Hi Tom, I have a small automotive repair shop. My first hoist was an AutoLifters brand unit, and it was rated for 6000lbs. I couldn't lift many 1/2 ton pickups, and it struggled to lift an early 60s T-bird. I never even tried to lift my 65 Imp convert with it. Mine may have been an exception, but it was weak in the knees from the word "go". I recently sold the hoist, and bought some decent Rotary A9i models. Wow, I can lift almost anything I want with these. I would have some concerns about the ability to lift our heavy cars. Bend-Pak hoists are another 'economy' priced hoist that offers decent quality. I would look at their 9,000 lb units. They are still under $3,000. I think about $2,600 delivered. You can email me if you want. Jeff Ruffing