Dannmar DP-7S Review: Reliable 7,000-lb Standard Parking Lift

Dannmar is owned by BendPak and sold through the same dealers, positioned below the BendPak-branded lifts on price and without their ALI certification. The DP-7S is the standard 7,000 lb parking lift in the range: a 108 in by 98 in platform, 86 in of drive-on width, 72 in of rise, 7.5 in lowered height, automatic mechanical locks, 2,200 lb crated, around $3,799.

On paper it is nearly the Atlas AP-7. The AP-7 has a 110 in by 98 in deck, the same 86 in of width and 72 in of rise, the same 2,200 lb weight and an 11 ft 8 in ceiling requirement, for around $3,699. What the extra $100 buys on the Dannmar is the BendPak dealer, the BendPak parts counter and a finish the spec sheet describes as premium powder coat, which on a lift that lives with road salt and tire scuffing is not a cosmetic point.

The 7,000 lb rating covers a Grand Cherokee at 4,800 lb, an Explorer at 4,500 lb, a Model Y at 4,400 lb, with 2,000 lb or more to spare.

The minimum ceiling is 11 ft 8 in, or 140 in, with a 72 in rise. That leaves 68 in of headroom on the upper platform at the minimum ceiling before an opener or a light fixture is subtracted. Every sedan and sports car fits, a CR-V at 66 in fits, a RAV4 at 67 in fits with little to spare, and an Explorer at 70 in needs about 12 ft. A Tahoe at 76 in needs 12 ft 6 in and, at 81 in wide, does not belong on an 86 in deck anyway.

Below the platform the deck underside at full rise is about 64 in off the floor, which takes any car and most compact crossovers.

The 86 in drive-on width is the right size for the household this lift is aimed at. A Model Y at 76 in, a Grand Cherokee at 77 in and an Explorer at 79 in all leave 3 to 5 in per side. A full-size pickup at 80 to 82 in leaves 2 to 3 in, which is the reason Dannmar sells the DP-8HD with an 88 in deck and the DP-9 with 92 in.

At 2,200 lb the DP-7S is a moderate install: a full day for an experienced crew of two, with a pallet jack for the platform sections. Because Dannmar sells through BendPak dealers, most buyers can have the dealer install it, and on a lift this heavy that is the sensible choice. The manual assumes some mechanical experience, as the cons list notes, and is not as thorough as the BendPak-branded books, but a dealer crew will not need it.

The sequence is the class standard: anchor the columns plumb into 4 in of 3,000 psi concrete, assemble the platform on the floor, hang it on the carriages, run the hydraulic line, set the equalizer cables for level travel and confirm the locks engage on every rise.

Power is 220V single phase on a dedicated circuit, so an electrician is part of the project. With freight, wiring and dealer installation the total runs around $5,000 to $5,400. The control panel is basic, a raise and lower control with a lock release, and that is fine; there is nothing on a parking lift that needs more.

The DP-7S holds its parked load on automatic mechanical locks in both columns, engaged as the platform rises, and the hydraulic circuit has a check valve against pump failure, a flow control on descent and a manual lowering path for a power outage. That is the same architecture as the BendPak PL series, which given the shared ownership is what we would expect.

What it does not share is the ALI/ETL certification. The DP-7S's 7,000 lb rating is Dannmar's own, not one verified by an independent lab to the ANSI/ALI ALCTV standard, and that is the main thing separating it from the BendPak PL-6000 at around $3,899. That lift is 6,000 lb with an 84 in deck and an 11 ft 6 in ceiling requirement. So the BendPak buyer pays $100 more for the sticker and gives up 1,000 lb and 2 in of deck. For a permit office that wants the listing that is the right trade; for a private garage with an SUV to store it is not.

Maintenance is the usual yearly list: cables, lock engagement on every rise, anchor torque, hydraulic seals.

Inside Dannmar's line the choice is about the vehicle going up. The DP-8HD is around $4,399: 8,000 lb, a 114 in by 100 in platform, 88 in of drive-on width, a 74 in rise, dual locks, 2,450 lb, a 12 ft ceiling. That is $600 more for a half-ton-capable deck and the second lock per column. The DP-9 is around $4,599: 9,000 lb, 118 in by 104 in, 92 in of width, 76 in of rise, 2,700 lb, also a 12 ft ceiling. It is the full-size truck and SUV lift.

The DP-7S is the one to buy when neither of those vehicles is in the household. It needs 4 in less ceiling than either, weighs 250 to 500 lb less, and costs $600 to $800 less.

The Atlas AP-7 at around $3,699 is the direct outside rival with the same deck, rise and weight. The DP-7S costs $100 more and has the dealer, the parts and the better finish. If a Greg Smith Equipment phone line is support enough for you, the Atlas saves $100; we would spend it.