Automotive Tools And Equipment: What To Consider When Opening A Car Repair Shop

In this article, you’ll find five topics you should carefully think through before acquiring specialty car service tools and equipment for your new-found shop

How to Сhoose Machinery and Equipment For an Auto Repair Shop?

Adequately selected equipment will allow you to provide a quality set of services for the diagnosis, repair, and maintenance of vehicles. However, buying a lot of everything at the start is not recommended because it may not meet the current market demand. You have to remain reasonable and purchase just enough to handle the workload. Therefore, consider the following aspects thoroughly when working on your auto repair shop plan:

Specialization. What will it be: a general mechanic’s shop or a specialty enterprise? For example, if you decide to go after auto body repairs, your set of equipment will include paint tools, an air compressor, a slide hammer, a dual-action sander, etc. If you plan to do different things, this collection won’t be among your essential tools unless you offer an extensive range of services right from the beginning.

Future goals. Are you dreaming of building a network, or do you just want to keep it as a small family business? A limited set of equipment you’ll slowly extend with time would be enough for a one-man shop. If you plan to become a niche leader in your area and beyond, schedule regular purchasing and start reinvesting the money, you’ll earn with the first shop in equipment for your future locations.

Target audience. What car brands are popular on the market? Are you going to service luxury or high-tech cars? To meet the needs of each type of potential customer, you will need different equipment.

Budget. The cost of tools depends on many criteria, in particular, the manufacturer, technical characteristics, and service life. For example, if you’d like to support local businesses, you will probably have to plan another budget size compared to purchasing from international companies.

Must-have digital tools. To run a successful car repair business nowadays, you’ll need software to keep accurate records of everything in your workshop, including equipment.

How to Find Reliable Automotive Tool Manufacturers?

This is no one-answer question, and hundreds of opinions exist. Just keep in mind these primary selection criteria:

• company’s reputation
• how long it has been in the market
• terms and conditions of delivery
• range of products offered
• warranty and post-warranty service;
• terms of payment
• return and exchange of low-quality products
• after-sales service
• on-site training 
• manuals and service directives
• customer feedback

Will Your Shop Provide Car Hand Tools For Mechanics?

It’s common practice in repair shops that mechanics bring their own car fixing tools. Of course, this is a good way for owners to avoid theft and shorten expenses. You can also implement this in your business, but... regarding the growing mechanic shortage in the industry, wouldn’t it be forward-looking to do the opposite?

For techs just starting, buying the necessary vehicle tool kit might be challenging, especially when paying off educational loans. So, as an employer, you will be more likely to attract mechanics to work for you when you provide them with everything they need to do the job. Another option is to offer a tool allowance in your benefits package.

Buy or Lease Equipment Needed For an Auto Repair Shop?

Leasing vehicle maintenance tools and equipment is an excellent alternative to buying: it does not require a significant initial investment, and you can get various equipment, thereby greatly expanding your range of services. Among the cons is not the best condition since the equipment has been in use and sometimes long.

From the long-term perspective, acquiring equipment is more reasonable than leasing. In this case, you’ll pay once and won’t worry about losing tools because of missed leasing payments. To save some budget, consider buying used tooling, for example, at auto repair shop equipment auctions.

Buying used equipment: pros and cons

How to Keep Your Auto Repair Shop Equipment In Good Condition?

First, you must be sure your team is well-trained to operate all the machinery and tools you have in your shop. Make a quick training session obligatory for all new employees, even those with lots of experience, so everyone properly uses your equipment.

Another tip is regularly checking how often a piece of equipment was used to assess its wear and tear and plan preventive maintenance. E.g., in RemOnline, you can keep tabs on all your company’s assets and plan their load in the Scheduler. When analyzing your work orders, you’ll see how often your techs used equipment to complete repairs and schedule timely PM works.

Screenshot of the Resources Tab in RemOnline

Final Thoughts

Equipping your car repair shop with the necessary tools and machinery requires good planning and research. To inform your decision-making, look at what services are in demand in the market, analyze your target audience’s needs, and set your business goals. Think about purchasing equipment and keeping it as good as new for as long as possible. For this purpose, RemOnline offers asset accounting and inventory management features that will help prolong your equipment service life.