Blog

The term “American-made” is a bit confusing these days. When the Toyota Camry is considered the most American-made vehicle on the market, perhaps our sense of pride and place becomes tangled in the globalized web that is the world of auto manufacturing. What's the line between foreign and domestic anymore? For all intents and purposes, we believe the United States dominates the car industry. Wh... Read More

2016 was a strange year, in many respects. The auto industry saw some of the most interesting tech inventions and ideas to date. As a standalone achievement, SEMA 2016 was chock full of product unveilings, which only figures to increase next year. As we look forward to 2017, we’re taking a look at five fresh products and ideas you might have missed. Ford finds its groove with record numbe... Read More

Survival has been around almost as long as human beings have been on the earth. For thousands of years, we were pretty bad at staying alive. We ate twigs and berries. Our fires were too small to stare into and think about stuff. Our tools were basically regular rocks that happened to be pointier than other rocks. Our species was on the verge of total disaster. But suddenly, as if overnight, ... Read More

Since we announced the BendPak color shift from blue to Gunmetal Gray, we’ve gotten a huge response over the web. We didn’t make this choice blindly, of course; we spent months gathering opinions from customers and distributors, and overwhelmingly, the public call was for us to make the change to Gunmetal Gray. So, who are we to argue? We’re excited about this change because it marks a new chap... Read More

Ranger Products RP-50FC important features The first feature we look at in an oil filter crusher is how easily it flattens metal filter casings. The RP-50FC oil filter crusher applies 25 tons of force, so it even works on thick, stubborn truck filters that can cause trouble for lesser machines. The other important thing we need to look at is how much oil is actually drained out. This is where ... Read More

If you’re reading this, you’re probably a good mechanic. Despite our skills—sometimes—experience is our downfall. We think we can get away with little mistakes here and there, and we hope they don’t catch up to us. It’s called being lucky, and we’re usually lucky more than we’re unlucky. So yes, almost every mechanic has a story about a narrow escape(s). But there are also the costly mistakes, ... Read More

Santa Paula, California – November 2016 – When BendPak designed its earliest car lift models, they were painted Burgundy to match the tastes of that era. Years later, in the late 1980s, the company redesigned its brand and color scheme with the brilliant “BendPak blue” that defines their look today. This bold blue has helped solidify BendPak’s reputation and brand and has become a staple in the... Read More

A few years ago, a bunch of DIY'ers were asked about how much they save by doing their own repairs. They told researchers they save hundreds or thousands of dollars each year on regular maintenance and car repairs. Not surprising! While some jobs are best left to professionals, there are certain things you don’t need to lean on the shop to do for you. However, trickier jobs that involve work on... Read More

If you want to skip this article and read the official government code, Title 40, Chapter I, Subchapter I, Part 279, you’ll learn everything there is to know about used oil disposal and recycling. For the rest of us, this article will serve as a brief guide to what you need to know about disposing of used oil and oil filters. The oil change “discount” Maybe you’ve had this happen to you: a ... Read More

We searched the Internet to find the worst car lifts ever built, and they come from all over this great nation of ours. Seriously, folks. Buy a real car lift before you attempt to replicate any of these hilarious-yet-stupid makeshift heaps of beautiful junk. 1. 101 Ways to Use a Lead Pipe You Found Sticking out of the Ground Keep an eye on the back-right chassis corner when he lifts it up. ... Read More