BendPak PL-6KT Triple Independent Platform Parking Lift
Most parking lifts leave the car underneath sitting below a pair of open runways, which means it spends its life under a drip line — and under anything a tool might do on its way to the floor. The PL-6KT uses full-width platforms instead. The deck above is a solid surface across its whole width, so the vehicle parked below is covered rather than exposed. If you are storing something you care about under something you drive daily, that single construction choice is the difference between a storage lift and a storage lift you trust.
The PL-6KT is a triple-wide parking lift: three platforms, each rated at 6,000 lbs, on one structure rated at 18,000 lbs with all three loaded. Three vehicles park on top of three vehicles, turning a three-car footprint into six spaces. Each platform raises and lowers on its own, so getting to the car underneath bay two does not mean moving bays one and three first.
Will it fit?
This is a large structure and the width is the number that catches people out. Overall width is 308" (7,834 mm) with 283" (7,197 mm) between the posts, overall length is 236.5" (6,008 mm), and overall height is 123.75" (3,140 mm) — measure to the underside of the lowest obstruction in your building, not to the roof apex, and remember the vehicle on top adds its own height above the platform. Each platform is 82" (2,086 mm) wide and 152" (3,862 mm) long, which is what determines the vehicles you can actually park on it.
At rest the platform sits 9" (230 mm) off the floor, so a low car can be driven on without scraping. The power unit runs on a 220V single-phase supply at 60 Hz.
Confirm the clearance before you plan the bay. Published figures for the two clearance measurements differ: BendPak's sheet gives a maximum rise of 89" (2,261 mm) and a drive clearance of 93" (2,374 mm), and which of the two governs decides whether the vehicle you intend to park underneath actually fits. Send us the height of the vehicle going underneath and we will confirm the usable clearance in writing before you order — we will get the current figure straight from BendPak.
The lock arrangement is described two ways as well. The specification lists a single locking position, while the feature list describes multi-position safety locks in each column and the product copy describes a single-position auto-engaging lock at maximum rise alongside multi-position column locks. These may be two different mechanisms rather than a contradiction, but the page does not say so plainly, so confirm the intended parking height range with us before ordering.
Slab thickness, slab strength, anchoring and overhead clearance are the buyer's responsibility to verify. BendPak's installation and operation manual, linked in the downloads on this page, is the governing document — do not size the concrete from a description page.
Full-width platforms, and what sits on them
The platforms are galvanized to resist corrosion, oil and general wear, which matters on a lift whose top deck spends its life catching whatever the vehicle above it drops. Built-in wheel stops and front and rear tire chocks keep the vehicle where it was parked, and the runway surface is a durable matte finish rather than a slick coating. The superstructure is I-beam and C-channel with wide base plates, and the whole assembly is powder coated.
Four columns, three decks, no post in the way
The structural trick of the PL-6KT is that the four columns sit outside the parking area rather than between the decks. Nothing interrupts a platform, so a door can be opened on any of the three vehicles up top without working around a post — which is the practical difference between a lift you use daily and a lift you load once and resent. The three platforms are independent: one comes down without disturbing the others, so the car buried in the middle is not a two-hour job.
Hydraulic lines and lifting cables are routed inside the structure. That is partly appearance and partly the fact that an exposed cable in a parking bay is a cable somebody will eventually catch with a mirror.
The lifting hardware
Motion comes from dual hydraulic cylinders working through heavy-duty steel lifting cables — 3/8" aircraft cable, on 1.25" roller axles, over oversized sheaves. Sheave diameter is not a cosmetic spec: a larger sheave bends the cable less sharply on every cycle, which is what reduces fatigue over years of raising and lowering the same load. Backing the primary system are independent slack-cable safety latches that catch a platform if a cable ever goes loose, plus a push-button pneumatic safety release so the locks are disengaged from one place rather than by walking the structure. The power unit location is customisable, which is worth deciding before installation rather than after.
Perfect For
- Large residential garages doubling storage without extending the building
- Collectors keeping several vehicles in a single bay footprint
- Dealerships and detailers needing dense, accessible storage
- Commercial parking operations converting floor area into spaces
- Cars, light trucks, motorcycles and ATVs within the per-platform rating
What's in the Box
The PL-6KT superstructure with its four columns, three full-width galvanized platforms with built-in wheel stops, front and rear wheel chocks, dual hydraulic cylinders and lifting cables, and the electric-hydraulic power unit with simple push-button controls. Anchors, concrete work, electrical supply and any approach ramps or accessories are not included. If you are unsure whether a particular accessory is on your order, ask us to confirm in writing before it ships.
Specifications
| Capacity per platform |
6,000 lbs |
| Total capacity, three platforms |
18,000 lbs |
| Overall width |
308" (7,834 mm) |
| Overall length |
236.5" (6,008 mm) |
| Overall height |
123.75" (3,140 mm) |
| Width between posts |
283" (7,197 mm) |
| Platform width |
82" (2,086 mm) |
| Platform length |
152" (3,862 mm) |
| Min. runway height |
9" (230 mm) |
| Max. rise |
89" (2,261 mm) — see the clearance note above |
| Drive clearance |
93" (2,374 mm) — see the clearance note above |
| Lifting time |
30 seconds |
| Standard motor |
220V, 60 Hz, single phase |
| Lifting cable |
3/8" aircraft cable |
| Roller axles |
1.25" |
| Shipping weight |
8,889 lbs (4,032 kg) |
| Shipping dimensions |
310" x 32" x 63" (7,874 mm x 813 mm x 1,600 mm) |
Certification, stated plainly
We are not going to badge this lift with a safety listing it does not claim. The product data we hold for the PL-6KT records no third-party lift safety listing, and the absence of a claim in our data is not proof that none exists — it means we have not verified one and will not imply one. That distinction matters for a parking lift more than people expect: some insurers, some commercial premises policies and some local building authorities set requirements for vehicle storage equipment, and they ask for a listing document rather than a marketing claim. If your insurer, your landlord or your local authority has a requirement, tell us what it is before you order and we will confirm in writing what documentation BendPak provides for this model.
Shipping and delivery
The PL-6KT ships as freight to the lower 48 states and it is a genuinely awkward shipment — 8,889 lbs (4,032 kg) with a crate measuring 310" x 32" x 63" (7,874 mm x 813 mm x 1,600 mm). A crate over twenty-five feet long needs room to be taken off a trailer and room to be moved once it is down. Confirm your access before booking: a forklift with the reach for it, or collection from the carrier's terminal with suitable equipment. Residential delivery is available and carries a residential fee. Freight is quoted live at checkout.
Inspect the crate against the delivery receipt and write any damage on the paperwork before you sign it. Warehouse pickup for BendPak equipment is available at the locations shown in the Pick Up and Delivery section of this page.
Warranty
BendPak's written warranty document covers this product and is linked from this page. That document is the governing text and nothing here restates its terms. As with any hydraulic lift, open the claim before you open the equipment — a cylinder or power unit that has already been dismantled is very often a claim declined. Photograph the fault, unload the lift, take it out of service, and call us.
