Hoist hire

I'm sure many of us have drooled over this idea. Getting access to a hoist to do all your own car work.

With most lowered cars (especially Euro's with their hinged sump guards), it's very difficult to get the clearance to do a 2 second job like an oil change. It's even harder to have a look under the car for leaks.

Tranny oil changes (which are easy) become behemoth tasks that are best left to the professionals, to avoid the mess.

I found this site on the net. http://www.diyauto.com.au/services/

The guys rent out hoists for $21.50. I know I'd do a better job with my cars than any mechanic would.

Do any other places like this exist? Or is it possible to get hoist access anywhere?

Does anyone in Melbourne have a hoist they don't mind letting out for a fee or slabs?

I know most workshops probably wouldn't allow it for public liability reasons. Or even because it robs them off business. But it's one hell of an idea though.

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by Shounak

I know I'd do a better job with my cars than any mechanic would.

Does anyone in Melbourne have a hoist they don't mind letting out for a fee or slabs?

I know most workshops probably wouldn't allow it for public liability reasons. Or even because it robs them off business. But it's one hell of an idea though.

I would just so you can show me how your a better machanic than me

aside from the liability issues, I wouldnt want some weekend wanna be stuffing up their car and leaving it stranded in my shop not to mention the mess and all the light fingered mates that tend to follow this type of favor

you can buy hoists for a couple of grand installed why dont you get one and rent it out to your mates for slabs

[ZA-289]

yeah, that sounds like an accident waiting to happen.

Any mechanic was a big call, but I would definitely say most. The reason being agency problems.

When I do an oil change on my car, I let every bit of oil drain, lube the filter gasket and do everything perfectly. I'm so with my cars that I even torque the spark plugs with a torque wrench.

I know with coolant flushes, a lot of mechanics don't drain the system fully, yet their own cars get treated differently.

I'd take more care with my personal car than most mechanics would take with mine.

And yeah, the points you mentioned probably would prevent it from happening. But clear guidelines would curtail that to an extent. You tell people they've got it for half an hour and then they either leave or keep paying.

Mess I think would be limited, but who knows.

Just saying if it was there it'd be awesome. Not suggesting every mechanic start renting out his/her premises. But purpose built DIY places sound awesome.

Hoists need a fair bit of room. I don't have the height clearance in my garage, nor do I have the width.

If I had a bigger garage I would give it some serious thought.

[Auslandau]

Originally Posted by Shounak

Any mechanic was a big call, but I would definitely say most. .

.......... even saying most is a big call.

Originally Posted by Shounak

When I do an oil change on my car, I let every bit of oil drain, lube the filter gasket and do everything perfectly. I'm so with my cars that I even torque the spark plugs with a torque wrench.

I know with coolant flushes, a lot of mechanics don't drain the system fully, yet their own cars get treated differently.

I'd take more care with my personal car than most mechanics would take with mine.

And yeah, the points you mentioned probably would prevent it from happening. But clear guidelines would curtail that to an extent. You tell people they've got it for half an hour and then they either leave or keep paying.

Mess I think would be limited, but who knows.

Just saying if it was there it'd be awesome. Not suggesting every mechanic start renting out his/her premises. But purpose built DIY places sound awesome

How many things can I see wrong with this! How many times does a 30 minute job turn into 3 hours ...... How many numbnuts out there who think they are better than everyone else drops a car on their head ..... Who sues who?

I am booked in at 12.00 but the twit cant get his car off because he's stuffed up the brakes!



| [/url] |

Saying most isn't a big call. There is difference between oil many mechanics treat their own cars and customer cars.

I've seen partially drained sumps, cooling systems, etc. I'm also referring to simple jobs such as fluids etc, where it's not a matter of skill, due diligence.

I covered the time issue above. You keep billing the person at the agreed rate, even have a penalty rate or just kick em out if the booking before them is up.

