diesel techs, lets see your boxes

[AJH]

To AJH, the new SO road chest measure up perfect for the the classic 60. Some day I want to get one for my classic 60, but since I have a kra 62 already, I'm having a hard time justifing.

Is that the KRA6200F road chest? I was thinking about the KRA2405 for a top chest. It has about 14,000 cubic inches vs. 12,000 for the KRA6200F, although maybe the road chest could make the top box double as a mobile box.

 

[bobcatdan]

Thats the box. I got this idea from a road tech at the last dealer I worked at. Keep you common tools that you can fix most things with in the top box. Keep less used tools in the lower. There at a lot of tools that never get used on the road. About half the time he kept his top box in his work van and when he had bigger shop jobs, pulled it out and set on his roll cab. When I started where I work now, I kinda copied his idea, I already had my road chest and I bought a classic 60 to go with it. Keeping basic tools in it, I used it as a "service" cart in the shop. I would get called on the road about once a week. Back the truck under the crane, lift the chest in, grab some parts and on the road in 10 minutes. After about a year I became the real road tech so now I keep a set in the truck and have a shop set in the box i posted earlier.

 

[kcaz507]

Mine is stationary. I don't always work on engines but when I do I work in Test Cells, not in a shop type environment.

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

Well I have a long ways to go, I am only 18 so I have a few more years to get loaded up better. But I dont borrow many tools. as you might tell I work on green machines.

Cart...

And a little green

And maybe some humor for people that can relate

 

[young_buck]

Do you like the white box? do you find it hard to keep clean?

 

[young_buck]

Wow bikes&bowties that is impressive especially at 18. I have been trying to post pictures but they won't upload

 

[Silver6.0]

Great thread. Ive been needing to take pics for insurance purposes anyway haha. My main box is a snap on "wide guy" model. KRL something or other its almost 73" wide and their deepest they offer. Basicly its a 3 bay with one side double wide drawers. Which I love. I added the stainless drawer guards. I also have a smaller 4 drawer black snap on flip lid I used to used as a road box when I worked out west as a traveling tech. I have a red snap on krl series 2 bay thats not as tall as my black one in my dads shop for when I'm at his place.

my little flip lid top box. I built the bottom cabinet and added the snap on emblem.

air drawer, little bit of everything, snap on, blue point. ingersoll, craftsman

wrench drawer some snap on, ace , matco, gear wrench, lots of no manes

top drawer , socket drawer again a little bit of everything, matco, snap on, mac craftsman, sk, and some no names


sorry for such crappy pictures, i'll have to try some day time pics with less glare and fuzzyness

 

[sberry]

Here is one we swiped the wheels off.

 

[young_buck]

If you are a field diesel tech, service trucks are welcome in this thread as well!

 

[AllStock]

I never liked working in a shop all of the time.

 

[crewchief888]

current truck
'06 F550 SD PSD had this one 3 1/2 years logged 100k miles so far
previous truck was an '04 F450 SD PSD logged 150K miles in that one.

11ft monroe 'glass body, sliding sectional bed top, autocrane, with 4ft manual ext, & 5ft hyd extension.

been at 5 different const eq dealers since '84, most of the time in the field, except for an 8 year stretch in the rebuild room at the last dealer

 

[bobcatdan]

The two compartments I keep tools in. There is also 5 drawer craftsman roller inside the enclosed body. I'll have to get a better picture, but the truck is an '08 F350 with an 8ft enclosed body. For what I do on the road, it is a very good set up. There is really nothing I do working on bobcats that I need a hoist. If I have any heavy lifting to do, I bring a toro ding with me to do things like tracks.

