Hydraulic bike lift bench

[wallcraft]

Gents
Looking to buy one of these, don't want one that dominates my single garage, so looking for a fairly compact one around 2.0m in length.
Just wondering what peeps are using and advise etc..

Thanks
Mark.

[Gitram]

got a machine mart one on a vat free day, which nicely offset the delivery charge.. its about a couple of feet wide and does take up a fair bit of space but you can also use it as a workbench if needed.. ( place to pile all sorts of stuff or park bike on when its down..). there are ones which are fairly narrow but i didn't see the point.. it's also too heavy to lift up and lean against a wall to get it out the way but it does make life more pleasant than kneeling on a stray nut or something on the floor..

marti

[veg]

You need to remember that they need space greater than their footprint. When you raise and lower them and also using the detachable ramp etc, then you’ll need a good few feet either side as well. They take up a fair amount of space, they are bloody heavy as marti says. I wouldn’t be without mine now one of the greatest bits of kits I’ve ever bought.

[rigga]

Size and the fact the weight makes them immovable put me off one.

I have a static sealey one with a ramp to run the bike on to it, nice height to work on, and it folds up and can be moved easily out of the way so not taking up valuable garage space.

[reedpete]

Make sure you get a ‘x’ lift Not a cantilevered one as it will go up and down on its own foot print rather than neededing the extra room. and yes, detachable loading ramp is best for tight spaces ( like my garage). Once the bikes up you can remove the tail and the back end can hang over in free air… but at least you can squeeze around it.

[reedpete]

[wallcraft]

Thanks gents, all good points.
Pete hadn't thought about the cantilevered ones taking more operational room, I'll check out the x lift ones. What make is yours. Getting ready at long last for the build up 😉

[billbott]

I too have the machine mart type and wouldn’t be without it. It’s in my single garage and does take up some room, but I’ve usually got a bike on it for one job or another. If not I park my Lc on it and shove it to the wall so it’s not taking up any space as such.
It’s currently got my 250 project on it...

[veg]

Let’s be honest as well at our age it’s great to not be on your knees. Buy a small wheeled seat as well.

[bezzer]

Hi Mark,
I bought mine from this company, and have been very pleased with it :

cjautosheywood.co.uk/product/800lbs-hydraulic-motorbike-lift-mb03a/

They have 4 different sizes listed, so at least you can make an informed choice 😁👍🏻.

Regards bezzer

[billbott]

Nov 6, 2022 20:45:49 GMT 1 veg said:

Let’s be honest as well at our age it’s great to not be on your knees. Buy a small wheeled seat as well.

I got a wheeled seat too 👍😊

[JonW]

Yes wheeled seat and an hydraulic X lift is what you need. I wouldnt be without these in my life.

Ive got the extra wide version and its great for putting parts on that are for the project on the lift. Even the long ones only seem to be just long enough for our bikes. My ramp comes off, its very heavy and solid and will need a home as well. I agree, you wont be lifting this up and storing it against a wall very often.

Ive found I can slide my around on the garage floor with a bike on it if i give it a good shove, just make sure the front wind down locks are up first or it'll be 5x as hard to move and you'll skag your painted floor... dont ask how i know that lol

EDITED: ditch the wind-on front chock and fit an over center unit. Mine holds a bike solidly on just the front wheel with this, even when moved around. Its even better locked in when on the center stand of course. pic below:

[katanajak]

Ive had one of these for a few years now and all I can say is get one as soon as you can .
This is a Harbor freight but looks much like the machine mart model.
Not perfect ,they will slide on a smooth floor so find a way.to lock it down I have a 2x4 at each end secured with Tap con screws into the concrete .
The wheel clamp they come with is a joke dont use it just about any roll in chock works .
Other than that its the best tool/shop investment ive made.
Just my dimes worth hope it helps your decision.

[katanajak]

Here's a comparison of 3 lifts but just check out this guy's collection. 
The D 16 on a $ 300 harbor freight lift makes my day .
Y'all enjoy 
Jak

[reedpete]

Basically it’s essential to adapt working conditions as we get older.
I can’t bend like I used to..
Get up off the floor like I used
See like I used to
Shiver and ignore it like I used to
Persevere with the wrong tools on hopeless tasks like I used to..