Dropping car on head is where the trouble starts. Why don't you email the mob above and ask them what happens when it occurs? I'd think that the customer has limited use of the actual hoist, rather they get use of the car once it's been put on the hoist for them.

Who knows. I've never used the mob above. I simply think it'd be cool if there was a similar here in Melbourne. I'd quite happily pay $21.50 to do my own services on a hoist.

[ea90gl]

obviously a hoist will help alot but Ive done plenty with trolley jacks, jack stands, wheel choks and car ramps yes even the nasty auto trans/ diff changes by myself (another trans change coming up : ) I'm sure you can manage

[The Yeti]

Originally Posted by auslandau

.......... even saying most is a big call.



How many things can I see wrong with this! How many times does a 30 minute job turn into 3 hours ...... How many numbnuts out there who think they are better than everyone else drops a car on their head ..... Who sues who?

I am booked in at 12.00 but the twit cant get his car off because he's stuffed up the brakes!

Its bad enough booking customers in for 1st thing in the morning and having them turn up at 11.30 and wondering why there car will have to wait till you finish the job on the hoist when you told them on the phone you would do it while they wait

I would say "some" mechanics at best, most mechanics look after customers cars as there own if not better, I know I always did.

Then brilliant. You'd be a mechanic I'd happily take my car to.

But I've had so many screw ups with mechanics in the days I didn't know so much, that I decided to learn myself. I've had many mechanics just not do the job properly.

My mums last car (an MGF with crappy clearance) needed an oil change and its pads were down to metal and scoring the discs. It was also leaking coolant form the bottom.

I decided to give our local mechanic a shot and booked the car in for a minor service. Expecting him to find that and a few other things wrong. The invoice said he checked brakes, for leaks etc.

Skip forward a bit, I've seen Ultratune mechanics let a sump partially drain before doing it back up.

I don't need to take those risks, the XR8 gets its services done at Ford because of the stamp, but the rest of the work I do myself and even did so during warranty period.

I know a few mechanics and I would disagree that they treat customer car like their own, but you could argue that it's just them. What I can say though is that I baby my car much more than another mechanic would. I tick every box, dot every I and cross every T when working on it.

I'm not suggesting you open your workshop up to the general public, nor am I personally attacking you. Merely saying that the availability of hoist hire would be a service I would happily pay for.

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by Shounak

Any mechanic was a big call, but I would definitely say most. The reason being agency problems.
I'd take more care with my personal car than most mechanics would take with mine.

As others here have pointed out, it is a big call saying this.

Just wondering… what is your background in the trade / industry?

It's not a big call at all. I know a few mechanics and used to go out with a chick whose dad owned a workshop, I know what goes on behind the scenes.

I mentioned some problems I've seen above. The reason I say this is that I would not neglect anything on my car.

My experience is irrelevant. I'm not questioning skill, simply diligence. It's not as if you need a huge amount of skill to do an oil change and check over for leaks.

[nugget378]

Originally Posted by Shounak

My experience is irrelevant.

You dont have any,thats why its irrelevant..

Originally Posted by Shounak

It's not as if you need a huge amount of skill to do an oil change and check over for leaks.

On the one hand your better than a trained professional,yet on the other it doesnt need a great deal of skill?

Tell me how a mechanic would do a worse job of an oil change than you?

Originally Posted by nugget378

You dont have any,thats why its irrelevant..

I've worked on plenty of cars. I've helped mates who are mechanics do stuff and I take care of everything on my car myself.

My car does not see a mechanic, because it doesn't need to and it runs perfectly.

On the one hand your better than a trained professional,yet on the other it doesnt need a great deal of skill?

Tell me how a mechanic would do a worse job of an oil change than you?

I'm not sure if you lack intelligence or just diligence here. But refer above. I said it's not a matter of skill, ie. it's orthogonal to the matter.

You stupidly seem to be comparing my oil change skills to a mechanic who takes all of the relevant steps. If I knew a mechanic would take the same care I did, I would happily pay for it.

