In operation since 1981, Mohawk Lifts, Amsterdam, NY, produce vehicle lift products that incorporate a combination of safety systems, design, construction and what the company says is the most inclusive warranty in the lift industry. The company’s environmentally safe above-ground service lifts offer capacities that rang from 6,000 to 320,000 pounds. Mohawk customers include thousands of public and private bus and motorcoach fleets, and repair and maintenance facilities. According to Mohawk, the company is one of the few lift manufacturers whose products have passed rigid third party compliance testing to ANSI/ALI ALCTV-1998.

Mohawk’s hydraulically equalized two post lifts such as models LMF-12 and TP-16 allow the overhead hydraulic lines to be set at any height or routed in-floor for full lifting of all tall trucks and vans. All Mohawk two post lifts feature all position mechanical safety locks in both columns, infinite position hydraulic safeties and truck adaptors as standard equipment.

Mohawk columns are constructed of 3/4-inch thick C-shaped forklift mast sections. All carriages ride on 16 double-sealed self-lubricating steel ball bearing rollers as opposed to  plastic slide blocks, which Mohawk says give the lift a longer life cycle.

Model LMF-12 and TP-16 mid-rise lifts
The Mohawk Lifts Model LMF-12 clear-floor above-ground lift is capable of raising light and medium duty vehicles up to 12,000 lbs. This electric and hydraulic lift features all position mechanical and hydraulic safety mechanisms while allowing total drive through with height adjustable overhead hydraulic lines with Mohawk-patented hydraulic equalization.

The LMF-12 is a twin-cylinder direct-drive design that eliminates the need for chains or cables, and is ideal for medium duty and utility vehicles.

Mohawk Model TP-16 also is a clear floor above ground lift capable of raising medium duty vehicles up to 15,000 lbs. and features automatic locking arms. Mohawk says it makes underground hydraulic line installation available as an option.

Model MP-18 and MP-24 mobile column lifts
With a per column capacity rating of 12,000 to 40,000 lbs. the MP series lift range hefts from 24,000 to 320,000 lbs. Mohawk says one person can easily position the lifts and that models in the MP series turn any flat area into a productive work bay.

The company says the electric-hydraulic systems assure steady and smooth lifting of all vehicles without the use of acme or mechanical screw systems that wear and must be replaced. Each column can operate independently or control all four, six or eight posts in use. Safety systems include electric and hydraulic synchronization systems, pressure compensated flow-control, velocity-fuse valving and all-position mechanical safety locks.

Reprinted with permission of MotorService Magazine, August 2000

We help you make that big purchasing decision

You’re not sure which one you’re going to buy yet but you are sure of one thing: Everyone you talk to says his lift is the best! After a while, it’s hard to know what the truth is even when it’s staring you in the face. Sometimes you even end up being more confused than when you started. This article is about cutting through all the noise and seeing the nuts and bolts of the issue: Which design is most versatile? Which company is going to be there to support you after the money is spent? Which lift is going to provide the best long-term investment?

There are many ways to sift through all the available products and determine what is the best lfit for the type of business you have. Many manufacturers make good lifts. The best of those manufacturers will share common features. Ask your potential supplier several key questions about each of the following items, and it will become obvious who has substance and who has the smoke and mirrors.

For starters, let’s narrow our discussion down to the twin-post above-ground lift, the most popular lift bought today. While other designs might be a better fit for your exact type of shop, the two-post above-ground represents about three quarters of today’s lift market. By demanding the following features and asking the following tough questions, the decision about which lift to buy should become easier.

There are many ways to build a two-post lift. Each component may vary a great deal from one manufacturer to another. Let’s look at a few of the major components more carefully.

