Matco BJ tool is a beast....
- Thread starter Buckgnarly
- Start date
Farmall450
Well-known member
I've heard those are pretty much the best. $$$ tho.
I ended up buying the Astro beast/monster one. We'll see how it does, I think I have one going out on my 2002 2500HD (240k).
I ended up buying the Astro beast/monster one. We'll see how it does, I think I have one going out on my 2002 2500HD (240k).
kbeefy
Well-known member
I used one one a dodge 3500 after breaking my SnapOn BJP1 on it.
It was impressive.
It was impressive.
WWheeler
Well-known member
The Matco BJP18100 Ball Joint Press is made by Schley (#18100). IIRC Matco sells the press and the adapters separately and Schley has them altogether in one kit. I think the Schley kit can be had for a little less. It's been on my list of wants for quite a while now.
OP
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
I would probably not have it as my only one, but it sure makes getting into solid axle fronts/tight spots nice, and makes stubborn ones a breeze.
OP
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
We installed all 4 with it.
No kidding! How many ball joints do you need to do to make that thing start paying you back?
Who doesn't like a good ........
WWheeler
Well-known member
For a home gamer it would for sure be a hard pill to swallow. Fortunately I do a lot of ball joints on 1/2-1 ton pickups so I'm thinking it will be money well spent over the usual hammer/C clamp style press/torch method.
Other than being easier and faster how many ball joints does it take to literally cover the cost? 50? 100?
kbeefy
Well-known member
From a strictly financial perspective, you would have to put a value on the ball joint job.
As a shop, if I'm making $250 profit per job then about 6 jobs to pay it off. But your profit goes to other places as well.
If I can do the job twice as fast, my profit margins go way up and the tool gets paid for quicker.
Other wise, consider what it's replacing. The SnapOn BJP1 and a set of adapters is about $1000. It's probably not $800 better than the Astro for the DIY guy, but as a shop owner I was able to justify it when my OTC broke.
So the Matco one is about $500 more. After using the Matco one I'd say it's well worth the additional $500. If I didn't already have a BJP1 I would probably buy the Matco one, or the schely one @WWheeler pointed out.
More of a question for a tech that buys their own tools, either on commission or flat rate.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Right? Shop supplied ball joint press?!?! IIRC our shop has a ****** HF one stashed somewhere with basically no adapters.
Things like suspension/brakes are high profit tickets both for a tech and shop. This makes purchase of such tools easier, they payback is faster. If one is making a living with the tool, a ball joint press easily pays itself back, especially if the tech is getting zero ball joint jobs since he doesn't have a press.
I have the astro Goliath and a normal OTC, plus lots of adapters. If I need more *** the that I just get a torch out
Well how much does a tech make on a ball joint job needing one of those? I haven’t worked in that business for decades so literally have no idea.
American Locomotive
Well-known member
If the tool saves as much time and grief as it claims, it would likely pay for itself very quickly. Probably within a couple of weeks if you do a lot of front end work.
Well what’s a “lot of front end work”?
10 ball joints/week? So 20 total? Or 100? Or 500?
Just curious because it seems like a lot of money for something that you’re not getting much to do? Unless I’m totally off base. IDK that’s why I’m asking. So far it seems like it’s one of those tools that saves some hassle but it’s also $1500.
kbeefy
Well-known member
Well, that job book time is about 4 hours + an alignment. I don't remember if theres a combo, but I usually charged 6 hours.
My techs were about $30/hr + production bonuses (anything above 40/week was 1.5x, like overtime).
With 'standard' tools and a BJ press, a good mechanic could probably get it done in 4 hours. I'm sure one of the working guys will chime in if I'm off. So, at my shop, a mechanic would make $120-$180 for that job.
What I feel the Matco tool brings is the extra leverage to make a tough job easy.
As I mentioned before, I broke my BJP1 on one of those 1 ton dodges, the Matco tool pushed it out like it was nothing.
I guess I should go put ball joints in this F350 I've been putting off for weeks.
So that’s about 10-12 ball joints to pay for the tool?
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
My prime ball joint days, having been turning wrenches ~12 years, was when all the 2007-ish era GM SUVs/trucks ALL needed uppers/lowers at 100k. Like clock work, 100k, all 4 loose. And there were a lot around, I was doing uppers/lowers once a week for sure, sometimes every DAY for a whole week.
