Posted: Feb 10, 2012

Torin Vehicle Lift Manual

Seriously, is this the best you can do?

I've been considering getting a vehicle lift. Between the multiple cars we own, the tractor, lawn mower, etc, it seems I'm having to work under my various vehicles a lot lately and a lift would be really nice.

I was checking out and seriously considering the Torin 7000-pound QJY3.0D being sold on the Northern Tools site. Pretty decent specs and only $2000.

But then I read the owner's manual. This thing is one of the funniest yet worst examples of "Chinglesh" I've ever seen. Some highlights ...

QJY3.0-D double-cylinder hydraulic jack is a new type of hydraulic drive vehicle elevator equipment developed by our company recently. It is designed briefly and reasonably. It select hydraulic power unit, having merits of low noise, smooth rise-and-fall. The machine has elevator carriage, safety device guard against falling, qualification equipment for ultimate load , lock equipment of revolution angle of lift arm, and the forced same step of the steel wires of elevator carriage.

Hmm, OK ... I guess ...

The machine can be used in elevating saloon car, beach wagon, and station wagon

I have no idea what a "beach wagon" is ...

When you push the switch on the electric motor of hydraulic power unit, the machine will rise. If you loosen, it will stop. If you want to fall it down, you must ...

I don't know about you, but when I have a 5,000 pound car in the air, I don't think I ever want it to fall down ...

The machine has safety device guard against crack falling ...

??? ...

If the carriage would fall, crawling the hydraulic pump switch make the carriage rise a little firstly

Again I say ??? ...

Stick up the two poles individually. At the mid between them, install a figured veneer to guarantee the two poles on the same line

Oh, yeah, definitely gonna do that, wouldn't be safe otherwise, right?

Before lifting vehicle, we must adjust the height of four pallets to assure them at the same plane. At the same time, try to divide the longer and the shorter lift arm into two sides in order to get the supporting area gravity in the optimizer situation

Ah, so we need to modify the local gravitational field?

While all this is funny, on a serious note: How can Torin expect the customer to properly install and safely operate this machinery when the owner's manual is nearly unreadable jibberish? I won't even consider purchasing this lift when I have no confidence that I can get it installed correctly or run it without killing myself.

Click here to read the whole thing yourself (PDF).