Triumph NP-5S Review: Compact 5,000-lb Portable Lifting at a Fair Price

Triumph is a budget lift brand sold online and through discount equipment dealers, best known for its NT-9 2-post and NSS-8 narrow 2-post. The NP-5S is its 5,000 lb portable frame lift, a sibling to the 6,000 lb NP-6, and it follows the QuickJack pattern: two independent frames with a hydraulic cylinder and lock bars each, a 110V power unit, hoses and rubber blocks.

The listed specifications are 5,000 lb capacity for the pair, 22 in maximum rise, 3.25 in collapsed height, 50 in frames, about 14 seconds to full rise, 145 lb per pair, dual mechanical lock bars, a 3,400 psi hydraulic ceiling and a one-year limited warranty. Set that beside the Atlas PMJ-5 and every number matches or nearly matches, down to the price.

The estimated price is $1,399, about $100 under the QuickJack BL-5000SLX estimate and the current 5000TL on Amazon. The NP-5S is not sold on Amazon. Triumph's channel is its own online store and resellers, and support is by phone and email from the brand rather than through a dealer network.

5,000 lb covers sedans, coupes, hatchbacks, compact crossovers and most midsize SUVs at curb weight, with heavier crossovers and electric sedans close to the line. Half-ton pickups and three-row SUVs are out on weight and on lift-point spacing.

The 50 in frames are about an inch shorter than a QuickJack's 51.2 in, which suits a tight garage and does not change the vehicle envelope much: cars under about 108 in of wheelbase are comfortable, longer sedans should be measured. Triumph does not publish a fitment database, so the measurement between the front and rear lift points on one side of the car, compared against the frames' pad travel, is the buyer's job. The cons list on the NP-6 notes the manual could be clearer, and the same applies here; a QuickJack manual is a useful companion for the general procedure.

Collapsed height is 3.25 in, a quarter inch under the QuickJack 5000TL. Most lowered cars clear it; aggressive coilovers still need boards. The rubber blocks stack to reach crossover sills.

22 in of rise is 2 in under the QuickJack SLX's 24 and the same as the Atlas PMJ-5. Under a sedan that is about 28 in at the rockers: creeper height with room, or a low stool. Brakes, fluids, exhaust, suspension, bearings and inspection are the work; transmissions are not. Rise time is about 14 seconds.

The dual lock bars are the load path. Raise past the lock, lower the frames onto it, confirm both, then get under. The hydraulics lift and the steel holds; the cons list notes the pump is louder than premium competitors, which affects comfort and nothing else.

Triumph does not advertise ALI certification for the NP-5S and it does not appear in the ALI directory. QuickJack's frame lifts do. That, and a one-year warranty against QuickJack's two, is what the $100 saving represents: the lock and overload margins have been tested by the manufacturer rather than by an independent lab. Whether that matters is a personal call, and this site's view is that on a lift, it does.

The 110V power unit plugs into a household outlet. Use a dedicated one near the car and avoid long extension cords, because voltage drop is what makes a frame-lift pump labor at 4,000 lb.

145 lb per pair puts each 50 in frame at about 73 lb, one-person work over a short distance and a little heavier than the Atlas PMJ-5's 71. Stored, the frames stand on end against a wall and the power unit sits on a shelf; the compact frames are the reason the model carries an S in its name, and in a one-car garage the inch saved over a QuickJack is real.

Setup is the standard routine: frames under the lift points, rubber blocks stacked to height at all four pads, hoses routed clear of the tires and exhaust, a few inches of lift to confirm every pad is seated, then full rise and onto the locks. Triumph's connection system is straightforward and the pros list credits it; the hoses and quick disconnects are the fiddly part on every frame lift and this one is no exception.

The Atlas PMJ-5 is the same lift on paper at the same price. The difference is the company: Atlas comes from Greg Smith Equipment with warehouses and a parts department; Triumph is an online brand. For a lift that may need a hose or a seal in year four, that tilts toward the Atlas unless a Triumph deal is meaningfully cheaper.

The QuickJack BL-5000SLX or 5000TL, at about $100 more, adds ALI certification, a second year of warranty, 2 in of rise on the SLX and a fitment database. That is a good $100.

The Triumph NP-6, at about $200 more, is the same brand with 6,000 lb and 52 in frames, the right choice if a midsize SUV or a Tacoma is in the household.

Buy the NP-5S if the garage holds sedans and compact crossovers, the budget is fixed, and specification per dollar is the criterion. Put the pump on its own outlet and treat the lock bars as law. Skip it for SUVs and trucks, and skip it if certification or warranty length decides the purchase.