5 Things To Look For When Making Large Equipment Purchases
Managing Editor Tim Fritz gives us the Top 5 attributes to look for when purchasing five of the largest pieces of shop equipment – alignment machines, brake lathes, lifts, tire changers and wheel balancers.
Wheel Balancing: Making a Smart Investment in a Wheel Balancer
When you consider that only 1/4-ounce of wheel imbalance can produce a noticeable vibration on a vehicle, it’s easy to understand why it’s so important to have a wheel balancer that is both accurate and easy to use. Many balancers in today’s marketplace are capable of balancing a wheel to within a few hundredths of
Safe Shop: Meeting Your Shop’s Lighting Needs
Having reliable “mobile” or “task” lighting is very important so technicians are able to clearly see what they are working on, even in the crevices of an engine compartment. Not having the necessary lighting accessories will hinder productivity and prolong the time it takes to complete a job. There are many types of lighting available
Wheel Alignment,: Advances in Alignment Equipment Increase Productivity and Profit
Having the needed alignment specifications and service information close at hand is key to boosting productivity in today’s automotive service facilities. In the alignment bay, time is money. Combine this with the expense of today’s alignment equipment, and it’s easy to understand why choosing the right piece of alignment equipment is very important to an
Preventive Maintenance Keeps Air Compressors Running Smoothly
Few pieces of shop equipment are used as regularly as air compressors. However, when is the last time you performed any type of maintenance on this vital piece of equipment? If your answer isn’t “within the past 24 hours,” take a moment and think about what life would be like without the compressor to power
Disposing of Used Oil Filters in the Shop
Do used oil filters take up a lot of space at your repair shop? Would you like to turn these used oil filters into recyclable steel? If so, an oil filter crusher may be the perfect piece of equipment for your shop. Oil filter crushers are safe, clean and easy to use. In most cases,
Waste Not, Want Not
Generating waste is not too difficult for most automotive repair shops. Getting rid of it is what often poses a problem, especially when the waste in question is something that is as environmentally damaging as used automotive fluids. When it comes to disposing of hazardous waste, shop owners need to understand their state’s regulations, establish
Spotting Problems with a Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer
Being able to measure temperature variances can play an important roll in diagnosing vehicle maladies for both undercar and underhood technicians. This can be easily accomplished by using a non-contact infrared thermometer. With this tool, technicians simply point the thermometer at the area of concern and they are immediately provided with the temperature of the
Expand Exhaust Business with a Pipe Bender
Every automotive service facility is looking for ways to squeeze additional profits out of the jobs they are performing on a daily basis. For those shops offering exhaust service, or thinking about expanding their services to offer performance exhaust services, a pipe or tube bender will help reduce the amount of money spent on pre-bent
Getting the Most Out of Your Lifts
Lifts play an important role in the day-to-day operations of any automotive service facility. Some may even argue that a lift is a shop’s most valuable employee. After all, lifts never call in sick or go on vacation. However, one of the worst things a shop owner can do is fall into the trap of