How can mechanics afford Snap On?

[PeteMoore]

I don't know about other branches, but with the Air Force we bought whatever brand of tools. I was in charge of a tool room for about 3 years so I have an idea on how it all worked.
No one gave 2 shits what brand the tool was, just that we had the tools required and they would work correctly.

Reason that Snap On, Matco, etc is popular is because..

A. They have GSA contracts
B. Cost (50-60% off list)
C. Marketing/Sales. They pimp their **** just like they do to the auto techs.

Also spent a long time with tool control and tool stores as my secondary duty.

As soon as the powers that be realised I actually had a passion for it instead of it just being a sh*tty second duty to aid promotion I ended up with the whole of camp's tool stores under my duristiction.

I had actually managed to provide such a good service, removed all the crappy old shelving, brought in all new stuff, laid out all the new foam drawers with dayglo shadows, provided complete sets of tools from the likes of britool and snap-on.

We went with snap-on because they were happy to etch the tooling for us, without affecting warranty, replace broken items and do us a great deal off list price. On top of that, when we did the math over a 5 year period of replacing broken/worn tools, we actually saved somewhere in the region of £100k

As such this did infact get me my promotion, but also got me a nice financial bonus for helping them save so much money in the long run. Most officers that would have typically done this job would have come in, blown the budget for their 2 year post and left a complete mess for the next guy to tidy up with no regard as to how it went on the shop floor.

Spending other peoples money was great, but every guy in our hangar finally found a new respect for tool stores - it was modern, fantastic tooling, broken items were replaced immediately from small stock holding on camp and if there was something we didnt have, they knew for a fact I would get it for them and give it a gucci home in the stores.

A lot of pride went into that job. I miss it.

 

[ngk22r]

Side-jobs steal from your primary employer.

You owe it to your employer to not do side-jobs.

If the employer provides enough work and money per hour, then there would be no need for side work.

So you actually owe nothing to the employer.

 

[ptschram]

I haven't hired another tech because I'm afraid I couldn't provide 40 hours of work.

If my current tech were to be doing work in his own garage on the same brand of vehicle as we work on here, he'd find his tools on the doorstep.

It's the way it is. If you don't like it, open your own shop and make the rules. Until then, the guy who writes your paycheck makes the rules, he made the investment and gets to make those rules because of it.

My house is dependent upon my shop making money as the shop is at the house. I can't pack up my tools and move to the next shop. My tech can.

 

[ngk22r]

I haven't hired another tech because I'm afraid I couldn't provide 40 hours of work.

If my current tech were to be doing work in his own garage on the same brand of vehicle as we work on here, he'd find his tools on the doorstep.

It's the way it is. If you don't like it, open your own shop and make the rules. Until then, the guy who writes your paycheck makes the rules, he made the investment and gets to make those rules because of it.

My house is dependent upon my shop making money as the shop is at the house. I can't pack up my tools and move to the next shop. My tech can.

Thats if the employer finds out. If it is a good shop that pays well and treats the employee well, then the chances of side work fall. Treat the employee like **** and pay him little or do not provide enough work, side work rises.

That is the way it is. PERIOD.

If the employer want loyalty in their shop, make it so that the pay and place is great to work for. Rules do not mean a damn thing when a person has to feed his or her family.

 

[ptschram]

Rules do not mean a damn thing when a person has to feed his or her family.

Jails are full of people who felt that way.

 

[ngk22r]

Jails are full of people who felt that way.

...I was referring to the rules a shop makes about side work

 

[jeffk14]

I haven't hired another tech because I'm afraid I couldn't provide 40 hours of work.

If my current tech were to be doing work in his own garage on the same brand of vehicle as we work on here, he'd find his tools on the doorstep.

It's the way it is. If you don't like it, open your own shop and make the rules. Until then, the guy who writes your paycheck makes the rules, he made the investment and gets to make those rules because of it.

My house is dependent upon my shop making money as the shop is at the house. I can't pack up my tools and move to the next shop. My tech can.

See posts #48, 54 and 56, in this thread, written by me. They were specifically aimed at employers like you.

 

[mrholeshot]

I haven't hired another tech because I'm afraid I couldn't provide 40 hours of work.

