Making life just a little easier for the technicians in your shop isn’t just a nice thing to do. It’s also a smart business
decision. Techs with better equipment can do better work, which leads to a better shop overall. So which lift will give the biggest boost? Let’s take a closer look at one option you should consider: mobile lifts. Here are five advantages of portable lifts:
1. Space Savings
No matter how big your shop is, space is a commodity. Dedicated bays are a great option for some shops, but mobile columns offer a less permanent and less space-hogging alternative. The columns of a portable lift can be stored out of the way when not in use and then easily moved into place as needed. Each individual column has a small footprint, so shops can easily line up and house multiple columns – four, six, eight, however many you need – without needing costly expansions.
As a bonus, when you opt for a battery-powered lift, there won’t be cords cluttering up your work area, and you won’t even need a dedicated wall plug in each bay. You can just charge overnight and then move the columns wherever you need them in your workspace.
2. Versatility
Mobile lifts can be used for a large assortment of jobs and with a wide range of vehicles. With lifts like the MACH Series MCH13, you can add columns to your setup to scale up lifting capacity (up to 104,000 pounds with eight columns), and easy-to-move adjustable forks mean you can use them on a variety of wheel sizes. Plus, if there are accessories available for your lift, it becomes even more diverse. Extras like a frame-engaging lifting kit or a forklift kit let you change how you use the lift completely.
3. Ease of Use
Designed with the operator in mind, mobile column lifts provide convenience in every step from setup to storage. Automatic steering will make the columns themselves maneuverable and simple to position, while smooth-moving adjustable forks make the rest of the setup easy. A few other things to look for if ease of use is a main focus for you:
- A horseshoe cable setup or wireless system. The individual columns in your setup need to communicate with one another in order to work in tandem. Some require cables on all columns, creating an enclosed rectangle, which you have to open and adjust every time you work on a new vehicle. A horseshoe setup leaves one end open, so you can drive in and out without the hassle of disconnecting and reconnecting cables. A wireless option makes this process even simpler.
- Retractable cords. If your mobile columns do use a cable, a retractable cord reel will make positioning and moving the columns quicker and easier.
- Individual column controls. Look for a mobile lift where each column has a full-function control panel, so you can control the entire lift from any column. That way, if you need to raise or lower it slightly to do different repairs, you can just go to the nearest panel, saving time and effort.
4. Safety
Used correctly, mobile lifts are very safe, and if you’re still using creepers in your shop, a lift will make a big difference. For example, transportation and logistics provider Schneider moved from creepers to portable lifts in 2008, and saw a dramatic decrease in injuries. From muscle strain to burns, rolling under trucks to work on them can be a dangerous move. For more information about how mobile column lifts can keep your techs out of harm’s way, see our recent blog.
5. Green Benefits
There’s no excavation required with above-ground mobile lifts, and you can power some of them with 110V battery power. That saves on electrical costs and cuts down on your shop’s environmental impact. For a full rundown of the green benefits of a battery-powered mobile lift, see “Why Battery-Powered Mobile Lifts are Greener.”
To learn more about the mobile lifts from Rotary, see our free Mobile Columns Resource Guide.
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