Quantcast
Jump to content

New Hunter Equipment (Revolution, Road Force and Hawkeye Alignment)


Recommended Posts

Hello,

 

I recently had the Hunter folks in to give me a demo on the Revolution Tire Machine, Road Force Balancer, and the HawkEye Alignment Machine).

 

We are a five bay three man shop.

 

We have a Hunter Alignment Machine that works but it is an older unit. We have two old coats machines for tires and balancing.

 

I would love to replace all of this with the newest equipment but as all of you know the cost is very high.

 

I was wondering if anyone is willing to share their experience with making a large purchase like this as a package deal. Also, did you finance it, do a lease program or buy it with cash? Was it worth it? Are you happy with the equipment? In hindsight would you be willing to try another less expensive brand (i.e. Coats Leverless Tire Machine or Atlas Cyclops Alignment)?

 

Any guidance is greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

 

DG

Link to comment
Share on other sites



Thanks for the responses.

 

I feel like the update to the alignment machine is a no brainer.

 

If it isn't too much to ask...are you going to finance, lease or pay cash?

 

Thanks again.

 

DG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I committed to buy the Hawkeye System (no rack) this week. $25k with trade. I could have had the John Bean for half that. I purchased Hunter because it is faster and because service is available usually same day. John Bean service is very sketchy for our area.

 

 

I'd really love to have the new hawkeye sys with rack and in ground but I can't justify the costs at this time. One can still dream though lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

We have a hawk eye elite and we absolutely love it for about 3 years now. Road force balancer is also awesome and we have it over 3.5 years but as far as the tire machine I don't think its worth the money they are asking. Especially looking at it and seeing how many things can go wrong. When I was researching a tire machine I settled on a corghi 500. It's a great machine, simple enough to operate and repair if needed. Had it for 6 month now and no complains at all. It does everything we throw at it with ease.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the replies.

 

I decided to go ahead with all 3 pieces of equipment. I am still in negotiations with the sale rep. We have a 5 bay shop and wish to have the alignment rack moved from the 3rd bay to the 1st bay because it is much deeper and the rack in the 1st bay moved to the 3rd bay.

 

As long as they will deal with that with the prices quotes I received, I will move forward.

 

The Hunter rack specialist stopped by and recommended I replace the cables during the moves. This will cost approximately, $1,000. I feel this is probable a good idea given the rack is 6 years old.

 

I will post pictures when it is complete. I hope to have it all done before the first of the year.

 

Sincerely,

DG

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Have you checked out Joe's Latest Blog?

         5 comments
      I recently spoke with a friend of mine who owns a large general repair shop in the Midwest. His father founded the business in 1975. He was telling me that although he’s busy, he’s also very frustrated. When I probed him more about his frustrations, he said that it’s hard to find qualified technicians. My friend employs four technicians and is looking to hire two more. I then asked him, “How long does a technician last working for you.” He looked puzzled and replied, “I never really thought about that, but I can tell that except for one tech, most technicians don’t last working for me longer than a few years.”
      Judging from personal experience as a shop owner and from what I know about the auto repair industry, I can tell you that other than a few exceptions, the turnover rate for technicians in our industry is too high. This makes me think, do we have a technician shortage or a retention problem? Have we done the best we can over the decades to provide great pay plans, benefits packages, great work environments, and the right culture to ensure that the techs we have stay with us?
      Finding and hiring qualified automotive technicians is not a new phenomenon. This problem has been around for as long as I can remember. While we do need to attract people to our industry and provide the necessary training and mentorship, we also need to focus on retention. Having a revolving door and needing to hire techs every few years or so costs your company money. Big money! And that revolving door may be a sign of an even bigger issue: poor leadership, and poor employee management skills.
      Here’s one more thing to consider, for the most part, technicians don’t leave one job to start a new career, they leave one shop as a technician to become a technician at another shop. The reasons why they leave can be debated, but there is one fact that we cannot deny, people don’t quit the company they work for, they usually leave because of the boss or manager they work for.
      Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees. Do you have a workplace that communicates, “We appreciate you and want you to stay!”
  • Similar Topics

    • By Changing The Industry
      Enhancing Shop Operations with John Heller of PartsTech
    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Joe Marconi

      Premium Member Content 

      This content is hidden to guests, one of the benefits of a paid membership. Please login or register to view this content.

    • By Changing The Industry
      The Basics of Owning An Auto Repair Shop - Part 5
    • By carmcapriotto
      The Weekly Blitz is brought to you by our friends over at Shop Marketing Pros. If you want to take your shop to the next level, you need great marketing. Shop Marketing Pros does top-tier marketing for top-tier shops.
      Click here to learn more about Top Tier Marketing by Shop Marketing Pros and schedule a demo:https://shopmarketingpros.com/chris/
      Check out their podcast here: https://autorepairmarketing.captivate.fm/
      If you would like to join their private Facebook group go here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/autorepairmarketingmastermind
      In this episode, Chris Cotton from Auto Fix Auto Shop Coaching explores the issue of transition leaks in auto repair shops. He explains how frequent task-switching hampers productivity and energy levels for shop owners, service advisors, and technicians. Chris advocates for batch processing to consolidate similar tasks, thereby reducing transition leaks and increasing efficiency. He advises reorganizing work schedules to minimize cognitive load and suggests that while flexibility is necessary, intentional planning can greatly enhance productivity. The episode wraps up with Chris encouraging listeners to embrace growth and efficiency, thanking the sponsor, and promoting a positive work ethic.
       
      Transition Leaks (00:00:06) Explanation of the concept and its impact on auto repair shop owners, service advisors, and technicians.
       
      Impact on Efficiency (00:02:27) Discussion on how transition leaks lead to lost efficiency and diminished capacity for delivering high-quality service.
       
      Batch Processing Strategy (00:04:48) Explanation of the batch processing strategy to combat transition leaks and improve productivity.
       
      Applying the Concept (00:07:03) Guidance on analyzing and reorganizing schedules to minimize transition leaks and increase efficiency.
       
      Embracing Change (00:09:11) Encouragement to prioritize efficiency and quality by embracing a new way of organizing work schedules.
       
      Connect with Chris:
       
      [email protected]
      Phone: 940.400.1008
      www.autoshopcoaching.com
      Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
      AutoFixAutoShopCoachingYoutube: https://bit.ly/3ClX0ae
       
      #autofixautoshopcoaching #autofixbeautofixing #autoshopprofits #autoshopprofit #autoshopprofitsfirst #autoshopleadership #autoshopmanagement #autorepairshopcoaching #autorepairshopconsulting #autorepairshoptraining #autorepairshop #autorepair #serviceadvisor #serviceadvisorefficiency #autorepairshopmarketing #theweeklyblitz #autofix #shopmarketingpros
      Click to go to the Podcast on Remarkable Results Radio


  • Similar Tagged Content

  • Our Sponsors










×
×
  • Create New...