Columns

There are three or four ways to build a column. The first and oldest way uses a very heavy “C” channel. This rigid design is very similar in construction to a fork lift. While most above-gound lifts start out using this gauge, most companies have switched to lighter materials in order to lower costs in a price-competitive market. The next common design is a folded sheet metal column. The thickness of the sheet metal and the number bends in each column determine the column’s strength. While this design works well enough, when relatively thin steel is used, it flexes a lot under a heavy load. The less flexing a lift does, the more forgiving it will be when your technicians are pushing and pulling against a transmission or a stubborn ball joint. Other designs include “I” beam columns, and a few lifts use a folded sheet metal box with square tubing welded inside for added strength. Of the four designs, the “C” channel is the most rugged, and, if the fork lift industry is any indicator, it’s the one likely to be around the longest.

Carriages

Carriages are the parts that move up and down inside the column. Welded from thick plates or folded sheet metal, the carriage design has two points worth asking about: What guides the carriage within the column, and how is the arm held in place?

Take note of the safety system. Is the safety in the column or part of the carriage? In most cases where the safeties are part of the column, they don’t function below tow or three feet. To be safe under a lift while it’s at or near the ground (while servicing brakes or struts, for example), be sure to ask if the safeties are active at all heights.

Carriage Guides

As the lift goes up, carriage guides go between the steel of the carriage and the steel of the column to keep them from wearing each other out. A bearing, a roller, or a plastic slide are used in the different designs. The bearing is a sealed, hardened, tight-fitting part, which requires no maintenance. The bearings fit snugly and the carriage cannot tilt in the column. The best bearings are packed with grease and double sealed to keep out the debris found in most automotive shops.

The next best thing to a bearing is a roller. While the roller is stronger than a plastic slide and fits tighter to eliminate slop, it usually incorporates some type of sacrificial material to bear the brunt of the wear. A roller in a heavy-duty application like a lift will wear out the bronze bushing on which it rolls. Left unserviced, the problem can result in a chain or cable failure. Any lift with a pulley or a roller can experience this kind of wear and most will need replacement during their service life.

Finally, there are plastic slides. These slides are the least expensive way to build the carriage but are the most demanding in terms of maintenance. The plastic material used in these slides, UHMW, is very hard and can withstand a great deal of pressure. But since these slides do not actually turn as the carriage rises, they require more play in the carriage to prevent binding. This play may make the carriage tilt unevenly as it rises. Also, they require regular attention. While slide block lifts are always cheaper than bearing lifts, most manufacturers require that the columns be degreased, cleaned, and re-lubricated monthly. In reality, most shop owners are too busy to do this regularly and the slides wear out prematurely. If this happens, be prepared to pay a hefty service bill since the lift will need to be completely torn down to remove the carriages and replace the sliders. Be aware that some companies call their sliders “bearings.” Ask what they mean to be sure.

Arms

For long-term non-dropping performance, look for a lift with arms that are supported from underneath. The strongest carriage designs use a steel plate on the top and the bottom that sandwiches the lifting arm. Alternatively, some companies support their lifting arms by drilling a hole through two plates and pinning the arm to the carriage. While this technique does work and saves money, it places all of the vehicle’s weight against the pin. Over time, these pins and the holes they go through become worn. As a result of these egg-shaped holes, the arms drag on the floor, and you’ll eventually need to replace the arms, pins, and carriages.

Chains, Cables or Nothing

Ask what keeps the lift level. What pushes (or pulls) the car up? The majority of lists use a piston to do the heavy lifting. But what else do they use? Are they lifting with chains or cables? Are they maintaining level by these devices? With pulleys?

The answers to these questions will tell you a lot about how high your maintenance costs will be later on. Lifting and leveling are two different things. Ask how big the piston is (some companies use only one piston, but most use two). Some lift companies use a piston as small as 1-1/8 in., while others have pistons 3-5/8 in diameter. The greater the piston’s diameter, the easier the work will be and the longer the pump/seals/hoses will last.

Chain, as opposed to cable, is likely to last much longer on a lift. Even when cables are used for leveling, they still bear a heavy load when a safety engages or if the vehicle is loaded off-center. Ask to look at an installation manual and you will likely see a monthly maintenance requirement. Cables in lifts are vulnerable to road salt, rust, and grit. Like clutch cables, they eventually run out of adjustment and need replacement. The bigger issue however, is the cost of downtime. A set of cables may only cost you $300-$400, but what will it cost if one breaks while the car is still on the lift? What do you think the chances are that it will break when the lift is empty? And, finally, what if it takes two days to air-freight the parts? How much repair work will you lose while waiting?

