2 Post Lifts

Two Post Lifts for Sale: 92 Listings, 10 Manufacturers, 7,000 to 20,000 lb

This category is the two post section of our car lifts catalog, and it is the complete two post lineup at JMC Automotive Equipment: 92 listings from 10 manufacturers, all new equipment. 84 are in stock to order online; 8 are call-only today. Challenger Lifts accounts for 37 listings, BendPak 20, AMGO Hydraulics 11, JMC Equipment 6, Tuxedo 5, MaxJax 4, Nussbaum 4, APEX 2, iDEAL 2 and Omer Lifts 1. Rated capacity for service lifts runs from 7,000 lb on the portable MaxJax M7K to 20,000 lb on the Challenger CL20 and CL20-2 and the BendPak 20AP and 20AP-192, with 31 listings at 10,000 lb, 26 at 9,000 lb and 16 at 12,000 lb. The one exception is the BendPak PL6000DCX, a 6,000 lb two-post parking lift with shared columns and a deck platform rather than swing arms, listed here for vehicle storage.

A 2 post car lift holds the vehicle on swing arms, typically four, and leaves the wheels and the entire underside open, which is why it is still the default service lift for brake, suspension, exhaust and driveline work. Choosing one comes down to capacity, arm geometry, column style and what your building allows. Every figure below comes from these product pages.

Symmetric, Asymmetric, Versymmetric and Bi-Symmetric Arms

Symmetric lifts face the columns across from each other with equal-length arms, so the vehicle sits centered and the weight splits evenly front to rear. That is what you want for trucks and long wheelbases: the Challenger LE12 (12,000 lb, 2-stage front and rear arms), the LE12-3S with 3-stage arms, the E15 at 15,000 lb and the CL20 at 20,000 lb, plus the AMGO BP-9X and BP-10, the JMC9KFX and JMC9KSCX and the Tuxedo TP9KFX and TP9KSCX.

Asymmetric lifts rotate the columns and pair shorter front arms with longer rear arms, moving the vehicle back so the doors open between the columns. That is the difference a technician feels every day on a car-heavy bay: the AMGO OHX-10 and OHX-10H, the JMC9KACX, the Tuxedo TP9KACX and the Nussbaum HF3S9000.

Super-asymmetric is AMGO's arrangement on the OH-9 and the ALI certified OH-10, which the OH-9 page describes as accepting symmetric or asymmetric loading on the same lift. Versymmetric is Challenger's version of that idea and the largest family here: 13 listings, the twelve CL10AV3 configurations plus the VLE10. Bi-symmetric covers the JMC11KC-DX, the Tuxedo TP11KC-DX and the iDEAL TP10KAC-DX. The Challenger SA10 is set to either position at install, and its table shows what that costs: drive-thru clearance of 92.75 in. or 98.75 in. one way, 88.5 in. or 94.5 in. the other.

Eight arms is a category of one on this page. The BendPak OctaFlex 12DPS pairs four triple-telescoping primary arms rated 12,000 lb total and 3,000 lb per arm with four auxiliary lift-assist arms rated 6,000 lb total and 1,500 lb per arm, so the auxiliary set can carry a component while the primary set carries the vehicle. Its page names cab-off truck service, EV battery packs and drivetrains as the work it was built for, and lists 173.5 in. overall height and 102.75 in. drive-thru width. It is one of the eight call-only listings here, so ask us about availability before you plan a bay around it.

Clear-Floor vs Floorplate: Where the Cables Run

Clear-floor (overhead) lifts carry the equalization cables and hydraulic lines through the beam joining the columns above the vehicle, so on most of them nothing crosses the bay floor and a jack rolls straight through. Two exceptions on this page: BendPak's Adaptable Clearfloor short-rise models, the 10AP-SRT and 12AP-SRT, each add a floor plate 9.5 in. wide and 1.4 to 1.5 in. tall. Nussbaum goes the other way, and its NT HyperFlow models, the HF3S8000 OTTO and HF3S9000, state they run with no equalization cables at all. The cost of the overhead beam is headroom. BendPak lists overall heights of 145 in. on the 10AP, 157 in. on the 10APX, 168 in. on the 10AP-168, 181 in. on the 10APX-181, 169 in. on the 12APX, 16AP and 20AP, 173.5 in. on the OctaFlex 12DPS, and 193 in. on the high-rise 12APX-192, 16AP-192 and 20AP-192.