 

[crewchief888]

they changed body types on our new trucks to a knaphied (sp) KUV tall body
no more cranes.

they wont let us keep them in working condition anyway.
within a couple years the motors have crapped out, and the salt eats up the wiring harnesses. i had just got the crane operational on my old truck, 2 weeks later they send me another (newer, low mileage) truck and of course, the crane dont work,
previous guy had never used it.
within 6 months it needed a front end alignment, 3 tires and brakes, within a year, it had been towed in twice for a no start.

and wouldnt you know it, when we get some new trucks, my old truck gets replaced, and i'm stuck with the one i have for at least another year..

even tho were "forbidden" to tracks by ourselves without help, (suppose to dispatch 2 field mechanics) we do it all the time. most of my customers know they either A: bring the machine to our shop, or B: have another machine available, or C: they set the tracks within 5 feet of the machine, i can handle them with a come-a-long from there.
1/2 the time a customer will pick the tracks up and take them to the site, or one of our salesman will deliver them for me.

 

[Snapped-off]

current truck
'06 F550 SD PSD had this one 3 1/2 years logged 100k miles so far
previous truck was an '04 F450 SD PSD logged 150K miles in that one.

11ft monroe 'glass body, sliding sectional bed top, autocrane, with 4ft manual ext, & 5ft hyd extension.

been at 5 different const eq dealers since '84, most of the time in the field, except for an 8 year stretch in the rebuild room at the last dealer

Do you have a gen/welder/air setup at all on this truck?

 

[bobcatdan]

I do tracks pretty often on the road. A lot of run offs or they tore them in half. I have a pretty good system with the dingo. I simply let it do the hard work. If you carry as many parts on truck as I do, the kuv is pretty nice. My truck is as much a parts departed as a shop on wheels.

 

[crewchief888]

Do you have a gen/welder/air setup at all on this truck?

only air

they wont let me have a welder, managements point of view was if I have a welder, then all the trucks have to a have a welder, i'm guessing most of the buys dont know how to weld

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

only air

they wont let me have a welder, managements point of view was if I have a welder, then all the trucks have to a have a welder, i'm guessing most of the buys dont know how to weld

Oh, I dunno...most of the guys I know in equipment work will tell you that bird-**** lookin' **** they do IS welding

 

[zmotorsports]

I work on about anything and everything not just specific to diesels. Actually only a few diesels, some large RVs for friends as well as my own and a neighbor of mine has a small towing company that I maintain his trucks, two are diesels. They don't fit in my home shop anymore since I installed my lift so I have to work on them outside my large shop door, another reason I don't work on them too often.

Mike.

Anyway here are my tools.

Box. Snap-On KRL1023 bottom/KRL1203 top/KRL1012 side locker.

Just a few of the busier drawers.

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

I've had to do track on a T190 a good couple of times now. I got it down to a science where the front and back is lifted up, grease fitting or relief is loosened then pry under the front idler with a bar until I can sneak in the side window with a pry bar. Once the old track is off and out of the way i'll just shimmy the new one into place. They can be a pain, but not impossible or terribly hard with one person.

 

[RV77]

Hey Zmotorsports - How you like the side locker ? Im thinking of getting one to free up some drawer space.

Post some pics of your layout

Thanks

 

[crewchief888]

I've had to do track on a T190 a good couple of times now. I got it down to a science where the front and back is lifted up, grease fitting or relief is loosened then pry under the front idler with a bar until I can sneak in the side window with a pry bar. Once the old track is off and out of the way i'll just shimmy the new one into place. They can be a pain, but not impossible or terribly hard with one person.

t190 tracks are a breeze

t250/300 get a little heavy at my age.

 

[zmotorsports]

Hey Zmotorsports - How you like the side locker ? Im thinking of getting one to free up some drawer space.

Post some pics of your layout

Thanks

I love the side locker. Works great to house specialty tools in the blow molded cases and not take up drawer space.

I don't have any detailed pics of it but I will try to take a few tomorrow.

Mike.

 

[plewlandsbob]

I am an Agricultural mechanic, over in Scotland. Here are some pics of my service van and tools. Over here, we don't have purpose built service trucks. Field guys, have normal vans. I have been running this van for six months. The boss bought it as a temporary measure, second hand. It has had company decals put on it. I think it is going to become a permanant vehicle. It is smaller , than my last van. It is too small, I can't get it as organised ,as I would like. Box is a kra62c heavy duty road chest.

