65GS.com - Buick Gran Sport Enthusiasts!
General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: elagache on February 20, 2019, 03:24:24 PM
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Dear mid-60s Buick owners who may (or may not) make the monthly pilgrimage to Costco,
This morning's Costco email flyer included a sale on the QuickJack 5,000-LB Capacity Portable Car Lift:
https://www.costco.com/.product.100460313.html (https://www.costco.com/.product.100460313.html)
The design is interesting, it does fold up so that it can be stored compactly but then expands to be able to lift a substantial vehicle. This company has been around for some time. Here is the manufacturer's website:
https://www.quickjack.com/ (https://www.quickjack.com/)
The Costco price of $999.99 has everybody beat as usual. Here is the best that Amazon can do for example:
https://www.amazon.com/QuickJack-5175376-BL-5000SLX-Car-Lift/dp/B01IDENJQG (https://www.amazon.com/QuickJack-5175376-BL-5000SLX-Car-Lift/dp/B01IDENJQG)
Alas, Glenn has uncovered a consistent series of quality control complaints in the Costco reviews. So this is an item that needs some thought before you pull the trigger. Caveat Emptor! Nonetheless, most the reviewers still recommend buying the lift. Anyone can buy this product. You don't need to be a Costco member as far as I can tell.
Cheers, Edouard
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That is kind of cool !
Loren
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Boy, looks interesting. just what I have been looking for. Reading the reviews makes me think I need to pass. Looks like the same issues over and over again.
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Dear Loren, Glenn, and mid-60s Buick owners who are savvy shoppers,
Boy, looks interesting. just what I have been looking for. Reading the reviews makes me think I need to pass. Looks like the same issues over and over again.
Thanks for going a bit further in the reviews than I had time for this morning. It does seem to be an interesting concept that might have either been badly manufactured or transported. In order to get rid of these they dumped them on Costco at a bargain price.
It appears that companies try to get away with this because Costco customers are apparently more willing to put up with inferior quality products because they were a bargain. I've added a caveat to the original posting. Still the concept seems interesting. Perhaps the company has another product that is better made or a competitor will make this sort of product without the flaws.
Cheers, Edouard
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Anyone that is interested in buying one of those style lifts make sure you read the instructions on how they operate very thoroughly . Those are really commonly used for dirt track racing and the GOOD ones are very handy . Some of those lifts don't have safety catches meaning they can collapse if a hose or cylinder were to fail . Also some of them are hydraulic pressure going up only and not down . meaning they come down fast .
Theres a wide range of quality in them so be sure and do your home work before buying one .
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I'll stick with my floor jack, drive up ramps and jack stands.
I use the floor jack and set the car on the drive up ramps unless I need the suspension to dangle.
That keeps the frame flexing and door open/closing from being hard on hinges and latches.
Once I put it up on the stands/ramps, I shake the ever-lovin'-snot-outta-it before sliding my squishable parts underneath.
Those lifts look too much like an accident waiting to happen. And the only access is front or rear and sliding into a "box".
(http://www.wootmonkey.com/upload/2015/07/29/20150729085509-f82c2372.gif)
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I'll stick with my floor jack, drive up ramps and jack stands.
I use the floor jack and set the car on the drive up ramps unless I need the suspension to dangle.
That keeps the frame flexing and door open/closing from being hard on hinges and latches.
Once I put it up on the stands/ramps, I shake the ever-lovin'-snot-outta-it before sliding my squishable parts underneath.
Those lifts look too much like an accident waiting to happen. And the only access is front or rear and sliding into a "box".
([url]http://www.wootmonkey.com/upload/2015/07/29/20150729085509-f82c2372.gif[/url])
Some good thoughts there Michael, thanks
Loren
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Dear John, Michael, Loren, and mid-60s Buick owners who learned a thing or two about engineering,
. . . .
Those lifts look too much like an accident waiting to happen. And the only access is front or rear and sliding into a "box".
Your point is very well taken but with a certain amount of melancholy. Between having a father who was a mechanical engineer and having a B.A. in Physics, I'm 100% certain such a lift could be designed with an extremely high degree of safety. What is required is locking mechanisms that are put into place after the lift is extended which lock the frame into place (much like a bridge truss.) If allied armies could deploy Bailey bridges (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bailey_bridge) and drive tanks over them, designing and manufacturing a safe lift is nothing more than applying basic structural and mechanical engineering principles.
Alas, it would take a lot of effort to make sure that a particular product does in fact provide a reasonably fool-proof structure that won't fall on the user. I didn't have time to look into the details of this particular design, but I all know that cost savings frequently trumps conservative design. I would certainly be interested in a design that is built on the principles I have suggested, but at the moment, I'm sorry to have even brought up the product in my haste.
Oh well, . . . . . Edouard
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No, friend, you owe no such apology.
I come from a family of engineers, innovators, machinists, mechanics in drag racing and aviation and having been in it all my life, safety and "what can go wrong" is always the first thing my Mk 1 Mod 0 eyeball locks on. (my father was killed drag racing, and that has had an impact on my outlook my entire life regarding how fast a thing can go badly)
I do not see a glass as half empty or half full. I see container that wants to maim me, with contents that will drown or poison me. :tongue3:
You keep posting the neat things you do.
