Auto Shop Equipment

Self Serve Auto Shop provides facility, tool rentals in Minooka

MINOOKA — Auto buffs and auto mechanics that want to do some side work or start a business may find Self Serve Auto Shop in Minooka a roomy place with everything they need to do the job in a timely manner.

“Self Serve is a really clean place to work on a car,” said Brian Thompson, business analyst for the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Joliet Junior College. “It is heated too, which means a lot in mid-January.”

Besides being clean and organized, Self Serve is a rental business where customers can rent a bay with or without a lift, have access to all the tools needed to work on a car and even do welding. If necessary, customers can also rent a licensed auto mechanic. In most cases, customers can save hundreds of dollars.

“I can’t save them money for just doing an oil change,” said Jim Chronister, owner and operator of Self Serve Auto Shop, “but in a one-hour rental, a customer can rotate tires and do other maintenance, which is a lot more than they would get at the Jiffy Lube for $19.95.”

Customers can rent a service bay by the hour, half-day, full day, or even by the week. Most tools are included in the rental, but specialized equipment can be rented separately and customers can order parts at a discount. Chronister is also planning to run some short seminars for anyone who wants to learn how to perform simple maintenance on their cars. People can keep up with future events by visiting the Self Serve Auto Shop website at www.selfserveautoshop.com.

Chronister, a U.S. Army veteran, got the idea for this business from his days in the military.

“Most military bases have an auto craft shop where you can use a bay for free,” he said. “I think every person that runs one of these types of businesses is a vet.”

Chronister offers a 10 percent discount to veterans.

“This service is new and just beginning to catch on,” said Thompson. “There are only a handful of similar services around the country right now, but it has great potential not only for auto buffs, but for professional auto mechanics who want to do some side work or start their own businesses.”

Financing for Self Serve Auto Shop came from Illinois Ventures for Community Action (IVCA), a state agency that offers business loans at interest rates lower than traditional bank financing.

When paid, the interest is filtered through local community action agencies which provide programs to help low income people in Illinois. Borrowers are for-profit companies who meet their criteria for funding as well as a financial screening.

Cheap Used Auto Shop Equipment- Milwaukee 8936-20 7-1/2 Gallon 1-1 ...

4 sellers with price list labeled for sale on Milwaukee 8936-20 7-1/2 Gallon 1-1/3 Horsepower Wet/Dry Vacuum : Select your favortite merchant or pick the best offer that you would like to see. Buying Milwaukee 8936-20 7-1/2 Gallon 1-1/3 Horsepower Wet/Dry Vacuum online from your trusted seller with secured checkout payment gateway at amazon.com. Deals provided below are currently available only within the United States.

I was looking to avoid poor quality, chinese made junk from the home improvement stores to replace my old reliable Sears wet/dry vac, when its plastic on/off switch snapped off. I wanted something better rather than worse than the old Craftsman, so researched that various contractor grade options, many of which were prohibitively expensive industrial models, including most of the Milwaukees. I love my other US made Milwaukee tools and was relieved to find out this vac (as of my 06/08 purchase) was not one of the products moved to overseas manufacture as has occurred with some Milwaukee tools. Comparing specs for wet/dry vacs is tricky as even the relevant sealed-suction-inches-in-water specs vary in suspect ways. The power of this 8936 model proved to be outstanding and beyond what the bare numbers might suggest, and the motor sounds superior to those on the home improvement store brands (and the old Craftsman) in the same way that a professional power drill/motor sounds so much better than a cheap one. The vac served perfectly in heavy duty use during a kitchen remodel and partial garage remodel. The accessories are expensive, but even the plastic ones are sturdy, and an old-stock metal floor hose set I found is so well designed that I use it for the tile and hardwood floors in the house since the Milwaukee works so much better for this task than even the high-end Dyson vacuum we have in the house. The three position switch turned out to be a huge bonus when I used the on-demand function and slipped the hose directly onto two power sanders and a table saw. I have used the machine regularly for 18 mos without any performance problems and it has met or exceeded very high expectations even though it is a modest machine in Milwaukee’s line. Anyone willing to pay what it takes to avoid low quality (and often dangerous), Made in China tools, will be proud and relieved to buy this tool.

I bought this vacuum after researching other brands and I’m glad I decided on the Milwaukee. I’ve owned several ShopVac’s and they lost suction after a short time and I constantly had to clean the filters (I bought three to save myself trips outside to clean them). I also needed a tank that wasn’t too big and clumsy to empty and Ialso like that I can use a bag instead of the filter. We’re renovating an old farmhouse and the dust and dirt are horrendous… this vacuum takes care of all of it.

Automotive technology, a systems approach

American blacksmith and motor shop

Automotive service, inspection, maintenance, repair

Automotive paint handbook, paint technology for auto enthusiasts & body shop professionals

Auto mechanics, technology and expertise in twentieth-century America