If my current tech were to be doing work in his own garage on the same brand of vehicle as we work on here, he'd find his tools on the doorstep.

It's the way it is. If you don't like it, open your own shop and make the rules. Until then, the guy who writes your paycheck makes the rules, he made the investment and gets to make those rules because of it.

My house is dependent upon my shop making money as the shop is at the house. I can't pack up my tools and move to the next shop. My tech can.

I had no problem with my techs doing sidework. Just don't hawk my customers for their work and don't do side work in my shop. I had one guy pulling his "neighbors" car in my shop at luchtime and doing brake jobs. When he got to the 5th neighbor I put an end to his employment. His neighbor lived a mile from me and called me complaining about his brakes squealing. From then on every car that was pulled in my shop had a RO on it. I made it clear it better not have to hood open in my parking lot with the RO. Techs wer free to use the shop on their personal vehicles but that was the end of the line.

I'm sure your tech has you fooled, lol

 

[pipsters]

If the employer provides enough work and money per hour, then there would be no need for side work.

So you actually owe nothing to the employer.

How much money is enough? Just a little bit more...

 

[jeffk14]

I had no problem with my techs doing sidework. Just don't hawk my customers for their work and don't do side work in my shop. I had one guy pulling his "neighbors" car in my shop at luchtime and doing brake jobs. When he got to the 5th neighbor I put an end to his employment. His neighbor lived a mile from me and called me complaining about his brakes squealing. From then on every car that was pulled in my shop had a RO on it. I made it clear it better not have to hood open in my parking lot with the RO. Techs wer free to use the shop on their personal vehicles but that was the end of the line.

I'm sure your tech has you fooled, lol

That's what I'm thinkin'. If'n I worked for ole ptschram, you kin bet I'd be layin' th' lumber to 'im right reg'lar like an' he'd never ev'n know it.


Well mhs, it's probably a good thing that you're no longer in business. Your fair-minded, common sense approach to things has no place in today's business world full of paranoid, small-minded hypocrites.

 

[mrholeshot]

How much money is enough?

they don't have a number that high

 

[Lotek]

One rounded off bolt in the wrong place caused by a cheapo socket can pay for a lot of Snap On...

And for those of you who think it's ok to solicit side work at the shop...I don't know what to say.

Maybe I'm a little oldfashioned.

 

[mrholeshot]

That's what I'm thinkin'. If'n I worked for ole ptschram, you kin bet I'd be layin' th' lumber to 'im right reg'lar like an' he'd never ev'n know it.


Well mhs, it's probably a good thing that you're no longer in business. Your fair-minded, common sense approach to things has no place in today's business world full of paranoid, small-minded hypocrites.

I'm seriously thinking about opening up another shop. There are a few good places I'm looking at right now. I have two of my best old techs ready to start work if I open the doors. I must have treated them a little better than most. I'd have to sell off a few things to get cracking but it would give me something to do. May try to do things on a smaller scale this time.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Side-jobs steal from your primary employer.

You owe it to your employer to not do side-jobs.

Total ********.

No they don't. I don't owe my employer anything at all, he owes me. I work and get paid at the end of the month, so he's pretty much always in
my debt. I ask nothing from my employ and get precisely that, i do a hell of a lot more for him than he does for me. I need the side jobs because my employer pays me such a pathetic abysmal wage.

I'd steal customers from him all day long if i could, leave the place and go it alone. With the exception of Mastercard i don't owe anyone anything.

 

[mrholeshot]

Employee= A person you hire to make YOURSELF more money. My emplyees made me money and I get paid because of them. Most business owners don't understand the concept anymore

 

[scott37300]

I haven't hired another tech because I'm afraid I couldn't provide 40 hours of work.

If my current tech were to be doing work in his own garage on the same brand of vehicle as we work on here, he'd find his tools on the doorstep.

It's the way it is. If you don't like it, open your own shop and make the rules. Until then, the guy who writes your paycheck makes the rules, he made the investment and gets to make those rules because of it.

My house is dependent upon my shop making money as the shop is at the house. I can't pack up my tools and move to the next shop. My tech can.

