Lifts anyone?

baseballlover1 · 01-31-08, 07:34

Just wanted to see how many of you fixed location pros use lifts? If so what kind?

Twista616 · 01-31-08, 07:50

I wish I had a lift...then I wont be hunched over when I'm 40!! I'm fixed/mobile though...cant beat working from home!

baseballlover1 · 01-31-08, 08:52

yepp! As i am right now however im looking at a property. Thats why im trying to figure out which 1 ide need. Gotta get my business plan up and running!

reparebrise · 01-31-08, 09:15

We use 48 inch scoissor lifts. Makes interior cleaning much easier, also polishing rockers, door bottoms, not to mention wheel cleaning(and one must not forget tire dressing without the forgotten flat spot). Depending on your location you may also want to look at and old style single cylinder hoist, thet are more stable than a scissor lift, and give additional height, plus keeping the floor clean is easier.

As you mentioned it also makes for much happier employees.

Twista616 · 02-01-08, 07:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by baseballlover1

yepp! As i am right now however im looking at a property. Thats why im trying to figure out which 1 ide need. Gotta get my business plan up and running!

Could be something you may want to look into after you get your business up and runnning. Figure you can spend the 4G's on something much more needed! Your young, you still have plenty on "back" in you! Get a couple pricey correction details, and there is your money to buy a lift...just my .02!

baseballlover1 · 02-01-08, 07:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twista616

Could be something you may want to look into after you get your business up and runnning. Figure you can spend the 4G's on something much more needed! Your young, you still have plenty on "back" in you! Get a couple pricey correction details, and there is your money to buy a lift...just my .02!

Good advise! I was basically just trying to see if it was guna be like 2k... if so ide just add it to the startup loan on another one of my businesses which would be in the same plot of land so that i could "rent" it out to people for oil changes and such on saturdays or sundays.

Jakerooni · 02-01-08, 08:34

We have a 10 ton snap on professional lift here that we use. Great for cleaning out the undercarriage of cars. Also great for appling undercoating. I would almost say a lift is an absoulte must have when dealing in fix locations. Not sure how anyone would be able to properly detail the underside of the car without one really.

Twista616 · 02-01-08, 08:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakerooni

We have a 10 ton snap on professional lift here that we use. Great for cleaning out the undercarriage of cars. Also great for appling undercoating. I would almost say a lift is an absoulte must have when dealing in fix locations. Not sure how anyone would be able to properly detail the underside of the car without one really.

Agreed, a lift is pretty neccessary, but how ofter are detailers applying undercoating, and cleaning undercarriages...maybe on a full show cars, but not everyday drivers...usually. Then again, a fixed location, you can offer every service under the sun, including oil changes(not recommended personally, unless you are a certified mechanic) I lift is a great tool, but if you have no cars to detail...its serves zero purpose! More than likely, starting out, you wont be swamped with cars, unless your doing something right!

Jakerooni · 02-01-08, 10:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twista616

Agreed, a lift is pretty neccessary, but how ofter are detailers applying undercoating, and cleaning undercarriages...maybe on a full show cars, but not everyday drivers...usually. Then again, a fixed location, you can offer every service under the sun, including oil changes(not recommended personally, unless you are a certified mechanic) I lift is a great tool, but if you have no cars to detail...its serves zero purpose! More than likely, starting out, you wont be swamped with cars, unless your doing something right!

Yea completely agree in the starting up phase of things. I've personally have never worked for a detail shop or ever had my own shop that didn't have a lift. I've just always considered it a must have. Especially up here in the rust belt of Michigan. 90% of everything I do in winter is undercarriage wash to keep the salt off.

Accumulator · 02-01-08, 11:25

baseballover1- See if you can find the thread where Totoland Mach talked about the scissors-style lift in his shop. That might be just what you need. Might be the same thing that reparebrise has

and Brad B has a nice little one too. I'd get one of those if I had more room and a way of keeping it from messing up my floor.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakerooni

Not sure how anyone would be able to properly detail the underside of the car without one really....

With a set of jackstands and a pair of floorjacks

Oh yeah, it *can* be done, but man-oh-man is it a royal PIA! In a commercial setting the time/hassle would be a killer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twista616

..a lift is pretty neccessary, but how ofter are detailers applying undercoating, and cleaning undercarriages...maybe on a full show cars, but not everyday drivers...usually...

Heh heh, another case of my being unusual

Some of us do our daily drivers' undercarriages at every wash

and I'd sure want the ability to do *a customer's* vehicle without it being a huge hassle. In winter/salt states it really oughta be a part of the job IMO.

I didn't realize how much I appreciated my lift until I sold that building and had to do without one

Quote:

Originally Posted by reparebrise

Depending on your location you may also want to look at and old style single cylinder hoist..

In my area the EPA/etc. concerns make those pretty much out of the question, and my part of OH isn't all *that* strict with regard to such stuff. I bet the days of single-post lifts are numbered. We had to do a *lot* of remedial/environmental work at the previous shop because it had those in it (we got a double-post for a replacement, and yeah, both types have pros/cons).

baseballlover1 · 02-01-08, 02:50

i liked the lift in the detail of the jaguar on th e CnB part.

kaval · 02-04-08, 12:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by baseballlover1

i liked the lift in the detail of the jaguar on th e CnB part.

Yeah same here! I stared at the picture for a while just drooling away!
I've been considering a lift as well, but I'm not quite sure as to how I want my operation to run, whether it be fixed, or mobile, or both. I'm thinking both, and keeping the intense correction jobs at the fixed location on the hoist. I'm almost 22 and find my body to be giving me trouble after a week of constant detailing, but I've put my body through quite a bit of sports abuse as well. Then again the lift isn't only to help our bodies, but to make the job easier which in turn can raise the quality of our work as we have one less thing to worry about when kneeling down to do those lower areas.