 

[Justin1776]

AJH, that is a really nice hardline set up

 

[sdguy55]

I am an Agricultural mechanic, over in Scotland. Here are some pics of my service van and tools. Over here, we don't have purpose built service trucks. Field guys, have normal vans. I have been running this van for six months. The boss bought it as a temporary measure, second hand. It has had company decals put on it. I think it is going to become a permanant vehicle. It is smaller , than my last van. It is too small, I can't get it as organised ,as I would like. Box is a kra62c heavy duty road chest.

What kind of tractors do you guys work on? I dont recognize that brand.

 

[plewlandsbob]

We are dealers for, Deutz Fahr, a top german brand. Although ,they are owned by , Same ( pronounced, Sam-eh) an Italian tractor manufacturer. The ,Same- deutz fahr group, produce the, Same , Deutz Fahr, Lamborghini and Hurliman tractor brands. They are basically the same tractors, with slight bodywork differances and painted in different colours.

We work on any brand of tractor or machinery. We are a small operation, the boss, myself, another mechanic and two apprentices. The shop is tiny,only 50ftx 30ft. We are in the middle of getting a new shop built, 120ft x 50ft. I am on the road, in workshop about 50/50.

Here is a link to a promo video of the new Deutz tractor range.

 

[redline380]

We are dealers for, Deutz Fahr, a top german brand. Although ,they are owned by , Same ( pronounced, Sam-eh) an Italian tractor manufacturer. The ,Same- deutz fahr group, produce the, Same , Deutz Fahr, Lamborghini and Hurliman tractor brands. They are basically the same tractors, with slight bodywork differances and painted in different colours.

We work on any brand of tractor or machinery. We are a small operation, the boss, myself, another mechanic and two apprentices. The shop is tiny,only 50ftx 30ft. We are in the middle of getting a new shop built, 120ft x 50ft. I am on the road, in workshop about 50/50.

Here is a link to a promo video of the new Deutz tractor range.

does duetz make any water cooled engines or are they all oil cooled? its a burning question i've been having

 

[plewlandsbob]

Yes Deutz make water cooled engines. Older Deutz tractors, up until the early nineties used air cooled engines. When they launched a completely new range, they switched to water cooled. The only oil cooled ones, I have come across , have been powering industrial compressors. I believe the air cooled engines are still produced for use where there is no emissions regulations, Africa for example.

Deutz, also used to produce large slow speed marine diesels, upto 15000 hp. Deutz sold that division to Wartsila in 2005. The still produce them under the wartsila name. They can be run on diesel or natural gas.

Volvo ,also owns a large share of Deutz engines and rebadge 6 and 7 litre engines as Volvos, still with the Deutz data plate. I Don't know what engines ,Volvo uses in the US

 

[crewchief888]

bobcat used oil cooled duetz engines in the mid 90's - early '00's
seems like i remember seeing a couple oil cooled engines in bomag compaction eq in the mid 90's, altho most were air cooled

 

[durallymax]

does duetz make any water cooled engines or are they all oil cooled? its a burning question i've been having

They make a lot of liquid cooled engines now.

Fendt switched to them with the newer 900 series back in 07/08. They used to run MAN. The 7.4L Duetz has been more reliable, but many still prefer the 8.4L Sisu in the Agco/MF/Challenger tractors. Fendt is owned by Agco.

I still prefer the Fendt though regardless of the engines. They are a prime example of good German engineering. The Mercedes/BMW of tractors. Every little detail thought out, tested and put out with only the best quality. THey have the least amount of issues of any tractor and are the most advanced to boot. They do charge a premium for it though. A comparable MF/Challenger will be $220,000, a CNH will be around that price too, then the Fendt will be $270,000. Deere is close to Fendt in price, and does have better quality than Agco, however Deere is not an innovator, lacks in many features compared to the Fendt and sells on brand image more than anything.

