If you are looking to do some work on your car and want to be able to get greater access in safety, a car ramp is the best way to do it. Here we will take a better look at car ramps and why they are worth the investment for you.

Are car ramps safer than jacks? 

One of the top criteria to consider when choosing between car ramps and jacks is safety. When you are lifting up your car, and planning to take a look underneath, nothing is more important than knowing that it is safely and securely held and that you aren’t in harm’s way while you work.

A jack is a mechanical device used to lift your car. It is placed underneath, and then the height is adjusted using hydraulics to get the space that you need. Jacks are commonly used to change tires, and are reliable and safe when used correctly and with the right weight. You should never use a jack on a car that is heavier than its stated weight.

If you are using a jack to raise your car to carry out further work, you should back up your jack with a jack stand. This further secures and stabilises the vehicle. Again you should check and double-check that they are placed correctly, and are being used for the right car weight.

You should always consult your user manual and only use jacks to raise the car, not to hold it in place for longer periods that need proper jack stands as well. Never go underneath a car held up only by a jack. They should be used on a level surface and you should double-check that they are holding rather than just trusting that they are.

There are many different types of jack and they should only be used for their specified purpose. They are the best choice for changing a tire, but for other more prolonged work, you may find car ramps to be the top choice.

Car ramps, for one thing, are much easier to use. You simply place them in front of each of the wheels, drive up, and brake. You once again need to know the maximum load before you start, but the process is altogether much less tricky than using a jack.

Further, they are safer as they spread the load far better. A jack lifts the car up from one point and needs jack stands to keep the car level and secure. Car ramps can instantly get your car up where you need it without a lot of fuss, safely, and securely.

They are quick and easy to set up and can raise your car to a higher elevation than a jack can alone. This means that you have more space to work, which again can be safer altogether. Wheel riser ramps by SureWeld are also fantastic when loading and unloading freight, lifting up the vehicle to a more helpful height and getting the job done safely.

The big downside to car ramps is that you cannot change the tires or remove the wheels while you are using them without trying to jack the car up further – something that is highly dangerous. If you need to work on the wheels, go for a jack. If you are looking to change your oil or carry out pretty much anything else, car ramps are the safer and superior choice.

What size car ramps do I need?

The kind of car ramp you need will vary based on the type of car you have, why you want it, and the weight of the vehicle among other factors. If your car sits low to the ground, for example, you will need a longer ramp to prevent it from getting damaged. If, however, you want to change the oil you will want ramps that give you as much space as possible under the car. 

The big one is once again all about weight. Never use ramps on a car if they don’t specifically state that they can take a load even heavier than that. If in doubt, check your car manual and it should tell you everything that you need to know.

The figure stating how much weight the ramp can manage usually assumes that you are using two ramps, to raise the heavier end of the car, but again you should always double-check this before moving forward.

You should also ensure that the ramps are wide enough to fit the entire wheel, otherwise, the safety of the process can be compromised. If you are in any doubt, consult an expert before attempting to use car ramps.

Are car ramps worth it?

If you work on your car at times, or even like to carry out tasks like oil changes, then car ramps are most definitely worth it. They are much safer and simpler to use than a jack and jack stands, give you more space and can get your car up quickly and efficiently.

However, if all you really do is change the odd tire, you are better off keeping a jack in your car and leaving car ramps to those that might really use them. When you are working with something as heavy and potentially dangerous as a car, safety really is paramount. Car ramps are safer, so they are worth it.

Conclusion 

To Sum Up:

• A jack raised up your car using hydraulics and is the best way to access your tires and wheels. 
• You should never go under a car being held up with a jack alone, but rather use jack stands or car ramps.
• Car ramps are easy to use, very safe if set up properly, and spread the weight of the car better.
• The size of the ramp you need depends on the weight of the car, the size of the wheels, and more.

If you are thinking about doing work on your car, or wish to load or unload various items, check out the incredible car ramps available to buy today.

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One thing is for certain: they’re not built for speed. So, it’s not as though you can drive your mini excavator from point A to point B without causing a traffic jam and taking several weeks to complete a 20-minute drive. 

