Resources & Expertise
News
Expert guides, industry updates, and technical resources for professional automotive shops.
Buying Guides
Independent buying guides for shop equipment: car lifts, tire changers, wheel balancers, alignment machines, frame machines and tire storage.
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Hydraulic Pump Types: Hand, Air, Electric and Gas Engine Pumps Compared
Hand, air, electric and gas engine hydraulic pumps compared, plus how to match a pump to single acting or double acting cylinders.
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Click vs Digital Torque Wrench: How to Choose and Use a Torque Wrench
Click, split beam and digital torque wrenches compared, how to pick drive size and range, and how to use a torque wrench correctly.
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How to Choose a Floor Jack: Capacity, Low Profile and Lift Range
How to choose a floor jack: tonnage, low profile vs standard, lift range, steel vs aluminum, and how to use a floor jack safely.
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How to Choose a Shop Press: Tonnage, Stroke, Pumps and Rolling Heads
How to choose a hydraulic shop press: tonnage, stroke, single vs double acting, hand, air or electric pumps, rolling heads and pullers.
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Cardboard Baler Buying Guide: Vertical vs Horizontal Balers
How to choose a cardboard baler: vertical vs horizontal balers, bale size, press force, power and footprint, and where a recycling baler fits in a shop recyc...
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4 Post Car Lift Buying Guide: Storage vs Service, Jacks and Prices
How to choose a four post car lift: storage vs service lifts, clearance and runway sizing, rolling jacks, safety features and current prices on real models.
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How Much Does a Tire Changer Cost? Tire Machine Prices by Type
How much does a tire changer cost? Current tire machine prices by type, from manual changers to assist arm, leverless and truck tire changers, plus what else...
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Alignment Lifts: How to Choose a 4 Post Alignment Lift or Alignment Rack
How to choose an alignment lift or alignment rack: capacity, open front vs standard designs, turntables and slip plates, rolling bridge jacks and aligner fit.
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Brake Lathe Buying Guide: On Car vs Bench Lathes and What Your Shop Needs
How to choose a brake lathe for your shop: on car vs bench lathes, rotor and drum capacity, adapters, feed rates and tips for clean rotor resurfacing.
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Car Stacker vs Tilting Parking Lift: Which Garage Storage Lift Fits Your Space?
Car stackers vs tilting parking lifts compared: ceiling height, capacity per level, floor space and power, so you can choose the right car storage lift for y...
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Tire Bead Seaters: How They Work and How to Choose One
Tank size, steel or aluminum, jet nozzles and safe technique: what to know before you buy a tire bead seater.
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Tool Cabinets and Rolling Tool Chests: How to Choose the Right Size
26, 45, 53 or 72 inches? How to pick a rolling tool cabinet, chest or service cart for a home garage or pro bay.
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How to Choose a Socket Set: Drive Sizes, Metric vs SAE and Impact Sockets
Drive sizes, metric or SAE, 6 or 12 point, deep and impact sockets: a plain guide to buying the right socket set.
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Waste Oil Drains: Why Shops Use Them Over Drain Pans and How to Choose One
Lift drain or drain pan? Capacity, emptying methods and safe setup for a cleaner, faster oil change bay.
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Tire Cutters and Tire Recycling Equipment: A Buying Guide for Shops and Yards
Cut scrap tire volume and disposal trips: how tire cutters, bead notchers and crushers work and which one fits your shop.
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Transmission Jacks: Telescopic vs Low Profile and How to Choose One
Telescopic or low profile, single or two stage: how to choose a transmission jack, plus floor and bridge jack basics.
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Tire Dollies, Tire Carts and Conveyors: Moving Tires Without the Heavy Lifting
Truck wheel dollies, tire riders, tire carts and conveyors compared, with tips for planning tire flow in your shop.
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Tire Cages: How to Choose a Tire Inflation Safety Cage for Your Shop
Portable, multi bar, OTR and automatic tire inflation cages compared, with sizing tips and safety steps for every shop.
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How to Choose Jack Stands: Weight Ratings, Safety and Styles
How to choose jack stands: weight ratings and the capacity rule of thumb, what ASME PASE 2019 means, pin style vs ratchet, where to place them, and common mi...
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Tire Siping: What It Is, Pros & Cons, and Is It Worth It?
What tire siping is, how a siping machine works, the pros and cons, warranty caveats, and when siping is worth it for drivers and tire shops.
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Can a Bent Rim Be Repaired? Straightening vs. Replacing
Which bent rims can be straightened and which should be replaced, what vehicle makers and federal rules say, and how rim straightening machines work.
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Car Parking and Storage Lifts: How to Choose One for Your Garage
4-post storage lifts, two-car stackers and multi-level car stackers: how to choose a parking lift for a home garage or business.
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Frame Machines for Body Shops: Frame Racks vs. Frame Pullers and How to Choose
Full frame machines vs. portable frame pullers and straighteners: what each does, what a body shop needs, and what they cost.
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How to Choose a Wheel Alignment Machine: 3D vs. Touchless, Lifts and Bay Setup
3D imaging vs. touchless alignment, which lift you need, bay requirements and what to check before buying a wheel alignment machine.
