You have always been excited about popping the hood of a vehicle and getting stained up to your elbows in grease. From a young age, tinkering around with car parts and troubleshooting repairs has been something of a passion with you that has never died. Thinking that this is your true calling in life, you have decided that going into business with your own auto mechanic shop is the most natural and obvious step forward to take towards continuing to do what you love. The following are a few ideas on the kind of equipment you will need around your shop to make this dream a reality.
Car Lifts
When it comes to getting under a car or truck to do work, having car lifts in your auto mechanic shop is going to be a must. When you can hook a car up to a lift and raise it off the ground, this makes it easier to get at serious problems. Make sure that you’re aware of what your target market is before you get a lift, however. If you’re going to be working on vans as well as cars, you’re going to want to ensure that the lift you get can handle that weight capacity and size. Unless you’re planning to specialize in commercial vehicle repair, it will generally be easier to limit your services to non-commercial vehicles when starting out in order to avoid having to buy separate, specialized equipment for the extra work.
A Compressor System
While an air compressor may not be your first thought in terms of locomotive care, you’re going to need one for delivering cooled air to the brake system and any other parts of the vehicle that need compressed air injections during a vehicle serving. There are a few different types of air compressor you can use for this, but a rotary screw air compression set up can help to do this more efficiently, saving you costs on oil and being in general more portable. They are also known for lower heat generation and greater shock absorption, which is ideal for mechanic work. Additionally, it is useful to also keep spare rotary screw air compressor parts around to be able to easily service your air compressor if your system goes down.
A Cherry Picker
With the help of a cherry picker, your auto mechanic shop will be able to safely pull heavy motors in and out of the vehicles you are repairing. This will not only make working on motors more accessible, but it will also make it easier to replace a motor with a new one as well. This is important for helping customers who want to beef up their car’s performance with a better make and model of an engine. If you’ve ever been in a shop class, you’ll agree that working on an engine out in an open environment is easier and safer than trying to work inside the hood itself.
Welders
Welding work is essential with any repair service that works with metal, and that includes mechanics. If you want to be able to provide a full service repair, you’re going to need to invest in welding equipment, as well as the associated safety equipment to protect your face and hands. If you want to make your starting business more competitive with your services, consider investing in higher-quality, precision welding equipment to ensure that you can do more than just the typical patch job.
There’s a saying, altered from industry to industry, that a craftsman is only as good as his tools. If you really want your skill as a mechanic to shine through in your work, you’re going to need to invest in the very best equipment for your starting business. Take the time you need to save up for the very best you can buy before you start your business so that your quality of work is a true reflection of your skill and not a reflection of your budget.
Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.
