Be Certain To Ask A Few Questions About Your Auto Lift Before You Make A Purchase 

Whether you are a professional or an amateur car-lover, having your own car lift is a definite must for vehicle maintenance. With the help of an auto lift, performing routine maintenance is made much easier. In addition, if you are someone who has always dreamed of tearing a car down or rebuilding a beautiful ride, having a car lift can make the job much easier and more enjoyable.

Unfortunately, selecting the perfect car lift can often times be challenging. Once you start looking for places that sell lifts, you will find that there are dozens of different brands and styles available. This can make determining which one is the best for your needs a bit of a challenge.

In addition, not all lifts are created equally. Therefore, it is important to know what you are looking for before you start searching for the perfect car lift for your garage.

Some questions you should ask when purchasing an auto lift include…

• Is the lift ALI Certified?
• Was the lift manufactured in a facility that is ISO-9001 compliant?
• Does the lift offer customer-driven features and designs that were developed by accomplished engineers?
• Do the lifts undergo extensive testing and quality control procedures before they are put on the market?
• Are the lifts put together with computerized machines and certified welders within multi-axis machine centers?
• Is it made by a reputable manufacturer?
• What is the warranty?

1) Is the lift ALI Certified? 
This point is number 1 for a reason. It is very important. If you want a premium quality lift, nothing will assure you more than getting one that is ALI Certified. ALI is the authority on quality and safety testing for automotive lifts. Most lifts are not certified. We're not saying that all non ALI Certified lifts are sub-par.  Just that you can be certain of the quality when it is.
You can view more about ALI here.

2) Was the lift manufactured in a facility that is ISO-9001 Compliant?
This goes right along with ALI Certification. In fact, any lift that is certified meets this standard, because ALI with inspect the facility to make sure it is.

3) Does the lift offer customer-driven features and designs that were developed by accomplished engineers?
Take a look around the internet. You'll find so many new , no-name lifts out there today. Many will claim to have been around for decades, yet if you research their company, you'll find that they've only been in existance for a few years. Furthermore, these cookie cutter lifts many times are the exact same lift, made in the exact same factory, just with everybody slapping their own sticker on it.

4) Do the lifts undergo extensive testing and quality control procedures before they are put on the market?
ALI certification assures the lift undergoes these tests and procedures, but what about the lifts that are not ALI Certified? Look, we're not claiming all the non ALI Certified lifts out there are sub par. But it does mean you'll have to look more closely to make sure. 

5) Are the lifts put together with computerized machines and certified welders within multi access machine centers.
Example: Chaeck out of lifts made by BendPak, Challenger and Forward. These are three of the top tier names in the business. Nobody makes them better. And we've been distributing them for decades. You can be assured of cutting edghe technology, and more importantly, no shortcuts. Sklilled labor and state of the art facilities in all....

6) Is it made by a reputable manufacturer? 
Right along with the previous point, when you choose a premium name manufacturer, you are assured of a quality product. But what about some of the lesser known brand names out there? How do you know if they have a good reputation? The internet gives the consumer a large amount of power. Just search for the company name on any major search engine. Check out their reputation, their reviews, and how long they've been in business. You'll be amazed how many bad reviews are out there for many companies. It's not just about the quality of the product. Anybody can have a warranty issue pop up. But do they take care of you after the sale?

7) What is the warranty? 
Many of the lift manufacturers that we carry have similar warranties. And many other lift distributors and manufacturers will try to make it appear that they have an all-inclusive, all encompassing warranty. But if you take the time to dig a little deeper, you'll find that it isn't all as they claim it to be. First, many of those bargain brand lifts out there do not cover labor as part of their warranty. So make sure to ask about that. You'll also want to check and see how many service centers they have nationwide. Finally, what about parts availability?  What good is a warranty if they can't get you parts in a timely manner?

The reality is that purchasing a car lift is a hefty investment. Therefore, you want to be certain the lift you purchase has undergone extensive testing to ensure its quality and safety. After all, you will be spending time beneath the auto lift and the car it is holding, which means a poor-quality lift can actually put your life at risk.

When browsing through the lifts that are available on the market, you should also consider your current as well as future needs. Purchasing a car lift that is able to accommodate more weight than you currently need may be a good idea if you anticipate working on heavier vehicles in the future. On the other hand, if this type of work is not in your plans, spending the extra money for one of these lifts may not be money well-spent.

In the end, purchasing the perfect auto lift means taking your time to research your options and to learn as much as you can about the products that are available. In doing so, you will be able to weigh the pros and cons of each - and you will be certain to select a lift that suits your budget as well as your needs.

We get it. There are so many choices out there, it can be hard to choose. That's what we're here for. We've been doing this since 1996. 
So give us a call at 860-626-9633 with any questions, and we'll help you choose the best fit for your needs.

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