But when I take my car to a mechanic, I don't know if he drained the oil properly, flushed out all traces of coolant, if he greased the points on my brakes etc. I don't know if he properly checked the under carriage for leaks.

If I did it myself, I can guarantee with 100% certainty that all of the above would be done.

How about you have a read of my above posts, not just picking and choosing little excerpts and then see if you still have anything to say.

But how would a mechanic do a worse job of a minor service than me? They might not check all of the above, whereas I 100% would.

When you don't read posts properly and start attacking your self made straw man, it just makes you look stupid. A bit of constructive criticism.

[azaxr8]

Hoist hire would be a great idea. But all these posts are a waste of my time. Theres no doubt theres alot of dodgy mechanics out there. Trust nobody right?

Sure this site might have a few good mechanics but there rare and far between. If you can do it yourself and save a $500 fee for them just seeing your car parked out the front then doing a half-as5ed job for $21.50 thats the way to go.

[nugget378]

mate your making a mountain out of a molehill,ffs every bit of oil and coolant does NOT have to be drained out anyway,and if you reckon it does no wonder your posting this dribble..
what are you going to do when something major blows up,youll start another thread here asking for the cheapest mechanic in town thats what,or maybe since you have "helped" heap of mates that are mechanics do "stuff" you'll rebuild your gearbox if it ever goes to crap..seeing as your better than *most*

You claiming that little gem makes you look more stupid than most..

[Hunter]

I think the service rental is a good idea but obvious issues perhaps... I hate getting under a car on stands, there's bugger all room and in summer its just a pain. Working on my Falcon would be infinitely EASIER and QUICKER if I had a hoist. Even if I could afford to spend $2-3k on a hoist, I couldn't fit one in our place cause the block is tiny!!

P.S. yes mechanics are 'experienced' but in MY experience most mechanics are dodgy. I can see why people would want to do their services themselves... in fact I hadn't taken my car to a mechanic for 3 years until recently I wanted some stuff done but didn't have time... car came back with some new noises and not everything I had asked for was done. At that point i realised why I didn't take cars to mechanics...

[v8boss]

Yes, we mechanics may not wait for every last drop to drain out before tightening the sump plug. Yes, not every last drop of coolant may have flushed from the radiator before refitting the drain plug. But I can tell you this right now, if we were to do services as fussily as this, we would never be able to charge out our labour time. If I was to do a service as slowly as that, your labour bill would be around $500 + gst, plus parts, maybe even more! The reason that mechanics don't do services like that is because we know that it doesnt NEED to be done like that. Do you think Ford or Holden would allow their mechanics to do services like that if the car shat itself because there was a tablespoon of old oil left in the sump?

By the way, where are the grease nipples on brake calipers?

[GreenMachine]

Friend of mine is on a 300ZX forum, there's a mechanic on it who has 3 or 4 hoists that he rents for $50 a day on weekends. Seems like a nightmare to me - three different blokes in your shop, plus their shifty mates, and you've got to stay all weekend to make sure your spanners don't go missing and no one ends up squished. Sounds like a crappy way to make $150.

Still, not a bad deal for a home mechanic - I'd pay $50 to do a few bits and pieces on the Falcon in the comfort of a well lit, weatherproof workshop with a hoist.

[gz1]

Many years ago, late 70's actually there was such a place in Sydney called Udoit. They had a complete workshop where you could hire space including hoists and all the tools. Very reasonable rates and it was always packed.
However it closed down from what I hear all the insurance increases made the rates jump to such a level where it was no longer economic.

[outback_chick]

Gees.... you really have to be careful what you say in these forums hey.. everyone gets their jocks in a twist
Some mechanics are great others are better.... depends where you go and who you know.... if you think you can do it better.. then do it... dont whinge or complain... I do my own service on my car not because Im experienced or I know everything.. I just do it cause its cheaper...but i still take my car to have a check over by mechanics etc that may be able to pick up on things I dont.... Dont knock them...

