Opening an auto repair business can be profitable if you hire the right employees and if your shop is well located. However, setting up a car repair shop requires significant investment. You not only need to rent or buy a large commercial space, but you need more than a few expensive repair equipment. In this post, we focus on the few tools and equipment that account for the bulk of the total investment required to start an auto repair workshop. Here are 5 expensive equipment you need to invest in to start a car repair business.
- Vehicle Lifts
It’s never a good idea to buy cheap vehicle lifts. They can be a safety hazard and if they fail, they almost guarantee a lawsuit. Instead of settling for any vehicle lift, choose a system that’s versatile and allows you to work on anything from small hatchbacks to large trucks. Mobile column lifts by Steril Koni is a great lift for auto repair shops. They are built for heavy duty vehicles such as trucks and buses, which means they are more than capable to lift regular passenger cars. The great thing about mobile column lifts is that they are portable, which means they can be operated both indoors and outdoors. Vehicle lifts are expensive, but it makes sense to spend more when opening an auto workshop and get a heavy-duty lift that’s scalable and has a high lift capacity.
- Air Conditioning Recovery Machine
Most customers expect auto repair shops to provide air conditioning service. To enable your employees to perform AC repairs you need an air conditioning recovery machine. These are diagnostic and repair units that make AC repair faster and simpler. These machines can perform refrigerant recovery, recycle oil, and recharge AC units. These are pretty much essential for all repair shops and they usually cost upwards of $5,000.
- Industrial Air Compressor
If your garage has pneumatic hand tools, which it absolutely should, then you would need a reliable industrial air compressor. A small shop can make do with a 60-gallon unit, but it’s always recommended to get a large 120-gallon compressor to ensure you always have power when you need it. The industrial compressors with large tank capacities not only offer longer runtimes essential for repair shops but it also allows operation of multiple tools and devices at the same time.
- Commercial Battery Charger
As most auto technicians would tell you, a significant chunk of all the reasons why a car won’t start involves battery trouble. If you plan on opening a car repair business, you need to be prepared to deal with these common battery problems. While a lot of users have small battery chargers for home usage, auto workshops need commercial grade battery chargers. These jump starter units are often priced around $1,500 to $2,000, which means they are a significant investment. What you need to realize is that these units have batteries of their own, which needs replacement after a certain number of usages. Factor that into the cost when doing a battery repair job.
- Combination Brake Station
A lot of repair shop outsource the brake resurfacing work to other businesses. However, that can severely hit the profit margins. Buying a variable speed combination brake lathe offers a more long-term solution. Priced upwards of $5,000 these brake stations do not come cheap and adds a great deal to the total investment required to start an auto repair business.
