PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Maybe the receptionist is a Furry?
Most Impressive SO Box I've Seen
- Thread starter Jeff
- Start date
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Hope their Finance Manager isn't a Satanic High Priestess with her office decorated accordingly. Being stuck in that office signing the paperwork on her altar would be ... weird.
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2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
My uncle 3D printed and painted some of those, I don't think that style you can actually wear. Now maybe those are legit helmets but the stuff he had was a display item not really designed for wearing. If you compare the size of the helmets to human anatomy, they'd just kill your neck regardless of how the interior is designed. Versus in the movies where they're more helmet sized. Probably more visually impactful to see the detail in a larger form.
I figured Star Wars would have been super popular here based on the demographics/age. I liked it as a kid, I was probably 10 when the new movies were released. Now it's not really interesting, but I don't watch sports either.
I'm cool with goth girls, sign me up!
Most recently, the answer for me is "I saw some thread talking about it on Garage Journal."
Lookin4'67Galaxieconv
Well-known member
I just keep a letter from a friend in my desk at work.
Dear Red,
If you're reading this, you've gotten out
And if you've come this far, maybe you're
willing to come a little further.
You remember the name of the town,
don't you? I could use a good man to
help me get my project on wheels.
I'll keep an eye out for you and the
chessboard ready.
Remember, Red. Hope is a good thing,
maybe the best of things, and no good
thing ever dies. I will be hoping that
this letter finds you, and finds you well.
Your friend
Andy
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
The box color choice is certainly related to the Cincinnati Bengals. I would be pretty comical if the person periodically wore the Star Wars helmets while working on random things. Would make a decent face shield for grinding / welding.
Meursault74
Well-known member
isn't that what hookers are for
Um a thought they all were. Uh what wait a sec uhHope their Finance Manager isn't a Satanic High Priestess with her office decorated accordingly. Being stuck in that office signing the paperwork on her altar would be ... weird.
Notgrownup
Well-known member
Probably an equity line of credit will pay for that…
cosmokenney
Well-known member
Um, the combination of the ridiculously expensive custom SO Tool Box plus all the little knick-knacks was more of what I was referring to. Are you people really this angry?
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
You're confusing anger with amusement.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I'm not angry at all, but your comment shows a very closed minded philosophy that I do not understand whatsoever.
You're implying that an employee having a nice toolbox with some personalized things means that you're getting screwed over somehow or being taken advantage of, and that simply isn't true. It shows a lack of understanding of how the industry works and comes off as very elitist and yet somehow cheap at the same time.
drokihazan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2018
- Messages
- 264
What does this guy's personal hobby have to do with your price? Flat rate pricing is the same whether he buys tickets to a Star Wars convention with his check or buys tickets to a baseball game, and frankly it should be none of your concern or mine how anyone spends their own paycheck - we didn't earn it, they did.
cosmokenney
Well-known member
Um, the combination of the ridiculously expensive custom SO Tool Box plus all the little knick-knacks was more of what I was referring to. Where was it stated in the OP that they do flat rate?
cosmokenney
Well-known member
Right, and everyone in the world needs to think the same way as you. You are gatekeeping this forum. You should relax a little.
Cool, attack my intelligence and politics. You don't even know me.
dr_clyde
Well-known member
I have nothing personal in this one way or the other. No beef with anyone. It's just a discussion. You triple quoted us asking us if we are angry, and I'm simply responding to your question.
That said, I don't appreciate you putting words in my mouth. I never said the world needs to think the same way as me, nor did I attack your intelligence or politics. Not sure where you got politics out of that but I digress. Nor am I gatekeeping anything. You are free to think and post whatever you like, but I am also free to think/do the same.
I merely pointed out that your comments appeared to come off as someone who doesn't understand how auto repair shop pricing works, and that somehow a tech having a nice toolbox and being into star wars translated into you getting overpriced or bad service.
The box/tech in question is at a Dodge dealership afaik, and the overwhelming amount of dealers and car repair shops in general quote repairs and service work by the book time. Flat rate is a quoting tool that's very common in auto repair. The way you phrased your original statement it could be interpreted as because the tech has an expensive toolbox and some hobby related toys on display they are somehow overcharging you and wasting the money on things you don't deem worthy. It may not be how you actually think, but it's how you appear to think based on the few sentences we have to work with. I'm not the only one who immediately responded in kind. Nothing personal against you.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I'm reevaluating my earlier statement about this thread having legs. 
Just.. wow. If I had a choice of tool cabinets, it would be a wall of Canada-made Rousseaus because of just how damn impressive the drawer sliding mechanism and strength is despite not having as much configurability. But SO is SO. I can’t think of a business that requires that much tool storage capacity. Are they servicing a fleet of a thousand trucks with a staff of 50 mechanics?
Big-Time Boxes: Isaac Stitzinger, Snap-on
Measuring 42’ in length, this all-white with black trim Snap-on toolbox setup keeps this fleet technician’s tools organized so he’s ready to rock.www.vehicleservicepros.com
^^^If anybody can top this I'll be impressed.
