What Are Car Lifts?
Car lifts are designed to lift vehicles into the air in order to provide mechanics with the ability to access areas of the car that would otherwise be difficult to get to. They are primarily used when the mechanic wants to access the area underneath the car to do work that they can’t do when the vehicle is on the ground.
They are a regular feature in garages and it is rare to find a workshop that doesn’t contain at least one car lift.
They also come in a variety of different formats. Here at Garage Equipment, we offer 2 post, 4 post and scissor car lifts, all of which serve the same purpose in different ways. As such, it is important to understand what kind of work you want to be able to do on a vehicle before you make your decision as to which car lift you purchase. Furthermore, you should also be aware that car lifts do not have standardised capabilities in terms of the weight that they can carry, so if you anticipate needing to life heavier vehicles you will need to ensure you purchase a lift that is capable of elevating cars of that weight.
The Benefits
Car lifts offer a range of benefits to mechanics, the most important of which is the ability to access all areas of the vehicle with ease. This allows for more complex work to be carried out, thus expanding the range of services that the garage has to offer. As mentioned, they are particularly useful for accessing the underside of the vehicle. However, many mechanics also use them in order to gain better access to the doors or to simply inspect the vehicle quickly without having to climb underneath and around it.
As such, they also allow for more efficient work to be carried out, both in terms of inspections and modifications to the vehicle. Garages find this aspect of car lifts useful because it afford them the opportunity to carry out inspections at a faster pace, which free up the mechanic’s time to do other work.
Furthermore, they allow for more work to be carried out on a vehicle when space is an issue. Instead of requiring a large amount of space to access all aspects of the car, a car lift can instead be used to make the most use of a limited amount of room, thus allowing for other work to be carried out elsewhere in the workshop in addition to providing more storage room for other garage tools.
Which Car Lift is Right For Me?
Choosing a car lift can often be tricky, as it is hard to determine which one is right for your workshop. As a general rule, a 2 post lift will provide you with superior access to all areas of the vehicle, though you will need to be more wary about how the vehicle is placed on the lift. While this wariness should be carried over to 4 post lifts, they are generally more stable due to the additional posts, in addition to often being able to carry larger amounts of weight.