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I do not see a glass as half empty or half full. I see container that wants to maim me, with contents that will drown or poison me. :tongue3:
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I'm an Engineer as well. Half empty or half full?.....My opinion is that the glass was not designed for the correct capacity!
The design of the Quickjack makes me nervous. Every corner of that 'box' is a flexible joint. The single lock bar does little to make that trapezoid into a solid, geometrically stable stand. Four lock bars may strengthen it sufficiently in case of a malfunction.
And this statement in the manual sums up it's intended use and limitations:
>>>Do not work under an elevated Vehicle unless properly rated Vehicle Jack Stands are used and place under the factory approved Lifting Points.<<<<
So there you go, it's only designed to raise and lower the car and not safely support it for working underneath it. And since it raises/lowers at an angle (not straight up/down) it may be difficult to lower a car evenly down onto 4 jack stands without side loading them.
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And the only access is front or rear and sliding into a "box".
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And the only EXIT is at the front/rear! Scary!
It is what it is.... designed to raise and lower a car from the ground to jackstands.
Instead of jackstands (or in addition to), I often use block platforms under each of the four tires.
And if I'm working under a lifted car, I'll take a wheel/tire under there with me in case the car does fall.... hoping it'll keep ME from getting crushed.
But thanks for the post! The product does has an intended use but most are likely to not fully realize it's limitations until after they buy it.
And if you do buy one, be sure to wear your safety glasses while using it! (that's in the manual too). :tard:
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Dear Edouard, and fellow Buick owners that are proponents of working safely in a dangerous environment; Ive looked at these which are sold locally. Theres a model for every need. HOWEVER, its been my misfortune to battle the chinaman on more than one occasion, and with 5 BILLION playing as part of the conspiracy, it aint pretty. All this stuff is Pacific Rim built as I am sure youre aware. Yung Tung sentenced to life in a Gulag gets an extra bowl of rice for producing and extra 10 units per day. Quality control? Hell, they probably use a knotted string for measurements. These lifts arent any different, and the feed back shows it. ONE failed quick disconnect on the oil side can cause DEATH.
HARBOR "FRIGHT" style of stuff may be OK for a fledgling amateur but with 5000 lbs on top of you you were just promoted to advanced trainee. Just a few weeks ago I was using my trusty (20 YO chinapact) impact wrench when I had an explosive failure. What was it? The quick disconnect BROKE on the gun leaving the air supply end of the hose LIVE and whipping all over the shop. I had to literally dive onto the Black Mamba to subdue it. The conspiracy you ask? Not a mere hose failure, but designed failure points to capture the most collateral damage. As bad as being blinded, busting a tooth, or maybe just an out of control air hose smacking that windshield on that 1929 Bugatti. Fun Tung laughs all the way to latrine.
Being M.E.'s polish up on your ASME and SAE welding procedures, then bone up on material standards. Those are my TWO biggest gripes. Caveat Emptor. Please dont get killed over a bowl of rice. Due Dilligence! Bill
Below is one of a million sets made, all from the same GULAG.
https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=9MhvXPSNMoq_jgS1yYewAg&q=titanlifts.com&btnK=Google+Search&oq=titanlifts.com&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l2.2505.2505..6081...0.0..0.134.219.1j1......0....2j1..gws-wiz.....0.7cOLGB7aSS0 (https://www.google.com/search?source=hp&ei=9MhvXPSNMoq_jgS1yYewAg&q=titanlifts.com&btnK=Google+Search&oq=titanlifts.com&gs_l=psy-ab.3..0l2.2505.2505..6081...0.0..0.134.219.1j1......0....2j1..gws-wiz.....0.7cOLGB7aSS0)
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Dear Michael, Walt, Bill, and safety-conscious Buick owners,
Points all well taken! There is definitely a lot of pressure on manufacturers to create products at the lowest possible cost. Whatever the propaganda, we have been living for decades in difficult economic times and people just don't have a lot of money to spend. In situations like this we all need to decide how much we are prepared to invest and what precautions we need to take to be safe.
Cheers, Edouard
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You Guys did a great job covering this subject, the knowledge base of our registry is incredible. I can't really add anything . Only to say that my father taught me safety at a very young age since he worked in our driveway doing side jobs after work and on the weekends .We always had a vehicle on stands, and he never had a accident !! he constantly preached safety. I'm Old Fashioned and i have 8 jack-stands Two 2 ton jacks and large blocks of wood, if there is such a thing as over safety that's me. Because when things go wrong it goes in a second.
It bothers me to see people working on there cars/trucks on the street with the front or rear jacked up and they are under the vehicle with no jack stands...Risking there life to save a few dollars. Be a wise consumer, be careful on what tools you purchase. Lets all stay safe and pass the knowledge down to our children.
Tony
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Good subject....."safety is job 1" when it comes to heavy objects over your head. We just had this conversation because my friend is buying a hoist. I paid $2000 for a used Aamco rated at 7000 lbs from a hobby user who no longer needed it. The same size and dimension Chinese hoist is rated at 10,000 lbs and has a very skimpy locking system with the same size Chinese cylinders. It can be bought new for $1800....a new Aamco,Challenger,Mohawk,or similar U.S. hoist will cost two to three times the dough. I have seen many guys in my area who have moved or selling out a shop and sometimes used good is better than new not so good.
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Used can definitely be better than new.
Dan