Greg Smith GS-PJ7 Review: 7,000-lb Professional Portable Lifting Power

Greg Smith Equipment is the Indianapolis distributor that sells the Atlas lift line, and the GS branded products are its top tier. The GS-PJ7 is its 7,000 lb portable frame lift, built on the QuickJack pattern: two independent frames with a hydraulic cylinder and lock bars each, one 110V power unit, hoses and rubber blocks, sized for trucks.

The listed specifications are 7,000 lb capacity for the pair, 24 in maximum rise, 3.25 in collapsed height, 60 in frames, about 14 seconds to full rise, 192 lb per pair, heavy-duty dual lock bars, a 4,200 psi hydraulic ceiling and a three-year limited warranty. Two of those numbers stand out against the class: the 4,200 psi ceiling is the highest here, and the three-year warranty is a year longer than QuickJack's and two years longer than the Atlas and Triumph lifts.

The estimated price is $1,999, about $100 over the QuickJack BL-7000SLX estimate. The GS-PJ7 is not sold on Amazon; Greg Smith sells direct and through its regional locations.

7,000 lb covers every half-ton pickup and full-size SUV on sale, a lifted Ram 1500 on 35s, a Suburban, an Expedition Max, and the lighter gas three-quarter-tons at the curb. A diesel 2500 or any 3500 is over the rating with fuel and a toolbox aboard, and the rating is for the pair; there is no borrowing from one frame to the other.

The 60 in frames are the reason to buy this lift over a 55 in one. Crew cabs and long-wheelbase SUVs put their frame-rail lift points far enough apart that a shorter frame runs out of pad travel; 60 in matches the QuickJack 8000TLX's reach and falls only 3.5 in short of the discontinued BL-7000SLX. Greg Smith does not publish a fitment database comparable to QuickJack's, so measuring the lift-point spacing on the exact cab and bed configuration is the buyer's job.

Collapsed height is 3.25 in, low for a truck lift. That lets the GS-PJ7 serve a sedan in the same household, though 60 in frames are awkward under a short car and the frame weight makes it a chore.

24 in of rise under a truck with 9 or 10 in of ground clearance puts the frame rails around 33 in off the floor: rolling-stool height, enough for driveshafts, differential covers, shocks, leaf-spring hardware, brakes, hubs, exhaust and transfer case service. It is not enough to pull a transmission on a full-size truck with a jack under it, and no frame lift is; the MaxJax M7K or a permanent 2-post is the answer for that.

The heavy-duty dual lock bars are the load path. Raise past the lock, lower the frames onto it, confirm both, then get under the truck. With 6,000 lb of vehicle overhead, that sequence is not optional and the hydraulics are not a backup.

The 4,200 psi hydraulic ceiling is a design margin figure: the cylinders and hoses are rated above what a 7,000 lb load requires, which is a good sign for seal life and for the pump's working margin. It is not a certification. Greg Smith does not advertise ALI certification for the GS-PJ7, and the QuickJack BL-7000SLX had it. That is the specification the QuickJack holds over this lift, and for some buyers it decides the purchase.

192 lb per pair means each 60 in frame is about 96 lb. The moderate installation rating and the cons list are honest about it: this is a two-person setup, or a one-person setup with a frame cart, every time. A truck owner planning weekly use should buy the cart with the lift. Stored, the frames stand against a wall and the power unit goes on a shelf; the 60 in frames take a foot more wall than a 5,000 lb lift's.

The power unit runs on a household 110V outlet. At 6,000 lb the pump is near the top of its work, and a dedicated circuit close to the truck is the difference between a 14 second rise and a laboring motor; long extension cords are the wrong answer here. Floor space matters too: 60 in frames project past a truck's sides, and the hoses need a clear run to the power unit.

Setup is the standard routine at a larger scale: frames under the frame-rail lift points, tall blocks stacked to reach them, hoses routed clear, a few inches of lift to check all four pads, then full rise and onto the locks.

The QuickJack BL-7000SLX, at about $100 less, is the same capacity with 63.5 in frames, ALI certification, a two-year warranty and 186 lb per pair. The GS-PJ7 answers with a three-year warranty, a higher hydraulic ceiling and Greg Smith's parts warehouse. A buyer who wants the certificate should pay less and take the QuickJack; a buyer who wants the longest warranty and a phone number should take the Greg Smith.

The QuickJack BL-5000TLX wireless, at about $300 less, is a 5,000 lb lift with a remote, the wrong comparison for a truck and the right one for a sedan household that finds the GS-PJ7 tempting; it should not.

The Dannmar DMP-6, at about $200 less, is 6,000 lb with 53 in frames, triple-point locks and a two-year warranty, and it is the better choice for a midsize SUV garage that will never see a crew cab.

Buy the GS-PJ7 for a half-ton or full-size SUV garage, with the cart and a dedicated outlet. Skip it for sedans, and skip it if ALI certification decides the purchase.