Single Post Car Lifts

Match capacity to the heaviest vehicle you will lift, plus 15-20% margin. Single-post lifts in our catalog run 6,000 lb and 7,000 lb. 6,000 lb covers sedans, compact SUVs, sports cars, and most modern exotics (Lambo Huracan ~3,800 lb, Ferrari 488 ~3,600 lb, Porsche 911 ~3,300 lb). 7,000 lb adds margin for full-size sedans, mid-size SUVs, and small light-duty pickups.

Single-post lifts are not designed for half-ton or larger pickups. If you need to lift an F-150 or Silverado 1500, look at a 4-post lift at 9K+ or a 2-post lift.

Bolt-down single-post lifts anchor permanently into the concrete slab. Lower price for equivalent capacity, cleaner look (no caster wheels), and slightly higher real-world capacity headroom. Best for permanent installations, dedicated collector storage, and showrooms.

Portable single-post lifts have caster wheels integrated into the column base. You can roll them across the slab to reposition seasonally or move them out of the way when not in use. No permanent install required, so they work for renters and rental properties. Slightly higher price at equivalent capacity.

If you own your garage and the lift will live in one spot: bolt-down. If you rent, want the flexibility to move it, or have a multi-bay shop that shuffles equipment around: portable.

Yes — single-post lifts are actually a favorite among exotic car owners. Most exotics are well under the 6,000-7,000 lb capacity rating, and the single-column aesthetic looks at home in a showroom-style garage.

For the cleanest look, the Tuxedo SP-6K-SS in our catalog is purpose-built for exotic and collector storage — it's the unit you see lifting Lamborghinis in Instagram garage videos. The premium price ($6,649+) reflects the showroom-grade finish and clearance design.

For exotics under 6 ft in height (most modern supercars), single-post is generally the cleanest storage option. For taller cars or daily-driver-on-top-of-stored-car setups, also consider a 4-post storage lift.

The smallest footprint of any vehicle lift. A typical single-post installs in a 30 x 30 in column base (about 6 sq ft of floor area). The arms swing under the vehicle when in use and swing out of the way when stored. Compare to a 2-post lift's roughly 12 x 10 ft service envelope or a 4-post's 18 x 7 ft drive-on footprint.

This is the whole point of single-post: maximum storage capability in minimum floor space. Lets one-bay garages do what only two-bay garages used to.

Most single-post lifts need 10-12 ft of ceiling to reach full storage height (vehicle on lift + room for daily driver underneath). Specifically: column height + max lift height + lifted vehicle height + safety clearance.

Quick math: if your lifted vehicle is 60 in tall and the daily driver underneath is 55 in tall, you need at least 115 in or about 9.5 ft of clearance even before safety margin. 10 ft minimum, 11 ft comfortable, 12 ft ideal.

If your ceiling is under 10 ft, look at low-profile single-post models like the iDEAL MSC-6KLP, which are designed for tighter installations.

Yes — single-post lifts are commonly DIY-installed. Bolt-down models require drilling concrete anchors and torquing the base to the slab; portable models just need the caster assembly installed. Plan a long weekend with one helper for either style.

Required tools: rotary hammer drill (for bolt-down), torque wrench, basic hand tools, and a way to position the column upright (engine hoist or chain hoist helps). 220V outlet at the install location.

Professional installation typically runs $300-600 for a single-post lift. Call (470) 208-2754 for install quotes.

Minimum 4 in of 3,000+ PSI concrete for bolt-down single-post lifts. Slab thickness matters because all the lift load transfers through a single anchor point — the column base — rather than being distributed across multiple posts like a 2-post or 4-post.

If your slab is unknown or older than 10 years, do a core sample before installing. Adding a concrete pad in the lift area is a half-day project for a contractor if the existing slab is too thin.

Portable single-post lifts (AMGO SML-7, iDEAL MSC-6KLP) don't require anchoring, so slab thickness is less critical — the lift's own weight on the casters keeps it stable.

Most single-post lifts in our catalog run on 220V single-phase (the same circuit as an electric dryer, NEMA 6-20 or 6-30 plug). A handful of smaller portable models offer a 110V option for lower lifting speed.

Most newer garages have a 220V outlet available. If not, an electrician can run a dedicated 220V circuit in a day for $300-600. Talk to us at (470) 208-2754 if 220V isn't an option at your bay.

Yes — single-post lifts are engineered for long-term storage. Modern designs use mechanical safety locks at every few inches of lift height, so the hydraulic system holds the vehicle initially and the mechanical locks take over for long-term storage. Even if hydraulic pressure failed completely, the mechanical locks would keep the vehicle in place.

For collector-car storage spanning months or years, single-post lifts are widely used and trusted. Annual inspection of the cables, locks, and hydraulic fluid is the minimum maintenance schedule.

A properly used and maintained single-post lift will last 25-30+ years in home garage storage use. The hydraulic cylinder, safety cables, and arm bushings are the wear items; the column structure typically outlasts the lift's useful life.

Common replacements over the lift's life: hydraulic seals (10-15 years), safety cables (15-20 years), hydraulic fluid (annually). Single-post lifts generally see less wear than service lifts because they're often used for storage rather than daily service cycles.

Most in-stock single-post lifts ship within 2-5 business days from our Georgia warehouses or one of 42 pickup locations. Freight transit time depends on distance, usually 3-7 business days to the contiguous US. Total order-to-doorstep is typically 1-2 weeks.

Single-post lifts ship lighter than 2-post or 4-post lifts so freight is often cheaper. Pickup is available at our warehouses if you want to grab the lift the same week.

Warranties vary by brand. AMGO (SL-7, SML-7, SPL-6): 5 years structural, 2 years hydraulic, 1 year wear. Tuxedo (SP-6K-SS): 2-5 years structural depending on configuration. iDEAL (MSC-6KLP): 2 years structural plus iDEAL's separate hydraulic and wear coverage.

All warranties are direct from manufacturer. Pitstop Pro handles claims as the authorized dealer.