A Guide To Choosing Automotive Lifts

June 9th, 2010

One of the most important tools in an automotive repair shop is the auto lift. Providing access to the under belly of a car or truck, automotive lifts make the job of car repair much easier for the home garage or auto shop. Choosing a lift that meets your needs is the key to profitability in time and money. There is a large variety of lift types available to meet the needs of anyone who is looking to purchase one. Keep the following in mind when choosing the best automotive lift for you.


Auto Lifts For The Home User


Consumers with a garage at home can now easily perform maintenance and repairs on the undercarriage of their automobiles. The convenience of owning a home auto lift not only increases the productivity of repairs, but also increases the amount of storage space available. Home automotive lifts usually involve a group of four posts, pneumatically controlled to lift an automobile safely.


These lifts provide a safe means to raise one’s vehicle for access to the car’s undercarriage for transmission and oil work. Automotive lifts also provide increased storage space, by allowing the consumer to lift their car out of the way and to open up the garage floor space. Lesser used vehicles and box storage can be placed on the lift and raised out of the way. Then, you can park your own vehicle underneath the lifted platform.


Automotive lifts are great for people who collect cars. A typical garage can only house two cars, but with use of a lift, four cars can be efficiently parked.


Auto Shop Automotive Lifts – Features To Consider


For more serious garages and commercial operations, there are heavy-duty automotive lifts available. Standard equipment usually involves one, two, or four post lifts. The final choice involves the balance of lift capability, lift stability, and available additional space for the lift equipment. These heavier lifts usually require additional maintenance. The industrial nature of these auto lifts means that their maintenance is better left to professionals if the user has any doubt about being able to work the equipment while maintaining the designed safety features.


One post lifts are the most economical in terms of space. The two varieties of one post lifts are centered lifts and offset lifts. Centered one post auto lifts have a lot more strength than offset one post auto lifts. Offset lifts provide space for a vehicle to be placed underneath a lifted object, providing space economy. Four post models also allow for the same space saving capabilities as a single post model, but they do require more space and power. The upside to a four post lift is a greatly increased power output (four times that of a single post). The two post model is a balance between the two versions.


Auto lifts give a home user full access to their vehicle from different sides. This allows you to perform maintenance and repairs on your vehicle from the comfort of home, saving you both time and money.

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Choosing A Career For Life: Healthcare Industry Vs. Automotive Industry

June 8th, 2010

Choosing a career is an important goal for any individual. Most of us want to make a choice that will last forever. When looking into one field or another it is the long term benefits that help us make our final decision about what career path to take. The following tips will help you determine which career for life you are most interested in when thinking about the healthcare industry versus the automotive industry.

As a healthcare provider you are providing your services for the welfare of the society and to the people. The healthcare field has many opportunities from working in hospitals and clinical facilities all the way to in home care. Often there are benefits and competitive salary packages for healthcare professionals. These benefits often make the healthcare industry an ideal choice. The automotive industry has a range of opportunities as well. You can be involved in the development and production of vehicle components. This will allow you to be a part of new technology when it comes to the cars we all drive. There is also the sales side of the automotive industry that allows you to provide service and a product to people.

When you are thinking of making a choice like a career for life it is important to think about the features and benefits of your fields of interest. The following is a list of features and benefits that will help you choose between the healthcare industry versus the automotive industry.

Helping the Society: A healthcare professional has the opportunity to provide care to a large number of people. Lending this helping hand to society is not only rewarding but satisfying as well. The automotive field on the other hand is to make a better product and to sell it at a high price. Most often what the bottom line profit is tends to be more important than customer satisfaction. In addition, working to develop new designs and keeping up with the latest technology can make for a stressful environment to work in.

Training Programs: Considering the various levels of healthcare positions you are able to choose a program that specializes in the area you are most interested in. Once you complete a training program and have your diploma or certificate in hand you ready to start your career. In the automotive industry training is often conducted within the industry. Typically training is conducted for a period 12 to 24 months. You are educated on various subjects and then are able to choose the area in which you wish to specialize in.

Education Levels: A healthcare career usually requires less than 4 years of college education unless your goal is to become a doctor or practitioner. There are several areas in the field that you start working in with just a high school diploma. In the automotive industry you are looking at 4 years of college education to be in the top salaried positions. There is little opportunity for the high school graduate.

Choosing a career for life based on the above features and benefits can help you make an educated decision. When comparing healthcare vs. automotive industries the healthcare field is sure to be a more rewarding and achievable choice.

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Choosing A Good Automotive School Is Crucial To Your Career

June 8th, 2010

Automotive school is a necessity for anyone who wants to pursue a career as an auto mechanic. However, the school you go to can affect the path your career takes after graduation. Factors such as quality equipment, knowledgeable instructors, strong degree and ASE certification programs, the school’s qualifications and reputation, and student services all lend themselves to the overall quality of your education. Therefore, it is important to thoroughly research the automotive schools you are considering before making a final decision.

Your goal in attending automotive school is to learn as much as possible about auto mechanics; therefore, it is important to ensure that the school will provide the training you need. Part of this training is plenty of hands on experience. A good automotive program should include not only classroom lectures about automotive principles and mechanical theories, but also ample opportunity to work on cars and practice your skills. Be sure to ask how the school gets an ample supply of cars for students to train on; some schools may rely on donations, while others may attract paying customers in the community with discounted rates.

The school you attend should also have an ample supply of up to date equipment. A school with a shortage of the proper tools will make it difficult for you to get sufficient practice, and old or damaged equipment can be a safety hazard. Since your education depends a great deal on the amount of hands on experience you get, the automotive school you attend should be fully equipped to meet the students’ needs.

Naturally, the curriculum is a major factor in the quality of your education. The school you attend should have several different degree programs to choose from, allowing students flexibility in choosing their career paths. A good automotive school also offers an Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification program, where students can become certified in different areas of expertise, adding to their qualifications and increasing their potential salaries. ASE certification requires passing at least one of more than forty available tests, as well as proof of at least two years of relevant work experience; the school you attend should fully support students in acquiring these certifications.

Accreditation is also an important indicator of the quality of education a school can provide. Accreditation verifies that a school meets a predetermined set of standards; however, there are many different accreditation agencies, so it is important to research not only a school’s accreditation, but also the accrediting agency’s reputation and standards. If being able to transfer courses you have taken is important to you, be sure to find out how many other schools are accredited by the agency, and whether the credits you earn at the school can be transferred.

Additionally, you should consider the school’s reputation: an education from a school with a good reputation can make you stand out from the other applicants and help you get a job, but an education from a school with a bad reputation can also hurt your chances of getting a good job. By searching the Internet and talking to other mechanics, you can find out whether a school is known for providing quality education. You may also want to contact several dealerships and garages and ask whether they would hire a graduate of one of your top choices. After all, your education must do two things: not only provide you with quality training, but also indicate to potential employers that you have received quality training.

Similarly, student services are an important part of a good automotive school. Examples of student services are financial aid and loan offices, student housing or assistance in finding housing, and the availability of internships. Job placement services are particularly important; most good schools will offer some type of job placement assistance to students and graduates. A school that guarantees job placement after graduation may indicate a high success rate among its students. Also, many schools have relationships with local dealerships and garages, which is a considerable benefit to students and alumni of the school.

Naturally, there are other, more personal deciding factors when choosing an automotive school, such as the cost of tuition and the school’s location. Ultimately, your decision will depend on which features are most important to you. Whether you make your decision based solely on the quality of education the school offers, or on a more tangible benefit such as affordability or location, be certain that you choose a school that will help you achieve the career you seek.

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