If you have a passion for vintage cars, are obsessed with motorsports, are a garage mechanic or just someone that likes to look after their daily car, chances are you will have shed to work in.
To avoid crawling around in the sludge or getting brake fluid all through your hair and oil in your mouth, why not invest in a car hoist?
With today’s pricing and range of options, there’s no reason not to have a car hoist. You can fit them into an existing shed, or have a brand-new shed designed around your ideal hoist.
We have partnered with Spinifex Sheds, a local shed dealer in Perth who offer an end-to-end service and are 100% Australian Made. Whether you are looking to build a residential shed, industrial shed, horse stable or farm shed, they are committed to building the highest-quality sheds at the best possible value.
Firstly, Let’s Look at The Three Different Types of Home Sheds:
- The Residential Shed:
Spinifex Sheds design & build a diverse range of Residential Sheds to suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a small garden shed, vehicle storage, lockable workshops or your dream man-cave, they’ve got you covered.
- Garage and Workshop Sheds
Spinifex Sheds have all of your Garage and Workshop needs covered. Whether you need extra storage space, a place to store your vehicle or boat, or maybe a workshop and a place to store your tools.
- Custom Sheds
Spinifex Sheds offer Custom Sheds that can be designed and built for almost any specific requirement. From customising the size, height, entryways, structural strength, cladding or added accessories, they are able to help you to design it, and build it.
So, What Size Shed Will Fit a Car Hoist?
The most common hoists for the home shed 2 post hoists, including:
- The 4-tonne baseplate – For a standard Residential Shed
- The 4-tonne clear floor – The most wanted option
- The 4.5-tonne clear floor – For a Larger Shed
Let’s Break These Down Shall We…
4000BX Hoist
If you have a standard, residential shed with a regular roof height, you want the 4-tonne baseplate 4000BX, because you can fit it in your shed. It has a height of 2850mm and a width of 3460mm. Minimum concrete depth of 100mm, preferably 120mm.
ASF42S Hoist
If your shed’s a bit smaller, there’s the ASF42S. It can lift big and fit well at only 2324mm height. However, it’s specifically designed for low roofs, meaning you’ll probably have to sit and work from a stool or swivel chair.
4000CF Hoist
The ideal option is the 4-tonne clear floor 4000CF. This is the most wanted option, but unless you’ve got a particularly high roof or build your shed specifically to fit, you’ll run into clearance issues at 3821mm high.
4500CF Hoist
If you have a little more shed capacity, or just want your hoist a little beefier, there’s the 4.5-tonne 4500CF and up from there. 3854mm high, 3516mm wide, you’ll get 1915mm of lift.
What If I Prefer a 4 Post Car Hoist for My Shed?
4 post hoists have their own uses and benefits, in particular they are great for storage and quick access. Here are some benefits to note with a 4-Post Hoist:
- You can still use them for mechanical work and access inside the wheel-wells with the use of a jacking beam but be aware their access is reduced compared to a 2-post hoist.
- 4-Post Hoists are best for fitting 2 card in a One Car Garage Shed.
- 4-Post Hoists are great for keeping your Car safe from bumps, scrapes and spills.
What if I Don’t have a Shed?
For the general enthusiast or home mechanic without a shed, looking to get one built, your best bet is the 4000BX. With that hoist, you won’t have any issues with council approvals.
This hoist will do everything you want it to, but you may have to use a wheelie stool to slide around under a 4X4 in certain situations.
In Summary…
With a pre-existing shed, we recommend a minimum of 100mm of concrete depth for hoists ranging up to 4.5-tonne. You don’t need to overcomplicate it however, if there’s one thing you get right make sure it’s the strength of the slab.
A weak slab can result in your Car taking an ugly nosedive, probably writing it off, ruining your new hoist and potentially taking you with it.
For a new build, ensure the slab is 120mm deep and of good quality, and you’ll be sorted. For some of the more intense hoists ranging up to 6.8-tonne, you’ll need a little more, like 185mm.
In the end, the best thing to do is think about exactly what you need in a shed and car hoist.
Contact Us
If, you do need any more information feel free to get in touch with the Garage Equipment team on 1800 777 318 or fill out the contact form here.
