For techs and mechs, it's a depression

[Packard V8]

Ruinously hard times for some of our brothers. At present on Spokane craigslist there are six Snap-on boxes, some with tools, asking from $1000 to $7900, with no takers. They are about to get a lesson in tool truck depreciation, because most are asking to get half they paid back.

The saddest one was a guy writing, "It's my pride and joy, but the rent is due, we need groceries and it's the only thing worth enough to get us by." Truly sorry for him, but advertising that kind of desperation is an invitation for some vultures to try to pick the carcass of a working life. And the reality is the Bible, Buddha and common sense warns against eating the seed corn in a lean year. Hope he/they all make it, but selling tools is just making it worse next year.

Hang in there guys. There's always a way.

thnx, jack vines

 

[Toolhorder]

I'll never sell my tools off. NEVER. My father always told me never to sell tools, they're an investment and you can always use them to make money with. I kinda feel sorry for others in bad situations but then I think most likely they were like the rest of the country that caused this mess by buying things they couldn't afford. I'm out of work right now and making it just fine. Things are tight but I'm not selling my stuff off. I didn't buy a half a million dollar house and a new escalade though when everyone was going crazy.

 

[tatra]

could be they also have made a decision to get outta the game and get the besy paying job they can where no investment on their part is required............factory work, change of career, etc........personally i agree you never sell your seed and spite yourself in the future doing so..............course the wife is probably looking at what he paid for them and figures well next time he needs tools i'll pick some up for him at walmart cuz they're cheap there...........

 

[JD6619A]

Now that we are in a recession it's a reality but knowing to put your family first before your belongings is the best thing to do. plus when you have no money tools aren't edible at least from what i heard...

 

[t100]

don't forget he probably has toolman knocking on his doors, too. tool truck credit is a ***** when your tools don't pay for themselves.

if I were in the position of choosing feeding my child or sell my tools, i'd sell my tools in a blink.

well, I don't have kids and I don't have too many tools, what do I know.

 

[srmofo]

don't forget he probably has toolman knocking on his doors, too. tool truck credit is a ***** when your tools don't pay for themselves.

if I were in the position of choosing feeding my child or sell my tools, i'd sell my tools in a blink.

well, I don't have kids and I don't have too many tools, what do I know.

If I was in a situation of choosing food or selling tools, I would get off my *** and go make money with my tools. Theres always side work if your a competant tech and you take care of people. When i do a side job i charge $50/hour. Its half of what a shop charges and they dont have a shade tree mechanic doing the job. I always have people calling me from word of mouth.

 

[Joel 67]

I'll never sell my tools off. NEVER. My father always told me never to sell tools, they're an investment and you can always use them to make money with. I kinda feel sorry for others in bad situations but then I think most likely they were like the rest of the country that caused this mess by buying things they couldn't afford. I'm out of work right now and making it just fine. Things are tight but I'm not selling my stuff off. I didn't buy a half a million dollar house and a new escalade though when everyone was going crazy.

Not many techs I know who drive new Escalades. Mostly Ford and Chevy pickups, etc. Maybe some of these guys were over invested in tools but they do use them for a living, so it is hard to be critical of them.

 

[Danglerb]

OrangeCo CL has a good half dozen Snapon mostly 761 boxes all asking $2k firm and another 3 or 4 in la la land asking $5k, $6k, $8k, and I think one special 50th edition with no tools for $8k. Last box I know of to actually sell went for under $1k.

I suspect a lot of people are hoping, and not really ready to do anything else.

All the shops I know personally are as busy, or busier than ever, but places are still going out of business, and my bet is that many places are hoping to get into the black by the end of the year, and when that doesn't happen we will see another wave of places closing.

Despite a lot of places being vacant, I haven't seen any real drop in the cost of business properties or rent.

 

[Danglerb]

Seems like a lot of the ads I see the person is listing medical reasons for quitting the profession. My bet is a people who have been working for years taking Tylenol 3x a day, prospects of a big pay cut and finding work make it easier to accept what their doctor has told them for years and quit.

 

[Keep]

The saddest one was a guy writing, "It's my pride and joy, but the rent is due, we need groceries and it's the only thing worth enough to get us by." Truly sorry for him, but advertising that kind of desperation is an invitation for some vultures to try to pick the carcass of a working life.

thnx, jack vines

Of course there are the types that write this **** to get a bleeding heart to pay top dollar.

Kind of like the guy that mysteriously shows up at the shopping center around the Holidays looking for money to "feed his 5 kids". Never see him during the rest of the year, just when folks are feeling generous and free with their money. Then you watch him get in his brand new car and drive away....

