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ISN Garage Assist Blog
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Vehicle Lifts: top tips when buying a new lift!
Having conducted numerous installs of high quality vehicle lifts for years now across the length and breadth of the UK, we understand the importance of the right vehicle lift. It can maximise space, operational efficiency, safety and the general feel of your garage.
Every garage is different, so you can't just ask another workshop down the road which lift they prefer. Speaking to an expert is your best bet.
Not only do our team have incredible expertise within garage lifting equipment, we partner along side one of the longest serving lift manufacturers to the automotive industry in the world, Cascos Lifts!
Considerations when purchasing
Searching for the perfect machine? Offer a specific service? Only work on certain vehicles? This is one of the most used and important pieces of equipment within any workshop. Thus there is no room for error when investing in a lift. It could be a costly mistake for your business.
Here are our top tips to consider when buying a new lift:
1. Size and weight of the vehicles you lift
The type of lift you need often depends on the vehicles you work on most. The larger the weight of the vehicle, the bigger a lifting capacity is required from the lift.
Looking for an MoT lift? If you only conduct class 4 MoT testing, it would be worth deciding whether having a 2 post vehicle lift would be more profitable than a bigger 4 post lift.
2. The range of services performed by your technicians
You need to make sure your new lift is user-friendly. It needs to cater to your technicians needs - mainly being able to perform their work safely and efficiently. If your workshop performs wheel alignment and tyre changing services, you need a lift that offers easy access to that area of the vehicle. The right lift can increase efficiency meaning you get more work done.
3. Garage footprint and available space
One of the biggest issues we have seen from installing lifts over the years is space. Namely that there is not enough space to get a vehicle onto the lift if installed as requested.
Every shop is different, so it's important to check the lift dimensions against the dimensions of your bays. Also, check with the professionals! We've installed some lifts in pretty tight spots but from a usability perspective they offer what is needed.
It is the lift provider and install team that should flag up any issues in lift choice and locationing.
4. Budget
This is often the most important decision and you have to think long term.
Every business has a different budget, but it's worth taking into account more than just the purchase price. A smaller upfront cost won't be worth the saving when your lift needs constant maintenance and repairs.
You'll will also lose revenue until that machine is back up and running. Consider the total cost of ownership including what vehicles you'll be able to work on, workshop efficiency, repairs and inspections.
Benefits to a Hofmann Megaplan lift!
We take care of the whole process! From deciding on the right lift for your garage to install and after sales service. We offer more than a helping hand to purchasing your next lift.
Do you need to upgrade your vehicle lift? Why not do so and receive excellent install and after sales service as standard? Contact us online now or call us today on 01480 8-9-10-11 to discuss how we can help!
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