Whenever you are using a welder, such as a MIG welder or a TIG welder, it is crucial that you know how to adjust the flow rate of shielding gas. When assembling and setting up your welder, once you connect your shielding gas regulator, the gas flow rate must be adjusted in order to ensure that the right amount of shielding gas is flowing over your weld. If too little gas is flowing from your welder, you will be prone to contamination and excessive spatter. If too much gas is flowing, you will be wasting your gas, which can negatively affect the result of your weld. Typically, there are two gauges on the shielding gas regulator, one to mark the gas flow rate and one to mark the gas tank pressure. The first thing to do to adjust the flow rate of your shielding gas is open your shielding gas tank valve the whole way. Adjust the knob on the regulator so that it is marked at about 30 CFH. Now, turn on the welder and trigger the torch switch so that the gas will start to flow. When you trigger the torch switch, the gas flow should cause the needle on the gas flow gauge to descend to a steady and accurate reading. Next, the gas flow should be set to about 20 CFH when it is flowing, which is the most common flow rate used when welding. Sometimes this needs to be readjusted as a slight breeze could alter the flow and weaken the shielding gas consistency surrounding the weld. Once you have adjusted the flow rate, you are free to weld. Just remember to close the gas valve on the bottle when you are finished welding. This blog is a repost, courtesy of Eastwood.

Thanks to Garry @ Garry's Precision Auto Service in Ford, NJ for this great review of the Phoenix PWB1530/PWC2950A Tire Changer/ Wheel Balancer Combo: "The machines are good for their price. I think I mounted over 148 tires already on the machine and the balancer has been perfect as of now. Thanks for the help."

Phoenix Tire Changer Wheel Balancer receives high marks from customer in Connecticut! Thanks to John, in Tolland, Connecticut, for this nice review of the Phoenix PWB1530 Wheel Balancer and PWC2950A Tire Changer.

His review is as follows: "Tire machine and balancer work fine. Great for low volume shop. Service from nhproequip was excellent. Received equipment in 1 day and no pieces were missing. I will use this company again in the future." -John W. Tolland, Connecticut

Thanks to Bob in New Jersey for letting us steal his Facebook photo of his bike on the Elevator 1500 Motorcycle Lift! Looking good! Bob's business, Bob's Bikes and Small Engine Repair, in based in Neptune, NH. Check them out if you are local to the area! This pic is of a 72 FL Shovelhead getting some upgrades while on the Elevator Motorcycle Lift. Call us at 603-234-2612 for more info on the Elevator Series lifts!

Thanks to Krishna for submitting these great photos of the lifts in action at his shop, K&M Performance. The bikes on the 2 lifts include a 2010 Gsxr Suzuki 750 and a 2008 Ktm 950 Super Moto. Here is his review of the 2 pro 1200 motorcycle lift tables: "Got the lifts and got them installed!!!! I am soooo happy :) Thank you."

- Krishna L. K&M Performance

Thanks to Alex of A&A Equipment Repair in New Milford, CT for submitting these photos of his repair work on lawn and garden equipment/tractors as well as a trike. Great photos - we're glad to see the lift is working out for you for small engine repair.

Exmark 60 Zero Turn Lawnmower Repair performed on Elevator 1500 Motorcycle Lift[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2993" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Scag 48" walk behind mower[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2986" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Honda ATC 350X 3 Wheeler Serviced on Elevator 1500 Trike Lift[/caption]

PRO 1200 Motorcycle Lift Package Deal

PRO 1200SE Motorcycle Lift Package Deal

INTERESTED IN FREE SHIPPING ON THESE MOTORCYCLE LIFT PACKAGES?

PRO 1200MAX Motorcycle Lift Package Deal

PRO 1200SEMAX Motorcycle Lift Package Deal

"I have one and it is a great addition to my shop. If your in the market I highly recommend this! I love the lift." -David D., Roscoe, IL Thanks again to David for another photo submission of the PRO 1200 Lift and Service Jack lifting a John Deere Sabre Lawn Tractor with a 42" deck! Great shot! Visit the PRO 1200SEMAX Motorcycle Lift Table Package here.

NHProEquip.com recommends five questions you should ask yourself when shopping for a motorcycle lift.

1. Is this motorcycle lift the ideal size for my vehicle? Whether you are riding a touring bike or a moped, it's important to fully understand not only the dimensions of your vehicle but the weight - and understand the weight capacity of the motorcycle jack, lifting stand or lift table that you are interested in purchasing. Motorcycles are known to come with other accessories that may "weigh down" the bike. Again, important to factor all of these extraneous pieces into your total bike weight in order to make the best motorcycle lift purchase.

2. I live in New England where it snows! Will this lift be capable of handling my snowmobile? A legitimate question to ask yourself, living in the northeast region of the United States, is "will I be able to use this lift for raising my snowblower or snowmobile?" Ideally, your lift should be able to service all of your vehicles, not just the ones made for summertime fun!

3. I do not have a truck to pick up the lift. Will I need to consider shipping costs? Absolutely! Consider this: If you are paying for a 300-400 lb lift table, shipping costs can be significant. If you can find the right price that includes free shipping, obviously this is the better choice, but remember: no matter who you order your lift from, heavy freight charges will apply [though in our experience they vary greatly, so do your homework!]. This means, if you have the lift delivered to a home address, this will incur a fee. You will also likely need a liftgate to get it off the truck, which will incur a fee, as well. So in our opinion, it's best to find a commercial location (your business or a friend's business, perhaps) that has easy access, and grab a few buddies to help you get it off the truck. There is also the option of picking it up at your local terminal with a few buddies. Same idea..again, there is no fee to pick it up from the terminal.

4. How much bang should I be getting for my buck? A good question - this is where research comes in handy. As an example, the PRO 1200 motorcycle lift comes with a lot of extras, like a wheel clamp, front extension, loading ramp, and a drop through plate, whereas some of the leading American manufacturers are set up a la carte, and you need to purchase each piece separately. I prefer the old fashioned way of setting up a spreadsheet with columns displaying each brand, what they each includes, whether they are free shipping or not, and final price (including shipping where applicable).

5. Does it make more sense to buy local? We understand, as motorcycle lift dealers, that many people want to see the lift before they commit to a purchase. It's a big ticket item! However, we've found that buy making our efforts as transparent as possible, we can bring people from all over the country into our store, in a virtual way. We have made several videos demonstrating our PRO 1200 lift and - most importantly - we are a small business, so when you call to ask us questions, we are ready to help you and provide you with as much information as possible. I have had experiences calling companies that are far away who appear to not really care if they make the sale. So in those cases, I might prefer supporting some small local business. However, if I am getting outstanding, trustworthy customer support, I am very willing to purchase a product located several states away. The beauty of the internet nowadays is that we are all local to each other, in one way or another. As a last *bonus* point, we'd like to also recommend that you check out product reviews. For an example of what factors customers use rate their lift, check out this PRO 1200 lift table review page. Google the product part number and find out as much as you can! Oftentimes, with motorcycle lifts, they generate buzz in motorcycle forums and members have conversations about what they have, what they think is best, what they like and don't like about it. Happy Shopping!

Check out motorcycle lifts for sale here.