Would you use, and how much an hour would you pay

for the use of a hoist in a workshop.

Workshop would have benches, air, tranny lifts, jacks etc etc

Degreasing station

You supply your own tools, but other specialist tools would be available to hire on site.

Quality Oils, lubes, coolant available in bulk on site at good prices

Would you use this? and approximately how often?

 

It would cost me more in petrol to drive to your house than the amount i would have to pay for someone else to do the work here

 

BUT if it was available close by ??

It would be a in a purpose layed out factory

 

To buy the 'labour' and 'workshop' of a mechanic is around 80 an hour (on average). Supposing that the hourly rate of the mechanic / technician is 30 per hour, leaving $50 to cover rent, electricity, insurances etc etc etc.

If its a fully equipped BYO workshop, assuming all the other costs need covering, then perhaps 50 an hour is reasonable, but justifying a saving of $30 saving in labour per hour to DIY may not be worth the time of some people.

If you are planning what I think you are planning (hiring your home hoist on a weekend), then I'd assume that all hiring fees constitiute a high profit margin, as there is no insurance and minimal costs for PP&E as a result of the fee. In this case the lower end of the spectrum is justified. If it is as a business, fully equipped workshop, then the upper end would be suitable in my opinion.

 

There was a setup like that in Sydney 30 or so years ago. It was in a large warehouse in the inner city (Erskineville? St Peters?).

Before I had a garage of my own I used to use it for things I would prefer not to do lying in the gutter - exhaust, clutch, gearbox, universals, etc. There were pretty useful advisers hanging around too. A generous workspace could be rented by the day, and if you needed a hoist that was a separate charge. No tools were available, except there were a few floor jacks for common use.

No idea why that one didn't survive, but I thought it was a very good service.

 

We've got something like this in WA.

This is probably of interest to you:
M'mates place SAU
M'mates place FB

 

I would find it very impractical to load all the tools I could possibly need in the car.
I also often spread the work out over a couple of days or even weeks if it is a bigger job.
Much easier then to do it in the driveway then so you don't have to make the car drivable each time.

But for people with limited space I think it could be a good idea. I cannot see anybody paying anywhere near $50 though

 

I thought of something like this. but wouldnt like to do it from my house, unless i knew who was there and stuff.

else i would be worried about going out with every man and his dog knowing what i got laying aroud in my shed.

 

Would insurance be an issue with something like this? I know i wouldnt let just anyone of the street in to use a hoist.. They'd manage to put the car through the roof or drop it on their head somehow..

 

It wasnt from home. I was looking at it from a potential business point of view.

Probably 4 post hoists only with running jacks in the valley, if you need to do suspension work. Hopefully this would minimize the dummy factor. OF course you would have to sign a disclaimer before using the facilities.

Just an idea at the present. Hoping to run it up the flag pole for comments.

So keep em coming. Possible pitfalls, Price any other issues that may crop up.

There would have to be someone on site ALL the time supervising and watching for safety issues.

I am getting too old to be doing the work I am and need to find something else a bit less physical before I wear my body out completely.

 

Yep! What appears at first glance, to be a very useful and sought after arrangement, suddenly becomes somewhat of a double-edged sword when Public Risk liability enters the equation.

If this was open to all comers, I would feel very insecure about unknown louts gaining far too much 'privileged knowledge' in regards to my home and contents, and so would find it hard to work out an appropriate costing.

If it was for use by close friends and associates, then there word be little or no charge(other than "if you break it, you replace it").

Pay for your own hoist Gra!:zlove::rofl::rofl::br:

 

I did Lloyd, Its in my garage.

 

I know.(typed my comment before I saw your additional post re location).:zlove::zlove::rofl::br:

 

I used to be the service manager at TorquePower, in Archerfeild. The owner bought the building of a company that did exactly this 30 years ago. Although the workshop was always busy, rising insurance and liability issues put an end to it. The cost to hire was becoming to great for the average diy. Possibly the same company Barry is talking about, would have been around the same timeframe. They were a national company, just can't remeber the name.

I would think $50 minimum, don't forget you have to pay yourself a wage aswell as rates, insurances, rent/repayments etc aswell as tooling upkeep.

 

I just got off the phone with a guy in WA who has set up just what I was proposing.

Here's his flyer. Price structure look pretty good. re: bring your own tools comment I made above. Its probably easier to supply a tool kit as below

 

They also have a cafe open now

 

I reckon it's an ace business idea. Need a partner?

 

This goes to show the face value of a tech day
Get on it fellas!

 

This really is a great idea. There are a lot of people out there that like to service there own cars but just don't have the room or don't like laying on a cold garage floor. You could sell air/oil filters and consumables. Pretty shore i have seen one in Ballarat / Sebastipol area. You need to cover rent , power , tools insurance e.c.t and probably be very easy going ( bogans in commodores ) but would think something like this could be a huge frachise potential if done properly. As for how much i would be willing to pay i guess the best $ potential would be offering a 30 mins time slot including oil and filter to get you average punter in. Once in he may have the opinion he could do other things.
Just my 2 cents worth. Your onto something big.