If I extrapolate my current pay rate I'd by grossing about $200 total, maybe $250, per vehicle. New upper arms, press both ball joints on the lower arms, alignment. Per my payrate then, perhaps $150/vehicle. So an astro Goliath c-frame plus an adapter set basically gets paid for on job 1 with my current pay, job 2 with what I made then - the tech breaks dead even for the work vs tool cost. Something like the premium tool truck options you're talking ~4 vehicles with today's pay, ~6.5 vehicles with the old pay scale.
As others stated, when you start playing around with 1 ton axles, things get TIGHT and if you're doing those regularly you want to buy the absolute best. For removal I prefer a torch and .498 shank air hammer. That's what, another $250+?
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Sometimes it's not even about the money, it's just the wear and tear! Spend the money, get the tool, and save your body.
I've worked with guys who "hit hardest" with a sledge. Wheel bearings taking hours to remove, they're all worn out from ball joints where I can do them as fast as you can get the parts here.
It just isn't worth it to kill yourself. The Big 3 domestics finally figured out how to make a ball joint, which killed my desire for the snap on BJP1. Damn shame, I made a killing. Certainly better, and safer, for the customers though.
Yep exactly. And if I want the math to work all I have to say is doing it myself in one day and buying the tool is cheaper than sending it to a shop for a week of downtime.
Those things do look trick, if I did it for a living I'd buy that over the BJP1. I've passed up a couple 300 dollar BJP1's regrettably, I think the better move for somebody who doesn't get visited by the tool truck is to buy the knew icon copy cat BJP1. I love snap on stuff but it's just such a pain to warranty.
DIY tool costs can be easily justified most times if you count yourself as free labor. And if it’s a one time use tool you can always sell it after the job is completed and get at least half your money back.
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
A tool that is easier to use is usually easier on the body too. A huge impact for someone using it regularly
Injuries are wildly expensive
Injuries are wildly expensive
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Call them. They'll mail you what you need. I swapped some sockets and a hammer, plus a few other guys got ratchets rebuilt/replaced. Just give them your info and they'll handle it for you.
This. I'm guessing that a trip to the ER for even a few stitches is well over $1K today.
30+ years ago I'm helping a friend change rear suspension bushings on an 80s Mustang. He was removing the ones in the rear diff?, using a ~1" X 12" lg round bar and whacking it with a BFH. I was doing something else, maybe pressing the bushings out of a control arm. I hear whack, whack, thud. When I heard the thud, I knew something was wrong; he had a glancing hit, and it went into his wrist with the hammer. It swelled up like a balloon, he couldn't move his hand... Time to go to the ER. Luckily it wasn't broken. But still.... that was a very expensive mistake for a broke college kid; well, for his parents.
Last edited:
mike93lx
ALLIANCE MEMBER
With high deductible plans, it can cost a lot more than that too, but lost time and long term effects are way worse.
Yeah, I meant for out of pocket to the injured person. I have an HSA with a $1500 deductible, which is very low (edit- the minimum) for an HSA. So, it's all on me up to $1500, and mostly on me up to $2500. And like you said, this is excluding lost time and long term effects. Years ago I dislocated my finger. It took about a week for it to heal to where I could use it, but it seriously took over a year for where it didn't hurt if it was even 55F and I tried to bend it. You only get one body
OP
Buckgnarly
Well-known member
Just FYI, the press and adapter kit is 732.12 right now on Matco's website.
EDIT: Ah ****, it WAS that price last month WITHOUT my student/Instructor discount....sale ended I guess, sorry!
EDIT: Ah ****, it WAS that price last month WITHOUT my student/Instructor discount....sale ended I guess, sorry!
Jswain
Well-known member
That's the difference between a real pro BJ and an amateur job
I've done this before, it's hit or miss on who you get on the phone. I buy all my stuff secondhand, and the snap on fine print only warranties to the original purchaser and sometimes they want proof of purchase. Sometimes they could give two shits and will send me anything
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
I've used my OTC ball joint tool so many times that I'd spend the money for a nicer setup if it ever breaks; and I'm just working on my own junk. Ball joints are expensive to have a shop replace, yet they really aren't difficult to do when you have decent tools.
Put tie rods in the same category.
kbeefy
Well-known member
Slummin today with my lowly BJP1....