[Full Noise]

Originally Posted by Shounak

I've worked on plenty of cars. I've helped mates who are mechanics do stuff and I take care of everything on my car myself.

My car does not see a mechanic, because it doesn't need to and it runs perfectly.

I know a few doctors and I can put a bandaid on, however, that doesn’t make me a medical expert.

Originally Posted by v8boss

By the way, where are the grease nipples on brake calipers?

They are next to the chrome krazmolical kracle pins which are just below the vertical sideways switch. Didn’t you know?

I did the module on them in my second year at trade school.

[v8boss]

Originally Posted by Full Noise

They are next to the chrome krazmolical kracle pins which are just below the vertical sideways switch. Didn’t you know?

I did the module on them in my second year at trade school.

Ha Ha! I sold a mate of mine a flux capacitor once, I might have to sell him one of those next time he comes in for a service!

[FPV GT40]

Originally Posted by v8boss

Yes, we mechanics may not wait for every last drop to drain out before tightening the sump plug. Yes, not every last drop of coolant may have flushed from the radiator before refitting the drain plug. But I can tell you this right now, if we were to do services as fussily as this, we would never be able to charge out our labour time. If I was to do a service as slowly as that, your labour bill would be around $500 + gst, plus parts, maybe even more! The reason that mechanics don't do services like that is because we know that it doesnt NEED to be done like that. Do you think Ford or Holden would allow their mechanics to do services like that if the car shat itself because there was a tablespoon of old oil left in the sump?

By the way, where are the grease nipples on brake calipers?

Ha ha ....Funny that, who are you to judge how I want my oil changed, it is my car and I want it ALL out. Who are you to say it does not matter, if it matters to the owner of the vehicle IT DOES MATTER, if for no other reason as for the fact that he owns the vehicle and he wants it done like that.

This is precisely the reason I will not let a mechanic near any of my cars, and have not for over a decade, and no I am not a mechanic, but guess what I have some cars that I have owned for 20 years and still own, and guess what I have never ever been stuck broken down on the side of the road in any vehicle that I have serviced and maintained, I have however been stuck on the side of the road in plenty of cars that have been getting all work done in dealer workshops and various mechanics, usually late model company cars.

I have yet to find a mechanic that I would trust to work on any of my cars (there is one, and I have known him for around 25 years now and he is a personal friend of mine, but I only get him to do stuff I can not do like rebuild gearboxes, motors etc).

And like the originator of this threat clearly points out you do not need to be a mechanic to properly and fully drain the fluids out of your car, replace the said fluids and check for leaks and worn components (you just need to take the time to do so), and as the above quoted mechanic cleary points out he does not have the time to do this job properly as he believes that there is no need to to it properly so he will not do it properly as requested or expected by the actual owner of the vehicle that he may be working on at the time...I feel sorry for his customers, and the fact that he is silly enough to advertise this fact on a public forum does not say much for him or his business if in fact he does own a business:togo:

Well on another point there is no mention of grease nippes anywhere, but being a mechanic that is unable to find the time to do work properly on his customers cars I suppose it might be a bit hard to find the time to fully understand the posts, and if you do not know what needs to be lubricated on brake calipers please do us all a favour and join the dole cue before you kill someone..... :

[FPV GT40]

And to get back on topic, I think the hoist hire thing is a legal minefield, as people using the equipment will not be trained in its correct usage, what if someone drops a gearbox or car on their head??? Even just getting oil or brake fluid on your skin or into your eyes..

Would be great in theory, and yes I would use the service as well, as a matter of fact I would be there in a flash with a permanent booking...

My dream is still to buy my own hoist, unfortunatly like most it is not the cost of the hoist but the lack of space to put it....but I am working on that...

[v8boss]

Originally Posted by FPV GT40

Ha ha ....Funny that, who are you to judge how I want my oil changed, it is my car and I want it ALL out.

Who am I to judge? Well, Im the guy who is the fully trained mechanic, so I think I AM the guy to judge!

