BendPak MR-6SS Review: The Super Scissor That Raises the Bar

BendPak sells two 6,000 lb mid-rise scissors, and the MR-6SS is the one with the longer spec sheet. Against the MD-6XP it adds 2 in of rise (50 in against 48), takes a quarter inch off the collapsed height (4.25 in against 4.5), grows the platform to 76 in by 66 in, and adds a velocity fuse and a second pressure relief valve to the hydraulic circuit. The warranty grows too: 5 years structural on both, but the MR-6SS adds 2 years on hydraulics and electrical where the MD-6XP's cover on those parts is shorter. Both carry ALI/ETL certification.

The price gap is around $300, and the weight gap is about 110 lb, with the MR-6SS at roughly 960 lb. Power is 220V recommended with 110V compatibility on both.

The class is the same. A low platform a stock car parks over, four rubber-padded arms that meet the lift points, and multi-position locks that hold the platform on steel. What the MR-6SS is for is the buyer whose car or ceiling sits at the edge of what the MD-6XP handles: a lowered car that scrapes on 4.5 in, or a tall owner for whom 48 in is a stoop.

The 6,000 lb rating covers all passenger cars and crossovers and half-ton pickups at curb weight. The platform's adjustable pads reach the lift points of most vehicles without extensions, and the 76 in length catches long-wheelbase sedans and crew cabs that a 73 in MD-6XP can be tight on.

The 50 in of rise is the most in the certified 6,000 lb class. On a sedan it puts the rocker at about 54 in, which is head-clear standing height for a 6 ft person and the difference between working upright and working stooped through a long job. Under an 8 ft ceiling that leaves clearance for a vehicle up to about 3 ft 10 in tall at full rise, so a normal sedan fits and a tall SUV meets the ceiling first; the multi-position locks hold the platform lower when they do.

The 4.25 in collapsed height is the lowest of any fixed mid-rise here. That quarter inch under the MD-6XP is the margin between a car on mild lowering springs driving over the platform and needing ramps. It is a small number that decides the purchase for a specific owner.

The MR-6SS ships on a pallet at roughly 960 lb, so liftgate delivery and a pallet jack or engine hoist to move it are the first costs. BendPak's manual covers placement, leveling with shims, connecting the power unit to the hydraulic port, filling the reservoir and cycling the platform unloaded to bleed the system. Two people with basic tools can complete that in an afternoon; the cons on this page suggest professional installation, and for a buyer without a way to move 960 lb across a floor that is the sensible route.

Power is 220V recommended, 110V compatible. On 110V the lift works and rises more slowly with a heavy vehicle. BendPak's guidance points to 220V for repeated cycles, and on a lift bought for its top-of-line hydraulics, running it on a household circuit undercuts the reason for buying it. Budget an electrician's visit of a few hundred dollars with the lift.

Anchoring is optional on a flat, sound slab of the thickness the manual specifies; the platform's weight holds it in place under load. Level it with shims before the first vehicle goes on, because a scissor out of level engages one side's locks first.

The MR-6SS uses automatic multi-position safety locks that engage as the platform rises, a pressure relief valve ahead of the cylinder and a second one protecting the pump, and a flow control on the descent. Lowering requires raising the platform slightly to unload the locks before they release, so they never let go under load.

The velocity fuse is the addition that matters. It is a valve at the cylinder that closes if fluid tries to leave faster than a controlled descent allows, which is what happens when a hose fails. With it, a burst hose means the platform stops where it is rather than descending on the flow control alone. It is standard on commercial 2-posts and rare on home mid-rises, and it is the one component on the MR-6SS that the MD-6XP genuinely lacks.

ALI/ETL certification means an independent lab checked a production unit against the ANSI/ALI ALCTV standard for structure, hydraulics and controls, and the model is in the ALI directory. Both BendPak mid-rises carry it, so it is not a reason to choose between them; it is a reason to choose BendPak over the Dannmar DMR-6 or Greg Smith GS-MR6.

The warranty is 5 years structural and 2 years on hydraulics and electrical, the longest combined cover on any mid-rise here.

The MD-6XP (around $2,899) is the honest comparison. It is the same certified BendPak platform with 48 in of rise, a 4.5 in profile, a 73 in platform, 850 lb, and 5 years on structure. The MR-6SS adds 2 in of rise, a quarter inch lower profile, 3 in of platform, the velocity fuse and a 2-year hydraulic and electrical warranty for $300. In our view the velocity fuse and the warranty are worth $300 to anyone who will spend real hours under the lift; the paint is not. If the car clears 4.5 in and the owner is under 6 ft, the MD-6XP is the better value.

The Greg Smith GS-MR6 (around $2,699) is an uncertified 46 in platform with a 5-year structural and 2-year hydraulic warranty. It costs $500 less and gives up 4 in of rise, the certification and the velocity fuse.

The Challenger CMR6 (around $2,799) is the other certified option with a 2-year hydraulic warranty: 46 in of rise, 4.5 in profile, 880 lb. It costs $400 less than the MR-6SS and is the pick where Challenger is the local brand.

The MR-6SS is for the owner who has already decided on a certified BendPak mid-rise and has a specific reason the MD-6XP does not quite fit: a car on lowering springs that needs the 4.25 in profile, a height over 6 ft that wants 50 in of rise, or a preference for a velocity fuse and a hydraulic warranty on a lift that will be cycled weekly for a decade. Small shops that run BendPak 2-posts and want a matching quick-service platform with the same safety hardware are the other buyer.

It is the wrong lift for someone whose car and ceiling already fit the MD-6XP, because $300 for 2 in and a quarter inch is money better spent on a transmission jack. It is the wrong lift for a garage that must be cleared for parking, where a QuickJack stores and 960 lb does not. And it is the wrong lift for a buyer who does not value certification, where the DMR-6 does the job for $700 less.

For the lowered car and the tall owner, the MR-6SS is the mid-rise we would buy. For everyone else, buy the MD-6XP and keep the $300.