Forward MR-6 Review: Rolling Bridge Scissor Lift for Maximum Flexibility

The traditional approach to vehicle lifting assumes a fixed relationship between lift and vehicle — either the car drives to the lift or the lift is positioned under the car before it arrives. The Forward MR-6 challenges this assumption with a rolling bridge design that lets you wheel a full-capacity scissor lift into position around a stationary vehicle. This might sound like a minor distinction, but in a busy multi-vehicle garage where space is at a premium, the ability to bring the lift to the car rather than the car to the lift saves time, reduces shuffling, and makes better use of available floor space.

I discovered the Forward MR-6 while researching solutions for my three-car garage in Phoenix, where I maintain four personal vehicles and occasionally help friends with theirs. My previous setup involved a portable frame lift that worked well but required me to drive each vehicle to a specific spot, set up the frames, connect the hoses, and go through a five-minute deployment sequence before lifting. The Forward promised to eliminate most of that overhead, and after four months of use, it has delivered on that promise while introducing its own set of characteristics that buyers should understand.

Forward Lift is a respected but perhaps lesser-known name compared to giants like BendPak and QuickJack. They have been manufacturing automotive lift equipment for over twenty years and supply lifts to independent shops, dealerships, and government fleets across North America. The MR-6 is their entry into the home and light-commercial rolling bridge category, and it reflects their commercial engineering heritage in its build quality, safety features, and overall design philosophy.

The rolling bridge concept works like this: the lift consists of two parallel bridge structures connected by the lifting mechanism. The entire assembly rides on heavy-duty casters that allow you to roll it across your garage floor. To lift a vehicle, you wheel the bridge assembly alongside the vehicle, adjust the lift pads to align with the vehicle's designated lift points, and activate the hydraulic system. The bridge then rises, lifting the vehicle from its frame rails. The whole process takes about two minutes once you are familiar with the positioning, and the vehicle never needs to move.

The Forward MR-6 arrives partially assembled on a freight pallet. At 650 pounds, it is lighter than fixed mid-rise lifts but still requires mechanical assistance for delivery and placement. I used the same pallet jack approach as with heavier equipment — rent a pallet jack, roll the crate into the garage, and unpack in place. Assembly took about two hours with my teenage son helping, which included connecting the bridge sections, mounting the hydraulic power unit, and running through the initial setup procedure described in the manual.

The learning curve for the rolling bridge design is steeper than for a simple platform lift, primarily because positioning requires more precision. With a platform lift, you drive the vehicle over a large, flat surface and the positioning tolerance is generous. With the MR-6's bridge design, you need to align individual lift pads with specific points on the vehicle's underside. The pads are adjustable for width and fore-aft position, which provides flexibility but also means you need to know your vehicle's lift points and adjust accordingly. After the first few vehicles, this becomes second nature, but expect a learning period of five to ten lifts before you feel fully confident.

I created a simple reference sheet for each of my vehicles noting the optimal MR-6 pad positions, which I laminated and hung on the garage wall near the lift. This eliminated the trial-and-error phase for repeat vehicles and makes the lift accessible to friends who borrow garage time. The Forward manual includes lift point guidance for popular vehicle models, but creating vehicle-specific position references for your own fleet is a worthwhile investment of time that pays dividends in faster, more confident setup.

The 110V power requirement is a practical advantage for home installations. The hydraulic pump runs on a standard household circuit and draws moderate amperage during the lift cycle. I have not experienced any circuit tripping issues, and the pump operates at a reasonable noise level comparable to a shop vacuum. Lift speed is approximately 20 seconds to full height under load, which is slightly slower than some competitors but not enough to be a meaningful inconvenience in daily use. The lowering cycle is controlled and smooth, with descent speed regulated by the hydraulic system to prevent rapid dropping.

The MR-6 has been in regular service in my garage for four months, during which I have lifted my Lexus IS350, a Toyota Tacoma, a Mazda MX-5 Miata, and a Dodge Challenger. Each vehicle presented different challenges — the Miata with its low ride height, the Tacoma with its truck-frame lift points, the Challenger with its heavy weight, and the Lexus with its somewhat hidden frame rails. The MR-6 handled all of them successfully, though setup time varied from about 90 seconds for the Lexus (which I lift most frequently) to about four minutes for the Tacoma on its first time.

The 34-inch maximum rise height places the MR-6 between portable frame lifts and dedicated mid-rise platforms. This height is sufficient for comfortable creeper-based work and allows kneeling or sitting alongside the vehicle for brake and wheel-area tasks. It is not tall enough for standing work underneath, which is a limitation compared to 47-48 inch mid-rise lifts. For my usage pattern — primarily brake services, oil changes, suspension inspection, and exhaust work — the 34-inch height is adequate about 90 percent of the time. The occasions where I want more height are typically deep undercarriage tasks that would ideally be done on a full two-post lift regardless.

Stability during work is very good, though the rolling design introduces a characteristic that fixed lifts do not have: you can feel a very slight amount of give in the lateral direction when applying force to the vehicle. This is not instability — the caster locks and lift geometry prevent any actual movement — but there is a perceptible microsettling when you push hard on the vehicle that is absent with anchored or platform-style lifts. I got used to this within the first week and no longer notice it, but it is worth mentioning for buyers coming from fixed lift systems who might find it disconcerting initially.

