Automotive Lifts - Do You Need One?
As a mechanic, asking yourself whether or not you should have an automotive lift is something like a duck wondering if it would be nicer to be on water; of course you need an auto lift in your shop! What you are probably really asking is how to get one, where to get one, and which type to get.
Having an automotive lift in your auto repair/service shop, private garage, or even hobby workshop, makes more sense in today's day and age than one might think; and owning a high-quality auto lift is more affordable now than ever - if you know where to look.
Auto lifts are an essential must-have for many certain types of jobs - many of them. They are also much more practical and efficient for plenty of jobs one could also do without a vehicle lift - such as by getting into that contorted kneeling, reaching position next to a vehicle - while blindly feeling for the right part or laying under the vehicle with the part you're working on three inches in front of your nose.
While it's true that figuring out how to work on a vehicle without an auto lift is a good mind exercise, it can really be a pain sometimes - quite literally.
As mechanics, we've all experienced the joys of kneeling on the ground trying to reach that ever-elusive bolt or part, banging up our hands, hurting our knees, and even banging our heads simply because we did not have a proper auto lift.
Have you ever tried to inspect things like exhaust systems, suspension, steering, brake lines, tie rod ends, ball joints, springs, bushings, struts and related components, while kneeling next to or laying under a vehicle, holding a light?
How about finally getting perfectly positioned under the automobile, only to realize that one of the tools you need is just out of reach or sitting on your work bench?
With a good auto lift you can complete the inspections, do the work, and do it comfortably and efficiently.
It's also remarkable how much difference auto lifts can make in your appearance to prospective clients. Think about it, a workshop that has an auto lift shows a certain level of professionalism that you simply do not feel, in a shop without one.
I've just been talking here about auto lifts in general, but there are many different kinds. You need to properly define the kind you need, by looking at the type of work you do, the size of your workshop, and the weight of the vehicles you'll be working on.
I've worked on cars, trucks, and tractors - from the ground, in pits, in the field, and with auto lifts; and while I honestly loved working as a mechanic in any condition (except the cold), working with an auto lift was always a particular joy. Do yourself, your mechanics, and your business a favor, get some automotive lifts in your shop, you won't regret it.
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