This is why we would wholeheartedly recommend investing in a mini excavator trailer. These trailers are lightweight and easy to use, allowing your to effortlessly load your mini excavator without much stress or concern. Following that, you simply attach it to your truck or towing vehicle, and voila: you’re on your way! 

Benefits of using one of these mini excavator trailers ‘

So, what are the benefits? Well, for one thing, they come complete with aluminium loading ramps, which allow for effortless loading. Additionally, they’re incredibly light-weight, which means that the combined weight of the ramp and mini excavator isn’t going to be too much of an issue when it comes to towing. 

When you get to where you need to be, you can simply reverse your mini excavator back down the ramp and then you’re good to go! You can then tuck the aluminium mini excavator trailer out of the way, whilst you get to work clearing a plot of land and digging up some refuse! 

If you’re looking to simplify and streamline your operation, then we cannot stress how useful this piece of equipment can be for you. A purpose-built excavator trailer, as opposed to using other methods, such as loading yours up onto a flatbed. 

Safety first 

Aside from the evident benefits of using a purpose-built mini excavator trailer, the safety reasons are impossible to ignore. The main safety feature is how low to the ground these purpose-built trailers are. Loading an unloading is an awful lot safer, without running the risk of tipping the excavator over when driving up the ramp. 

Using other methods, like loading onto a flatbed for example, is dangerous (unless you have extra long ramps so that you can reduce the gradient and thus, the risk of tipping over). By opting for a purpose-built trailer, you don’t have to worry!

Conclusion 

If you’re interested in making your life a lot easier, and using a safer, purpose-built trailer, then here’s what you should do. Pull up a few websites from reputable companies, such and then short-list the favourites. Next, you should explore prices and products, and compare. Following that, go with your gut! Provided the reviews are great, the price is right, and the product looks great, then you shouldn’t waste any more time! 

Once you’ve invested in a mini-excavator trailer, you’ll wonder how you managed to get yours from A to B beforehand. It’s easier, it’s safer and it’s the way forward!  Good luck and be safe.

The post Getting from A to B with a Mini Excavator Trailer appeared first on Hokie Joint.

LED’s last considerable longer

Standard light bulbs will burn between 2,000 and 20,000 hours but they are fairly unreliable, hence the large range of potential run times.  LED’s on the other hand will consistently last between 50,000 and 100,000 hours, a massive difference and while there is quite a range of run times here as well, the lower number is such an improvement in itself, the difference is of less consequence.

LED’s are very durable

The glass construction of normal light bulbs makes them quite delicate, and sharp knock can shatter the glass and render the bulb useless.  LED’s are made from plastic and so have no such weakness.  They also have numerous small light sources rather than a single large one like incandescent bulbs, so they are much harder to damage.

LED’s are incredibly energy efficient

Incandescent light bulbs are effective enough, but they are horrendously inefficient with their energy usage.  If you’ve ever wondered why incandescent light bulbs get hot, it is because they work by passing a lot of current through a small wire filament, and as such it glows.  This converts the energy passing through it into light, but also heat.  These old fashioned bulbs convert around 80% of the energy they draw into heat, so only 20% of the energy you feed them turns into light.  This means that every ten minutes that light is on would have only cost the same as two minutes if the bulb was 100% efficient.  Now, nothing is 100% efficient but LED bulbs are around 90% efficient, so you can see how much that might save you.

The oft touted downside to LED bulbs is the initial cost of swapping them over.  It is fair to say that the bulbs are more expensive than their standard incandescent equivalents, but they are a much newer technology so this should be expected.  If you buy LED light bulbs online and in bulk from a retailer, then the cost should be significantly lower and further negate the issues of cost.  But consider the sheer saving that you will make by swapping and improving the efficiency of your lights by more than 60%, surely that should be a convincing enough argument without adding that many energy suppliers are offering to cover full or partial costs of replacing light bulbs with LED’s, so that might also be an option.  It must be worth finding out.

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