Who's to say that the car he is doing sidework on would have even came to your shop? If the emplyee is doing side work on one of your long time customers than I agree it's a no no, but if someone comes to him off your time and asks him to do some work that is his deal. You can't tell your employees what they can and can't do on their own time. That is a joke.

If that's your policy and your employees signed that agreement when they were hired on then that's an agreement between you two. But no employeer is going to tell me what I can and can't do off the clock. I suppose your employees can't even work on their own cars at home because they are taking work away from you because they aren't bringing it into your shop.

 

[Moose-LandTran]

My Liability on my shop wasn't that high. The insurance on my wreckers was an a differant story. To protect yourself here you make yourself a LLC. Even when I was doing mobile under a business licence I was an LLC.

+1. I'm forming my own company for just that purpose. Limited liability and trade insurance. Should something go wrong, limited liability and also i have insurance to cover what there is.

In a financial class years ago, I remember someone stating that the best decision anybody can make, to be more sound from a personal fiscal position, is to incorporate/llc/etc... yourself.

It's the way to save yourself from ruin.

Or kills himself, or someone else.

I did a fatal accident investigation June 27, 1989, just ask me how I remember that date. It wasn't just because I made a pile of money that day.

Do tell..

 

[PeteMoore]

Just feel like chiming in here to ask politely if the bitching could be put to one side please, this was quite an enjoyable thread.

Start another thread about tech pay and employment contracts

 

[jeffk14]

Employee= A person you hire to make YOURSELF more money. My emplyees made me money and I get paid because of them. Most business owners don't understand the concept anymore

Very good point mhs. That's a basic concept of doing business.
Another thing that these so-called "businessmen" fail to grasp is that if you FAIL to take CARE of your PEOPLE:

THEY




WILL




****




YOU!!!

 

[route246]

It's a difficult situation to be at odds with a boss. I was always taught that when I take money from an employer to give them a fair day's work for a fair day's wage. If your skills are in short supply then you probably should seek another employer. If your skills are in surplus then you have to take what you can get. That's how a marketplace works. But, I am a firm believer that a happy workplace with satisfied employees is a necessity to a healthy business. Dissatisfied employees are really a cancer to any business and it takes two sides to create dissatisfaction.

Total ********.

No they don't. I don't owe my employer anything at all, he owes me. I work and get paid at the end of the month, so he's pretty much always in
my debt. I ask nothing from my employ and get precisely that, i do a hell of a lot more for him than he does for me. I need the side jobs because my employer pays me such a pathetic abysmal wage.

I'd steal customers from him all day long if i could, leave the place and go it alone. With the exception of Mastercard i don't owe anyone anything.

 

[mrholeshot]

Just feel like chiming in here to ask politely if the bitching could be put to one side please, this was quite an enjoyable thread.

Start another thread about tech pay and employment contracts

It is all relevant to the question. You have real life techs explaining how and why. That involves perspectives from each side. Remember any thread over 3 pages turns into a ******* contest. Stop reading by page 3 and you should be OK

 

[route246]

I agree with jeffk14. It is the reason by many small businesses fail. The hired help needs to be good and the relationship with the hired help needs to be good. If it is not they will find a way to destroy your business.

 

[PeteMoore]

It is all relevant to the question. You have real life techs explaining how and why. That involves perspectives from each side. Remember any thread over 3 pages turns into a ******* contest. Stop reading by page 3 and you should be OK

Understood

Cheers

Just had the feeling from the multiple thousands of pages i have viewed on here it was generally not like that.

Ah well.

 

[jeffk14]

It is all relevant to the question. You have real life techs explaining how and why. That involves perspectives from each side. Remember any thread over 3 pages turns into a ******* contest. Stop reading by page 3 and you should be OK

And thus my new sig line is born.

 

[mrholeshot]

I agree with jeffk14. It is the reason by many small businesses fail. The hired help needs to be good and the relationship with the hired help needs to be good. If it is not they will find a way to destroy your business.