Floorplate (base plate) lifts route those cables through a plate on the floor between the columns, so the columns can be far shorter. You drive over the plate. The floorplate models here are the Challenger CLFP9, the AMGO BP-9, BP-9X, BP-10 and BP-12, the APEX AL9LC, the JMC9KFX and JMC9KF-TUX and the Tuxedo TP9KFX. The height difference is the point: the BP-9 is 108 in. overall, the APEX AL9LC 109.5 in. measured to the top of the cylinder at full height, the BP-9X and BP-10 111-7/8 in., the CLFP9 120.875 in., the BP-12 122.5 in. BendPak's 12APF is the heavy version, an open-top 12,000 lb lift with a 9.5 in. floor plate width and a shortened column for low-ceiling installations.

Capacity and What the Axle Ratings Mean

Rated capacity is not the only number: most manufacturers also publish a per-axle and sometimes a per-arm limit. The BendPak 10AP Series is rated 10,000 lb but 5,000 lb maximum per axle; the 12AP-SRT and 12APF are 12,000 lb total, 6,000 lb per axle and 3,000 lb per arm; the APEX AL9LC is 9,000 lb total and 4,500 lb per axle. Challenger states the rule outright: ratings assume loads equally distributed on all four arms.

The heavy end is the Challenger CL16-3S and CL16-2-3S at 16,000 lb, the CL20 and CL20-2 at 20,000 lb, the BendPak 16AP, 16AP-192, 20AP and 20AP-192, and the AMGO OH-18 at 18,000 lb (the Nussbaum HDL18000 is also 18,000 lb; call for availability). The light end is the portable MaxJax M7K at 7,000 lb, the lightest service lift here; below it on capacity sits only the BendPak PL6000DCX, the 6,000 lb parking lift with shared columns.

Two models are deliberately short: the BendPak 10AP-SRT reaches 46.25 in. maximum lifting height with pad and 42.5 in. maximum rise, the 12AP-SRT 46.25 in. and 43 in. At the top end the Challenger CL12A rises 84.75 in., the CL20 76.6 in. to 84.6 in. with stack adapters, and the BendPak 20AP reaches 90.25 in. with adapters at the top lock.

What Your Building Has to Give You

Ceiling height

This constraint eliminates models fastest, so measure first. The lowest published requirement here is the AMGO BP-9, whose page states its base plate design accommodates a ceiling of 9 ft or higher, consistent with its 108 in. overall height; the BP-9X page lists 9.5 ft. The lowest figure published as an explicit spec-table value is the Challenger CLFP9 at 10 ft 2 in. A large group is built around a 12 ft bay: the CL10AV3 fits 12 ft as standard with 2 ft and 3 ft column extensions available, and the SA10 and the CL10A-XP9 drive-on series list 12 ft, while the VLE10 lists 12 ft standard and 14 ft in its extended-height configuration.

Above that the numbers climb fast. The Challenger CL12A requires a minimum of 14 ft 3 in., the CL12A-1 15 ft 3 in. and the CL12A-2 16 ft 3 in. The CL16-3S and CL20 list 13 ft 8 in., 14 ft 2 in. or 14 ft 8 in., following the three column height options of 162 in., 168 in. and 174 in.; drive-thru clearance is set separately by the width option. The extended-height CL16-2-3S and CL20-2 list 15 ft 8 in., 16 ft 2 in. or 16 ft 8 in. The E15 requires 175 in. or 199 in., the LE12 and LE12-3S 167 in. or 176 in. AMGO adjusts at install instead: three column height settings on the OH-12, OH-12S and OH-18, two on the OH-9 and OHX-10H. The overhead switch bar hangs lower still: 134.5 in. on the CL10A-XP9, 142.5 in. on the BendPak GP-10C and the APEX AL10C.

The floor

Three models ship with their anchors: the BendPak GrandPrix GP-10C and the APEX AL9LC and AL10C each include a 10-piece concrete wedge anchor kit. The PL6000DCX is designed for installation on concrete surfaces. The slab specification your lift needs -- thickness, strength, cure -- is in the installation manual for that exact model, so ask us for it before you pour or drill.