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Automatic Tire Inflators for Shops: How They Work and How to Choose One
Automatic vs. handheld tire inflators, high-pressure models, nitrogen inflation and inflation safety: what a tire shop needs to know.
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Car Scissor Lifts: Mid-Rise vs. Full-Rise, and How to Choose One for Your Garage
Mid-rise or full-rise? Portable or fixed? What a car scissor lift can and cannot do, and how to pick one for a shop or home garage.
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How to Choose a Wheel Balancer: A Buying Guide for Shops and Home Garages
Manual vs. computerized, passenger vs. truck, 2D vs. 3D: what to check before you buy a wheel balancer or tire balancing machine.
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Types of Tire Changers: Rim-Clamp, Assist-Arm, Tilt-Back, Center-Post and Leverless Compared
Every tire changer breaks the bead, clamps the wheel and works the tire on and off. The differences are in how it clamps, how the tool head moves and how muc...
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Car Lift Ceiling Height, Concrete & Power Requirements: Check These Before You Buy
Most lift problems are site problems: a ceiling that's a few inches short, a slab that's too thin, or a 110V outlet where the lift wants 220V. Measure these ...
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2-Post vs 4-Post Car Lift: Which One Fits Your Bay and Your Work?
A 2-post lift frees the wheels for repair work; a 4-post lift drives on, parks and stores. Here is how they compare on footprint, ceiling, power and concrete...
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Tire Shelving vs. Folding Tire Racks: Choosing a Shop Storage System
Fixed tire shelving buys capacity with ceiling height; folding racks buy it with stacking. Which one fits depends on your ceiling, floor and forklift.
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Static vs. Dynamic Wheel Balancing: Which Balancer Your Shop Needs
Dynamic balancing corrects two planes, static corrects one. Here is which mode your wheels actually need, and the specs that decide the machine.
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Tire Changer and Balancer Combo: Air, Space and Power Needs
A tire changer needs shop air at 120-145 psi; the balancer paired with it does not publish one. What a combo actually requires in your bay, from vendor specs.
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Wheel Alignment Machine Cost: The Five Line Items Shops Forget
An alignment machine is rarely the biggest line in the budget. The rack, the electrical service, the bay footprint and commissioning are where shops get caug...
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The Ultimate Guide to Choosing the Right Car Lift for Your Shop
Whether you are expanding a commercial auto body shop or building the ultimate dream garage at home, investing in a car lift is one of the biggest milestones...
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Hydraulic Pump Types: Hand, Air, Electric and Gas Engine Pumps Compared
Hand, air, electric and gas engine hydraulic pumps compared, plus how to match a pump to single acting or double acting cylinders.
Read Article →
Buying GuideClick vs Digital Torque Wrench: How to Choose and Use a Torque Wrench
Click, split beam and digital torque wrenches compared, how to pick drive size and range, and how to use a torque wrench correc...
Read Article →
Buying GuideHow to Choose a Floor Jack: Capacity, Low Profile and Lift Range
How to choose a floor jack: tonnage, low profile vs standard, lift range, steel vs aluminum, and how to use a floor jack safely.
Read Article →
Buying GuideHow to Choose a Shop Press: Tonnage, Stroke, Pumps and Rolling Heads
How to choose a hydraulic shop press: tonnage, stroke, single vs double acting, hand, air or electric pumps, rolling heads and ...
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BalersCardboard Baler Buying Guide: Vertical vs Horizontal Balers
How to choose a cardboard baler: vertical vs horizontal balers, bale size, press force, power and footprint, and where a recycl...
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4-Post Lifts4 Post Car Lift Buying Guide: Storage vs Service, Jacks and Prices
How to choose a four post car lift: storage vs service lifts, clearance and runway sizing, rolling jacks, safety features and c...
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Buying GuideHow Much Does a Tire Changer Cost? Tire Machine Prices by Type
How much does a tire changer cost? Current tire machine prices by type, from manual changers to assist arm, leverless and truck...
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Alignment LiftsAlignment Lifts: How to Choose a 4 Post Alignment Lift or Alignment Rack
How to choose an alignment lift or alignment rack: capacity, open front vs standard designs, turntables and slip plates, rollin...
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Brake LathesBrake Lathe Buying Guide: On Car vs Bench Lathes and What Your Shop Needs
How to choose a brake lathe for your shop: on car vs bench lathes, rotor and drum capacity, adapters, feed rates and tips for c...
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Buying GuideCar Stacker vs Tilting Parking Lift: Which Garage Storage Lift Fits Your Space?
Car stackers vs tilting parking lifts compared: ceiling height, capacity per level, floor space and power, so you can choose th...
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Bead SeatersTire Bead Seaters: How They Work and How to Choose One
Tank size, steel or aluminum, jet nozzles and safe technique: what to know before you buy a tire bead seater.
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Buying GuideTool Cabinets and Rolling Tool Chests: How to Choose the Right Size
26, 45, 53 or 72 inches? How to pick a rolling tool cabinet, chest or service cart for a home garage or pro bay.
Read Article →