Jim, I'm going to assume you're looking at 4 post lifts.
Between me and my 3 other buddies, we've got 5 Direct Lift units. 3 have been used mostly for storage, two frequently lift cars for maintainence. The most heavily used one is at least 10 years old. All have been fine. 3 have the optional sliding jack, which are heavy, but great to have. We've done engine/trans transplants, front end rebuilds, shifted bodies to center on the frame, and general maintainence. We're all in our mid 60's, and we've gotten so lazy we use them for buffing and polishing, and cleaning the wheels. No more bending over.
They came with a wheel set up that lets you move them. But if there's a vehicle on it, better get a bunch of big friends. But two guys can move an empty lift on a good surface.
You need to check the uprights occasionally to make sure they're vertical if you don't anchor them. Just a level held on the post sides, and a good kick with a steel toe boot.
You need to watch the cable lengths at the post, and keep them adjusted so they lift evenly.
The oldest lift, in an unheated garage, needs the oil changed (after 10+ years), as it's got some water/condensation that makes it foam and run slow. Probably worse in Palmer.
The lock/unlock mechanism is rods front and back. If you step on them while working with it on the floor, they need attention, but they're heim joints.
If you're going to pull an engine, you'll need a deep, high lift cherry picker to go under the front, and still clear the radiator support, or whatever. But with the car 12" or so up, clearing the floor with the trans on is a piece of cake.
The steel ramps are really heavy. And the aluminum ones aren't much better. But there's some "plastic" ramps now, rated 10,000 lbs or so, that solve that for $3-400. On the ones we use all the time, we lift them with the ramps in place. Just watch your head.
One of the units is the longer one, and it picks a 3/4 ton club cab with a 460 with no problems.
We're pretty careful, normally having a spotter driving on and off, and not lifting unless the vehicle is centered both ways. Really careful driving under a loaded unit, I don't think a mistake there would be survivable in a convertable. But that's just common sense.
We block the wheels, they came with blocks.
None of them has gone thru an earthquake with a load on them, so who knows?
The local rep has done a really good job. So we kept going back to him.
