Essential tools or equipment you got to have

Finally got my work shop 12 x 20' to store and work on my bikes. 1st time I have set one up, just looking for some suggestions from those of you who have done this before. What are*your must have tools or equipment. I have hand*tools, tool boxes and a compressor I'm looking for a lift of some sort, work bench and organizational ideas or any ideas that make life easier. also I have about a 9" lip going into garage I'm going to need a ramp for. Thanks

 

Parts washer and sandblasting cabinet if you are going to be restoring old parts. Fridge for the beer and TV/Sound system.

Compressor, but you already have that listed. Figure what you need and then get the next bigger one!

 

Had not even considered Beer fridge Has to move to top of list.

 

Decent lighting and a comfortable floor mat.

Depends whether you want a bench, but an abba stand is a must for me.

Work bench and decent vice.

 

A big lock.

 

Lots of jackets and gloves and a good 220V heater for the cold winters....oh shit. You are in Florida.

I used to have a notebook in my shop for easy access to the net. Notebook as in computer with wifi access. I am in the process of formatting my old desktop and getting a new monitor for it so I can put that back into the shop. I really missed having the computer in there whether I was working on the bike, one of ours or our kids vehicles, or woodworking.

You can never have too many tools. I have never been big on borrowing tools so most times when I needed something I went out and bought it. So as far as hand tools go, fill your boots...shop.

PS. If you decide to take up woodworking, you WILL become poor.

 

Lighting can't be understated. I just put new lighting in my shop and am amazed at the difference it made. What I had wasn't too bad. At least I didn't think so until I put this new stuff in.

 

I still have to run electricity and lighting I was going with 4' florescent bulbs any other suggestions.

 

For the price it's really hard to beat the Harbor Freight motorcycle lift. And their tire changer will do the trick if you only do a few a year, but you do need a better mount/dismount tool. A good cordless impact works a treat too. And since you mentioned you have tools I'm sure you also have a selection of torque wrenches. The Marc Parnes wheel balancer is some good stuff too. The Third Hand Thingy from NoMar is indispensable for changing tires. The correct size oil filter wrench also makes oil changes a bit easier since the filter is hard to get to with some oil filter wrenches.

 

Keep exhaust and general ventilation in mind.. a cooling fan for static testing of the bike
can double as a general area vent fan too.

use 4' LED shop lamps now offered at Home Depot/ Lowes, worlds better than old F40CW

Pre-determine your shop electrical needs both present AND future ..220 or 110? I'd opt to emply a pro electrician at that...do it once and do it right. No temporary extension cord BS.... safety and reliability the primary concerns.

 

A proper fire extinguisher & a real first aid kit.

 

I was looking forward to putting in the LED tubes when I did my refit. 8 tubes cost me a tad over $150.00. Unfortunately only some fixtures are plug and play for LED lights. Mine was one that did not accept them without re-wiring the ballast and I just didn't feel like doing that so took the LED lights back.

There are two types of fluorescent tubes. Can't tell you what they are but the easily recognized way of telling the difference is the thickness. The older tubes are a little fatter than the new ones. As far as I know, you can use the new thin ones anywhere you use the old fat ones. But the old fat ones may not fit in the newer fixtures.

Ii bought the new thin tubes with the daylight illumination. These thinner tubes do not need to warm up. The full light is instant and bright. I understand waiting for a warm up may not be an issue for you but for us in the northern climes it does take a moment or two to get the full potential of the light. So get the thin tubes if you stay with fluorescent.

 

Lots of good points herethat I agree with, especially the big lock one. . I can't over state the lighting. That and while at it figure out your go to spot and add outlets in convenient places. I hate running extension cords, all you do is trip over em. A nice metal covered work bench with a 6" vise with changeable jaws on one end. Another item that's been nice, are those rubber floor mats, have to say those save your knees and ass. These days who wouldn't want a flat screen

 

Just looked up the price of the ABBA stand $900 USD Might have to go with the Harbor freight lift. Can you remove the engine on the abba lift?? nice that it has wheels to move around and not take up a lot of space.

 

Got locks all ready taken care of

 

Anything that attaches at the swingarm pivot isn't gonna work for removing the engine. Removing the engine requires using the subframe. I also prefer using two 3/4" pieces of sanded interior plywood with a rubber top over metal for a bench top. Metal gets dented over time and can be hard on sensitive bits....not to mention electrical conductivity. From experience I also recommend wall mounted cabinets over floor standing shelving to maximize space.

For flooring underneath the machine I like 4 of these: http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/rubber-mat-black-4-ft-x-6-ft?cm_vc=-10005 and cover with a single piece of indoor/outdoor carpet. That gives a nice 8' x 12' area.

 

If you are starting to set up your shop from the beginning, this may be a good time to photograph your tools and record any serial numbers. Does this help get them back. Not really. But if you have tools stolen, you supply the police with photographs, it leaves very little doubt as to their proper ownership should they get recovered at a later date. It will also go a long way to prove to you insurance company that in fact you did own there tools. I've been meaning to do this for about 20 years now.

 

Agree on fire extinguisher but home first aid kit is a waste of time. Bottle of superglue, paper towel and some insulation tape is all you need.


Will add to list quality hand cleanser unless you use nitrile gloves

 

You don't mention your expertise & what you are prepared to do on a bike,

If its limited to:
wheels off, brake pad changing, servicing, exhaust switching etc, etc then you can get away with a bike stand /s.

For more than one bike, & or an Ann-Marie look on life,

Then:

1st: Organise your tools.
I use this, curiously after my wife complained she couldn't find a screwdriver...
http://www.halfords.com/workshop-to...industrial-6-drawer-ball-bearing-tool-cabinet

i now have all 3 items (top, middle & bottom) & it has worked for me really well - to the point SkiMad 4x4 has just bought one & its in my garage too.... :biggrin-new:


2nd: Organise your workspace.
Decide on how much area you can allocate to the bikes.. This will determine if you go for something like the Abba Skylift or a table lift / Ramp.
My space is very tight so blocking a large area to a non-moveable ramp was just not going to work.

3rd: Get a lift / Ramp.

 

Abba sell a swingarm removal tool for those occasions when you want the bike down to the bare frame.