Single Post Car Lifts

What a Single Post Car Lift Is Good For

A single post car lift carries the entire load on one column, with the vehicle supported by a runway, platform or set of arms cantilevered off that post. That layout is the whole argument for it: no second column, no overhead crossbar to duck under, and clear access along one full side of the vehicle. For a one-post lift the trade-off is structural. All lifting force and overturning moment run through a single anchor point, so the floor at the post matters more than it does with a lift that spreads load across two or four bases.

Buyers usually land on a one post auto lift for one of three reasons: a narrow bay that cannot take a two-post footprint, a desire to park two cars in one space, or a need to work around the car without stepping over a base plate. If you have a wide bay, a deep slab and no parking-density problem, a two-post lift is the more common answer. If any of those three conditions apply, the single column lift earns its place.

Single Post Parking Lifts vs. Single Post Service Lifts

Our five products split cleanly into these two families, and mixing them up is the most expensive mistake in this category.

The AMGO SPL-6 and AMGO SPL-7 are parking lifts. AMGO lists the SPL-6 at 6,000 lbs with a hydraulic drive system, heavy-duty steel construction, a 6-step rolling safety ladder, and an application of commercial and residential parking. The SPL-7 is rated at 7,000 lbs and is built around runways — our data lists a width between runways of 42 3/8", an overall length of 192 1/8" and a minimum height of 6 1/8". These lifts are designed to hold a stored vehicle over a parked one, not to be a daily service platform.

The AMGO SL-7, AMGO SML-7 and Katool KT-SPL700 are service-oriented single post lifts, all rated at 7,000 lbs. The two AMGO models list a lifting time of 84 seconds and a max lifting height of 70 13/16" to 72 3/4" without the extension adapter, rising to 72 3/4" to 75 11/16" with it. Their lock heights are listed separately from lifting heights, which is the number that actually governs your working clearance, since the lift rests on a mechanical lock rather than on hydraulic pressure while you work.

Specifications Across Our Single Post Lifts

Note how little separates these on capacity and how much separates them on width. The SL-7 and SML-7 differ mainly in overall width — 84 1/2" versus 90 3/8" — while the SPL-7 needs 111" because it carries runways. In a tight bay, width is the spec that disqualifies models, not capacity.

Site Checks Before You Buy a Single Post Vehicle Lift

Three site questions decide whether a single post parking lift or service lift will actually install.

Ceiling. Katool lists a recommended indoor ceiling height of roughly 12 ft for the KT-SPL700, and a recommended clearance around the vehicle of more than 40". The AMGO SL-7, SML-7 and SPL-7 all list an overall height of 109 7/16", so the column itself needs that much room before you add anything above it. Measure to the lowest obstruction — garage door track, light fixture, sprinkler head — not to the highest point of the ceiling.

Floor. Katool lists a floor load requirement at the post of 3 t/m² for the KT-SPL700. Concrete thickness, compressive strength and cure time are set by each manufacturer's installation manual, and ANSI/ALI ALIS covers safety requirements for automotive lift installation. Do not assume a slab is adequate because it holds a two-post lift elsewhere in the building; a single column concentrates load differently.

Power. Our product data lists 110V for the Katool KT-SPL700. Electrical requirements for the AMGO models are not listed in our specification data, so confirm voltage and phase with us before you have an electrician run a circuit.

Safety, Standards and Inspection

Automotive lifts sold in the US are covered by ANSI/ALI ALCTV, the American National Standard for automotive lift construction, testing and validation. ANSI/ALI ALOIM addresses operation, inspection and maintenance, including periodic inspection by a qualified lift inspector. OSHA's lockout/tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, applies when the lift is being serviced or repaired.

In day-to-day use, the habits that matter are simple: know the vehicle's weight and lift points before raising it, raise to the mechanical lock and lower onto it rather than holding on hydraulics, keep the area clear while the lift is in motion, and inspect cables, chains, hoses and anchors on a schedule. AMGO includes a 6-step rolling safety ladder with the SPL-6, which is the practical answer to reaching a vehicle stored on an upper parking position.

What Buyers Commonly Get Wrong

The first mistake is buying capacity instead of geometry. All but one of our single post lifts are rated at 7,000 lbs, so capacity rarely separates them — overall width, lifting height and lock height do. The second is treating a parking lift as a service lift. A lift listed for commercial and residential parking is built to store a vehicle, not to hold it while you pull a transmission. The third is confusing lifting height with lock height: the AMGO SPL-7 lists a max lifting height of 74" but a max lock height to the top of the runway of 70 3/16", and the lock height is what you will actually be working under. The fourth is ordering before checking the slab and the ceiling. Send us your bay dimensions and we will tell you which of the five fits.