By Mike Davey
Hamilton, Ontario — June 20, 2017 — No one knows better than collision repair professionals how important modern equipment is when it comes to performing safe and high-quality repairs. Members of that group are also well aware of just how expensive it can be to stay up-to-date. For our latest survey, Collision Repair magazine asked our readers to let us know their equipment “wish list.” What would you want most, if price were no object?
Collision Repair magazine runs new surveys ever week on a wide variety of topics. Our next survey focuses on peak times, both weekly and seasonally. You can participate in that survey at this link.
Survey respondents were given a number of options to choose from when it came to their one “free” piece of equipment. We also included “Other” as an answer, just in case we missed anything. That answer didn’t draw any responses, however.
The single most popular answer for this question was a new spray booth, chosen by 30 percent of survey participants. This doesn’t necessarily mean that all of those shops actually need a new spray booth, of course, but they’re very expensive items in terms of both purchase and installation.
The next most popular answers were very close in terms of percentages. The runner-up was a new measuring system, with 21 percent of respondents. Scanning equipment and a fully equipped aluminum room were very close, with 18 and 15 percent respectively.
Popularity drops significantly after that point. Just 6 percent of respondents indicated they would like an upgrade to the physical plant (electrical, HVAC, new windows, etc.) and only 4 percent chose new welding equipment. Vehicle lifts and a dent pulling system were in dead last, tied at just 3 percent of respondents.
Collision Repair magazine’s surveys are open to all members of industry, not just shop owners and management. Technicians and other staff surveyed have very different answers from the shop owners. It should be noted that the question staff received made it clear that the equipment was for their place of employment. There doesn’t seem to be a personal profit motive at play here. Of the staff responses, 35 percent want new welding equipment, 27 percent want new scanning tools, 26 percent want a new frame machine or bench and 12 percent want a fully equipped aluminum room.
Collision Repair magazine’s next survey focuses on peak production times. You can participate in that survey here and make sure to watch collisionrepairmag.com next Wednesday for the results!
