Workshop Equipment

How to Choose Workshop Equipment

Buy for the heaviest, longest, dirtiest job you actually take in, not the average one. Whether the item is a lift, a frame rack, a pressure washer or a generator, the same four constraints decide it: rated capacity or output, the floor space and ceiling height you have, the concrete and electrical service you are working with, and what the machine costs to run once it is installed. This category spans $1,613 to $25,410 across AMGO, Katool, BE Power Equipment, Makinex, GNT, IMER, Auxx Lift, Vestil and E-Z Storage, so most of the decision is application and size rather than badge.

Footprint deserves a tape measure before checkout, not after delivery. AMGO's heaviest four-post models are listed at 151 1/2 in. overall width with 133 15/16 in. between columns, and the extra-length PRO-40E is listed at 425 3/16 in. overall length including ramps against 366 1/8 in. for the standard PRO-40 — same 40,000 lbs capacity, very different bay. Overall height on both is listed at 92 in., and minimum height at 10 3/8 in. Use the overall height as the starting point for ceiling clearance, then add the tallest vehicle you plan to raise.

Four-Post, Two-Post and Scissor Lifts

Four-post lifts are drive-on. The vehicle sits on its own wheels, loading is fast, and the runways make them the practical choice for alignment, long-term storage and heavy trucks. Our four-post range is listed from 14,000 lbs (PRO-14A, PRO-14AE, PRO-14E) through 18,000 lbs (PRO-18, PRO-18A) up to 30,000 lbs (PRO-30, PRO-30E) and 40,000 lbs (PRO-40, PRO-40E). Because the wheels stay loaded, wheel-off work needs rolling jacks or a jack tray such as the AMGO 40808.

Two-post lifts pick the vehicle up by its frame or pinch welds and leave all four wheels hanging, which is what brake, suspension, exhaust and wheel work require. The AMGO OH-18 is listed at 18,000 lbs. Two-post units use less floor area than a four-post but depend entirely on correct arm placement and a slab that meets the manufacturer's anchoring specification.

Scissor lifts trade some access for a compact, low-profile installation — useful where a column would block a door, a hoist path or a paint booth. Ours are listed at 12,000 lbs (AX-12, AX-12A, DX-12A) and 16,000 lbs (AX-16A), with alignment versions where turnplate and slip-plate provision matters. Lifting speed is worth checking against your bay turnover: AMGO lists 133 seconds for the PRO-30E and 183 seconds for the PRO-40 and PRO-40E.

Double Scissor Frame Machines and Collision Repair

Shoppers searching for a double scissor frame machine are usually after one of two things. The first is a scissor lift built with a two-stage (double) scissor linkage, which reaches greater height from a lower collapsed profile than a single-stage scissor. The second is a body-shop frame rack — the platform that anchors a damaged unibody or frame so it can be pulled back to factory dimensions. Check the specification tab on each listing for the actual scissor configuration and lift height rather than assuming from the category name.

On the frame rack side, the working length of the rail is the number that limits what you can clamp and pull. Katool models here are listed with a 22 ft working rail (KT-299U), a 20 ft welded steel frame rack (KT-198L), and a heavy-duty steel frame rack with a precision alignment system (KT-310). Longer rails handle crew-cab pickups and vans that a short rack cannot anchor properly. Pair a rack with a measuring system you trust; pulling without measurement is how shops produce cars that drive crooked after a clean-looking repair. For wheel refinishing, the KT-RPM80 rim polishing machine is listed as dual motor for wheels up to 24 in.

Hot Water Pressure Washers and Shop Cleaning

Hot water is specified for shop and fleet washing because heat breaks down grease, oil film and road grime that cold water only pushes around. The cost is a burner, fuel, and more service points. Two numbers drive the choice: PSI does the cutting, GPM does the rinsing and carries debris away, and high GPM usually clears large surfaces faster than high PSI alone. The units here are listed from 3,000 PSI at 5.0 GPM up to 4,000 PSI at 5.5 GPM, with higher-flow options at 3,000 PSI / 8.0 GPM and 3,500 PSI / 8.5 GPM, plus a 3,500 PSI / 5.2 GPM skid model.

Power source follows the site. Honda GX690 gas engine models go anywhere, including yards and mobile wash work. Electric versions with 10 HP Baldor motors, including a 460 V model, suit indoor bays where exhaust is a problem — but confirm your panel can carry them. For floor cleanup rather than vehicle washing, the GFC150 lithium ride-on floor washer covers open shop and warehouse floors without a cord or a fuel can.

Portable Generators and Shop Power

Generator sizing fails on starting load, not running load: motors, compressors and welders draw well above their running amps at startup, and voltage and phase have to match the equipment before kilowatts matter at all. Makinex units in this catalog are listed at 9 kW 240 V, 16 kW in both 240 V and 480 V, 23 kW in 240 V dual-phase and 480 V three-phase, and 32 kW at 480 V. The 32 kW model is listed with twin Honda GX690 electric-start engines, 120/240 V single-phase and 480 V three-phase output, a 13.2-gallon (50 L) tank and 772 lbs dry weight; the 23 kW 240 V model is listed with a Vanguard 40.0 HP EFI gasoline engine at 573 lbs and 72–78 dB from no load to full load.

NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code, addresses generators in Article 445, and any connection to building wiring requires a properly installed transfer switch rather than a suicide cord. On construction sites, OSHA 1926.404 sets ground-fault protection and assured equipment grounding requirements for temporary power.

Installation, Inspection and Operator Safety

Automotive lifts are anchored equipment, and the slab is part of the machine. Minimum concrete thickness, compressive strength and cure time come from the individual lift's installation manual — read it before you pour a pad or commit a bay. ANSI/ALI ALIS covers safety requirements for the installation and service of automotive lifts, ANSI/ALI ALCTV covers construction, testing and validation, and ANSI/ALI ALOIM covers operation, inspection and maintenance, including annual inspection by a qualified lift inspector alongside daily operator checks of locks, cables, anchors and arm restraints.

Operator exposure matters on the powered gear too. OSHA 1910.95 requires a hearing conservation program where noise exposure reaches an 8-hour time-weighted average of 85 dBA, which is worth checking against the sound levels published for engine-driven generators and pressure washers running in an enclosed bay. Hot water washers add burn and slip risk, so PPE and drainage planning belong in the purchase, not the afterthought.