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I’ve been seeing a flood of comments about me getting a lift lately and I’d like to respond to them here. This will be my ‘go to’ link as a response to this question from here on out.
As for why I don’t have a lift there are several reasons. The first of which is that I don’t work on cars for a living, I make repair videos for a living. As a result I’m at the shop 1 maybe 2 days a week and I only work on a few cars at a time. Repairing vehicles is one thing, making videos of those repairs is quite another and it takes a great deal longer to do. For example, the Accord/CL clutch video that I shot last week took 16 hours. If I was just doing a clutch on the car, 4 hours tops but since I was setting up every shot and dealing with the electric going out every time the compressor kicked on I ended up working till 2:30am. For that reason alone it’s hard to justify the cost of a lift. In fact I’d rather invest in a new computer and some new cameras before looking into getting a lift. Trust me, that’s going to set me back quite a bit but I believe it will have a much higher return on investment based on what I do.
The second reason is that the electric at the shop could be better. Well, it could be a lot better as I mentioned above. I pop breakers all the time while I’m shooting because the entire wall of outlets I use is on the same breaker. When I’m running my lights and the compressor kicks on, the lights and everything else on that wall goes out. A lift runs on 220 and I’d first have to make sure I have enough juice coming into the shop to run another 220 line, not to mention fix the outlets on the wall I’m having issues with now. If I’m maxed out with the breakers I have now then I have a real problem. So factor in the cost of redoing my electric into the cost of a lift. While I’m at it I should probably replace the electric hot water heater that went out last winter at the same time as I do the electric for the rest of the shop. Now we have plumbing AND electric to worry about. The rabbit hole keeps getting deeper…. Welcome to life as a small business owner.
Something that also needs to be considered is the shop itself. My lease is up as of August 2013 and at that time I need to decide if I’m going to stay where I am or look for a different place. The reason I would consider moving is because I’m right next to a busy intersection not to mention the trucking company next door. If I was a repair shop this wouldn’t be a problem but as I said I’m not a repair shop, I’m a production studio. Having noisy trucks parked outside doing loud things doesn’t make for good video. In fact it’s an interruption that’s been an issue in the past. It would be great to have a place that was a little more ‘out of the way’ and didn’t have the same noise issues. So when July/August comes I’ll take a good look at the situation and decide where to go from there. I don’t see the point in going through the electric and putting in a lift if only to use them for a couple of months and then leave. Another possibility is if the owner wants to do something different with the property and I’d need to leave anyway. There’s no guarantee that he’ll renew the lease and if he does perhaps the new terms will be beyond my reach. That being said, I think no matter what I can’t even think about a lift till later this year as it would be just one more thing to move if I did need to leave for some reason.
Lastly, I estimate over 90% of my viewers don’t have a lift. If I start doing my videos using a lift I can still show the work but it’s not the same as if I was on the ground working in the same way they would. In part I put off getting a lift as a way to remain close to my audience and the problems they face working on the ground. I wouldn’t have the same experiences working on a lift. In fact even if I did have a lift I would still do some work on the ground for that very reason.
I hope that clears up any questions about why I don’t have a lift at this time. If not, feel free to post away. (pun intended)
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Yeaahh……..I guess i understand your reasons. I don’t really think anyone here has a lift in their yard.
I have watched most if not all of your vids over the past few months as well as read about everything you have written here including your Bio. You come across like everyone is a friend and have known them forever.
Even though i don’t agree with everything you do and say i totally appreciate what you’re trying to accomplish as well as make a living doing it. Your personality is infectious.
After being through about every pile of crap an Automotive Tech can be through for 45 years and more, both phyiscally and mentally,it has taken it’s toll.This is why some of us who really care about you want to see you off of the floor.
The other concern i have is something going wrong while you’re there by yourself,like a car falling on top of you. I know you’re careful and know what you’re doing but the potential is there.
I’s about a seven hour drive from here to your shop and i can’t run to help you that fast.:-(
I guess maybe i just worry about others too much.Eric I appreciate your videos. I am a complete newbie to fixing cars, but from watching your videos on youtube I believe that I could do a couple things. I came across this topic area after searching for an answer on your forum on how to properly completely lift my car off the ground to work on it with no success. Your youtube video shows a ’97 subaru. I have 2002 subaru which is probably not a whole lot different. Will you be making a video on how you lifted the Subaru?
-thank you
JanI myself can understand the reasons of not wanting to put a lift somewhere not “guaranteed” his,business man has to decide on what is in his/her best interest when doing these things so no reason to knock that! I personally do side work when I can out of a 18’X 21′ building which is mine. I’ve thought of one of those small lifts myself but before that I gotta come up with the money for concrete and finish my electrical!
[quote=”Superman” post=55312][quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=53804]
Lastly, I estimate over 90% of my viewers don’t have a lift. If I start doing my videos using a lift I can still show the work but it’s not the same as if I was on the ground working in the same way they would. In part I put off getting a lift as a way to remain close to my audience and the problems they face working on the ground. I wouldn’t have the same experiences working on a lift. In fact even if I did have a lift I would still do some work on the ground for that very reason.
[/quote]This is exactly what I was thinking as I read your post.
On a related note, why not just build a shop behind your own house? Unless you live in the city and have no room for one.[/quote]
The simple answer, I rent.
“Lastly, I estimate over 90% of my viewers don’t have a lift. If I start doing my videos using a lift I can still show the work but it’s not the same as if I was on the ground working in the same way they would. In part I put off getting a lift as a way to remain close to my audience and the problems they face working on the ground. I wouldn’t have the same experiences working on a lift. In fact even if I did have a lift I would still do some work on the ground for that very reason.”
best reason ever
I was contemplating a clutch job and so I consulted a forum dedicated to the vehicle I own and the replies there said it was so much easier if you had a lift. Well, no lift in my shop. Later, on You Tube I watched a video of this very job being done by a professional mechanic and viewed him struggling with the 150+ pound transmission balanced on a small jack platform above his head. I thought that this didn’t compare very favorably with how I did it – I lowered the trans to the ground with a small chain fall hoist as I leaned over the fender in complete safety.
So, at least in my case, the lack of a lift didn’t cause any inconvenience at all. I’d actually go so far as to say that I had the superior situation to the video mechanic. Well, him having the use of a lift no doubt allowed him to work faster which is important when trying to make a profit but I’d rather sit or lean over a fender at jack stand height than work with heavy things above my head.
Eric is right..having to work on the ground is a totally different experience..actually believe it or not..many mechanics areso used to doing things on a lift that many dont think its possible to do certain things on the ground..which they are mistaken 🙂
eric when i said that didn’t mean to offend work without for 30 years and only recently got one if you were close you could use mine for free like your stuff !staying dirty ! lol! by!
we gear heads gotta stick together your friend if you need one bowtiewrench04 @yahoo.com
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