I work on some pretty exotic cars, (currently in shop: TVR Tuscan, Alvis Stalwart, AC cobra for full build, plus usual crop of XR6's, toyotas, mitsi etc)
and I have yet to have any customer tell me he wants EVERY drop of oil or coolant drained out of their cars while servicing, and beleive me, I have some fussy customers.

So all these late model cars break down because they are worked on by mechanics and not you?


Read my post properly. I said I do not wait till every last drop of fluid is drained out. I also asked where the grease nipples are on brake calipers, as pointed out by the author of this thread. Can you tell me where they are?
Do not feel sorry for my customers, as they get great service, made to feel like they are special, and I take the time to show them what has gone wrong, thier old parts and how they work. This is how customer service works.

Where did I talk about grease nipples?

I grease the caliper slides when I change pads.

I've heard stories about what can go on in a workshop and I'd rather pay $21.50 to do it myself than take the risk of a "qualified" mechanic go at it without due diligence.

Not once did I question the skill or experience of a mechanic, or say that I have greater skill or experience.

I questioned the agency problems arising from having a mechanic work on your car. It's in the mechanics best interest to get the car over and done with as quick as possible.

Also, don't equate the best and most diligent mechanic to every mechanic out there. There are plenty of mechanics who don't give two craps about a customer car and will just quickly change the oil and call it a day.

It's not that they don't have the skill, it's diligence.

v8boss, you're such a superior human being. I want you to have my babies. You'd be willing to testify that every mechanic takes the same amount of care you do? I don't think so.

[Lane351]

I know a lot of mechanics who look after there customers vehicles better than their own

Originally Posted by nugget378

mate your making a mountain out of a molehill,ffs every bit of oil and coolant does NOT have to be drained out anyway,and if you reckon it does no wonder your posting this dribble..
what are you going to do when something major blows up,youll start another thread here asking for the cheapest mechanic in town thats what,or maybe since you have "helped" heap of mates that are mechanics do "stuff" you'll rebuild your gearbox if it ever goes to crap..seeing as your better than *most*

You claiming that little gem makes you look more stupid than most..

Again, read carefully. I didn't say I was better than most, I said that I would do a better job than most.

If my gearbox blew, I'd buy another one and whack it in myself. I might come on here for some advice, if it was called for.

But nice hypothesizing about what I would do if certain manufactured events happened. I'm sure it's bang on.

[FPV GT40]

You well may be the exception to the rule, but I have only had bad experiences with mechanics, with work not getting done, oil filters not getting changed, but simply wiped over, incorrect air filter elements fitted, spark plugs overtightened, manifold bolts overtightened and threads stripped, timing incorrectly adjusted to where the car was pinging its head off as soon as I drove out the workshop, once my car actually broke down 100m down the road from the mechanic, and had to get pushed back to the workshop, sump plug threads stripped and leaking just to mention a few..
Here are some more beauties done by fully trained experts>>>>>>

- 2 leads swapped over on my 351 Clevo after a service, the car was running crap when I went to pick it up and the mechanic said it was like that when I brought it in and it would need a new dizzy for it to run properly again.

- Air con not working the day after I got my car serviced, when I rang the mechanic he said bring it in the compressor probably need replacing, when I investigated under the bonnet found the little cable for the pulley clutch disconnected

- Payed for some 3.5 diff gears to be installed into my 9" (had 2.75's), picked the car up and thought" did not make much difference", upon further investigation and a few chalk marks on the tail shaft and tyres worked out the moron had fitted 3.0's...when confronted he said how was I supposed to know the difference.(this shop also damaged the sill panels of my XB coupe while they did this work and refused to admit it)


These are just some of my personal experiences that I can remember off the top of my head with various (reputable???? and well know businesses and performance workshops) in the Sydney Region, some 20 years ago, with some more recent. Some of these businesses are still operating today, and I am happy to name all of them if anyone is interested.

Do you still wonder why I service my own cars??????