Car hoists are a large tool designed to raise a vehicle up into the air, often in a garage or sometimes outside, to allow access to the space below. This space is then traditionally used for storage, or more commonly, parking a second car. Car hoists typically come in two and four post variants with the two post variant being able to hold significantly less weight than the four post. While some car hoists are mechanical and require some hand labour, others employ hydraulics.
These tools are commonplace in a garage where mechanics require access to the underbelly of vehicles, though they are moving more commonly into residential applications. In a garage setting, the hydraulic versions are most common. The car hoist allows a mechanic access to the chassis, exhaust and suspension components easily and without any kind of difficult stretching. Home application offers the same access to a hobbyist car collector or rebuilder.
While the prices vary based on the different model, a four-post style car hoist provides the most access under a car as well as space under the hoisted car to park a second. These four post hoists ensure that a car is raised in a balanced manner as lifting is done at four different spots on the car. Two post variants are slightly less useful than four post, but are also more cost effective and ideal if the object is to create a second parking spot.
For people who collect cars or only drive a certain car in the summer months they can find exceptional use of a car hoist. Rather than paying the oppressive amount of money it typically costs to store a sports car for the winter, that money can be diverted towards a hoist, which amortized over 10 or 15 years can reduce the monthly cost to mere hundreds. This also allows the owner to be sure their car is being handled with the correct amount of care.
Car hoists are pieces of heavy machinery mind you, and proper care should be taken in learning the ins and outs of a hoist before purchasing. Once the right unit has been decided upon, buyers should read directions and any manuals that come with it to make sure they have no issues. A car is a heavy piece of machinery, and being improperly educated on the correct functions of a car hoist can turn the vehicle and hoist into a dangerous combination.
Ultimately, car hoists solve many issues in the home from car storage, to even creating a second parking spot if one driver is an infrequent one. Car hoists are commonplace in a garage and are becoming more popular in residential homes. While these tools are typically very simple to use, taking proper care to read, review and practice an instruction manual is important to the long-term viability of a car hoist for personal use.