A four-post lift tall enough to store a boat above a car
Most four-post lifts stop rising at about the height of a tall man. The HD-7500PBX keeps going: the columns stand 157.9 in. / 4,010 mm and the runways reach a maximum lifting height in the region of 145 in. / 3,681 mm. That is the whole design brief — a boat on its trailer, or a second vehicle, living in the air above a working bay instead of paying for storage somewhere else.
The dry-dock argument is the honest one. A boat left in the water collects saltwater corrosion, barnacles, blistering and rust; a boat at a marina collects monthly invoices. But the runways adjust between wide and narrow settings, so the same lift takes a car or a light truck at 7,500 lbs. (3,402 kg), which is what stops it standing idle for eight months of the year.
Two figures for maximum height, and we are showing you both
On a lift bought for its height, the height decides the purchase — and our two sources are not the same.
| Source |
Maximum height |
| The product description currently on this page |
A maximum height of 144.5” |
| BendPak published specification, line C |
Max. Lifting Height 145 in. / 3,681 mm |
Half an inch is nothing on most purchases and everything on this one, because a storage lift is usually fitted to a ceiling that was measured once. If your clearance is tight, ask us to confirm the figure in writing before you order and we will get it from the manufacturer rather than choosing the more flattering number. For planning, maximum rise — the runway height, as opposed to the top of the lift — is 140 in. / 3,560 mm, and that is what your stored vehicle sits on.
A note about the documents on this page
The manual and specification sheet linked here are published for the HD-7500BL and HD-7500BLX series, and the description on this page names the HD-7500BLX in one paragraph. Same four-post family, and the right documents to read — but if you are cross-checking a part number or a serial plate, tell us which model you have in front of you and we will confirm the correct document.
Will It Fit?
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Ceiling. The constraint that decides everything. Columns are 157.9 in. / 4,010 mm tall, so measure the lowest obstruction over the bay, not the highest point.
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Floor length. 224.5 in. / 5,703 mm overall, or 198 in. without the ramps.
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Getting past it. Drive-thru clearance 108.5" wide and 139 in. high; width between the columns 122", about 10 ft.
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Runways. 19" wide, 182.25 in. long, set 46.5" or 66.5" apart — narrow for cars, wide for a boat trailer — putting the outside edges at 87.5" or 107.5". That last figure moves by twenty inches with the setting, so plan floor width around it.
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Lowered and powered. Minimum runway height 5" (127 mm), a cycle in 55 Seconds, motor 220 VAC / 60 Hz / 1 Ph at 45 dB.
Our record does not state a required concrete thickness or strength, and on a lift this tall that is not a detail to improvise: the taller the column, the more leverage a load puts on the anchors. The requirement is in the manual linked on this page and we will confirm it in writing on request. Verifying ceiling, floor and supply is the buyer's responsibility.
Wide or narrow, and why you decide before installation
Boat trailers are not built to one width, and neither are the vehicles parked underneath. The runways can be positioned wide or narrow, and two lifting heights are offered. Both are decisions made at installation, so measure the actual trailer — bunk to bunk, not hull to hull — before the lift is set out and anchored.
What holds it up when it is up there
Four stainless steel wire ropes carry the runways over over-sized self-lubricating cable rollers on rugged 1-1/4" roller axles, with heavy-duty 3/8" aircraft cable. A single hydraulic cylinder sits underneath the runway, which is what makes this a low-maintenance lift rather than one with a cylinder in each corner to service.
The locks matter most for storage, because a stored vehicle spends months in the air. Spring-loaded locks engage continuously across seventeen positions spaced every 4" (102 mm), with adjustable lock ladders for levelling, and pneumatic cylinders release all four from one button. A secondary lock system stands behind them as a slack-cable device, and internal anti-sway slider blocks stop the carriages rocking as the load moves.