Cleary, when it comes to lifts, the lower the price, the more likely you are to experience higher maintenance expenses. Chains are rarley going to need to be replaced but cables probably will. If you buy a lift with cables, be committed to taking good care of it.

There are a few other design questions to ask. Does the lift use hoses or stainless steel line? Are truck adaptoers standard or optional? How many sets come with each lift?

What kind of company am I dealing with?

After considering those major items, the next key to a smart lift purchase revolves around knowing who your manufacturer is.

The first and best indicator of who your supplier is and how likely it is to stand behind its product later is its commitment to safety. The newest ANSI standard for lift safety (A.N.S.I./ALCTV-98) was developed by ETL, an OSHA-recognized testing laboratory. The program, developed by participating members of the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI), requires that lift manufacturers that wish to label their products as “certified” must subject their lifts to rigorous testing and must put in place stringent quality control procedures. The ALI is responsible for such recent advances in product safety as arm restraints, chain break safeties and hydraulic blow-out valves. Look for the “ETL certified” label.

Another way to judge your manufacturer’s commitment to your success is the warranty. More than any other issue, on his one YOU HAVE TO DO YOUR HOMEWORK! For example, a company says it has a five-year warranty, but does that cover parts, labor, travel and shipping charges? Labor alone can cost $500.

For some companies, warranty work is actually a profit center. A lift manufacturer may be willing to offer a low purchase price to get you to buy, but once you become a customer, you’re locked into that company for parts. Unfortunately, sometimes those parts cost more than they should. Keep in mind that a service call to fix a leaky piston, worn rollers, or broken cables can easily run $1000.

Be a smart consumer and call the factory for warranty details because reps, tool salesmen, and distributors can sometimes be confused on this issue. Ask for a copy of the warranty in writing. In most cases, the warranty only covers defects in workmanship. Even then, it may be up to you to prove that a part was defective by shipping it cross-country at your expense. Worse still, your lift will be out of service while you wait for the replacement.

One way to be sure you’re doing business with the right company is to ask how warranty parts are sent out. Find a company that ships parts freight prepaid. Find a company that will pay for travel for a service call, or ship a swap-out cylinder so you don’t have to take a lift off-line. Remember, a cheap tool always costs more than a good one.

In buying your next lift ask the important questions. Be sure to buy the best value instead of the best price.

How public-sector fleets can reduce procurement time, cut costs and stretch budgets

Once know as “piggybacking”, cooperative procurement is a public purchasing method that has skyrocketed in popularity within recent years. With the method, if a single government agency has completed required steps of procurement (bid) process, established a contract for an item or groups of products and issued an award or awards to several vendors, then this contract award can be used by other government agencies for a fixed period of time.

By Steve Perlstein – featured in Government Procurement Magazine

Read the complete article in PDF form >>

Lift certification: What is it? What does a certified lift mean to you, as the purchaser? In basic terms, a certified product is a product that has had a representative specimen tested, and is under continued follow-up inspections by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, as defined by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration…

Click to read the entire article in PDF form.

How Public Sector fleets can save money, procurement time and stretch budgets.

Cooperative Procurement once known as “piggybacking” is a public procurement method that has skyrocketed in recent years for many reasons. Cooperative procurement is a method whereby if a single government agency has gone through the procurement (bid) process, established a contract for an item or groups of products, issued an award or awards to several vendors, this award can be used by many government agencies for a fixed period of time.

There are many reasons for the growth in cooperative procurement which include; group buying power, procurement staffs have shrunk, not needing to write specs for every single purchase and as one state procurement director said before his state joined a large procurement co-op, “why re-invent the wheel when another state and their procurement staff has done all of the work”.

