Automotive garage equipment – what do you need? How to choose tyre service and car repair tools
You really don’t have to work for years to get the essential equipment for your car repair garage. All you have to do is choosing the equipment at the right price. And they won’t have to be used ones.
We got a few propositions of the equipment you really need at any auto repair garage. You won’t find products like:
- auto scan tools
- measurement devices
- automotive oscilloscope
We don’t have these in our offer. So, we won’t be providing advice on how to choose these tools. However, you will read on how to choose the basic tools for your garage.
Impact wrench – how to choose it?
What should you consider while choosing an impact wrench? See the two most parameters:
- max. torque
- torque setting
What are these about? Torque is about the force essential to tighten a chosen screw with a certain wrench. This means, impact wrenches offering 1500 Nm or 2200 Nm of max. torque would be just sufficient for tyre service or most car service applications.
What is torque setting about? This is a parameter that tells about the wrenching force of the tool. Properly chosen value provides for safe operation with all screws. When it is too high, you can damage the nut.
Impact wrenches by REDATS
What impact wrenches do we have? Check the table below.
| Model | Max. torque |
| REDATS P-120 | 1450 Nm |
| REDATS P-160 | 1500 Nm |
| REDATS P-180 | 1900 Nm |
| REDATS P-220 | 2200 Nm |
Gearbox hoist
Would you be able to take out a car’s gearbox without special tools? Well, you would. But – what would you do that for? If you put a strain on your back? After all, you can always get a gearbox hoist. It provides for much easier work with heavy parts – simply raise the hoist’s ending up to the gearbox, take it out and push it to a random spot of the garage.
How does it work? Consider the specifiaction of our gearbox hoist:
- max. capacity – 500 kg
- working capacity: 1055-1855 mm
Parameters like these would let you work with gearboxes in most passenger cars. And the working capacity stands for the number of positions in which you can put the hoist to lower/raise the gearbox.
You can also consider getting an adaptor for even more comfortable operation with gearboxes. This might be a great auxilliary part, which allows for comfortable raising of transmissions, engines or car underbody parts.
Tool chest – how to choose one?
How about a service assistant which is always by your side? You can get up to a half of an hour daily, as you’re going to have all tools at hand. You won’t have to run around to find the necessary tools. They will be just a few centimeters away.
The equipment that comes with the chest is one thing. There are also other factors you have to consider:
Pneumatic air jack – how to choose one?
Sometimes, either the repair pit or the lift are engaged. And you have to replace discs and brake pads. You don’t need to work extra hours. Instead, get a jack that might be used outside a workshop.
CAUTION!
Many mechanics complain that a car raised on the jack is not stable enough. You can easily avoid it. Consider using jack stands.
How to choose a pneumatic air jack?
Want to be sure that you are able to raise any car coming up to your garage? Check the capacity of the car jack. These jacks have a wide range of capacities – there are ones for passenger cars (2 tons), as well as minibuses or trucks (up to 8 tons of capacity).
Moving around the service
Some air jacks weigh more than 30 kgs. Would you imagine having to move it around the service? This could be tiring. So, choose a jack with a possibly long handle. And large castors.
What compressor should you get?
What should you consider while getting a piston compressor? Well, the blow efficiency is one of the most important parameter. It tells the efficiency of the given compressor. So, this is the amount of air that the compressor is able to push out.
Remember!
The compressor should be chosen to various tools you have at your tyre service or garage. So, better consider that while picking the right compressor.
Take a look at this:
| Blow efficiency | Tool’s air demand | Would it suffice? |
| 300 L/min | 380 L/min | NO |
| 150 L/min | 140 L/min | YES |
| 150 L/min | 150 L/min | YES |
How to understand that? First of all, you cannot choose the compressor using the “on-close” rule. If the tool’s air demand is higher than the compressor’s blow efficiency, then it won’t work out.
How to choose a two-post lift?
Don’t know what two-post car lift would be best for you? When on the lookout for the right equipment, be sure to look at the capacity. Just think what cars are coming most frequently to your garage. If these are cars or car-derived vans, lifts with capacity of 4 tons would suffice. But – if you are looking for tools to work with minibuses, look at the arms’ span.
Two-post lifts with frames
If you choose a lift with a frame, you won’t have to pay that much for the floor preparation. With frame lifts, the foundation of 20 cm would suffice. This way, you’re going to save loads of money.
