Why We Recommend ALI Certified Automotive Lifts
There are a lot more automotive lifts available today than there were 20 years ago.
You can find them online at almost any price point. They may look similar in pictures and have similar advertised capacities, but that does not mean they have been built or tested to the same standard.
That is why we recommend ALI Certified lifts.
What does ALI Certified actually mean?
ALI stands for the Automotive Lift Institute.
The ALI Lift Certification Program independently verifies that a specific automotive lift model meets the requirements of the current ANSI/ALI ALCTV safety standard. Testing is performed through approved nationally recognized testing laboratories and covers the lift's structure, controls, load-holding systems, overload protection, lowering speeds, and other safety requirements.
A lift that successfully completes the certification process carries the ALI Gold Certification Label.
And there is an important distinction here:
ALI certifies individual lift models, not manufacturers.
A manufacturer having one certified lift does not automatically mean every lift it sells is certified. Current certified models can be checked directly in ALI's directory.
Why does that matter?
Because you're standing underneath it.
A vehicle lift routinely puts several thousand pounds over a technician's head. This is not equipment where we think saving a little money by buying an unverified product makes sense.
ALI certification gives the buyer independent verification that the lift model has actually been tested to an established safety and performance standard.
That doesn't mean an ALI Certified lift can be installed improperly, overloaded, neglected, or operated incorrectly. The lift still has to be installed according to the manufacturer's requirements, maintained properly, inspected, and used correctly.
Certification isn't the end of lift safety
Buying the right lift is step one.
Proper installation matters. Operator training matters. Maintenance matters. Annual inspections matter.
The ANSI/ALI ALOIM standard calls for automotive lifts to be inspected by a qualified lift inspector at least annually.
Those are separate issues from the original product certification.
Our position is pretty simple
Northcoast Equipment Specialists does not recommend cutting corners on vehicle lifts.
There are plenty of places in a shop where saving money makes sense. The piece of equipment holding a vehicle over someone's head isn't one of them.
If you're comparing lifts and aren't sure whether a particular model is ALI Certified, ask us. We can help you verify it and make sure the lift is appropriate for what you're trying to do.
Why Buy an ALI Certified Lift?