I bought this a few months ago and love it: https://www.harborfreight.com/pneumatic-adjustable-roller-seat-46319.html
Prior to that I used a compound bucket to sit on. I've also invested in some of the Milwaukee M12 and M18 lights so I can see what I'm doing. Once I hit 40, I found I need a lot more light to see things than I did in my youth (and cheater glasses).
In reply to NOHOME :
Can't wait to see what happens when you have a brain fart and pull the wrong handle while under the car.
I'm in the single garage just big enough to work on a car but not wide enough to take advantage of the nice bones creeper I have. For me what makes it bearable is a bunch of the click together play foam mats for children. Mine are about 2' x 2', if I'm working under the car I'll click a bunch together so I can roll around under there not on the concrete floor. For brake work I'll pile a few on top of each other and sit on them at a comfortable height. The other nice thing with these is they're light weight and easy to bring along to the track incase I need to jack up and end of the car and crawl under, keeps you clean and off the dirty asphalt. It would even be a good idea to have stowed in the trunk at all times in case of a flat or something.
Used mid rise lift for $400 was the best $ I ever spent. Coupled with a rolling chair it went a long way. New shop is being built now and I fully plan to have that well worn but faithful serving mid rise in one bay and a new 2 post in the other. The older I get the less I want to be on the ground.
A lift is out of the question-at least any traditional two post style. Not enough room in the garage and i dont want to deal with it.
For a while, like 4-5 years we had a Danmar Scissor lift in the garage at my parents house. The problem with that is its huge and pain to move around. But if it was left on the ground in one spot it was always in the way it seemed. On top of that, daily parking got to be a chore to work around it. We finally built a winch system to lift it against the wall which cleared the ground area but it was almost as much work to get it down/ setup as it was to fix cars. However, when a car was on it in the air it was slick.
At my own home now i may consider a scissor lift but its still a huge thing in the garage. Plus it would have to be on the ground and it would get trashed from the salt and wet and daily parking.
A quick jack system may work as its portable or that AUTOLIFT 3000 as its light weight. Both come at high price tags.
A very high lift jack and tall jackstands might get me as close to comfy as possbile without a huge investment in tools. Combine that with a stool or more foam mats.
Maybe this is just how it is for the home gamer.
In reply to CarKid1989 :
Before the lift, I used a highlift jack and 12 ton jack stands. That would get the car 30+" in the air. Much better than working at ground level and the 12 ton stands are extremely stable.
I bought a quick jack last year and I highly recommend getting the hangars for it for the wall for storage and the high risers just to put the vehicle higher in the air to work on it. I have used an adjustable height roller stool for more than a decade for brakes (used to be with jackstands). What I figured out is some sort of power ratchet and impact gun helped me hurt less because they did most of the heavy turning, and made it quicker to get done. These days I would invest in a cordless ratchet unless I already had an air compressor( I do) because its simpler and easier.
There are no magic bullet answers. Even with the lift there are times when I have to work on my wife's car while my race car is stuck on it. It's jack/jackstands and roll around on the ground time. It's just how it goes. Keep the floor clean, have a decent set of coveralls, good drop lights, good 3T jack and stands. Staying in good enough shape that you can get up/down 100x without dying is helpful.
I have access to a lift so anything big, I do on a lift and it helps.
When Im doing stuff at home and on the ground I have a nice creeper, and a comfortable ass jack. I have found no matter what Im going to hurt later so I plan the repair carefully and use lots of power tools, to only be working on it for the shortest possible times. No unnecessary trips to toolbox or parts house if they can be avoided. Knock it out as quickly as possible to mitigate how sore I am.
CarKid1989 said:A quick jack system may work as its portable or that AUTOLIFT 3000 as its light weight. Both come at high price tags.
Costco membership can change that for you. The Quickjack BL5000SL and BL5000SLX models constantly go on sale. I got the BL5000SLX with pinch blocks and wall hangers for $1200, but there have been reports of sub-$1000 purchases for the same model.
One thing to note: The frames are approximately 75-80 lbs each, and the wheels, while it makes them easier to maneuver, they still steer like a FWD car with a leaking steering rack.
FWIW even HD has the 5000SL on sale for 1050 quite often.
I would argue that pain is part of the experience and accept that. Putting the engine in the RX-7 last night, I was at times laying under the car on a bare, dirty, concrete slab, with parts of my body on jack handles and various tools and parts and stuff. If I'm not bruised and bleeding after a work session, I haven't done it right.
In the early 60s on the farm I worked on the ground and utilized a wagon hoist to raise the front of my 55 Ford to remove the automatic transmission. The military had smooth concrete floors, large jacks and stands. After that I worked at a dealership with adjustable length in the ground 2 post lifts and smaller in the ground 1 post lifts. Next, I was at a small import repair shop with ramps, jacks and jack stands. Only problem there was my long hair would get caught under the creeper wheels or get dragged through the dripping gear lube when pulling a drive shaft. The aroma would be with me the rest of the day (although the female garage groupies didn't seem to mind). Next, teaching brakes, suspension and alignment meant using all to the above plus various alignment racks including shallow pits for 30 plus years. Needless to say, my knees and back are not what they used to be. Plus, always standing and walking on concrete in the shop and classroom.
At 74 I still do maintenance work on my new/newer cars. Height adjustable wheel stool, ramps, jack and jackstands and laying on cardboard.
New house with oversize garage might get a Quick Jack.
Pain? Take the pain, it lets you know you are still alive.
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