In focusing on the equipment required to maintain public sector fleets, there are several options and opportunities to participate in cooperative procurement for garage equipment. The first cooperative we’ll discuss on a state level is the Western State Contracting Alliance commonly known as the WSCA contract. The WSCA contract titled vehicle lifts and related garage equipment is being used by 20 different states. When a state joins a WSCA contract, every city, county or state agency can use the contract. The WSCA contacts terms and conditions are clearly spelled out in the contract, while the contract itself has a mandate for guaranteed lowest government pricing.

In contacting Breann Hollandsworth, the contracting officer for the WSCA vehicle lift contract, Ms. Hollandsworth told us that the vehicle lift contract was one of the fastest growing WSCA contracts (based on the number of states that have joined) as well as a contract that has far exceeded the anticipated purchases.

All WSCA contracts are competitive bids, multi-year contracts with multiple vendors and a variety of equipment offered on these multiple award schedule (MAS) contracts. Our research on the vehicle lift contract shows there are 4 brands of lifts offered, multiple vendors, and in addition to a variety of vehicle lifts of all types and sizes, the contract also offers wheel balancers, tire changers, alignment and exhaust evacuation equipment. An example we found was one vendors website (which is also a requirement of the contract) at www.govlifts.com where each state shows a specific state contract, terms, conditions and net discounted and delivered government price.

While GSA serves the needs of every federal agency, the HGAC, MARC, & BRCPC co-ops serve the needs of all city, county and school agencies across the USA. As a government to government co-op, these contracts are also multi-sourced to include many vendors, all with the guaranteed lowest government pricing, include freight, and a fully disclosed set of terms & conditions of the specific contracts. Like the WSCA co-op offers vehicle lifts and related shop equipment, the HGAC (www.hgacbuy.org) co-op offers vehicle lifts and a full array of fleet service equipment including lifts.

HGAC has 2,700 government agencies in 26 different states, while MARC and BRCPC are regional cooperatives. For a government agency to join HGAC, membership is free and never expires. Cooperative procurement is such a fast growing practice amongst government agencies that HGAC’s membership has doubled in the last 18 months. Besides vehicle lifts and fleet service equipment, HGAC offers all types of public works equipment, trucks, cars, ambulances & municipal maintenance equipment. A phone interview with the City of Chubbock, ID showed that Dale Kinlich was able to buy the garage equipment of his choice, legally avoid the cumbersome process of writing bid specifications, and purchase the lifts he planned to have in his shop vs. the typical low bid offering (which did not suit his agency requirements). Another agency in IL was also able to buy a crack sealing machine for the city at a cost savings of over $6,000 over the low bid he received from a local vendor.

HGAC’s Ron Williamson is in charge of establishing new HGAC members. To join, an inter-local contract form is submitted, and within 48 the submitting government agency receives their own membership number to view the HGAC site, products and prices. HGAC contracts are convenience use contracts. In addition, they serve as a “barometer” to a purchasing department to verify the purchase order they are issuing is the best price available for the use of taxpayers dollars. Additionally, as HGAC reviews bids, looks at the many “soft costs” of a public procurement, man hours can be saved if using the HGAC co-op.

The last type of cooperative procurement is using another agency’s contract. Procurement statute (law) in all 50 states allow a city, county or state agency to use another state agency’s established contract, or use a GSA contract as a basis of award. Recently the State of Delaware DOT purchased mobile column lifts by using the federal GSA price as a bench-mark and issuing a purchase order to a lift vendor.

Click to read the entire article in PDF form.

By: Steve Perlstein

Cooperative procurements, once known as “piggybacking,” have skyrocketed in recent years for many reasons. It is a method whereby a single government agency has gone through the bid process, established a contract for an item or group of items and issued an award or awards to several vendors. Other state agencies can then utilize the co-ops.

Reasons for the growth in cooperative procurement include group buying power, shrinking procurement staffs and not needing to write specs for every single purchase…

Click to download the complete PDF article featured in “School Transportation News Magazine”.

By: Steve Hamill – www.govpro.com

Over the past few years, Americans have become increasingly critical of government and cynical about government’s ability to “do good.” Despite these stereotypes views and criticisms, there are many compelling examples that demonstrate how government can indeed achieve greatness.

