APlusLift HW-10KOH
VS.
TRIUMPH NSS8TL
Last updated September 2023
APlusLift HW-10KOH
9.2
TRIUMPH NSS8TL
8.5
Great for My Home Shop
October 20, 2019
I did a cross country move and in the process sold a lot of equipment before I left, so I vowed the first new tool would be a two post lift. I looked around and thought about a 7000 lb lift would be fine since they can be had so cheap, but I decided to spend a few extra hundred to get this instead. I'm glad I did because the first project was my crew cab super duty with a camper shell on the back so it weighs in at right at about 7k lbs or maybe a little more. I had to rebuild the rear end. The lift picks it up without issue, but being a 4x4 I had to use wooden blocks in addition to the truck adapters to avoid damage to the side steps. No mind, it didn't move around on the blocks at all. Buying lifts in this prosumer category is often a sketchy proposition, like the scissor lifts you get from HF and others with questionable but usually adequate build quality. Not so with this. All of the welds look like they're wire feed gas welds done by a machine. If not, they're done by very good welders who know their stuff, so check that box. Another indication of build quality is that when I set the posts up and dialed in the exact same number of turns to the cable adjusters on either side, the two sides were so perfectly aligned that I couldn't tell the difference between the clicks on both columns. They were clicking at exactly the same times, meaning that both columns, both cables and all of the pulleys were built to the exact same spec on either side. Otherwise my method of adjustment would have been merely a close place to start with before fine tuning. I didn't have to make any. Once they were tensioned, that's where they stayed. I find this to be an attention to detail that while maybe not necessary, it shows pride in workmanship that gives me confidence that I'll be safe working underneath. A final word about quality is the fact that they require a 30 amp circuit and 6" minimum concrete thickness. The power unit draws only 15 amps, so the 30 amp circuit is way overkill. Same with the concrete. While others of the same capacity call for 4.5" thickness, they build in a greater safety factor with this lift by calling for 6". While this is on the installer to do it this way, it again gives me confidence that I'm not going to end up a pancake underneath this thing. With all that said, when I had the truck up on the lift and started grabbing things at the rear, it seemed to move around quite a bit. Apparently this is normal for a long pickup and it can be remedied by putting safety stands front and rear. I couldn't bring myself to get under it until I bought the safety stands to stabilize it. All in all the truck was up in the air for two weeks and there was never any indication of strain. When it came time to let it down, no issue there either. It picked it up if the safety catches no problem and down it came after I released them. As others have noted, the instructions aren't great. The limit switch and bar was a mystery that took a little while to figure out. There was no diagram or instruction on how to do it. Also, I don't think I would feel confident putting a full 10k lbs on it. That's not to say it won't lift it safely, but even given the safety factors they build into the capacities on these things, I always like to have more than I need to have when I have to climb under something that weighs several tons. With the way the safety arms were flexing with 7k+ on it, that's about all I'm comfortable with personally. It's fine considering that my pickup is the heaviest thing I'll ever put on it, but if you're looking to put a full 10k on a lift, you might want to get something that's the next class up. The 11k and up lifts are a much heavier duty design than this style and will give you the wiggle room needed in case your weights aren't exactly where you thought they were. Overall, I consider this to be a bargain for the price. It's a very well made piece of equipment and costs thousands less than the name brand lifts. I've seen the other 10k lifts and they aren't any heavier than this in design. The instructions aren't the best, but given the price, I feel like that's the least of my concerns. I was still able to make do, so it wouldn't be worth paying extra to have the install manual flow a little better. In the end it works beautifully and I couldn't be happier.
Love It!
January 17, 2023
Absolutely love this lift.. It arrived and was in excellent condition even after all the miles getting to the US. It had all the parts that were needed to complete the job... Zero missing parts. Quality was IMO very impressive. I cant imagine other lifters costing 1000s more being any better. Only little complaint would ne the small elbow for the hydraulic line that attaches to the runway.... I ran out of threads trying to get it tight.. It just barely got tight.... it was leaking on both ends a bit but managed to get it to stop. But over all I absolutely love the lift. Other than hanging the runways with an engine hoist and 1 helper, I basically installed the lift myself. For companies charging $800-$1,000 to install.... Shame on you! It doesn't take that long and isn't that hard. Just watch a bunch of UTube videos and pretty much anyone can do it. It was funny watching the videos and people would say running the cables is "pretty self explanatory" I thought ya whatever...... but it really is :)
