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Backyard Buddy Home Garage car lift auto blog

Compare the American Made Backyard Buddy Automotive Lift to the Lower Quality Imported Lifts

Backyard Buddy developed the first 4-post lift designed for the home hobbyist about 15 years ago. Our quality lift operates by using hydraulic pressure provided by an electric pump so it has plenty of power to lift any automobile, standard pickup truck or sport utility vehicle. Backyard Buddy's compact size means it will fit in many home garages where a commercial lift will not, yet it's still a tough tool that operates just as well or better than some models costing twice as much. Furthermore, our products are American made and come with a standard 5 year warranty. You can be sure that when you purchase a lift from Backyard Buddy, you will be buying the best lift available and at the best value. Compare the features and construction of our lift to the import car lifts on the market. We have illustrated the differences in construction, quality and safety in the chart below. Better yet, visit our factory showroom. We have lifts by other manufactures on display so you can make the comparison yourself.

The Competition

  • Corner posts are made from lighter gauge metal bent to create a channel. This three sided design is not as rigid as a four sided square tube. Compare the gauge of steel in the photos

  • Anti-spread bolts are needed at the top of each channel to keep legs from spreading open when weight is added to the lift.

  • Holes are stamped in each foot. Lift should be anchored to the floor for stability.

Mounting Foot and Leg Construction

BACKYARD BUDDY

  • Made from rugged, American made, structural 4X4" steel tubing.

  • No need for bolt holes in foot pads. Backyard Buddy lifts are completely free standing.

  • No need for anti-spreading bolt on top as there is no chance of the square tubing legs spreading.




The Competition

  • Leg construction can lead to lift failure as legs can spread when weight of vehicle is applied.

  • Plastic sliders on the inside of the legs wear over time as they rub on metal increasing the possibility of failure.

Slider and Leg Construction

BACKYARD BUDDY

  • Closed steel leg surrounded by an exterior steel support jacket ensures positive contact and does not create an opportunity for legs to fail under the weight of your vehicle.

  • No chance for leg to spread open.

  • We use only UHMV for our slides. They are very tough and long lasting and don't need lubrication. There are four 12" long guides per corner sleeve.



The Competition

  • The runways are made by bending soft tread plate into shape creating weak points at the bends.

  • No reinforcing structure holding sides together means runway surface can distort under load. See the independent lab test.

Runway Construction

BACKYARD BUDDY

  • Our runways are built with an angle iron superstructure with the tread plate welded on top.

  • Welded flat stock ties the sides together under the runway surface adding an additional level of support and integrity to the lift.

  • Independent lab test results show exactly how our construction methods improve the integrity and performance of our lift's runway system by limiting the amount of deflection as weight is applied.




The Competition

  • Hydraulic hose has no quick disconnect and cannot swivel.

  • L shaped coupler with teflon tape means that hose can kink and cause a blow-out.

  • No flow restriction means that the lift will instantly slam to the ground in the event of a blow-out.

Hydraulic Connections

BACKYARD BUDDY

  • Quick disconnect fitting allows hydraulic hose to swivel preventing kinks.

  • Built-in flow restriction means that the lift will maintain position even in the event of a problem with the hose.

  • We don't cut corners when it comes to your safety and the protection of you vehicle and property.



The Competition

  • This design has only a 3/4 inch contact area for the locking mechanism. Very unstable when combined with the play in the slider design.

  • Formed channel leg design creates a pivot point around the short platform slides. This play can cause the lift to sway, especially as the sliders wear. Try pushing on other lifts and you will see how much they move side-to-side.

  • Stop points are made from small tabs welded on the legs.

  • Small 1/4" rod can distort when activating lock mechanism.

Locking System



NEW! We have added back-up safety locks on
each corner post that automatically engage in the extremely unlikely event of slack in a cable
(it's never happened!).

Please click to see a larger photo. Notice the quality of the welds and the snap rings and grease fittings. Try to find this quality on other lifts!
(patent pending)

BACKYARD BUDDY

  • 10 positive locking positions are cut into the 4X4" structural steel tubing legs. Engagement area is much larger than small welded on tabs. Our locks cannot disengage until you raise the lift slightly to release the weight on the locking tabs.

  • There is virtually no lateral movement (sway) because of the large, 12" long, UHMV slides (x4) inside each corner of the sleeve riding on each post. This design gives our lifts the rigidity necessary to be safe when not bolted to the floor (free-standing).

  • Our stop points are slots machined out of the heavy 4x4" steel corner posts. With the weight of the lift resting on the locks and trapping them in the slot, they cannot slip out.

  • 3/8 steel rod and precision rod ends ensures positive locking - no bowing.

Quality Construction
Safety
Ease of Use
Most Reliable
Quality Accessories and Options
Largest Manufacturer of Four Post Lifts
American Made
Over Fifteen Years Producing Quality Lifts
Unsafe, cheaply constructed and a waste of money (There is something they beat us on!)
BEST OVERALL VALUE
The Clear Winner is
BACKYARD BUDDY