With six different Challenger lifts being compatible with Turf Rail, shops can easily find the right one to fit their needs. (Photo provided)

With the Turf Rail System, fleet and equipment managers can transition from working on outdoor power equipment to a truck in a matter of two minutes.

There are six different Challenger lifts that Turf Rail can fit, ranging from capacities of 9,000 to 12,000 pounds; however, the 12,000-pound capacity lift and 10,000-pound capacity lift are its most popular options. The Turf Rail attachment itself has a capacity of 7,000 pounds regardless of which two-post lift it is installed upon.”

With six different Challenger lifts being compatible with Turf Rail, shops can easily find the right one to fit their needs. (Photo provided)

Shane Tatom, owner of Indiana Automotive Equipment and creator of the Turf Rail System, said, “The Turf Rail system is built right in central Indiana and has the ability to fit many manufacturers two post automotive lifts that have a symmetric design with both two stage and three stage arms. I built the Turf Rail to fit the Challenger Lift from the factory, but we offer special adapters to fit other lift models.”

Tatom had designed Turf Rail after seeing a need in parks departments, golf courses, airports and the turf industry; however, it offers benefits to any shop where space is at a premium and workers handle a variety of equipment.

“You can lift and work on a car or truck and then work on other (smaller) pieces of equipment,” Tatom said. “The attachment was created specifically for a parks department in Ohio that was struggling with finding one piece of lifting equipment that would not only lift their turf equipment for easy access for service and repairs, but also lift the wide range of cars and trucks they use for the multiple parks and golf courses they maintain.”

He created a prototype and then took it to the parks department in Ohio’s shop. After a month of use, the park district critiqued Turf Rail, allowing Tatom to take that information and make changes, resulting in three different prototypes.

“After seeing the excitement of the employees that tested my product and the ability of the Turf Rail to lift a wide range of equipment, I filed my patent paperwork and began to critique my design to have the best product I could produce for the safe and effective lifting (in) both the outdoor and automotive industries,” Tatom said.

Turf Rail’s use of surface mounted two-post lifts takes up less space than four-post systems — a major plus in a shop where space is critical. Tatom noted, “The Turf Rail, when combined with a two-post automotive lift, will allow maintenance and repair facilities the ability to lift small equipment with wheelbase ranges from 26 inches up to 116 inches and capacities up to 7,000 pounds.”

Unlike other similar systems that might take hours to install, Turf Rail only takes between a minute or two.

“You can literally go from working on a mower or a Bobcat to working on a car, truck, or van,” Tatom said. “Shops would have to buy two lifts to cover the range of product we can with one lift.”

Turf Rail allows technicians to work comfortable and easily shift from a piece of outdoor power equipment to a truck in minutes. (Photo provided)

And most importantly, Turf Rail increases safety in the shop, with Tatom commenting, “(Technicians) have never been able to work so safely.”

Rather than laying on the ground or kneeling in awkward positions, technicians can work standing beneath the vehicle or piece of equipment, with service height ranging from zero to 70 inches.

According to the equipment service manager for a midwest international airport, “After using the Turf Rail System for a while, I was asked what I thought of the product, and the first word that came to my mind was ‘safe.’ My men love it. They work on a wide range of equipment, and to not have to lay on the ground or try using a crane to lift partially has changed the way we service our equipment.”

A month after launching his website, Tatom said he was contacted by Challenger Lift, a Snap On Equipment Company, and is now selling Turf Rail to Challenger. “They just released the product across the USA, Mexico and Canada. You can now find the Turf Rail available in NAPA, Pep Boys, O’Reilly Auto Parts, Advance Auto Parts, Auto Zone and Myers Tire Supply.”

For information, call (800) 359-2974 or visit www.turfrail.com.