 

[t100]

with the shrinking income and credit crunch, a lot more people are FORCED to hold on to their old vehicles longer than they used to, compare to 3 years ago. more used cars on the road, more repairs are needed, it's just more competitive, customers are just more careful with their money now. but all that is under one condition: as long as the population in your area is steady. I'm from socal, the population is still growing in most of the areas, don't want go political, but that wall ain't stopping anybody.

it's places like Vegas and Phx, Detroit, when people move out, the demand on service industry goes with them. just that simple.

 

[krusty the clown]

it's sad but true. i don't know of any shops that are busy and jobs are hard to find. in fact my income has dropped steadily for the last 4 years. but i will never sell my tools. i think lauvers signature say's it all.

 

[Toolhorder]

Not many techs I know who drive new Escalades. Mostly Ford and Chevy pickups, etc. Maybe some of these guys were over invested in tools but they do use them for a living, so it is hard to be critical of them.

That's just one example. It could be a new Duramax, F150, whatever is popular in your area. My point is people kept refinancing their homes and buying stuff with the equitity they couldn't afford, like a bigger house, more toys, etc.. or people that couldn't afford a big house were buying them because the mortage lenders were telling them they could afford one and now that it's collapsed people are singing the sad stories and selling off all the stuff they have.

My point is if you were smart enough to have common sense and not try to buy more than you could afford you're probably not too affected by this down turn like me.

I would say 90% of the techs I worked with were out buying new vehicles, harleys, 500k homes, etc..
I kept an old 93 model year car, bought a small home 900 sq. ft., and invested money into a side vending business. Now that I'm not working at the dealer I have a side income from the vending business and I can feed myself and family.

 

[Mickey O]

It's a terrible story and I don't know everybody's situation but let this be a reminder to everyone to save some of your money for a rainy day.

You can also help by not buying cheap Asian junk, those tools are for chumps, and take jobs from your fellow citizens, increase the price of petrol, not to mention that very money may be used to build weapons that kill our service men and women.

 

[Art From De Leon]

It's a terrible story and I don't know everybody's situation but let this be a reminder to everyone to save some of your money for a rainy day.

You can also help by not buying cheap Asian junk, those tools are for chumps, and take jobs from your fellow citizens, increase the price of petrol, not to mention that very money may be used to build weapons that kill our service men and women.[/QUOTE]

A very good point, NEVER forget that Communist China has threatened to nuke us if we interfere with their rogue province of Taiwan, and that back in the 1990's the PRC was sold, or given, our strategic nuclear weapon secrets, as well as supplied the ability to better target their ICBMs re-entry vehicles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/international/asia/15china.html

 

[t100]

you forgot the stinger missiles used by Taliban in Afghanistan and AK-47 by the U.S. marines in Vietnam. what's your point with tools.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I would say 90% of the techs I worked with were out buying new vehicles, harleys, 500k homes, etc..
I kept an old 93 model year car, bought a small home 900 sq. ft., and invested money into a side vending business. Now that I'm not working at the dealer I have a side income from the vending business and I can feed myself and family.

See, i can understand the mortgage, and maybe financing a car, but some of this stuff people go crazy with. Putting everything on credit cards, quads, motorbikes and stuff on finance etc. So much of what they "own" isn't theirs at all. I've never bought anything i couldn't pay for in one go. Even stuff from Snap-on, i always had the money the money to pay it all off, i paid weekly on RA so i had extra money in my account for anything else i might need. Now looking to buy a car, i'm looking at a ~'02 Volvo V40 because i can get one for under a grand, which i'd pay in one go.

I have friends in their mid-20s with £8,000 on credit cards and two cars on finance. With the current job economy, i'm glad to not be in their position.


It is a depression right now, everywhere is quiet. I'm doing temp work packing envelopes because there's no work in the trade.

 

[LGMechanical]

I guess I can call myself lucky. The shop I work at is extremely busy. The bays are always full and same with the yard. Customers are leaving their rigs on the street because there is no room to park. A lot of the shops around us are slow though. I should take a photo of the shop and yard.

 

[a390st]

I can tell you that around here people are hanging onto used cars but they aren't repairing them. It will catch up with them someday, but they aren't worrying until it does.

 

[Diesel_Crawler]

I guess I can call myself lucky. The shop I work at is extremely busy. The bays are always full and same with the yard. Customers are leaving their rigs on the street because there is no room to park. A lot of the shops around us are slow though. I should take a photo of the shop and yard.

Same here, Swamped. We are on unlimited over time.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Same here, Swamped. We are on unlimited over time.

