When looking to purchase tools and equipment designed to help troubleshoot and repair electrical systems, maintenance personnel should keep a number of considerations in mind to ensure they get a worthwhile return on their investment.
“Researching the types of equipment for what the specific fleets work on is key,” says Thomas J. Bauman, director, sales, marketing and new product development, Hickok-Waekon (www.hickok-inc.com), a provider of tools for service providers and technicians in the automotive and truck industries.
Focusing tool acquisitions based on the type of fleet and what services it provides is critical, as is determining just how any tools and equipment apply to the services the fleet provides. Above all else, maintenance personnel must be able to take advantage of a product offering’s capabilities.
Maintenance and calibration are two other important factors to consider when purchasing and utilizing new tools and equipment for troubleshooting electrical systems.
“Be sure to update your maintenance practices so your technicians are expected to use the new tool,” says Charley Gipe, technical service representative, Purkeys (www.purkeys.net), a provider of electrical solutions to the heavy trucking industry. “Also, have some type of calibration program in the shop that looks at the equipment on a regular basis to make sure it is operating correctly and is not out of calibration.”
