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Garage equipment wish list
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DREAMS UNDER THE TREE
Santa Baby:
"Think of all the cars that I have fixed,
Think of all the defects that I haven't missed,
Next year could be just as good, If you add some stuff to my Christmas list"
© Autotechnician Festive Lyrics Department
Whether you are a garage owner seeking to make a radical investment, or a technician employee looking to fill a toolbox, Rob Marshall asks leading suppliers what you might wish to add to your festive wish lists
With the high street clamouring for your cash and Black Friday looming ever closer, the festive shopping period is the next hurdle that faces us before the holidays. Yet, do not forget purchases that either enhance your ability, or make work more comfortable. Should you be a garage owner, your needs (and budget) will be very different from those of an apprentice technician, for instance. Yet, it is always beneficial to consult your workshop team for opinions, which will help you make the right purchasing decision.
Hey, big spender!
Naturally, tool companies line up to tempt business owners – so let us dream first with some big ticket items. Naturally, ATLs represent a major investment and Snap-On reasons that its Sun Connected Automated One-Person Test Lane makes technician life easier, because the MOT procedure is made faster and simpler. The DGA 6000 Link also integrates the DVSA’s system with the Sun Emissions Tester, Brake Tester and Decelerometer. An intriguing feature for garages that wish to go a step further for their customers is the integrated OBD health-check function. This highlights vehicle faults before they pose an official problem, such as pending fault codes. This involves no
Try getting this under your Christmas tree! Yet, ATLs are worth considering for garages looking to make a major investment in its facilities. Pictured is the Sun Connected Automated Test Lane (EEKT102A02).
For garages that are considering investing in their ADAS capabilities, consider Delphi's CRC-150 ADAS package. Boasting space-saving double-sided target boards, it offers coverage of 31 car and LCV brands, including 284 vehicles with cameras and 146 models with radar – numbers that are increasing. Naturally, it is compatible with new and existing Delphi Technologies DS diagnostic tools, thus streamlining the recalibration process. Prices start from £7,000.
extra effort by the tester, because the checks are conducted automatically. While you (or your boss) might baulk at the £33,120 cost for a Class IV ATL, the pill is sweetened not just by the current finance promotion, of paying nothing for three months, but also a £5,296 emissions analyser (DGA6000) being included at no extra charge.
Like a modern ATL, up-to-date and intuitive diagnostics speed repair times and make technician lives far easier. Snap-on's answer is Zeus (EEMS342W), the top God of the company's Launch Tech UK’s diagnostic alternatives for multi-brand workshops focus on ease of use, wide vehicle coverage and extensive diagnostic capability across its range of smart tablets. Both the X-431 Euro Tab III (£5,700) and the X-431 Euro PRO 5 Link (£2,994) feature an integrated version of the Haynes PRO electronic module, along with a new Smartlink C VCI. Connecting to the OBD port and communicating wirelessly with the handset, Smartlink C facilitates fast ECU reprogramming, effective J2534 pass-thru and rapid OEM software downloads. Yet, should you get stuck, Launch's Super Remote Diagnosis can facilitate a service provider to access the vehicle remotely and perform diagnostics, recoding, or reprogramming functions, while you focus on another task.
Delphi highlights that diagnostics tools are for life, not just for Christmas. Its new DS180 (£2,440) is five times more powerful than its forebear and supports more contemporary challenges, such as those involving ADAS, security gateways and Pass-Thru technologies. We find its Flight Recorder system especially interesting (and beneficial for road safety), where test-drive results are available for review, after you return to the workshop. Should you be interested in repairing high-voltage vehicles, Delphi adds that the DS180 covers 85% of the hybrid and electric vehicle cars on UK roads.
Back to Earth
As worthy as they are, such purchases are major capital investments that a typical technician is unlikely to make,
Especially if you are just starting your career, seek out special offers on tools to start building your lifetime investment. Yet, look after them. This nine-drawer Sealey top box possesses ball-bearing slides and costs £155.94.
unless running their own businesses. Snap-On responds, quite reasonably, about how a decent-quality laser thermal imaging camera is invaluable for diagnosing anything from brakes to exhaust after-treatment systems, see below right. Yet, if that does not appeal, how about upgrading your battery-powered impact wrench? Snap-On's 18-volt, 12" CT9080 produces 1,423-newton metres of torque – which is over four times the twisting force produced by the engine fitted to the current generation (and soon to be culled) Ford Fiesta ST. Yet, if the British Father Christmas is not quite as willing as the North American Santa Claus to gift you £865 for Snap-On's thermal imaging camera and £953 for the impact wrench, the £264 for Launch Tech's DPF Cleaning Gun and cleaning fluid may be tempting for garages, who are confronting a glut of particular filter blockage complaints. This tool facilitates technicians to spray cleaning fluid under pressure directly into the DPF through the pressure sensor tube.
However, what about all of those smaller but less valuable items that make technician lives so much easier? Sealey reckons that it has the answers – but only until the 31st of December, when its Christmas tool promotion ends. For instance, how about a 14-piece 3/8" metric socket set from the firm's Platinum range for £47.94? For the same money, you could have a rechargeable LED inspection light. Alternatively, if your workshop's doors are open permanently at this time of year, how about an infrared heater, which comes with a telescopic stand, for a shade under £150? Naturally, plenty of tools are available in the promotion; perhaps our favourite is the selection of ½" breaker bars, between 450 and 650mm long and produced in a variety of colours, priced between £16.74 and £28.74. For more information about these limited time offers, check out Sealey's digital catalogue via this link: https://bit.ly/SealeyDigitalCatalogue
(Prices quoted within this feature include VAT but should be checked with your supplier for accuracy.)
