Two post lift for shop

I like my four post lift because it does not need to be fixed to the floor and I can move it out way. It is large enough that I can put a 1 ton with duals on it. 

A 2 post lift is nice for tire or brake work and a 4 post is nicer for oil changes. I have a rolling bridge jack on mine if I have to remove wheels.

 

I've used a pit. My lift is better.  I'm in Mexico so I can't be 100% sure but I'm virtually certain my 2 post is a Benwil. My understanding is that they built and labeled for various other names.  Its massively overbuilt but that's OK when you're underneath a vehicle.  My son gave me mine - it was a takeout from Medicine Hat High when they rebuilt the shop so it had very little use when I got it and I certainly won't ever wear it out. I've got a buddy who has a 4 post lift and I've helped him work on vehicles on his lift. There's no comparison between the usefulness of my 2 post and his 4 post. Virtually everything we do to a vehicle is at one of the corners or in the front.  The front is the same 2 or 4 post but if you're working on anything wheel related on his 4 post lift there's a damn post in the way.

Something to watch when you are buying/installing. Make sure you have 102+ inches between the posts. I've got about 99" which isn't a problem except when I'd like to lift a 102" trailer. It would have been absolutely simple to widen the stance on the hoist before I installed it. It lifts using a hydraulic cylinder inside the left side post. The lift for the right side post comes from a huge roller chain which goes over the top.  It would have been trivial to add a few links to the chain and weld 4" into the overhead crossmember before I installed the lift. Now -- not so much. 

Yes, you just lower the lift and the caster assemblies raises the posts off the floor. once you get the lift positioned where you want it raise the lift up and remove the caster assemblies, just one pin at each post. It is a bear to move by yourself.

One of my neighbours has a pit with a floor that he can raise and lower, a very sweet deal.

These would be great for working on semis but lots of money.

I wonder if there is enough length to both fit the truck and use the rolling lift for a crew cab long box HD truck as the wheel base would be considerably longer. What my brother has run into with a dually with a slide in camper is that lifts/alignment racks at some shops are not designed for the width nor weight of such a unit, has to be a shop that is geared up for larger trucks/motorhomes etc to deal with such a unit. I would imagine the cost would escalate many times over for a commercial beefy lift vs these more affordable lifts.

I can also see that the two post lifts that are not tall enough and have the cross over assembly would hinder how high one can lift a pickup and always the danger if not paying attention and crush the cab. A few years ago I did see a two post unit sitting in someones private shop where they had build a thick steel base for it, a cross over plate and then extensions either way from each post going with the way of the vehicle length wise. Unfortunately that leaves tripping hazards under and beside the vehicle and gone is the flat floor under the vehicle unless filler plates or plywood sheets were used but that system allowed for a two post lift to be moved and plunked anywhere and not relying on cement strength. I never had an opportunity to talk to the owner of the lift but assume somehow a skid steer was more than likely utilized to lift the unit, the place in question was for sale and the owners were going to haul out the lift.