Need Advice on Truck Tail Lifts

[tomops]

I’m looking into getting a tail lift for my truck to make loading and unloading heavy stuff easier. I’m a bit new to this, so I’d love to hear from anyone with experience.

A few things I’m curious about:

• How do you pick a good brand or model? Should I focus more on load capacity, durability, or after-sales support?
• Any tips for daily use or maintenance to make it last longer?
• Are there safety things or common mistakes I should watch out for?
• If buying a used one, what’s the most important stuff to check?

Any advice or personal experiences would be super helpful. Thanks!

 

[Goober]

The best lifts we have installed have been Interlift by Palfinger. Minimal cost custom variations, including fold-over extensions to the gate platform. A remote control, wired or rf is a plus. Always go for / add, a manual pump action for that once in a lifetime issue. Only use what is recommended by the mfg for lubing the various bits. We always mount a pair of dedicated deep cycle batteries dedicated to the lift pump for engine off operation. Maxon , Tommygate & others offer similar at a lesser cost. The biggest thing is lift gate vs rail gate. Much of our loads are on wheels and a rail gate platform remains flat level from ground to truck bed. A lift gate is usually thicker and it "angles" while lifting from the ground. So you need to hold rolling cargo onto the platform when using a lift gate. Good work lighting aimed at the place where the gate meets the truck floor will save you an issue someday.

 

[tomops]

Do you have any experience with tailgates? Answers are welcome. I've looked at many types of tailgates lately, like folding and vertical types, and I've also looked at Beauway's tailgates from China, which seem pretty good. Now I don't know...