A bad employer can turn a once great employee into a cancer on his own business. Treat your employees like **** and they will steal from you even if they never take one physical item. I use to do little things for my employees that didn't cost much. Once a week I bought them lunch, during the hot days of the year I kept a cooler filled with Gatorade and bottled water, and sometimes when one had a big coolant or oil spill I'd go over and start cleaning it up for them. Just little things like pointing a fan in their direction on a hot day goes a long way in employee relations. In most cases you treat an employee in a human and equal level they will be much more productive, total moral throughout the shop will be better and everybody makes more money

 

[PeteMoore]

A bad employer can turn a once great employee into a cancer on his own business. Treat your employees like **** and they will steal from you even if they never take one physical item. I use to do little things for my employees that didn't cost much. Once a week I bought them lunch, during the hot days of the year I kept a cooler filled with Gatorade and bottled water, and sometimes when one had a big coolant or oil spill I'd go over and start cleaning it up for them. Just little things like pointing a fan in their direction on a hot day goes a long way in employee relations. In most cases you treat an employee in a human and equal level they will be much more productive, total moral throughout the shop will be better and everybody makes more money

Can you please come to Northern Ireland and bestow your knowledge onto business owners here please

 

[route246]

We just finished some major remodeling. My wife and I kept the refrigerator out in the garage stocked with bottled water, sodas, Gatorade and juice. The freezer had a working ice-maker which was a huge hit, too. We made it clear to all of the workers to help themselves and to put the empties into a recycle bin for our son's classroom fundraising. We were buying a lot of cases of drinks from Costco on a weekly basis and those crews could really consume, especially the roofers when it was hot. A happy crew does better work, goes that extra mile to make sure it's done right and are more energetic and less likely to get fatigued if they are well hydrated. We also bought lunch for them at various local fastfood and takeout joints if we were around. The cost to do this was a very small fraction of the remodel job. I think it paid dividends many times over. The quality of the work was stunning.

A bad employer can turn a once great employee into a cancer on his own business. Treat your employees like **** and they will steal from you even if they never take one physical item. I use to do little things for my employees that didn't cost much. Once a week I bought them lunch, during the hot days of the year I kept a cooler filled with Gatorade and bottled water, and sometimes when one had a big coolant or oil spill I'd go over and start cleaning it up for them. Just little things like pointing a fan in their direction on a hot day goes a long way in employee relations. In most cases you treat an employee in a human and equal level they will be much more productive, total moral throughout the shop will be better and everybody makes more money

 

[mrholeshot]

I think it paid dividends many times over. The quality of the work was stunning.

exactly!

 

[ptschram]

One rounded off bolt in the wrong place caused by a cheapo socket can pay for a lot of Snap On...

And for those of you who think it's ok to compete with your employer...I don't know what to say.

Maybe I'm a little oldfashioned.

Fixed it for you.

I AM old fashioned.

 

[ptschram]

My tech often tells me that after 1700 hours, he's my friend, before that, we are co-workers.

He works with me, not for me, not against me.

I've been doing this for nearly ten years, I'm the one that owns the shop, I make the rules.
I must be doing something right. Got to go, another truck's being dropped off, yes, I'm still working at 2000 hours, my tech isn't.

edit-guys, it's all good, I worked for the "Man" for almost 20 years, before that, I worked for myself and starved, it took me a long time to get here.

 

[jeffk14]

yes, I'm still working at 2000 hours, my tech isn't.

Heck no he's not still there, how can he get any side work done if he's hangin' around with you all night???

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

Okay, I know I am new to this site and not trying or wanting to piss anyone off. I have been reading the forum for some time and I just can't believe how much money some mechanics/technicians have in tools. I mean some talk about 30,000-100,000 in tools. I look at the prices of Snap On tools ($1,500 for a complete set of wrenches...come on!) and they make me nauseous.

My good friend is a technician and he says he makes about $28 an hour and flags about 100 hours on average in a two week period (some weeks better some weeks worse). That is a little over $70,000 a year. From what I understand he is doing pretty well. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics the average technician is making closer to $43,000 a year working at a dealership.

My question is why on earth would you spend that much money to potentially make only 40 to 80 thousand a year. Again, I am not trying to upset anyone. As a matter of fact I am really considering becoming a technician but in the back of my mind I am saying it just doesn't make sense financially. Explain why people do this.

..............exactly ............

 

[mrholeshot]

My tech often tells me that after 1700 hours, he's my friend, before that, we are co-workers.

