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I am seeing more and more people install 2 post lifts in their home garage.
It really isn't too expensive. I see them used from time to time for about $1500. With what I saved today plus one break job, I would of saved enough money to buy one.
Of course if you don't have high ceilings you might as well get one of those scissor lifts.
When you aren't paying 50-100% mark up on parts plus labor, which lots of dealers are at or over $100/hr now, the savings starts to really add up.
I am seeing more and more people install 2 post lifts in their home garage.
It really isn't too expensive. I see them used from time to time for about $1500. With what I saved today plus one break job, I would of saved enough money to buy one.
Of course if you don't have high ceilings you might as well get one of those scissor lifts.
When you aren't paying 50-100% mark up on parts plus labor, which lots of dealers are at or over $100/hr now, the savings starts to really add up.
It really isn't too expensive unless you count the cost of the garage you're installing the lift in. In a city, that is a cost you're never going to make up in DIY repairs.
I do find I can schedule my stuff around my schedule, especially major tasks that need to be done in a timely manner.
LOL at you calling lube shop jockeys 'pros'. A real mechanic would probably sock a guy for saying that.
If you must take a vehicle in for oil, coolant, whatever, go to a reputable shop with ASE certified mechanics. Yeah it will cost a little more and you may not get in and out as quickly, but it will get done right with quality fluids and filters.
I'm a little spoiled with oil changes since I can slide under my truck and do everything without lifting it. A single 14mm wrench is all I need. I used good dino oil and a Motorcraft filter. I even replace the pan bolt gasket each time. So for oil it's $17, filter $4, bolt gasket $1. So for $22 and half an hour out of my day I can change it and know I did it right. Plus I can see if there are any other leaks or problems underneath.
Some folks mentioned brakes... and those are among the best examples of where you can save money. I've known people to pay anywhere from $400 to $800 for new brakes (all 4 wheels).
Guess what that job costs me. About $80 and a couple hours of tinkering.
Oh, but you don't have time (better spent playing x-box of course). Well you have to drop you car off at Midas. Talk to the illiterates and make arrangements. Find a ride. Come back to the shop to pick up your car. Argue with them because they charged more than they quoted. Pay extra and leave. Come back the next day and make them fix it again because the high school dropout didn't install the brakes correctly. Get another ride. Come back. Argue about the bill. Go home and blame everybody else for your string of bad decisions.
Costs me FAR less time to just do the job myself. And I know it's done right.
Not everyone is mechanically inclined. To suggest that every guy out there is not manning up by doing their own brakes is like me suggesting that everyone out there should be able to play fingerstyle guitar which I am good at doing.
Tools dont feel comfortable in my hands. My brain has a hard time understanding mechanics. I even struggle to read a diagram and assemble one of those "easy to assemble" bookshelves. Even if I have the best instruction videos out there, I could see myself disassembling the brakes and not being to get it all fitted back together. What then? Call a tow truck to come all it to someone who can do brakes? I think most people don't fix their own cars because it is really intimidating and you don't want to mess up something that is vital to your livelihood.
All the time I run across people with vehicle problems. Repairs costing hundreds and even thousands of dollars. Car payments costing hundreds per month. People defaulting on student loans because of vehicle expenses. This pains me because most of it is totally unnecessary.
Many people are too daft or too cheap to perform even basic maintenance on their vehicles. There have been several threads on this forum alone where people (with no mechanical training whatsoever, I may add) debate if it is even necessary to warm up a vehicle's engine in the winter before driving. One can only imagine how important these people must think routine maintenance like changing engine or transmission oil must be.
Seriously... If one is this clueless, it comes as no surprise whatsoever when they suffer a major vehicle breakdown and start blaming the manufacturer rather than their own stupidity.
If you're serious about people "manning up" and fixing their own vehicle, why not buy a cheap video camera and do short instructional videos of things that you think most people should be able to do.
Many people are too daft or too cheap to perform even basic maintenance on their vehicles. There have been several threads on this forum alone where people (with no mechanical training whatsoever, I may add) debate if it is even necessary to warm up a vehicle's engine in the winter before driving. One can only imagine how important these people must think routine maintenance like changing engine or transmission oil must be.
Seriously... If one is this clueless, it comes as no surprise whatsoever when they suffer a major vehicle breakdown and start blaming the manufacturer rather than their own stupidity.
It's unnecessary to warm up modern engines.
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One can only imagine how important these people must think routine maintenance like changing engine or transmission oil must be.