The wheelbase table
A four-post rating assumes the weight is spread along the runways. Short and heavy concentrates it, so the lift derates — and a boat trailer's weight distribution is nothing like a car's.
| Usable capacity |
Minimum wheelbase |
| Full rated capacity |
130 in. / 3302 mm |
| 75% capacity |
110 in. / 2794 mm |
| 50% capacity |
95 in. / 2413 mm |
| 25% capacity |
75 in. / 1,905 mm |
Per-axle limits are 3,750 lbs. (1,701 kg) front and rear, so the load has to arrive reasonably balanced. On a trailer that is a question about where the axles sit relative to the hull, worth answering with a weighbridge ticket rather than an estimate.
Perfect For
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Boat owners with the ceiling height who would rather buy a lift once than pay storage every month.
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Home garages stacking two vehicles in the footprint of one.
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Marine and powersports dealers storing or displaying stock indoors.
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Anyone in a corrosive climate — coastal, salted roads, damp storage — where getting the hull or the chassis out of the wet is the point.
What's in the Box
From this model's own feature list: the four-post structure with adjustable-width runways and approach ramps, four stainless steel wire ropes, the single hydraulic cylinder mounted underneath the runway, the electric-hydraulic power system, over-sized self-lubricating cable rollers on 1-1/4" roller axles, 3/8" aircraft cable, multi-position safety locks in each column with adjustable lock ladders, push-button pneumatic safety release, internal anti-sway slider blocks and a durable powder-coat finish. The runways include a rail kit for optional accessories. Drip trays, casters and jacks are not included — raise them at order time, because retro-fitting is always more awkward than specifying.
Specifications
| Capacity and rise |
Figure |
| Lifting capacity |
7,500 lbs. (3,402 kg) |
| Maximum capacity, front axle |
3,750 lbs. (1,701 kg) |
| Maximum capacity, rear axle |
3,750 lbs. (1,701 kg) |
| Minimum runway height |
5" (127 mm) |
| Maximum rise |
140 in. / 3,560 mm |
| Maximum lifting height |
Contested — see the table near the top of this page |
| Lifting time |
55 Seconds |
| Dimensions |
Figure |
| Outside length |
198 in. / 5,028 mm |
| Overall length |
224.5 in. / 5,703 mm |
| Height of columns |
157.9 in. / 4,010 mm |
| Width between columns |
122" (3,099 mm) |
| Drive-thru clearance, width |
108.5" (2,756 mm) |
| Drive-thru clearance, height |
139 in. / 3,528 mm |
| Runways, locking and power |
Figure |
| Runway width |
19" (483 mm) |
| Length of runways |
182.25 in. / 4,629mm |
| Width between runways |
46.5" (1,181 mm) or 66.5" (1,689 mm) |
| Runway centreline |
68.5" (1,740 mm) or 88.5" (2,248 mm) |
| Outside edge of runways |
87.5" (2,223 mm) or 107.5" (2,730 mm) |
| Locking positions |
Seventeen |
| Lock spacing |
Every 4" (102 mm) |
| Motor |
220 VAC / 60 Hz / 1 Ph |
| Noise |
45 dB |
Certification, stated honestly
Our record for this lift carries no third-party safety listing, and we would rather say so than write around it. That describes the paperwork we hold, not the engineering.
An independent North American lift safety listing means an outside body has examined the design and listed the product; a manufacturer's own declaration does not stand in for one. Insurers and some local code officials require the independent kind, particularly in a commercial building. Domestic storage in your own garage is usually a different conversation from a workplace with employees under the load — but if your insurer has an opinion, get it before you order.
Shipping and delivery
Freight only, to the lower 48 states, priced live at checkout for your own address — which is why no shipping figure appears on this page.
Delivery is kerbside. Arrange unloading first: a forklift and an operator on site, or collection from the freight terminal, which for a crate this size is often the easier route. Warehouse pickup is available for this brand from our BendPak locations, and a residential address carries a residential fee. Inspect the shipment before you sign and write any damage onto the bill of lading at the time — a clean signature makes a later claim very hard to win.
Warranty
The manufacturer's warranty document is linked on this page; read the term and the exclusions there rather than any summary of them. Whatever the terms, never dismantle a component you intend to claim on — photograph the fault, leave it assembled and contact us first. A stripped part is the usual reason a sound claim is refused.
