Mechanics Tool Supply

The best way to know, to really know, that your fleet or service shop is ready for the winter charging season is simply to make sure that you have the highest performing wheel chargers on the market sitting right there ready to go. That’s the 6002B Heavy Duty Commercial Charger manufactured by Associated Equipment.

This jump starter Goliath of Wheel Chargers is Made in the USA and features automatic reset circuit breakers for both AC and DC and works as well outdoors as in. It’s powerful 500 amp clamps are fully insulated to make sure current goes exactly where you want it to go and it’s big 7-inch tires make sure the unit itself goes where you want it to go. It also has an automatic timer that takes the waiting and watching out of charging as well as a stop/go light that makes it even easier. Get this Battery Service equipment on your mechanics tools short list when considering what you need to have the shop up to date for the coming season.

I can’t remember the last time I heard a mechanic tell his customer that he’d just checked the charging system and they’re ok for the forseeable future. Select the right words and do a quick system test and you save your customer a breakdown on a cold winter night and probably save yourself the loss of a customer.

The PBT-300 Battery/Starter/Charging Tester from Midtronics bills itself as an “advanced” system tester that meets the full testing requirement for automotive manufacturers for warranty work at dealerships around the world. Needless to say, that requires state-of-the-art capabilities. If a technician works in a dealership it goes without saying that his mechanics tools “must” meet those needs. BUT, those working in the aftermarket service sector also need to compete with the dealerships and need to be up to date and this is the unit that accomplishes that in a reasonable price range. It’s generally recommended that the battery/starter/charging systems should b checked at every oil change in order to catch problems that could later lead to breakdowns on the road. The ease of use afforded by the PBT-300 coupled with it’s advanced capabilities make it a must have for professionals that want to make sure their customers stay happy - rather than find themselves standing in the snow beside a car that won’t run. (remind your customers of that possibility - you’ll win a loyal customer with a quick check of their system) Was surfing the web a while back and came upon a graph that said that almost 20% of all on-road breakdowns was because of battery service problems and those problems are almost all preventable. Take a look at this diagnostics business builder from Midtronics and consider the ways you can keep building customer loyalty.

Battery service season is fast approaching so it’s time to take a look at the portable jump starters that you’ll be relying upon to bring in extra cash during that cold snap when people realize they need new batteries, tune-ups and of course jump starts.

The JNCAIR from Jump-N-Carry is an excellent investment in cold weather profits because it not only gives those sick batteries a starting boost, it’s a quick easy supply of portable compressor air that can expand your “in-the-field” repair capacity dramatically.

It’s a 12-Volt system with 1700 Peak Amps that sports long 68-inch cables that gets you to practically any battery quickly and easily with numerous jumps per charge. Same is true for air to power air tools or inflate a tire - maybe enough to avoid changing it on  site.

Don’t forget how a good service call can win a good customer in the shop. The guy’s stranded and if you get him out of trouble, it’s the perfect “in” to win a new regular customer - so, it really pays to have professional mechanics tools ready on hand when that phone rings. Both in the short term by getting the service call taken care or quickly and in the long term by winning new customers. All from a simple battery service call.

If it costs half as much as a battery and saves you the cost of a battery, it’s a buy you need. That’s the easiest way to explain why, with the approach of Fall and Winter there should be an on-board charger on every battery used seasonally.

The people at Solar manufactures Automatic On-Board Battery Chargers (part number Solar 1002) and bench chargers made to order for that motorcycle, ATV, boat or what-have-you that has a battery and also isn’t likely to be used much in the coming cold season. You can let the battery drain down to nothing over the season and very probably have to replace it a year or two earlier than would be necessary if you simply hooked up the Solar 1002.

The On-Board Battery Service charger automatically keeps the battery at peak charge without overcharging so when Spring rolls around again, you don’t waste time getting things started again. Just hop on and go. Top quality, well thought out mechanics tools that pay their way with a dividend.

 So you’ve fixed the problem and you’re feeling pretty good about it. Your customer is here and paying the bill. He gets in the car and drives off with a smile that lasts all of a half block. First off the car doesn’t seem to be “just right” because drivability codes are gone and his OBD II system is having to regenerate everything. Yeah, it’ll be ok pretty soon but it sure takes that warm glow off of him for a while. He turns on his radio and his favorite talk radio station is no where to be found and he has to reset the radio. That’s a little more of the warm glow out the window. He stops for gas and when he goes to get back into the car the keyless entry codes aren’t working. There’s almost no glow left at all now.

You didn’t use or don’t have a memory saver and all that brilliant work isn’t doing you a thing to keep this customer next time; especially if he remembers the last time he went to a mechanic and the problem didn’t happen. He just got into his car and everything was just the way it was supposed to be.  Gee, I wonder which place he’s going to take his problems to next time.

If you don’t have an EZ Red MS4000 unit on hand and available you’re not going to have so many customers on hand and available. Every technician in the shop needs one of these units in his arsenal of mechanics tools and needs to use it every time the battery cable is disconnected for whatever reason. They’re not expensive, they may not be a huge help in keeping your customer happy because everybody is expected to keep all the settings - BUT - you can bet that if you don’t, it’s going to cause you serious money down the road. Check out the MS4000.

Midtronics can safely be called the standard of battery diagnostics and the Midtronics Micro 400XL lives up to its name.  It provides advanced technology aimed at meeting the needs of professionals looking to get the job done right and getting it done quickly.

It delivers AGM Testing Algorithm; update capabilities to match the market right now; improved battery alogrithms; decisive and accrate readings beyond anything ever offered before; enhanced alogrithms based on OEM demands and jumper-post testing on remote batteries.

