HPDMC 220V Two Post Lift 11,000 LBS Review: Truck-Ready Power at a Mid-Range Price

Most home garages do not. A half-ton pickup weighs 5,000 to 6,000 lb, a three-quarter-ton crew cab diesel about 7,500 lb, and a one-ton dually with a service body can pass 9,000 lb. The 9,000 lb lifts that dominate this market carry the first two with margin and the third with none. The HPDMC 11,000 lb is aimed at the garage with the third, or with a lifted diesel plus a bed full of tools, or with a heavy camper van, where 2,000 lb of headroom is the difference between a lift that is comfortable and one that is at its label.

HPDMC built it as a heavier version of its 9,000 lb overhead rather than a different design: the same clear-floor layout, the same 36-month warranty, but 1/4 in box-section column steel, a 3HP motor instead of 2HP, 72 in of rise instead of 68, and asymmetric arms with truck extensions included. At about $3,200 it costs $800 more than the 9,000 lb model, and every one of those dollars went into capacity.

The rating is 11,000 lb, and 72 in of rise puts a lifted truck frame at standing height for a tall mechanic. Inside width between posts is 116 in, wide enough to drive a dually through with the mirrors folded, and the arm extensions let the pads reach the frame rails of a long-wheelbase truck without balancing on running boards. The asymmetric layout sets the vehicle back in the bay so the doors open, which on a crew cab is worth having.

Overall height is 148 in, or 12 ft 4 in, and with the shut-off bar above the beam the seller's recommended minimum ceiling is 12 ft 6 in. That is 6 in more than the 9,000 lb model needs and a full foot more than the APlusLift HW-9KOH. A lifted truck raised 72 in also has to fit under the ceiling itself; a 6 ft 6 in tall truck needs about 12 ft 6 in of clearance at full rise, so the ceiling number and the vehicle number happen to agree here, but a taller van would not.

At 1,680 lb shipping weight this is a heavy lift for two people, and the columns are the problem: 1/4 in box section is what makes them stiff, and it is also what makes each one a job for an engine hoist or a forklift. Anchoring is into a minimum 4 in concrete slab, and for a lift that will carry 8,000 lb trucks regularly, more is better; a thin or cracked slab is the most common cause of a leaning column, and no warranty covers it. Drill a test hole before the crate ships.

Power is 220V single phase on a dedicated circuit sized for a 3HP motor, which draws more current than the 2HP units on 9,000 lb lifts. The manual is the same clear document HPDMC ships with its smaller lifts, and owner reviews on Amazon give it credit. Plan on a full weekend with a tall ladder for the beam, and consider a professional installer if the garage lacks a hoist; this is the point in the price range where paying someone starts to make sense.

The lift has automatic mechanical locks in each column, arm restraints, and a cable equalization system that owner reviews single out as keeping the carriages level, which matters more on an asymmetric lift carrying a truck whose weight sits mostly over the rear arms. The 1/4 in box-section columns resist the twisting that off-center loads put into thinner-walled columns. Those are the things a truck lift needs, and HPDMC provides them.

What it does not provide is an ALI/ETL listing. The certification is a CE self-declaration, and at $3,200 that is a legitimate complaint, because the BendPak XPR-10AS sits only $800 higher with the label. For a home garage the practical difference is small if the lift is installed and loaded correctly; for a shop or an insured business it is the whole difference. The 36-month warranty covers the pump, motor and hydraulics, which is the strongest coverage available on an uncertified lift in this class.

The WEIZE 11,000 lb 3HP at about $3,000 is the direct rival: same capacity, same motor size, same 72 in rise, a double safety lock, a 1-year warranty and a thinner powder coat. It is $200 cheaper, and the HPDMC's 36-month warranty and heavier columns are worth more than that. HPDMC's own 220V 9,000 lb at about $2,400 is the lift to buy if the heaviest vehicle is a half-ton; it has the same warranty and asymmetric arms with 2,000 lb less capacity that most garages will never miss.

The BendPak XPR-10AS at about $4,035 has 1,000 lb less capacity, ALI/ETL certification, dual-synchro equalization and BendPak's dealer network. For a commercial garage it is the better lift. For a home garage with a heavy truck and no insurer to satisfy, the HPDMC 11,000 lb does the physical job for $800 less, and we would buy it over the BendPak in that situation and the BendPak over it in any other.

Buy the HPDMC 220V 11,000 lb if the garage regularly lifts a three-quarter-ton or one-ton truck, a heavy van or a lifted diesel, has 12 ft 6 in of ceiling, 220V and a slab that meets spec, and does not need an ALI listing. Buy it if the 36-month warranty and the box-section columns are worth $200 over the WEIZE 11,000, which we think they are.

Skip it if the fleet is cars and a half-ton; the 9,000 lb model does that for $800 less. Skip it if the ceiling is under 12 ft 6 in, which rules out most attached garages. Skip it for commercial work, where the XPR-10AS's certification is worth the premium. And do not attempt the install without a hoist or a forklift; the columns that make this lift worth buying are the same ones that make it hard to stand up.