Electrical service

Nearly everything here is single phase at 208 to 240 volts. The JMC Equipment, Tuxedo and iDEAL lifts list 220V, 20 AMP, 1 PH, and AMGO lists 2.0 HP at 220V, 60Hz, single phase. Challenger runs a 2 HP power unit at 208v-230v, 60Hz, 1Ph on most 9,000 lb and 12,000 lb models and 3 HP on the Quick Cycle versions and the CL16 and CL20 series. BendPak lists 220 VAC, 60 Hz, 1 Phase on the 10AP, 12APX, 16AP and 20AP families, with heavier draws on the 12AP-SRT (5 HP, 23 Amps) and PL6000DCX (4 HP, 22 Amps).

Four listings run on household power: all four MaxJax M7K packages -- Standard, Deluxe, Supreme and Ultimate -- are built on the M7K-110V, and the Standard Package table lists 110 VAC, 50-60 Hz, 1 Ph on a 15 A breaker. For three phase, Challenger offers power unit upgrades on the SA10, LE12, E15, VLE10, CL20 and CL20-2 as part numbers 3PH217 (208V), 3PH239 (230V) and 3PH469 (460V). The CL16-3S, CL16-2-3S, CL20 and CL20-2 also require shop air at 90-120 psi.

ALI Certification

Of the 92 listings on this page, 53 state ALI or ALI/ETL certification on their own spec sheet: 33 of the 37 Challenger Lifts models, 16 of the 20 BendPak models, both iDEAL lifts, the Omer Red 10 and the AMGO OH-10 ALI. The rest do not carry that statement on their product page, which is a fact about the page rather than a verdict on the lift. If certification is required by your insurer or a fleet contract, tell us the model and we will confirm its status before you order.

Model Comparison

Frequently Asked Questions

What capacity two post lift do I need?

Start from the heaviest vehicle you expect to service, then check the per-axle limit and not only the total: a 10,000 lb BendPak 10AP is capped at 5,000 lb per axle. If 3/4-ton and 1-ton trucks are routine, the 12,000 lb group is the realistic floor, 16 listings including the Challenger LE12, the AMGO OH-12 and OH-12S and the iDEAL TP12KSC-DX. Fleet and heavy truck work moves you to the 16,000 lb and 20,000 lb models.

How much ceiling height does a 2 post car lift need?

Between 9 ft and 16 ft 8 in., depending entirely on the model. The AMGO BP-9 carries the lowest published requirement on this page: its base plate design accommodates a ceiling of 9 ft or higher, and the BP-9X page lists 9.5 ft. Of the lifts that publish a numeric ceiling row, the Challenger CLFP9 is the lowest at 10 ft 2 in. A 12 ft bay opens up the CL10AV3, SA10 and CL10A-XP9 families and the standard-height VLE10; the extended-height CL12A-2, CL16-2-3S and CL20-2 need up to 16 ft 8 in. Measure to the lowest obstruction in the bay, not to the peak.

Clear-floor or floorplate for a low-ceiling shop?

Floorplate, in almost every case. Joining the columns at the floor instead of overhead is what lets the AMGO BP-9 stand at 108 in. and the CLFP9 at 120.875 in. You give up the clean floor, since you drive over the plate and it stays there. One lift sits lower than any floorplate model: the portable MaxJax M7K, at 89.5 in. overall the only listing on this page under 100 in. If the ceiling is not the binding constraint, clear-floor keeps the bay open.

Can I run a two post lift on 110V?

Only the MaxJax M7K here, in any of its four packages, which is also why it works as a portable lift in a home garage: its Standard Package lists 110 VAC, 50-60 Hz, single phase on a 15 A breaker. Every other lift on this page that publishes a voltage is 208 to 240 volt single phase. Four listings publish none at all -- the Nussbaum HDL18000, HF3S8000 OTTO and HF3S9000, and the Omer RED-10 -- so ask us before you plan the circuit. Three phase is a documented power unit upgrade on several Challenger models.

What if I have room for only a short lift?

The MaxJax M7K is a portable 7,000 lb two post lift on 110V, and at 89.5 in. overall it is the shortest lift on this page. The BendPak 10AP-SRT and 12AP-SRT are short-rise, short-column lifts topping out near 46.25 in. of lifting height, aimed at tire and detail work. And the floorplate group, led by the Challenger CLFP9, the AMGO BP series and the BendPak 12APF, fits bays where the overhead beam of a clear-floor lift will not clear. Send us your bay dimensions and we will help you rule out what does not fit.