There’s an overwhelming amount of collision repair equipment on the market today — each offering it’s own brand of bells and whistles. How do you weed through all that’s available to determine what’s best for your shop? The following is a list of questions to consider before handing over the cash or signing a check:

1. Is your shop’s main volume of work light, medium or heavy hit repairs?

2. Do you need to handle large cars and light commercial vehicles?

3. What’s your current and anticipated volume of work?

4. How much space is available to house the system?

5. Can the system be placed in a permanent location?

6. What technical and service backup is available?

7. What’s your budget?

8. Will the cost of the equipment be offset by increased productivity/throughput?

9. Is training included as part of the purchase package? If yes, what does it comprise? If no, what extra costs are involved to receive training?

10. Can the system be updated as your needs change?

11. Is the base system over-specified for your needs?

12. What is the all-inclusive equipment cost, including installation and any auxiliary equipment needed to get the system up and running?

13. What vehicle manufacturer or insurance company approval requirements do you need to meet?

14. How quickly can vehicles be loaded, including the time taken to set up a vehicle before starting a repair?

15. How long will the repair process take for any given repair?

16. How user friendly is the system?

17. Can the system be easily updated to handle new models?

18. What are the conditions and time period of the guarantee?