Autumn is a natural stock-check point for a workshop — the evenings are drawing in, tyre changeovers start picking up, and it's usually the point where you notice which consumables ran low over summer without anyone getting round to reordering. None of this is about buying more than you need; it's the same fittings and consumables most bays get through anyway, just worth checking before the busier weeks land on top of a low shelf. Here's what's worth checking before you're caught out.
Headlights, before the clocks go back
More driving happens in the dark from here on, and a dead or dim bulb goes from a minor annoyance to a genuine problem — and an MOT fail — much faster once the evenings are darker. The XENCN halogen range covers the common fitments — H4, H7, H15, H16, HB3, HIR2 — from £4.99, in twin packs for a single job or 10-packs if you want a fitment sat on the shelf rather than ordered in on demand.
Tyre changeovers mean new valves and a rebalance
If you're doing seasonal tyre changeovers, each one is a wheel off, tyre off, tyre on, wheel back — which is exactly the point to fit a new valve rather than reuse the old one, for the reasons we went through in our valve replacement FAQ. TR414 snap-in valves are £6.99 for a pack of 20 — under 35p a valve, which is nothing next to a comeback. Any wheel that's been off also needs rebalancing before it goes back on, so it's worth checking you're not low on wheel balance weights — the 300-pack (three boxes of 100 strips) at £64.99 is built for exactly this kind of seasonal volume rather than one-off jobs — three separate 100-packs come to £74.97, so the bulk pack is worth checking before reordering the smaller size out of habit.
Grip that holds up through a busier bay
More jobs through the bay means gloves get through faster too. AutoTop AT1084 nitrile gloves are an 8 mil construction with a raised diamond grip that's built to hold up in wet, dry and oily conditions — the box of 50 is £6.99, in medium, large or XL, and powder-free/latex-free if that matters for anyone in the bay. They're also sold as a 10-box trade case (500 gloves) at £45.00, which is the more sensible reorder point if a single box doesn't last the week once things pick up.
Stocking up
None of this needs buying in one go — but if fittings and consumables have a habit of running out at the worst moment, autumn is as good a time as any to top up before the season gets properly busy. First order on the site gets 10% off with code WELCOME10; if you're ordering this kind of thing regularly, an ATC trade account gets you trade and volume pricing plus bulk quantities not listed on the site.
