Wildfire 4 post lifts

[Code54]

I was looking at the Wildfire 4 posts lift and was wondering if anyone owns one. I really like the:

Wildfire Exotic | wildfire-lifts

www.wildfirelifts.com

It is the right size for the garage, can side load the ATV and little RTV, and the bigger SxS and the tractor will be drive on. The exotic has a little wider ramp so my truck will fit fine and give me a little extra real estate to work on.

As for why a four post.
If I rotate tires I just just do them at ground level so the 4 post will do what I need to do 99% of the time. If I find I need to do other things I may add a bridge jack. We drive fairly new (read warrantied) cars so no exhaust/trans/etc type of work. Mainly oil changes, and some repairs on ATV/SxS's.

 

[Peter 315]

Made in china?

 

[Code54]

Yep - unfortunately 99% are. There are a lot of quality differences in the different lifts out there and some are a LOT cheaper. It seems this company has well made products from what I can tell so far.

 

[Peter 315]

One review said they use low grade bolts and nuts...

 

[newbury]

There's another thread on here
2 post or 4 post vehicle lift ideas
where several praise wildfire lifts.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

I have two 4-post lifts. One is a popular, name brand off-shore made unit, the other a well-known name brand, US made.

There is no comparison...including the purchase price!

If I had it to do over again, I'd have 2 US made lifts. Cheap lifts are like cheap helmets... "Cheap head, cheap helmet."

 

[Code54]

What make do you have and like?

 

[JJT]

I have a 4 post BenPak 9K extra long extra tall. It has adjustable rails, set to narrow it's perfect for the zero turn, side by side and tractor. Even my cars and small truck fit on, (with ~3" to spare from the edge of the rails) without adjusting to the wide setting. A full size pickup or a dually would require me to adjust to the wider stance. I've owned it for ~15 years and have never made the switch to wide. The switch would take 10 minutes, simply four 1/2" bolts.

 

[PeteN]

I got the Wildfire XLT lift last November. Haven't had any issues or complaints on it so far. I chose the XLT since I wanted longer ramps and wider stance since I had the space for it. I've had everything from UTVs, cars, trucks and mid size tractors (7K lbs) on it with no problem. The Chev Silverado tires hang over the outside of the ramps about 1" while the Ranger UTV has the tires slightly off on the inside. It is built heavy duty so no issues there. The ability to put it on casters and move it while empty is valuable in my case. It's amazing how well that system works since the unit is over a ton of weight. The 120V motor is nice since I can plug it into any outlet in the shop that has a 20A service. If it had a 220V motor I would have to extend that circuit from a single to multiple outlets in the shop if I want to move the lift. Came with some nice accessories. Only downside with this lift (as well as other 4 post lifts) I see is paying the money they want for bridge jacks if you need them. No regrets and Wildfire is easy to work with. If I remember correctly, the Exotic model is wider but shorter than the XLT and was more intended for wide track sports cars. I think the ideal model would be an Exotic XLT since it would cover both wide track and long vehicles.

 

[JohnDeereJoey]

What make do you have and like?

I like the Challenger. 4-post 15,000#.

Best I could tell, Challenger has (had) BOTH US and off-shore lifts. When I bought my #15,000 US lift, they also had a 14,000# offshore for less money. Similar features. Shipping weight notably less. (My theory is less shipping weight implies less steel. Less steel, implies less strength... So...consider comparing shipping weight.

When I set up my 15,000# lift, the pump made a noise I was un-sure about. Maybe defective, maybe not. Within days, Challenger is at my house, installed new pump, changed out the week-old fluid, and gave me the option to keep the old fluid. No charge, no hassle.

Personal opinion: Buy a lift you'd put your prized possession on and a loved under. Buy a certified lift,

Automotive Lift Institute.

Strong preference for US made. 2nd choice an import from a highly respected manufacture (Challenger, Mohawk, Rotary...) that focus on professional users, not some consumer brand aimed at Joe ShadeTree who is more interested in price and features than quality and safety.

Final note: Lift specs can be misleading. For example, a 9000# 4-post lift doesn't necessarily mean any 9000# "vehicle" can be placed in the middle of the runways and safely lifted. Many lift specs discuss the impact on wheelbase. Some engineer their lifts to be able to lift any wheelbase, some don't, and some would prefer not discussing it. Wheelbase often comes into play when lifting heavy, short items like compact tractors, skid steers...

My US lift can handle my compact tractor and mini-excavator...barely. I place seriously heavy duty jackstands under the center of the runways before going underneath the lift when lifting these 2 items.

https://www.grainger.com/product/AME-Jack-Stand-Screw-Adjustment-153V34?opr=PLADS&analytics=FM%3APLA&a2c_sku_original=153V33