But I’m still here and messing with LCs … so pamper yourself where possible and make it as enjoyable and rewarding as possible …

[stusco]

Ive got an abba sky lift you can take apart and store it when not in use

[stusco]

Nov 7, 2022 8:28:07 GMT 1 stusco said:

Ive got an abba sky lift you can take apart and store it when not in use

[Tobyjugs]

Hi Mark, i own a cantilever lift which is air operated.

As other people have mentioned they double up great as an extra workbench and that is a big + in my eyes. I would also reccomend getting the widest type you have room for. I say that because you will probably have to fit stands under your bike for certain maintenance jobs.

This is where the Abba stand is great. After i first used one it was a bit of a revelation and i thought why have i struggled all this time without one. I went away and bought a basic stand as soon as i could.

For example removing the end on a bike with only a side stand or no stand, sometimes have to strip away more of the bike just so you can support it. The pipes on a 2T run under the bike mostly where you might want to support the bike. I then use my Abba stand on my normal bike lift to keep the work to the minimum. It works ok with an RD but if i have a big old aircooled 4 cylinder 4T then my bike lift is not wide enough to use the Abba stand.

I keep imming and amming over ordering the Abba Skylift shown above. I'm not going to reccomend one type or the other i just want you to know my experiances.

I think the conventional lift is great and you safely drop an engine out a bike and use it as an extra work bench for said engine rebuild or whatever as they make sturdy benches.

I think the Abba stand is more convenient to use, space saving and very manouverable, but i'm not sure how it would for dropping an engine out. No place to put any parts to be fitted or just removed. Also if you spill fluids it will fall straight on the floor and with the conventional bike lift you have a chance of catching some of the fluid before it hits the floor.

Good luck with your choice.

[keith101]

Get the widest you can and without side lips.
The kick down arm and side stands means you have to put the bike to the side. The other thing is length. I found on mine I'd have the bike as far forward as possible but the mainstand was very close to the where the ramp joined. Plus the surface even though it has checker plate means the stand doesn't grip when you pull back. So get as wide and long as you can.

[beardy]

Something I did to my X type bench lift to make it safer imo. I drilled pairs of holes down the side of the ramp and I have car exhaust type clamps going through them. This allows for ratchet type straps to attach the bike to the bench. Mine also has wheels and threaded vertical rods on each corner so that once in position you screw the rods down and the wheels come off the ground so it doesn’t roll around.

[Dave B]

I have a very heavy pneumatic bench, but I even in my mid seventies, have no problem turning it on its side to lie against the wall. I just use a yard long bar through the cross tube at the bottom of the X as a lever. I use it to lower it down too. It makes the whole process much more civilised.

[darboots]

I have mine at an angle in the garage - i.e. not in line with the walls. This gives a little more space around the ramp for working.

I also fitted ribbed rubber matting to the base plate to provide some grip. It's a pain when you drop fluids onto the matting, but it does clean up with Blue Roll.

As mentioned previously, an Abba bike stand will not fit due to the upturned sides on the Machine Mart jack. Not too much of an issue for bikes with a centre stand - or, carefully use a paddock stand - it's squeaky bum time when putting my ZZR1400 onto the ramp, one handed, while trying to get the lardy beast onto a paddock stand, but it does work.

[Tobyjugs]

Nov 7, 2022 13:53:34 GMT 1 darboots said:

I have mine at an angle in the garage - i.e. not in line with the walls. This gives a little more space around the ramp for working.

I also fitted ribbed rubber matting to the base plate to provide some grip. It's a pain when you drop fluids onto the matting, but it does clean up with Blue Roll.

As mentioned previously, an Abba bike stand will not fit due to the upturned sides on the Machine Mart jack. Not too much of an issue for bikes with a centre stand - or, carefully use a paddock stand - it's squeaky bum time when putting my ZZR1400 onto the ramp, one handed, while trying to get the lardy beast onto a paddock stand, but it does work.