Lucky..

That said, at the temp job i can pull a couple 24 hour shifts next week. And most days you can work 8am-2am if you want.

 

[sheslostcontrol]

It's a terrible story and I don't know everybody's situation but let this be a reminder to everyone to save some of your money for a rainy day.

You can also help by not buying cheap Asian junk, those tools are for chumps, and take jobs from your fellow citizens, increase the price of petrol, not to mention that very money may be used to build weapons that kill our service men and women.

I agree with all of this.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

It's a terrible story and I don't know everybody's situation but let this be a reminder to everyone to save some of your money for a rainy day.

Here in England, we save our money for a sunny day.. Well, if you make enough that you can save some.

 

[jteck75]

Just like any other profession,I think it is also important to constantly train and diversify your skills to make yourself more valuable in today's tight economy. It no longer pays to be just an auto tech or just a diesel tech. Several years back, I worked hard and got into the industrial maintenance field and it has payed off big,despite the hard times that manufacturing is in. I'm making nearly double what I was making working on heavy equipment and semi trucks and getting 50+ hours a week year-round. If I were to get laid off first thing Monday morning,I'd just load up my gear,and go back to heavy equipment again. As we society,we get more and more advanced and technical,it just leaves more room for stuff to malfuction,and that's where we come in. So don't paint yourself into a corner,constantly try to better yourself and aquire skills that make you more valuable. That way,you'll always be turning wrenches instead of being forced to sell them.

 

[Joe H]

Just like any other profession,I think it is also important to constantly train and diversify your skills to make yourself more valuable in today's tight economy. It no longer pays to be just an auto tech or just a diesel tech. Several years back, I worked hard and got into the industrial maintenance field and it has payed off big,despite the hard times that manufacturing is in. I'm making nearly double what I was making working on heavy equipment and semi trucks and getting 50+ hours a week year-round. If I were to get laid off first thing Monday morning,I'd just load up my gear,and go back to heavy equipment again. As we society,we get more and more advanced and technical,it just leaves more room for stuff to malfuction,and that's where we come in. So don't paint yourself into a corner,constantly try to better yourself and aquire skills that make you more valuable. That way,you'll always be turning wrenches instead of being forced to sell them.

Very well put. Definitely pays to keep yourself from getting complacent.

 

[Toolhorder]

Just like any other profession,I think it is also important to constantly train and diversify your skills to make yourself more valuable in today's tight economy. It no longer pays to be just an auto tech or just a diesel tech. Several years back, I worked hard and got into the industrial maintenance field and it has payed off big,despite the hard times that manufacturing is in. I'm making nearly double what I was making working on heavy equipment and semi trucks and getting 50+ hours a week year-round. If I were to get laid off first thing Monday morning,I'd just load up my gear,and go back to heavy equipment again. As we society,we get more and more advanced and technical,it just leaves more room for stuff to malfuction,and that's where we come in. So don't paint yourself into a corner,constantly try to better yourself and aquire skills that make you more valuable. That way,you'll always be turning wrenches instead of being forced to sell them.

That's very true but I'd even go further and say just find another source of income that works for you. I invested about 10K 4 years ago in my vending business and it's really helping me out now. I'm not getting rich but I'm surviving. It's all about spending your money on stuff that generates more money for me. That's how you get sucessful.

 

[Danglerb]

Buying USA tools might make you feel better, but I am pretty sure a real solution is finding some new products to sell to the rest of the world, and getting them to pay for them. Them having a bunch of US dollars to spend, might actually be a good thing.

I am fairly concerned that what is going on right now isn't a job creation, but permanent unemployment for whole sectors of the work force. Nothing has happened in the last couple years that would make anybody want to try and start a business.

 

[Joe69]

The paving company I work for has all but stopped buying new equipment until the economy improves, but we are free to repair most anything we already own. We usually buy 3 new pavers a year, but haven't bought any since spring '08. I've always thought they replaced some stuff prematurely. They are just trying to be proactive at cutting expenses. We had a decent year this year as far as paving goes. I've been plenty busy maintaining our aging equipment, so I've had a pretty good year.

Joe

 

[autoace]

it's sad but true. i don't know of any shops that are busy and jobs are hard to find. in fact my income has dropped steadily for the last 4 years. but i will never sell my tools. i think lauvers signature say's it all.

Cars are coming in, but the owners are broke, more and more people choose to forego repairs, and just add fluid to leaking racks, don't do their timing belt service, are way late on service, drive around with MIL lights on.

If it runs, they don't fix it anymore. I have cut my profit down to bare minimum, and offered parts at my cost, and they still don't have the money.