Click for the full PDF article featured in “GO-PRO – The official Publication of NIGP”

Andy Cohen producer of THE ROAD TO SEMA uses Mohawk lifts in the fabrication & customization of all vehicles in his shop.

Check out some of the photos from the Scion build

Cooperative procurement allows government agencies to purchase equipment and vehicles under another government entity’s contract.

At some point, government agencies must replace key equipment, such as fleet vehicles and maintenance equipment. These items take a hefty toll on an agency’s budget, as do the staff hours related to procuring them. However, cooperative procurement offers a better way to approach purchasing fleet units and maintenance equipment, saving both time and ensuring a better price for these items.

Cooperative procurement allows government agencies to purchase equipment under another government entity’s contract. A single lead agency establishes a contract for a product, an award is made, and other agencies can use this same contract to make purchases. Government-to-government cooperatives pool resources, offering multiple contracts with various lead agencies for a variety of equipment and vendors, and guaranteeing the lowest price.

By Shelley Mika – Government Fleet Magazine

Read Complete Article in PDF form >>

by: statepolitics.lohudblogs.com

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani traveled to Total Tool in Schodack, Rensselaer County, today to endorse Republican Chris Gibson in the race for the 20th Congressional District, whose southern counties include Dutchess, Greene, Columbia, Otsego and Delaware. It includes 137 towns and stretches up to Lake Placid.

Gibson, a retired Army colonel from Kinderhook, Columbia County, is challenging one-term U.S. Rep. Scott Murphy of Glens Falls, Warren County, who was elected to the seat last year after Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to the state’s vacant U.S. Senate seat.

Giuliani, a Republican, took shots at President Barack Obama and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, both Democrats, and the health-care reform legislation they were successful in getting through Congress and the overall direction they are taking the country in.  Twice during his remarks he referred to the Obama administration as “anti-business.”

“Chris winning here will go a long way in changing the leadership of the Congress. It will give you a much better member of Congress. It will give you somebody that understands what you need. It will also give us a chance to have a stop to this movement that has been so far in one direction that it’s really frightening,” Giuliani said.

Giuliani said it’s critical that voters elect members of the House of Representatives who will vote against Pelosi as speaker.  The election is about representing the people of the 20th District, “but it’s also, I make it really simple,  it’s about  about making sure that when I wake up on a Sunday morning, I don’t have to listen to Nancy Pelosi,” he said, which evoked an enthusiastic response from the crowd of local political officials, Gibson supporters and Total Tool employees.

As for New York state’s political future, Giuliani said he hadn’t thought about who he would endorse for governor. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, picked up support today from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino won the GOP line in a primary this month, and his opponent, Rick Lazio, still holds the Conservative Party line for the November election.

“Nobody’s contacted me, nobody’s talked to me. I know Andrew from the time he was a young boy, actually. I know Andrew a very long time, and Mr. Paladino’s never called me. I have no idea whether he even wants my endorsement,” Giuliani said, adding that Paladino “is new to me” and he knows nothing about the candidate.

The former mayor joked that his endorsement has “sometimes the effect of helping people, sometimes hurting people, sometimes irrelevant. You never know until after the election.”
Giuliani declined to comment on whether Lazio should stay in the race, saying that’s for Lazio and the Conservative Party to work out. Giuliani, who ran on the Liberal Party line several times, said  candidates commit when they run that they’ll stay on the ballot for the good of the party.

Giuliani said he “empathizes” with Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long’s situation. “He’s got to think about the good of the state, he’s got to think about keeping his party together, which has made a real contribution over the years, so that’s a tough choice.”

Asked about Murphy, Giuliani said he wasn’t really campaigning against the current congressman, but Murphy doesn’t have Giuliani’s views on government and where the economy should be going. But, he said, “a vote against Chris is a vote for Nancy Pelosi.”

Giuliani and Gibson left after the event to attend a fundraiser in Albany.

Read article in it’s entirety: http://statepolitics.lohudblogs.com/2010/09/22/rudy-endorses-gibson-is-mum-on-who-he-wants-for-governor/