my original post is from and is linked to a great Garage Journal thread on the lift.
    Rick
    <><

    1993 325is - The New Daily?
    1998 323is - The Daily Beater
    1995 530i - The Alternate Beater
    1995 540i/6 Touring - Lord Borthwick
    1995 540i - The Donor & Parts Locker - Finally sent to the Crusher - RIP

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmerick View Post
    I have been considering building a detached garage and installing a lift, but my children would prefer that I send them to college...

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    Quote Originally Posted by zubbie View Post
    not really possible. It all depends on your tastes and application.

    There are commercial well rated and expensive lifts (rotary, mohawk, Bendpak etc), there is offshore junk, there is stuff in between.

    There are 2 post, 4 post, overhead, portable, direct drive, pulley drive, symmetric or asymmetric.

    You can buy new or used, ALI certified (American Lift institute) or non certified.

    You owe it to yourself to read and understand the lift options and make a decision that is right for you.

    You are going to get underneath something that can kill you. Not the time to be a Lazy facker generally....
    Allow me to be more specific.

    I have an oversized 2 car attached garage at my house now. I also own the lot next door where I plan on building a large, 3 bay garage where a proper 2 post lift will be installed. For a few reasons, the build will in all likelihood not start for another 3-5 years. With that being said, I wouldn't mind throwing $2k at a "portable" lift now that will at least keep me off my back. That's something I would be in the market for next summer. Before any real consideration goes into anything I purchase/build, I will be doing an unreal amount of reading/research. But to be frank, I'm still far enough away from such a purchase that I haven't really looked into it terribly deeply. And to be honest, this is the first time I've come across the MaxJax (yes, I know they've been available for a while now). My question really was based on what the general consensus was on this particular lift for your average, run-of-the-mill 2 car garage with average ceiling height. Has it been worth it to most people? Do people feel it was made of good quality/construction? Does it seem durable? Have people had any issues with theirs (or heard of anyone that has)? Would people buy it again? I ask that here because you people seemed to either have this lift personally, or have already read these questions/answers.
    Last edited by twastheglow; 09-12-2014 at 10:17 AM.


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    I just picked up one of these off Craigslist. http://www.kwik-lift.com/ Garage ramps on steroids. Haven't tried it yet but I hope to do so next week.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by twastheglow View Post
    Can you possibly give the cliff notes for the overall consensus/impression/opinion from the peeps over there for lazy fackers like me?
    Quote Originally Posted by twastheglow View Post
    Allow me to be more specific.

    I have an oversized 2 car attached garage at my house now. I also own the lot next door where I plan on building a large, 3 bay garage where a proper 2 post lift will be installed. For a few reasons, the build will in all likelihood not start for another 3-5 years. With that being said, I wouldn't mind throwing $2k at a "portable" lift now that will at least keep me off my back. That's something I would be in the market for next summer. Before any real consideration goes into anything I purchase/build, I will be doing an unreal amount of reading/research. But to be frank, I'm still far enough away from such a purchase that I haven't really looked into it terribly deeply. And to be honest, this is the first time I've come across the MaxJax (yes, I know they've been available for a while now). My question really was based on what the general consensus was on this particular lift for your average, run-of-the-mill 2 car garage with average ceiling height. Has it been worth it to most people? Do people feel it was made of good quality/construction? Does it seem durable? Have people had any issues with theirs (or heard of anyone that has)? Would people buy it again? I ask that here because you people seemed to either have this lift personally, or have already read these questions/answers.

    No I can't give you cliffs as I've never been in the market for a Portable lift. I've skimmed a couple of the threads over time, but if you're actually in the market for one of these lifts I'd say, spend an hour and do some home work. I just gave you probably the best place to learn about the product from many people who have bought and used them.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by mrgraybeard View Post
    I just picked up one of these off Craigslist. http://www.kwik-lift.com/ Garage ramps on steroids. Haven't tried it yet but I hope to do so next week.
    Looks like a nice piece of gear; great Craigslist find... Did yours come with a "center lift bridge"? Starting new at $1049 with no free shipping (and not including a center lift bridge), it seems a little pricey. Bet it wasn't so pricey on CL...
    Rick
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  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by HE53 View Post
    No I can't give you cliffs as I've never been in the market for a Portable lift. I've skimmed a couple of the threads over time, but if you're actually in the market for one of these lifts I'd say, spend an hour and do some home work. I just gave you probably the best place to learn about the product from many people who have bought and used them.
    Which I fully intend to do. I just won't be in the market until next summer. Then in the market again for a full size 2-post down the road a little further.

    I just didn't know if anyone reading/posting in this thread had any input.


  21. #21
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    Changed my mind. I think I'll buy some of these...

    Rick
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmerick View Post
    Changed my mind. I think I'll buy some of these...

    Do you have Jay Leno's wallet? ;-)

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    Quote Originally Posted by corcovado View Post
    Do you have Jay Leno's wallet? ;-)
    Nice! And only $30,000.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bimmerick View Post
    Looks like a nice piece of gear; great Craigslist find... Did yours come with a "center lift bridge"? Starting new at $1049 with no free shipping (and not including a center lift bridge), it seems a little pricey. Bet it wasn't so pricey on CL...
    Yep, it came with the center bridge, but it wasn't powder coated, I'm sorry to say. The bugger is heavy! Each ramp is two pieces, and each piece weighs about 100 pounds. It's probably 550 lbs of steel total.

    My brother-in-law lent me his scissors lift long term (I think he just wanted it out of his garage), and I have to say I've never liked it. I anchored it to the concrete floor and it still shakes more than I wish it would. With the design of that two-post lift, I'd want it anchored in some thick concrete.Maybe the epoxy anchors the guy mentioned in the thread would be enough, but over time, who knows? If I had one I'd probably get a pro to install it.

  25. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by corcovado View Post
    Get one so I can come over and use it :-P If I had a lift at home I would not even look at any indie to do work for me, they are all scammers.
    Just pulled the trigger on the MaxJax... Not sure on delivery date yet.
    Rick
    <><

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