How to Choose a Car Lift for Your Shop or Garage
Buying a car lift is one of the best investments you can make for your shop or home garage. It also has a lot of variables — and getting it wrong is expensive.
This guide covers what actually matters, in the order you should think about it.
Step 1: Know the Three Types of Car Lifts
Before anything else, understand that not all car lifts work the same way. There are three main types, and each one solves a different problem.
2-Post Lift
Holds the vehicle by its frame, lifting it with the wheels hanging free. Gives you the best access to the undercarriage — brakes, suspension, drivetrain, exhaust. The standard choice for professional repair shops. Requires adequate ceiling clearance (typically 12+ feet).
4-Post Lift
The vehicle drives onto a platform and stays on its own wheels. More stable and easier to load. Ideal for storage — you can park one car underneath and one on top. Works for basic maintenance too, but you lose wheel and suspension access without a separate rolling jack.
Mid-Rise Lift
The middle ground. Lifts the vehicle to a comfortable working height — typically 3 to 4 feet — without needing the ceiling clearance of a full 2-post. Perfect for shops with lower ceilings or for tasks that don’t require full undercarriage access: oil changes, brake inspections, tire rotations. Compact, efficient, and significantly lower energy consumption than a full-size 2-post.
The TELL 6000 is Krebs’ mid-rise option. It delivers serious utility without the overhead clearance requirements of a full 2-post — making it ideal for home garages and shops where ceiling height is a constraint.
Step 2: Match the Lift to Your Use
| Use Case | Best Lift |
|---|---|
| Full mechanical service (brakes, suspension, exhaust) | 2-Post (KB10) |
| Vehicle storage / doubling parking space | 4-Post (KB4) |
| Oil changes, tires, basic maintenance / low ceiling | Mid-Rise (TELL 6000) |
| All of the above | Start with one, plan for two |
If you’re equipping a professional shop, the 2-post is the foundation. Everything else is an addition.
If you’re setting up a home garage with 8 or 9-foot ceilings, the TELL 6000 gets you 80% of the utility at a fraction of the installation complexity.
Step 3: Measure Your Ceiling
This is where most buyers get surprised. A full 2-post lift typically needs 12 feet of ceiling clearance to work properly with most vehicles. If your garage is lower, you have two options: a 4-post lift or a mid-rise.
Measure your ceiling height before you look at a single product page. Then compare it to the lift’s maximum carriage height in the spec sheet. If the numbers don’t work together, move on.
Step 4: Check Your Floor
Car lifts anchor into concrete. Standard requirements call for at least 4 inches of reinforced concrete slab. If your floor is thinner, cracked, or uncertain, address that before the lift goes in.
Mid-rise lifts like the TELL 6000 are generally more forgiving on floor requirements — another reason they’re popular for residential installs.
Step 5: Get the Capacity Right
Always check the rated lifting capacity before buying. 10,000 lbs covers the vast majority of passenger cars, SUVs, and light trucks. If you regularly work on heavier vehicles, look at 12,000 lbs or more.
Buy capacity you won’t outgrow. Replacing a lift because you bought too small is far more expensive than upgrading at the start.
Step 6: Require ALI Certification
The Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) independently tests automotive lifts against the ANSI/ALI ALCTV safety standard. ALI Certification means the lift has been physically tested — not just claimed on a spec sheet — to hold its rated load safely.
This matters for your safety and, if you’re running a shop, for your liability. An uncertified lift may lift a car. Whether it holds it safely under real conditions is another question.
Check for the ALI seal before you buy. Don’t take a manufacturer’s word for it.
Step 7: Think About Long-Term Support
A good lift should last 10 to 20 years. Ask before you buy:
- Are replacement parts available in the US?
- What does the warranty cover?
- Is there a local dealer who services this brand?
- How fast can I get parts if something breaks?
A lift that’s $500 cheaper but takes three weeks to get a part for is not a deal.
Which Krebs Lift Is Right for You?
KB10 — 2-post, 10,000 lbs, ALI Certified. For shops and serious garages that need full undercarriage access. Available in custom colors.
KB4 — 4-post storage lift. For collectors and anyone who wants to double their parking space.
TELL 6000 — Mid-rise lift. For home garages with lower ceilings or shops that need a fast, efficient option for routine maintenance.
Not sure which one fits your space? Talk to our team →