Yes Deutz make water cooled engines. Older Deutz tractors, up until the early nineties used air cooled engines. When they launched a completely new range, they switched to water cooled. The only oil cooled ones, I have come across , have been powering industrial compressors. I believe the air cooled engines are still produced for use where there is no emissions regulations, Africa for example.

Deutz, also used to produce large slow speed marine diesels, upto 15000 hp. Deutz sold that division to Wartsila in 2005. The still produce them under the wartsila name. They can be run on diesel or natural gas.

Volvo ,also owns a large share of Deutz engines and rebadge 6 and 7 litre engines as Volvos, still with the Deutz data plate. I Don't know what engines ,Volvo uses in the US

Used to run an old FMC Pea Stripper combine with a V8 air cooled Duetz. Many of the Gleaner combines used them for a long time as well.

Our wheel loader has one of the Duetz engines (Volvo L60E). It is very fuel efficient, quiet and has been reliable.

The Duetz in the Fendt tractors is also very efficient.



I work on our farm's equipment which is all diesel except for the small engines. I started buying my own tools out of frustration with the farms tools. When it comes to bigger stuff and some of the specialty stuff, I stock it in the shop. In addition to working on the stuff, I also manage the shop, so having the tools needed, and parts on hand takes the majority of my time. I enjoy it though, nothing worse than not having the right tools or having the parts on hand. I've been working on upgrading, and adding to the shops tool collection lately. We're building a locked tool room with keypad entry to store the ones we don't want walking away.

I would lock the entire shop down, but our farm is a large dairy farm and there are people working all but the time from 2:00am-3:30am. Many of those guys are the milkers at night who are not fixing things regularly, but they still need access to tools incase something comes up. Most of the help is migrant workers, while good at their assigned jobs, their wrenching skills tend to be crude at best. They are rough on tools and getting them back from them is tough sometimes. I am currently working on setting up a tool cabinet for them in the barn. It will have a peg board with every tool traced and labeled. Their tools will either be scribed or simply painted so that it is known where they belong. Most will probably be of the harbor freight variety, but none-the-less they will get their few tasks done. Their power tools will be our aging tired DeWalt stuff which will be replaced with Ryobi. They use drills for many things so they need a decent one, but they are hard on them so it doesn't pay to spend the big bucks. They will have a tool allowance that will simply be an end of year bonus fund. The guy we have managing all of them is very responsible and bilingual. He will check the cabinet frequently too see if tools are missing and try to track them down.

The shops tools I will be going a similar direction with I think. I can't decide if I want to keep them in a toolbox or just give up on the box and put them on a rollaround peg board like so many do, I sit and listen to how much time I see guys wasting digging through the wrench drawer or the sockets, looking for the right size. I think a peg board for the general stuff may be a little nicer for them, but then again they are bulky. If I get the barn staff working out of their own tools, it will be easier to justify slightly nicer tools for the shop box if needed. I always keep a backstock of new tools as well that only go out when the others are missing. Many of the special service tools though that we use I do spend a little more on. We can't jusitify the nicest of everything, but with many of those tools, safety becomes an issue and the time needed to complete a task also does. In addition to those, if it is a junk tool that doesn't work well, nobody will want to use it and they may not even want to do the repair. Cordless tools are the next big upgrade. Its between Bosch 18v for most stuff and 36v for saws, and Milwaukee 18v. It would be nice if Bosch had more of their brushless stateside. I've also been spending a lot of time and money, researching and working on eliminating loose hoses and cords in the shop in favor of hose reels, just ordered a 3/8x50' Reelcraft the other day, plan to get some more soon. Already have two hose reels that get used constantly. Loose hoses just leave a mess everywhere, loose extension cords get robbed the second new ones get brought in. They disappear to unknown places, or this time of year get used for block heaters, then caught with snow plows.



