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New Workshop? Here Are the Questions You Need to Ask

By Alix Beales

If you’re setting up shop for a brand-new workshop, the options for equipment can seem overwhelming.

So to make things a little easier, we’ve put together some of the earliest basic questions you need to start thinking about — so you can be sure you’re making the best possible investments for your new business.

Here are the questions every new workshop needs to ask:

 

Do you need a pit or a lift?

No matter what kinds of vehicles you’re servicing, you’ll always need a way to work on the underside of your vehicles.

And the choice between a pit and a lift is one of the biggest early decisions your workshop will make.

It’s easily one of the biggest installations you’ll have in your new premises — and the choice you make now will likely inform the entire layout of the rest of your workshop.

(It’s also likely to be one of the biggest investments you make in your equipment. So it’s not a decision to be taken lightly.)

With a Vehicle Inspection Pit, you’ll get a dedicated installation that can last forever. You’ll be able to work on both the underside and main body of the vehicle at the same time — and you’ll have a quick and easy way to position your vehicles, which could be a massive boost to your efficiency and throughput.

But an everlasting installation comes with a cost — both financially, and in the time it takes to build.

In many cases, a pit is a bigger upfront investment than a lift. And it’s not a quick installation, with planning permission for civil works, as well as careful architectural design and excavation.

With a Heavy Duty Vehicle Lift, you’re getting a comparatively simple installation that can often be completed in a single day. It’s usually a smaller upfront investment, and it can give you easier access to the sides of the vehicle as well as the chassis.

For a new commercial workshop, it’s not an easy decision to make. But in most cases, it comes down to a few simple questions:

  1. Are you ready to commit to structural changes?
  2. How much could you benefit from working on the top and bottom simultaneously?
  3. Are you working in a space with limited vertical height?
  4. Are your teams more comfortable working under solid ground — or working on the floor around a raised vehicle?

 

Has your equipment got the right safety features?

Whether you’re a brand-new workshop or an expanding company, the safety of your teams should always be a top priority.

And while proper training and common sense are always important, safety starts with the tools you choose — so you need to be sure you’re getting the best gear around.

So what exactly should you be looking for in your equipment? Here are a few of the most common safety features to look out for:

 

Do you need flexibility in your workshop layout?

When you’re setting up a new workshop, your floor space can quickly become one of the biggest problems you need to solve. And that means you need careful planning from the very first step to ensure your premises is as efficient as it can be.

So what’s an easy way to make the most of the space you have?

Go for mobile equipment wherever you can.

Instead of a fixed installation like a pit or a four-post lift, you can do the same heavy lifting with a set of our Totalkare Mobile Column Lifts.

With a fully flexible lifting solution, you can set up a workspace only when you need it — then put your lifts into storage to free up space for other jobs.

(You can even set up a lifting station in an outdoor space with our galvanised Washbay Mobile Column Lift — like a courtyard or a car park.)

And the result?

You’re only using floor space at the time when you really need it — which means a higher throughput in the times when you don’t.

 

Need some expert advice to help you get started?

We’ve been supplying commercial vehicle workshops for over 40 years — helping both new and established businesses to get the safe and reliable equipment they need to succeed.

So if you’re setting up shop (or you need some upgrades), take a look through our online store — or start a chat with one of our workshop experts, and we’ll help you find the right gear for what you need.