There’s other options, and some fine ones but the people at Midtronics have been delivering quality battery service mechanics tools for years and if you don’t want to spend an enormous amount of time surfing the web looking for the latest blog info, get this one. Professionals are not going to do much better, certainly not for the dollar value.

As this winter drags on and on and one with forever more cold and snow, most battery service  equipment gets a greater and greater workout. That makes one wonder if the shop is getting the most bang for their automotive mechanics tools buck with all the jump starting that has to be done.

Here’s the point - imagine Joe’s Used Car Lot has a wheeled charger and uses it to jump start cars on the lot after a few really cold days. Doing this a time or two isn’t a big deal but there’s something about using up a jump starter valued at over $1000.  It’s wear and tear that could be avoided by simply having an adequate number of portable jump starters on hand. Use that big unit too much and it won’t be long before the wear and tear of using it as a jump starter is more expensive than the cost of buying one, two or three portable jump starters.

Do the arithmetic sometime.  It’s just a good idea to have something like Jump-n-Carry’s JNC4000 portable jumpstarters close by.  But the cost advantages are even better. If a dozen cars has to be starter, it’s certainly faster to have two or three technicians working on different cars at the same time instead of one using up all of his time jumping each car one at a time.

It’s just one of those things that often don’t get a lot of thought. It’s either out of sight and out of mind or you’re so busy you just don’t have the time to get set up with enough jump starters to backup the shop on busy days.

6/12 Volt 60 Amp Octane Series, OS6140, Wheeled Chargers from Solar Battery Chargers is for shops that take battery service mechanics tools seriously.

These are the most convenient and most precise Octane Series wheel chargers available from Solar Battery Chargers.

OS6140’s offer infinitely adjustable charge settings between 0 and 60 Amps and features the convenience of 10 automatic charging in 12 Volt mode. Plus, when the timer is used in 12V mode, the unit switches to 10A auto operation at the end of the timer period; of course the 10A feature can be used independently as well as 250A engine starting assistance. It does just about anything a technician can ask of full battery service wheeled chargers.

It’s tough too. The enhanced TransoidTM Transformer design assures improved durability and increased efficiency while the new Quad ForceTM Rectifier design meets the demands of daily professional use.

Rugged, Industrial-Grade Clamps deliver strong connections and efficient power transfer without poking around and poking around trying to get a bite on the terminal. Clamp it - Crank it.

This high precision charger from Solar Battery Chargers is also easy and convenient to use. The EZ View Control Panel enables easy access to gauges and controls. Easy to see and easy to reach. The Comfort Walk Handle provides hassle-free maneuverability in the shop - decreasing the chance of banging it into customers’ cars - and new Versa-Trex wheels allow for easy mobility on any type of surface.

Like all the new Octane Series wheeled chargers, the OS6140 comes fully assembled and ready to earn it’s living from the moment of arrival. Nothing to put together, nothing to figure out, no wasted technicians’ time. Just professional mechanics tools ready for work.

If I was going to build a wheeled charger, a piece of shop equipment that would elevate my battery service capacity while at the same time keeping cash investment down, here’s what I’d look to accomplish.

First, it would have to get a battery charged and jump start a vehicle. That’s basic to all professional-quality mechanics tools. I’d want features like both 6 and 12 Volt operation; a convenient 2-Hour charging timer; quick testing of battery condition and alternator output; 200 Amp engine starting assistance; and charge settings of 40 Amps high, 15 Amps medium and 2 Amps low so I could use it on a wide variety of battery service needs. I’d try to build something like Solar Battery Chargers builds with their OS6120 wheeled chargers.

Second, I’d want the initial price to be reasonable; even more importantly, I’d want the unit to operate at minimum cost and last a long time. It would have to meet the needs of shop equipment that can meet moderate battery service needs and also serve as a backup to those shops that demand heavy use of their wheeled chargers.  The OS6120 from Solar Battery Chargers comes to mind. I’d make something like their Transoid™ Transformer design that improves durability and increases efficiency while using less energy so shop costs are kept down and the lifetime of the charger is extended.

Third, I’d want it to be easy to use. Controls have to be easy to get to, easy to use and easy to understand. That’s what the EZ View™ control panel from Solar does AND like all quality mechanics tools, practically any body in the shop can operate it.

Maybe I’d just get an OS6120. It would probably take me a long, long time to get a new charger together - the OS6120 comes fully assembled and all I’d have to do is plug it in and us it. Hmmmm, it has a factory warranty from Solar Battery Chargers too.

The most popular wheeled charger from Solar Battery Chargers is the OS6130. Battery service technicians are provided with a 2-hour timer for easy, convenient charging as well as a quick view of overall battery condition and alternator output.

OS6130 wheeled chargers earn their reputation for durability and efficiency with Transoid™ Transformers and the new Quad Force™ rectifier design. Rugged industrial-grade clamps assure strong connections and maximum transfer of power to the battery while the EZ View™ control panel provides easy access to gauges and controls. They’re quality mechanics tools that do the job over and over and over.

Like all the wheeled chargers from Solar Battery Chargers, these impressive professional mechanics tools will prove to be one of the most maneuverable pieces of shop equipment in the shop. The Comfort Walk™ handle assures that this battery service mainstay is well balanced and will require a minimum of effort on the technicians part. Along with Versa-Trex™ wheels, it moves about the shop with ease.

Like all battery service mechanics tools in the wheeled chargers in the Solar line, there’s a 2-year limited warranty that makes it an even more valuable addition to the array of shop equipment that enhance the productivity of professional technicians.