I know that feeling ha ha 

[wallcraft]

Great response gents, sums up this forum really.
Thanks
Mark

[wallcraft]

Nov 7, 2022 0:21:27 GMT 1 JonW said:

Yes wheeled seat and an hydraulic X lift is what you need. I wouldnt be without these in my life.

Ive got the extra wide version and its great for putting parts on that are for the project on the lift. Even the long ones only seem to be just long enough for our bikes. My ramp comes off, its very heavy and solid and will need a home as well. I agree, you wont be lifting this up and storing it against a wall very often.

Ive found I can slide my around on the garage floor with a bike on it if i give it a good shove, just make sure the front wind down locks are up first or it'll be 5x as hard to move and you'll skag your painted floor... dont ask how i know that lol

EDITED: ditch the wind-on front chock and fit an over center unit. Mine holds a bike solidly on just the front wheel with this, even when moved around. Its even better locked in when on the center stand of course. pic below:

That looks nice and compact, how long is the bench, , could you put a longer wheel base bike on it using the ramp for the back wheel to sit on? Oh, and what a stunner sitting there.
Thanks
Mark.

[stusco]

So that’s where my missing socks are

[JonW]

Nov 7, 2022 21:43:16 GMT 1 wallcraft said:

Nov 7, 2022 0:21:27 GMT 1 JonW said:

Yes wheeled seat and an hydraulic X lift is what you need. I wouldnt be without these in my life.

Ive got the extra wide version and its great for putting parts on that are for the project on the lift. Even the long ones only seem to be just long enough for our bikes. My ramp comes off, its very heavy and solid and will need a home as well. I agree, you wont be lifting this up and storing it against a wall very often.

Ive found I can slide my around on the garage floor with a bike on it if i give it a good shove, just make sure the front wind down locks are up first or it'll be 5x as hard to move and you'll skag your painted floor... dont ask how i know that lol

EDITED: ditch the wind-on front chock and fit an over center unit. Mine holds a bike solidly on just the front wheel with this, even when moved around. Its even better locked in when on the center stand of course. pic below:

That looks nice and compact, how long is the bench, , could you put a longer wheel base bike on it using the ramp for the back wheel to sit on? Oh, and what a stunner sitting there.
Thanks
Mark.

Thanks for the kind words Mark.

I can measure the length for you, but I was thinking that I bought it in Aus so it'd not be easy to find in the UK, however of course all these are Chinese so its quite possible in reality.

I doubt that the ramp would be somewhere youd want to hold weight once the lift was raised. Its only 'slipped on' from one side with two locating mounts and droops a bit when the lift is raised. You could fit some spars and locate it better of course. 30mins with a welder and it'd do that for sure. The ramp is full width and quite long.

I would say that anyone with a long bike should always check the length of a prospective purchase, most of these ramps are shorter than you might like.

To gain extra length I did fit the over center wheel chock further forward than the front edge of the lift. I figured so long as the wheel center is on the lift its ok etc. This was because the over center chocks are quite long.

Re Beardy's comment about straps, I should say that in all the years Ive had my lift with this chock Ive never had an issue with a bike falling with no straps, but would still advise others to use them. especially if not using one of this style chock. In my pic you can see i 'rely' (term used loosely) on a bungee on the front wheel... thats just to hold the wheel as a 'safety afterthought'

[abar121]

I would just add that having used both, I do prefer one with a plywood top.

They are less slippery when wheeling in a bike with wet tyres, or if the bench has some liquid or oil on them. Also somehow nicer on your limbs if you are resting on them. If you have the space, extra length is useful as you can easily get bike on / off the centre stand with room to spare.

Wider is good, especially when using stands (ABBA especially), although you are leaning over it more.

Also when thinking about the front wheel clamp / stand, being able to slide the front wheel out easily is useful.

[Gunny]

I have a set of plans for one if anyone fancies getting the welder out

[donkeychomp]

'She was the dancing queen, only seventeen, so she got her licence and was keen, and bought an LC that was totally mean, and now needs a bike stand, that costs less than a grand, something she can use with one hand'

Copyright ABBA

Alex

ps I have a cheapo machine mart one that works just fine and I can move it about fairly easily. And it folds up too.