Anyways, its basically me in the shop full time along with another main guy, who does a lot of the trucking and fieldwork, helping out when he can and a new guy thats learning the ropes helping in the shop and running equipment, kinda. Tough to find people with a mechanical mind, and good operator skills it seems. Many just don't have that 2nd nature for feeling/hearing when things seem out of the norm. We also have another guy who does all of the building maintenance and repairs around the farm who is in and out of the shop, but he has most of his own tools in his own truck which he uses around the farm. Shop is far too long of a walk for most tasks, works good that he has his own. Personally I like managing the shop a lot, I like impressing people, so when they show up and say the dealership couldn't make this hose, can you? Then I show them the fitting nobody else had, just made my day. I generally take care of the things with engines while the other guy does the tillage equipment, planters and such. Regular preventative maintenance is actually a favorite of mine too. Many people don't like it, but for me its a chance to get close and personal with the machines and see what problems are developing. I've had to give up pressure washing as I am too picky and it takes too much time, but that also was a good way to notice problems. I now have the new guy wash them off just before I service them regularly. I like new challenges and doing as many of the repairs here that we can, but when I start to fall very far behind on PM and Shop Duties I will farm some of the more time sensitive ones out if needed. I used to not let anything go to get fixed anywhere else and tried doing everything when I would get time, but too many things got put off for too long that I just had to learn to let some of the jobs just go to another place to catch up. I also do a lot of Duramax repair and performance on the side which takes up the rest of my time.



Our equipment consists of multiple late model tractors, and some really old ones too, forage harvester and related harvest equipment, tillage and planting equipment, feeding equipment, loaders, plenty of skid steers, cars and trucks, and a few semis. Its a pretty busy job, but fun. Forage harvesting is my favorite time of year. Generally we do cereal crops in May, 1st crop alfalfa late May early June, 2nd crop end of June, 3rd end of July and 4th end of August. We generally no more than drive out of the last field and everyone is chomping at the bit to chop corn, so then its a mad dash to get the chopper switched over and ready to go for the corn silage season which will last through the middle of september, towards the end of September we switch the chopper over to Snaplage which goes on for a week or two at a slower pace, then if needed we will switch it back over to cereal grains and chop some late oats if any were planted. Otherwise we will clean it off, put it away and switch it back over the winter. The best part about harvesting though is the adrenaline rush. You can't stop. When hay is laying, with the weather we have here, every minute down is costing you a lot. 8 guys standing around waiting for the chopper to get fixed, all of their machines sitting idle, its a couple grand wasted every hour. Our forage equipment runs across 500-800 acres of cereal grains, 1000 acres of corn silage and snaplage, and 1000 acres of alfalfa 4 times per year.

Just for laughs, here's a video from a couple years ago of our "stress relief" after dinner one afternoon before going back out for the night (typically run 7am-midnight). The chopper is a Claas 940. Its actually the 2nd smallest one. has a V8 Twin-Turbo Mercedes at 470hp. The biggest one Claas offers now has a V12 MAN with 880hp. Krone uses the same engine for their 1100hp model.

 

[durallymax]

Below are a couple very old pictures of our shop from the year after we built it (2009). Office and bathroom as well as many other things have been added since this time.









A couple duramax projects. Headgaskets and transmission rebuild. Two of the most common things I end up doing. Done 8 or 9 sets of HG's now. Not too bad to do. I enjoy re-doing Allisons.









Below are some pictures of my tools. They are somewhat a hobby/passion of mine. I could get by with much less of some things, and lower quality of other things, but I like the comfort, peace of mind and ease of work that comes with good tools. I bought the majority of my tools in 2010, bought a house last year and remodeled it so most of the money went to that, getting married this year, but finding a little extra to add to my Knipex collection and replace my craftsman drivers with Wiha. All of the tools I replace with better ones I take home for stuff around the house. Most of the tools I bought new, I got a couple from ebay and such though. The box I picked up for only $2,900.












More Knipex on the way to replace the craftsman pliers, and expand on my precision snap ring pliers collection. Love those things.













The rest of the drawers are drivers and some other tools. Have some Wiha on the way to replace them, I'm sure some thread later on pics will end up there.



Below are some pictures of some of our equipment.

