2-post lift outside?

Blaze

Blaze

The Jeeper Reaper
Joined
Aug 9, 2005
Location
Wake Forest, NC
So I just scored a 2-post Rotary lift for a song. Dirty cheap. I don't really have a space for it right now, but for the price I couldn't pass it up.

I am planning on building an extension to my shop, but it is down the list of things while I try and sell some stuff and fix some stuff on my actual house. In the mean time, I could always have the pad poured and mount the lift so it isn't just sitting under my storage area. I'm not sure if it can be done outside though. Thoughts? I guess it should have a outdoor rated power unit, but not sure?
 
Spray it down with WD40 or similar every few weeks and keep the motor well covered, and it will be fine. Some shops around here have lifts outside uncovered.
 
That old service station that was to the west of Crabtree Valley Mall had a two post outside for as long as I can remember.

You can kinda see it here, from 2013:

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pour a pad and put up a cheap carport.
 
JSJJ388 said:
pour a pad and put up a cheap carport.
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I may actually do something like that. I am having a concrete guy come out for a quote this weekend. I might just do a pole barn style roof and then frame it in when I have the time.
 
Blaze said:
I may actually do something like that. I am having a concrete guy come out for a quote this weekend. I might just do a pole barn style roof and then frame it in when I have the time.
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I think that would be the best bang for the buck. You can build a pole barn and a carport for pretty cheap. If you have some old power poles, its almost stealing how cheap you can build it.
 
JSJJ388 said:
I think that would be the best bang for the buck. You can build a pole barn and a carport for pretty cheap. If you have some old power poles, its almost stealing how cheap you can build it.
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Well, I'd use 8x8 posts. I want to be able to frame it in easily and enclose it. I have having a bunch of trees in my yard cut down to 2x4s but they won't be ready to use for like a year.
 
X3 on the cheap carport.
Hey, we even know a guy that can build ya' a metal one real cheap....
 
Used to have a Community Service Station & Garage, where I grew up. Two inside bays, 1 with lift & 1 was wash or work bay, no lift. They put a post lift outside, on a pad. Been there for Yars & Yars. Closed now, but bet that lift still works!
 
There’s a shop not far from me that still uses an outside lift. Drove by a few weeks ago and they had a car lifted up working on it. I don’t see an issue with it.
 
rodney eppes said:
Don't Have to have a pad, but if your buying & installing a lift, why not make it Nice?
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Exactly. Dropping bolts/nuts and tools in the gravel when you don't need to, might as well put a floor and make it nice.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
do you really need to pour a pad up front, or just dig the footers and pour under where the posts feet will be?
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Pour a pad. With rebar. The last thing you want is an imbalanced load toppling the lift.
 
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