The rolling bridge design truly shines during multi-vehicle service days. When I am doing oil changes or brake inspections on several vehicles, I can finish one car, lower the lift, roll it to the next vehicle, and be lifting again in about three minutes. There is no vehicle shuffling, no driving onto platforms, and no reconfiguring frame positions. This workflow efficiency is the MR-6's killer feature and the primary reason I chose it over a fixed scissor lift. For single-vehicle garages the advantage is less pronounced, but for anyone regularly servicing multiple vehicles, the time savings are substantial and accumulate quickly.

The Forward MR-6 incorporates a comprehensive safety system that addresses the unique considerations of a rolling bridge design. All four casters feature individual locking mechanisms that must be engaged before lifting. The lift will not activate until the caster locks are set, enforced by a mechanical interlock rather than just an operator instruction. This is a thoughtful design decision that prevents the most obvious risk associated with a rolling lift — attempting to lift a vehicle while the lift can still move. I have never experienced a lock failure in four months of regular use.

The scissor mechanism includes automatic safety locks that engage at multiple height positions during the lift cycle. These are spring-loaded steel pins that engage with a toothed rack on the scissor arm, providing mechanical support at numerous discrete heights between fully lowered and fully raised. The engagement is automatic — you hear a ratcheting sound as the lift rises — and disengagement requires holding a release lever while activating the lowering control. This dual-action release prevents accidental lowering and ensures the operator is deliberately choosing to lower the vehicle.

Structural integrity of the MR-6 is good. The bridge members are constructed from heavy rectangular steel tubing with consistent weld quality throughout. The caster mounting points are reinforced with gusset plates, which is an important detail since these are high-stress areas that transfer the full vehicle load to the floor through the rolling mechanism. The scissor arms and pivot pins are well-proportioned for the rated load, and I detect no play or wear in the pivots after four months of regular use. The powder-coat finish is durable and has held up well to the scuffs and scrapes typical of shop use.

One structural observation worth noting: the bridge members show slight flex under heavy loads near the maximum capacity. When lifting the Dodge Challenger at approximately 4,300 pounds, I measured about 3 millimeters of deflection at the center of the bridge span using a straightedge. This deflection is within normal engineering tolerances and does not indicate any structural concern, but it is perceptible if you are looking for it. The deflection does not increase over time or under repeated loading, which confirms it is elastic deformation rather than permanent set. Forward clearly designed within appropriate safety factors for the rated capacity.

At $2,299, the Forward MR-6 occupies the upper-middle range of the scissor lift market. It costs more than portable frame lifts like the QuickJack line but less than premium mid-rise platforms from BendPak. Its closest competitors in concept are other rolling bridge and mobile scissor lifts from brands like Challenger and BendPak's rolling bridge offerings. The price is reasonable for the capability but not what I would call a bargain — you are paying for the engineering complexity of the rolling bridge mechanism and the flexibility it provides.

The value calculation depends entirely on whether you will actually use the rolling capability. If your garage has one vehicle that gets lifted in one spot, a fixed scissor lift or portable frame lift will serve you equally well at the same or lower cost. The MR-6's rolling bridge design adds value specifically when you need to service multiple vehicles in varying positions without moving the vehicles themselves. For this use case, the MR-6 offers a time-saving advantage that no fixed lift can match, and the $2,299 investment pays for itself through workflow efficiency.

Compared to the BendPak RBJ6000 rolling bridge at $2,399, the Forward offers similar capability at $100 less. The BendPak brings stronger brand recognition and arguably better fit and finish, while the Forward matches it on specifications and practical performance. I have not used the BendPak personally and cannot offer a direct comparison, but based on specifications and user reports, the two products are closely matched. Brand preference and dealer proximity may be the deciding factors between them.

For buyers on a tighter budget, the Challenger CMJ6 mobile jacks at $1,999 offer a different take on mobile lifting that might serve equally well. For buyers willing to spend more, the BendPak MD-6XP at $2,899 provides more rise height in a fixed platform. The Forward MR-6 makes the most sense as a choice when you specifically want the rolling bridge form factor and its associated workflow benefits. If you are less certain about the rolling requirement, I would suggest starting with a more traditional lift type and adding mobile capability later if you find you need it.

The Forward MR-6 has proven to be a reliable, capable, and genuinely useful addition to my garage over four months of regular use. Its rolling bridge design solves a real workflow problem for multi-vehicle garages, and the 6,000-lb capacity provides adequate margin for the vast majority of consumer vehicles. Build quality is solid, safety features are well-engineered, and the overall user experience is positive once you clear the initial learning curve associated with pad positioning.

I recommend the MR-6 specifically for home mechanics and small shop operators who regularly service three or more vehicles and want to minimize the vehicle-shuffling overhead associated with fixed lifts. If you find yourself spending ten minutes moving cars around to get the right one over your lift, the MR-6 will pay for itself in saved time and reduced frustration within a few months. The portable aspect also appeals to renters and anyone who may need to relocate their garage equipment in the future.

Buyers who should look elsewhere include those who work primarily on one vehicle and want maximum rise height — a fixed mid-rise lift will serve better. Also, buyers on a strict budget should compare the MR-6 carefully against simpler designs that provide similar capacity without the rolling bridge complexity. The rolling mechanism adds engineering cost that is only justified if you actually use the mobility regularly. A $1,500 QuickJack that stays in one spot delivers more value than a $2,300 rolling bridge that never actually rolls.

Overall, the Forward MR-6 is a well-executed product that serves its target market effectively. It reflects Forward Lift's commercial equipment heritage in its build quality and safety engineering while remaining accessible to the serious home mechanic market. If the rolling bridge concept appeals to your workflow and your budget allows it, the MR-6 delivers on its promises and will serve as a reliable lifting solution for years to come. Just make sure you actually need the mobility before paying the premium for it.