Case IH 8940 Cutting Alfalfa with a Pottinger V10 34' triple mower.



Case IH 8910 Merging Alfalfa for a customer with Oxbo 334, 34' continuous merger.



Chopping hay with Claas 940



All of the blades lined up a few years ago on the corn silage pile



Finished silage pile, you can see skid steer in lower right hand corner.



The other side of pile with Volvo L60E in foreground



Chopper with rotary Orbis 600 head for chopping corn. These heads are row independent which allows you to chop the field in the most efficient pattern. This also allows you to plant the field for the best erosion control without worrying about efficiency during harvest.



"Opening up" Corn field.



View from in the cab of semi when opening up.



Normal side loading.



Set up for snaplage



Broken skid steer transport with Cat 262C2.



Agco DT275B with new Houle 7300 gallon manure spreader.





All the new Cat's last spring. Traded two NH LS170s for them as well as one NH L220. Two new 2012 242B3's, and a lease return 2011 262C with 180hrs on it. In August the came out with a promo and we traded the 262C on a 2013 262C2 which is in the picture above carrying the JD skid steer.



Massey Ferguson 8680 with grouser blade.



07 T600 KW w/cat. Main truck for hauling milk from both of our farms. We also have an 01 Freightliner that goes in the fields with the apron trailer and hauls feed around. It hauls milk when needed. The trailer is being replaced by a new Trail King Super Hi-Lite ag belt. The truck was about to be replaced by a newer KW, but as I was looking for trucks it decided to break a ring, so we just got it back from getting an overhaul and will run it another year or so.



some of the GPS we use. This is the one in our mower tractor. Our new corn planted has all of the row shut offs and variable rate drives as well to further increase efficiency.






I think this may be the longest post I have ever had.

 

[86k10]

durallymax, thats a nice clean shop and nice box. A clean shop really makes a difference. I just interviewed at a shop and it was too gringy and dirty for me.

 

[ClrkLndeKmt'su]

does duetz make any water cooled engines or are they all oil cooled? its a burning question i've been having

I run into water cooled applications in larger Linde fork lifts, 6 ton capacity and larger. I believe they are 4.9 liter engines.

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

What size is that shop? Its nice seeing some farming, a bit different than what we do, but still farming. How big of operation do you have?

 

[chevymech30]

durallymax you got an amazing set up there great job

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

durallymax, what area are you in? I've been away from farms so long.....your post makes me wanna cash in on this city / suburbia **** / sell the house and go....you hiring?

 

[redline380]

I run into water cooled applications in larger Linde fork lifts, 6 ton capacity and larger. I believe they are 4.9 liter engines.

i just ask becuase my landlord owns a diesel shop down the road from me. i dont work there, but i am always down there helping just cause i am bored. and ive seen a lot of duetz in bobcats. last week they had a big generator with a 4 cylinder duetz and it was oil cooled. ive just never seen a duetz other than oil. i figured those crazy germans were at it again, being all german and stuff.

 

[chammyman]

I am an Agricultural mechanic, over in Scotland. Here are some pics of my service van and tools. Over here, we don't have purpose built service trucks. Field guys, have normal vans. I have been running this van for six months. The boss bought it as a temporary measure, second hand. It has had company decals put on it. I think it is going to become a permanant vehicle. It is smaller , than my last van. It is too small, I can't get it as organised ,as I would like. Box is a kra62c heavy duty road chest.

The Vivaro/Primastar/Trafic is an odd choice for your job in that guise. As you say it's a bit small.

What was your last van? The usual transit/lt/sprinter or something more exotic?

 

[bobcatdan]

I have been to farm shops that would make jaw drop. The make my dealership look like a dog house.

 

[David W]

The Vivaro/Primastar/Trafic is an odd choice for your job in that guise. As you say it's a bit small.

What was your last van? The usual transit/lt/sprinter or something more exotic?

I hate to be a troll but man, that van styling is just hideous. I would just about pay for a Transit out of my own pocket than be seen in that thing.