Good Garage Scheme member, Declan McCormack of Declan McCormack Vehicle Repairs, invested in a Pro- Cut PFM 9.19 On-Car Brake lathe in July 2008.
We talked to Declan McCormack, owner of the garage about the impact the PFM 9.19 has had on his business.
Pro-Cut: Why did you decide to buy a Pro-Cut On-Car Brake Lathe?
Declan McCormack: To save customers money, bring in more business and use down the track on racecars suffering from warped discs.
PC: How often do you use the brake lathe?
DM: I’m near the end of my third box of tips (equivalent to 600 skims) in just over 6 months but don’t use it as much I’d like to. It took a while to get going but once I started advertising the lathe, word got round and once I put some information on the website, the business started coming in. I use it a lot on 4x4’s and high end vehicles that may have specialist discs which are difficult to match, or when rear discs are suffering from corrosion problems around MOT time. I don’t use it that much on the smaller stuff when the discs are so cheap. It’s brilliant on Impreza’s and 4x4’s with rusty discs or vehicles suffering from vibrations. I had an X5 in recently which was suffering from steering wheel vibration after having new discs put on in a dealership. The lathe matched the discs to the hub and solved the problem quickly and efficiently.
PC: Are customers happy with the service?
DM: Yes they are. I’ve had no problems with any of the discs I’ve skimmed. In fact I had a Laguna in recently with corroded back discs which was going to fail the MOT, I quoted the customer a price for new discs and a price for skimming – he was happy I could offer him the lower price due to skimming and we got the business. It’s a real no brainer for customers with high end cars and the results are always good.
PC: Has it led to a decrease in your disc orders then?
DM: No, it has not affected disc or pad sales. If the discs are below minimum thickness I replace them and if they can be skimmed I offer it to the customer. If anything the brake lathe has led to an increase in sales because customers know I can offer more options.
PC: Would you recommend it to other GGS members?
DM: Yes, I would recommend it to other GGS members. It’s not a cheap bit of kit but it’s giving me a good return on my investment. It’s simple to use either on the trolley or off it. I use it down the track on axle stands and sometimes use it on axle stands in the workshop on 4x4’s as well. It’s a good bit of kit which I am happy with.