He works with me, not for me, not against me.

I've been doing this for nearly ten years, I'm the one that owns the shop, I make the rules.
I must be doing something right. Got to go, another truck's being dropped off, yes, I'm still working at 2000 hours, my tech isn't.

edit-guys, it's all good, I worked for the "Man" for almost 20 years, before that, I worked for myself and starved, it took me a long time to get here.

you are clueless. he's at home making some real money

 

[ptschram]

you are clueless. he's at home making some real money

If you only knew.

 

[HandyManny]

One rounded off bolt in the wrong place caused by a cheapo socket can pay for a lot of Snap On...

And for those of you who think it's ok to solicit side work at the shop...I don't know what to say.

Maybe I'm a little oldfashioned.

I've used a lot of various brands and sockets of varying quality over the years. Can't say I've ever had a cheap socket round off a nut or bolt that wasn't rusted out or corroded to begin with. May have had one or two sockets split under pressure before, but as long as I'm using the right size socket on a good fastener and as long as I do my part right I've never had one rounded-off. I think if anyone is rounding off good fasteners with the right sized socket (regardless of quality) they need a crash course lesson in the proper way to handle and turn a ratchet.

 

[treasureseeker]

Buy Snap-on off of Ebay or GF

 

[joecon]

The big snap on box is to impress the mech. next employer not the
customers.He also has to keep up with the other guys in the shop.If you
can't tell the diferense between a good tool and a cheap tool you probaley
can't tell a good job from a mess.
I only buy used boxes because of the price but if I had to change job
often I would need a b iger box.
Mech. are not hired hands they are professionals even if the pay dosnt
reflect it they should behave like it.
My father always told me to buy the best you could aford.

 

[D9H 90V]

Easy answer, Buy the best once and be done with it!!!

 

[Busted Bolts]

Most of the people who don't understand the reasoning behind having top of the line tools, and paying a premium for them all start their post with " I'm not a tech", or " I wrench for a hobby", " I'm a DIYer". Although there are many on this forum that do buy the truck brands for home use, the typical shadetree guy seems to always say "my C-man does the job just as good as SO" What you don't read often is the techs who do buy the proffesional lines and regret buying from SO, MAC, Cornwell, Matco, and others. People have choices what they can do with their money. Like mrhleshot said he's fine with driving around in his F150 when others buy mercedes. Yeah both get you around, but some don't mind driving to work in an $80,000 car, and some don't mind spending $40,000 in tools. Tools to a tech are an extension of his or her self. For me I like the best in tools. I could spend my money on things that either I can't show for, or for toys. I chose to INVEST early on for the things that make me money. Its has been well worth it now having an extensive line of quality tools and equipment. Its the cost of doing bussiness. The old sayin spend it to make it. If I wasn't able to make weekly payments towards my tools I wouldn't have been able to have what I have now. There were times I pushed the line on having heavy balances, but over time I had a plan that best fit my finances and what work I could branch into when I had the proper special tooling. When you do it for a living you sometimes can't run to Sears to get a replacement socket. The truck brands have the stuff that is basic and specific, that you might not find at Lowes or Sears. Loyalty played a role for me. Just like my customers were to me, my servicing tool dealer was also and in return I give him good bussiness. Cheaper isn't always better. I take care of what I have invested in, I make money due to having the right equipment to get the job done. I pay more for the truck brand, and there are other brands that can do the same for less, but its the same for my customers they could shop around too, but they don't mind paying if they get good service time and time again. Thats what my tools do for me. Good quality for dependable service time and time again. The average DIY tool owner some times doesn't see that logic.

 

[mofo62]

.


I love my job of Mechanic
I love work with trucks Americans (Kenworth,Mack,Freghtliner,Peterbilt,International)
I Love Snap On,Proto,Wright,Hazet,Williams (Supercombo!),Indestro,Craftsman,Armstrong...
I love buy tools weekend of Quality



For my not all its money,job mechanic its Passion,Nostalgia with trucks and tools


My Snap On - Yay393 - Torque Multiplier, Geared Head, Bar Reaction, 3200 ft. lb. Output (its very expensive $$$ )

$3,10.70 in my country its much money but its fantastic tool.




V!