Equipment Appraisal Blog | Understanding Machinery Appraisals

Automotive Shop Equipment Appraisal: Common Types of Machinery

Posted by Equipment Appraisal Services on Tue, Aug 02, 2016 @ 11:30 AM

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When you have an auto shop, you know the kind of machinery you're using on a regular basis. But are you familiar with other types of machinery that is outside of your area of expertise? Are there machines that could make your job easier and your shop more efficient? In this guide, we'll cover a variety of machinery that we commonly see in automotive equipment appraisal practice.

Automotive Equipment Appraisal: Common Types of Machinery 

Lifts

Lifts help you move the vehicle you're servicing overhead for easier access.

  • Two-Post Lifts: The industry standard, two-post lifts typically have a pair of horizontal posts that come out of each vertical post, allowing the vehicle to be supported in the optimal position and leaving the wheel, suspension and brake systems easily accessible.
  • Four-Post Lifts: For jobs where you want a little more security and stability, a four-post lift is essentially a pair of extended ramps the vehicle is driven onto, which are then hoisted on the four corner posts. Though great for accessing the bottom of the vehicle, they don't work tire, brake and suspension work.
  • Scissors Lifts: If you have headroom issues in your shop, scissors lifts give you additional under-vehicle clearance without taking the vehicle very far off the ground. The scissors action can create moving pinch points, so it's important to be aware of this issue.

Tire and Alignment Machines

  • Tire Changers: Either sold separately or as part of a combination machine with a wheel balancer, tire changers are essential for fast tire changes, allowing the tire to be quickly removed from and remounted on the rim.
  • Wheel Balancers: A tire balancer, either as a solo machine or as part of a combination, is another shop necessity if you deal with tires on a regular basis. They provide fast feedback as to where and to what extent weights are needed to balance the wheel.
  • Alignment Machines: Often an expensive proposition, an alignment machine allows you to fine tune a vehicle's alignment. The vehicle is placed on the machine and the difference between the tires and the steering wheel help provide instant feedback for adjusting the alignment.

Auto Body Equipment

  • Frame Machines: If you're into body repair, frame machines are vital to getting someone's wreck back on the road again quickly and safely.
  • Paint Booths: To help contain the spread of paint and your workers' lungs from solvents, a paint booth helps control the environment around the car being painted, ensuring good results.

Other Auto Shop Machinery

  • Air Compressors: Whether it's impact wrenches or ratchets, pneumatic tools are vital to your shop's productivity.
  • Hoists: If you do serious engine or transmission work, being able to move these heavy, bulky parts around your shop is a definite necessity, allowing your employees the best access to these high-dollar components.
  • Diagnostic Equipment: With the strong use of computers in today's vehicles, having a solid array of diagnostic equipment is necessary to your shop's success and efficiency.

Now that you know the different types of equipment available, you can consider whether that equipment would be a benefit for your shop. If you are considering investing in new shop machinery, have you had an automotive equipment appraisal performed to help you prove your assets and gain good financing for your new purchase? Contact a certified equipment appraiser to help determine your equipment values.

Tags: appraisal, automotive equipment appraisal