The jobs I do get these days are due to no brakes, doesn't run, etc..........that is it! Even then they all want the cheapest parts possible, and NOTHING else....................

What to do? They are not jerks, they are just broke!

 

[autoace]

It's a terrible story and I don't know everybody's situation but let this be a reminder to everyone to save some of your money for a rainy day.

You can also help by not buying cheap Asian junk, those tools are for chumps, and take jobs from your fellow citizens, increase the price of petrol, not to mention that very money may be used to build weapons that kill our service men and women.[/QUOTE]

A very good point, NEVER forget that Communist China has threatened to nuke us if we interfere with their rogue province of Taiwan, and that back in the 1990's the PRC was sold, or given, our strategic nuclear weapon secrets, as well as supplied the ability to better target their ICBMs re-entry vehicles.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/15/international/asia/15china.html

They won't nuke their best customer, USA, it wouldn't make sense.

 

[Nealcrenshaw]

I spoke to the owner of a shop yesterday that rebuilds Heavy machinery Mills,Lathes,radial drills etc... He said he had "to lay off all of his workers because its slow as #$%@"

It seems like the more people i talk to most tell me that things are waay off.

 

[Toolhorder]

I think it depends on where you are in the country. Here in Norcal we have a shop on every corner so it's not surprising the auto industry here is in the dumper. I've talked to friends in Oregon and they are doing okay. There isn't a ton of shops where they are and people are still coming in. Their economy is generally worse than where I'm at though. I think a lower labor rate helps. The dealer I worked at here was at $132 an hour which is ridiculous.

 

[35mastr]

Its still real slow around here too. Shops and machine shops closing daily and auctioning off the tools and equipment.

Its going to get much uglier in the coming year. So I would save for it.

 

[Dust]

My shop typically runs out of work at ten in the morning. Then we fight to flag tickets.

I'm sort of immune since I'm hourly, but I try to work in terms of flagged hours, so I'll be in the mindset when I finally go commission.

 

[Packard V8]

I work mainly on obsolete Studebakers and Packard V8s. The custom and restoration business seems to be holding. Three local shops with whom I do the most business are two years backlogged. They aren't large, but they have all the business they can handle.

thnx, jack vines

 

[Skyline]

I think it's the dealers that are hurting the most, especially those of high end marques. In tough times, even smart folk who are still working know they need to circle the wagons and watch what they spend. My local Mercedes dealer has no more than 2/3rds of a day of work for their techs....and some have already been let go. More will follow out the door for sure. But they still think they can get away with $150 hr labor charges, and $2,000 brakes jobs. Customers are saying, I can get new rotors and pads for my $60,000 BMW or Mercedes for $800, use high qualitiy parts (Brembo rotors, Hawk pads or something similar), why should I pay $1,200 more for Mercedes parts, and insane labor rates. Even if you chose OEM parts, you can still trim several hundred from a job like this. Shops that specialize in high end autos took a hit for a little while, but pretty much are booming now. The dealers have gotten too greedy over the years, and now it is biting them back hard.

Here's an example: my Toyota dealer quoted 5 hrs at $130 hr to change a single fuel injector. Local private shop charged 2 hrs at $90/hr. Yes, the whole plenum has to come off, but this is in no way a 5 hr job. This is why the dealers are loosing out on non-warantee jobs.

 

[LGMechanical]

Diesel_Crawler and I both work at Canada's largest trucking sectors. So it's no suprise we are both swamped. Every single truck that goes through Ontario stops for repairs at either Windsor or 401/Dixie industrial area in Mississauga.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Diesel_Crawler and I both work at Canada's largest trucking sectors. So it's no suprise we are both swamped. Every single truck that goes through Ontario stops for repairs at either Windsor or 401/Dixie industrial area in Mississauga.

I need to get me a job in one of those places..

 

[Fedwrench]

I attended a Ford class last week and most of the techs in the class said they were making more money going to school than if they would have stayed at the shop. From what I see when I take a vehicle in for a warranty repair, or drive by the independent shops in the area, the ones that are still open seem to be slooow.

 

[caper]

Diesel_Crawler and I both work at Canada's largest trucking sectors. So it's no suprise we are both swamped. Every single truck that goes through Ontario stops for repairs at either Windsor or 401/Dixie industrial area in Mississauga.

I've worked in the Dixie/401 area.Coming from a small town it was quite an eye opener.Truck and trailer repair shops everywhere you look,car dealerships,truck dealer ships,trailer dealerships.A mechanics dream area.If you don't like your job all you had to do was drive around the block,other shops would have help wanted signs on their fence.