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October 15, 2013 02:00 AM

ASK PAM OAKES: Buying off-brand equipment

By Pam Oakes
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    Oakes

    I often see off-brand equipment selling for much lower prices than the popular brand equipment. Do you have any advice regarding off-brand tools?

    "Quick and simple: I purchased a set of box-open end Husky Tools for my box. It is not a common name, but has a common manufacturer—Stanley-MAC tools. Sometimes you can cut cost without cutting quality. And, there are hundreds of examples like this in the auto tool world. A little research on your end before purchase will serve you well."

    I need to upgrade my shop's alignment machine, but I'm not sure I'm ready to invest in something new. What are some good resources for finding good pre-owned shop equipment?

    "Check your local and regional tire distributors to see if any of their clients have upgraded alignment equipment. Another source: the classified department of regional or national automotive magazines or newspapers. Always make sure that there is some type of warranty with your newer-used alignment machine. I can't think of anything worse than to purchase a piece of equipment and not able to use it."

    Have an automotive service-related question for Pam Oakes? Email it to Tire Business reporter William Schertz at [email protected]

    ASE-certified technician Pam Oakes is the owner of Pam's Motor City Auto & Tire Center, an award-winning automotive service business in Fort Myers, Fla. She also is the author of the book series Car Care for the Clueless and hosts a weekly radio talk show by the same name on CBS Radio's The Sky and CoachMeRadio. And yes, she still "turns wrenches."

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    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Tire Business would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor Don Detore at [email protected].

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    • News
      • OPINION
      • BUSINESS/FINANCIAL
      • COMMERCIAL TIRE
      • GOVERNMENT & LAW
      • Humanitarian Award
      • RETAIL TIRES
      • SERVICE ZONE
      • TIRE MAKERS
      • Best Places to Work
      • Mid-Year Report 2022
      • RUSSIA WAR IN UKRAINE
    • Aligning with ADAS
    • Data
      • DATA STORE
    • Custom
      • SPONSORED CONTENT
    • Events
      • ASK THE EXPERT
      • LIVESTREAMS
      • WEBINARS
      • SEMA LIVESTREAMS
      • RUBBER NEWS EVENTS
    • Resources
      • DIRECTORY
      • CLASSIFIEDS
      • SHOP FLOOR
        • BALANCING
        • DEMOUNTING
        • SAFETY
        • TIRE REPAIR
        • TPMS
        • TRAINING
        • VEHICLE LIFTING
        • WHEEL TORQUE
      • AWARDS
        • Best Places to Work
    • ADVERTISE
    • DIGITAL EDITION