Craftsman Yellow Lift vs The Red?

Bedifferent

Old man on a bike
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Messages
1,815
Location
Coldwater, MI
Ride
2015 Rocket 3 Touring
i going to buy a Craftsman lift for my touring rocket this week and I want to know if anyone has used the Craftsman Yellow Aluminum Lift they make. I am trying to decide whether to buy the aluminum lift or the steel red lift. I was looking at a VTX forum and a lot of people seem to like the yellow lift even for lifting a GL1800. I was searching some other reviews and it's a mixed bag of opinions, mostly in favor of the lift. I did some searching here, but did not see much on the yellow lift.

I know there are other lifts that people prefer on this forum like, but I would appreciate your opinion on your use of the Craftsman lifts. Thanks
 
I have the red steel lift and it works well for my Standard. Can't say how it will balance a R3T.

For the money, the $299 lift table at Harbor Freight works best for me. I added their $20 chock and bought a Black Widow scissor jack to lift the rear end while on the table.
 
I have the red one but had to replace it after 5 years due to the metal stretching. It would not raise level anymore. The yellow lift is made differently and is much better and should work and last much, much longer.
 
I've read somewhere that stated the aluminum will warp and not stay level. That's why I didn't buy the aluminum one and went with the red one made of steal. It works just fine after six years of use.
 
I have both and they are both good lifts. Have had them for several years. I usually use the yellow one when lifting the Rocket because it has a lower profile and, because of the method I use to lift her, is just a better fit. The one feature that the red one has that I like a little better is that it is foot actuated, both up and down. The yellow is hand actuated and is a little sensitive on the way down. But once you are aware of that it is not an issue. If you get the yellow one, go slow the first time you let the bike down.
 

Are they both about the same in terms of stability once the bike is up? Are the narrow wheels in back create this issue? I plan to use other blocking methods as well once the bike is raised. The lower profile certainly could be a factor. As mentioned by mully65, some reviews I've read have said the aluminum model can get sprung or twisted, but I suspect this may be more of a user issue rather than a lift issue. I do like the design of the yellow lift.
 

I notice no difference in stability between the two lifts. The only downside (for me) to the little wheels in the back of the yellow one is that with the weight of the bike they leave little dimples in my garage flooring, which is RaceDeck, as seen in my avatar. But that won't be an issue on a concrete floor. I've never had any issues with the way the lifts are constructed. They seem well made and I use them a lot.
 
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I have had two red ones in the past. Good product but over time the hydraulic jack portion went south. Right at the moment we have a brand new yellow one in the back seat of my wife's truck still in the box bought it yesterday. The yellow one is on sale for $179.00 right now.
 
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