BendPak PCL-18B-4 Mobile Column Lifts, Set of Four — High Voltage
The thing that separates these columns from a screw-drive mobile lift is where the weight sits. BendPak mounts the power unit and the hydraulic cylinder low in the chassis, so the centre of gravity of a PCL-18B column is near the floor. A screw-drive column carries a heavy motor and drive assembly overhead, which makes it harder to push and more inclined to tip if a wheel finds a floor joint. If your columns are going to be moved several times a day by people who are also doing the actual job, that difference shows up in the first week, not the fifth year.
This is the high-voltage build of the four-column set. Each column is rated at 18,000 lbs; run as a group of four, the system is rated to 72,000 lbs. BendPak's shared PCL-18B feature list quotes a maximum system capacity of 108,000 lbs for the platform across larger column counts.
Will it fit?
A mobile set needs a route and a floor rather than a bay. Each column is 45" (1,143 mm) wide and 48.75" (1,238 mm) deep, on a chassis 32.25" (819 mm) long, turning inside 40" (1,016 mm) and weighing 1,450 lbs (657 kg). Doorways, ramp angles, floor joints and slab capacity along the route all matter as much as the working area.
Lift height at the fork is 71.5" (1,889 mm). Forks adjust from 9.5" (241 mm) to 35" (889 mm) wide, fork length 11.5" (292 mm).
Voltage — this needs confirming in writing. The listing, and our own product record, describe this set as the high-voltage configuration at 460/360V, three phase. BendPak's PCL-18B feature list carried on this same page states a 208-240V, 3-phase main power system with optional voltages available on request. We are not going to reconcile those for you or quietly pick the one that suits the listing: they are different specifications from two sources on one page. Get your electrician to confirm what your building actually delivers, and ask us to confirm the configuration of the set you are buying in writing before you order. Wiring a set of columns to the wrong service is an expensive mistake in both directions.
The published overall-height pair is mislabelled. BendPak's sheet lists 101" (2,565 mm) and 146.5" (3,721 mm) as overall height raised and overall height lowered respectively. A column that does not telescope cannot be shorter raised than lowered, so we carry both figures and decline to assign the labels. Where clearance is critical, ask us to confirm which figure applies before you order.
Floor capacity, access, clearance and electrical supply remain the buyer's responsibility to verify. The installation and operation manual is the governing document.
Built to be moved, not just to lift
The low centre of gravity is one half of the mobility story. The other half is the wheels. BendPak fits pallet-jack style steering wheels, which let a column settle firmly onto the floor under its own weight rather than staying perched on constantly loaded spring-type rollers that can let an unladen column drift. Tandem 8" polyurethane-covered steel wheels on sealed roller bearings roll over dirt and floor debris instead of stopping dead on it. Forklift pockets in the chassis mean a set can be loaded and taken to another building — which is the whole point of buying mobile columns rather than fixing lifts to a floor.
BendPak also cites a tight turning radius and reduced column weight as part of the same design goal. In practice the test is simple: can one person reposition a column around a parked truck without help? That is what these choices are aimed at.
Two-speed lowering, and the controls
Lowering has two selectable speeds — BendPak's turtle and rabbit settings. The slow setting is for bringing a loaded chassis down while someone watches the clearances; the fast setting is for getting the bay back. Height limits can be programmed as a variable ceiling, either because the building is low or because a particular procedure has to stop at a fixed height.
The set can be operated SINGLE, as a PAIR or as a TEAM, and can be programmed and controlled from any column, so an operator is not tied to one station. Position feedback comes from sealed enclosed linear potentiometers, giving continuous synchronisation across all four columns through the whole cycle. The electronics are multi-fuse protected, with self-diagnostics and self-calibration built in.
Perfect For
- Commercial truck shops with a high-voltage three-phase service already in the building
- Fleet and municipal garages that move lifting capacity between bays through the day
- Multi-site operators who need to truck the columns from one facility to another
- Shops working two-axle heavy-duty vehicles up to the rated system capacity
What's in the Box
Four PCL-18B columns in the high-voltage configuration, each with multi-width wheel forks and locking pins, a key-lock enclosure, an emergency shut-off switch, a manual safety override valve and forklift pockets, plus the interconnecting cabling that ties the set to one point of control — BendPak notes a standard four-column set uses just three 30' cables. The multi-width forks are stated to eliminate the need for specialty wheel adapters. Cross beams and any other accessory are ordered separately.
Specifications
| Capacity per column |
18,000 lbs (8,165 kg) |
| System capacity, four columns |
72,000 lbs |
| Platform maximum system capacity (BendPak feature list) |
108,000 lbs |
| Max. lifting height |
71.5" (1,889 mm) |
| Overall width / depth |
45" (1,143 mm) / 48.75" (1,238 mm) |
| Chassis length |
32.25" (819 mm) |
| Fork width |
9.5" (241 mm) to 35" (889 mm) |
| Fork length |
11.5" (292 mm) |
| Turning circle |
40" (1,016 mm) |
| Column weight |
1,450 lbs (657 kg) |
| Lifting speed |
85 seconds |
| Power |
Two sources disagree — see the voltage note above and confirm with us in writing |
| Shipping weight per column |
1,498 lbs (679 kg) |
| Shipping dimensions per column |
106" x 55" x 41" (2,696 mm x 1,397 mm x 1,041 mm) |
Certification, stated plainly
The feature list BendPak publishes for this system says it meets or exceeds the standards prescribed by ANSI/ALI ALCTV-2011, the North American automotive lift standard. That sentence is a manufacturer's conformance statement. It is not a current third-party listing held against this model, which is a separate document issued by a separate body and verified in a separate place — and it is the listing, not the conformance statement, that an insurer, a fleet safety policy or a local authority will usually ask to see. We have not independently confirmed this model's listing status. If that matters to your cover, your contract or your inspection, ask us before ordering and we will put the answer in writing rather than in marketing copy.
Shipping and delivery
Freight only, to the lower 48 states. Four crated columns arrive on a trailer and you need to be able to get them off it: a forklift or equivalent lifting equipment at your end, or terminal pickup from the carrier if you would rather collect. Residential delivery is available and attracts a residential fee. Live freight quoting happens at checkout, so no shipping figure is written into this page.
Before you sign the delivery receipt, count the crates and look at every one of them. Anything you find — a crushed corner, a torn wrap, a shifted crate — goes on the paperwork before your signature does. Warehouse pickup for BendPak products is available at the locations named in the Pick Up and Delivery section of this page.
Warranty
This product is covered by BendPak's published written warranty; the document is linked in the downloads on this page and it, rather than anything written here, sets the terms. We have not restated a coverage period because the document is the only reliable source for it. General advice that holds for every hydraulic lift: open the claim before you open the equipment. Stripping a cylinder or a power unit to find out what went wrong is the single most reliable way to lose a warranty claim. Photograph it, take it out of service, and contact us.