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I'm reevaluating my earlier statement about this thread having legs.
It definitely has legs. We are, however, having some debate on which direction it is going.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
Well said. I seriously doubt when that specific guy works on a car, there's a line item for "Toolbox and Star Wars" added which otherwise
would be missing if any other employee was doing the repair.
If he had a HF box, and dumped money into crypto, would that be different? What about a college fund for his kids, Lista tool box? What if it was IV drug use, BUT it's a HF cart and Matco box? Or he works out of a 5 gallon bucket but has a 2025 Duramax with no tow hitch? What does the outcome of their W2 wages have to do with how the business prices things? The business doesn't ask the employee what their lifestyle costs then price jobs tech by tech to support the lifestyle they each lead. That person makes the same money in their paycheck with or without that box, with or without Star Wars, Star Trek, Star Whatever. I can never figure it out - when a white collar person has something nice, it's nice, they must have worked hard. That shiny new depreciating asset in the driveway or the pool which increases your home owners insurance. When a blue collar person has something nice, it's because they're ripping someone off? Which makes no sense because the blue collar worker probably isn't setting the pricing structure of the business they don't own and are an employee of in the first place. Neither does the white collar guy, they're employees too. Or they must be bad with money, lots of debt, they could never afford something nice?
Despite class divisions, wages intermix. I make good money and can buy whatever I want with it. Don't spend money you don't have on things you can't afford, balance your life, do what makes you happy. Unless it's drinking or drugs or gambling, don't do those. Otherwise IDGAF.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
I would assume that the box was purchased on credit mainly just because most people don't have a ton of cash laying around burning a hole in their pocket. But you're absolutely right that the individuals probably can afford to keep making payments. From what I understand the tool truck doesn't require set payments on accounts so slowly chipping away at the debt is perfectly fine in most cases.
garfunkle24
Well-known member
Let's expand on the "logic" of your statements:
At EXACTLY what dollar value of tool storage does it become evident that a tech's personal purchasing choices are causing you to get gouged for a repair? Is it $10k? So a guy with a $9999.99 toolbox is legit but one with a $10 000 box is ripping you off?
If I have a $10k toolbox and $150k in tools, am I scamming you more or less than the tech with a $30k box and $20k in tools?
Enquiring minds want to know.
Even if a poster was attacking your intelligence: Is judging a person's intelligence from statements they make more or less legit than judging a person on 1 photo of some things they purchased that you saw on the internet?
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PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
It's on layaway. Only 33 more payments and it will finally be his.
I think you missed a digit.
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
On something that high dollar they probably won't let you sit that on a truck account unless it's paid off rapidly. Even at half of MSRP that's a lot of money ******* for the dealer. Now I have seen people run a few grand against a tool truck account, zero interest. That's not terrible to chip down if you're buying several daily use items you legitimately need. If you can buy it elsewhere I'd generally recommend that and save the money, but if it's something exclusive or you plan to warranty that's another story. If you can pay it down fast enough to make the same-as-cash period, always finance. They give you 500+ off as an instant rebate, so take that free discount.
The credit accounts, which are actual credit-reporting accounts, do charge interest at crappy rates. Which are not terrible now that a mortgage is ~6-7% on a 30 year fixed. 9.9% is the best I've seen from snap on specifically, aside from the same as cash period, which can be 3-12 months depending. Not sure if they do differed interest over that period, I'd guess everyone does that now. When I financed a car at 1.9%, 9.9% sure looked like garbage. Granted when I was younger I paid ~$600 in interest on the 1st box I ever bought new, still have it a decade later. Both of my boxes were bought when dealers needed the money and had in-stock units so I can't say my experiences with pricing are typical. They were both quite motivated to make a deal. I got a price on a Mr. Big at one time, 144" with a hutch, two lockers, and a top chest - my eyes about melted out of my face. Of course I have too much stuff already, I interviewed at a shop that couldn't accept even one of my boxes, let alone the two of them. Last thing I need is a battleship of a tool box.
Even if we consider the legitimate possibility that box is leveraged to the nth degree and the guy is running his car from the repo man and the house is getting foreclosed - that wouldn't really effect how anyone is getting billed by his employer.
Snapped-off
Well-known member
Its funny how some find this dudes stuff so repulsive.
I kind of like seeing knick knacks in places. Gives you something to talk about.
But they do require a lot of interest if it not on the truck account.
scooby074
Well-known member
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
One of my customers had their receptionist's desk nameplate with her title as
"Director of First Impressions"
"Director of First Impressions"
BuffettFan
Well-known member
My Ex-wife's husband V2.0 used to brag that his SO toolbox cost more than his house.
Err, trailer.
Good for them!
Err, trailer.
Good for them!
PugetDude
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I knew a guy that used to brag about how big his truck payment was. To anyone and everyone. Clearly missed a lot of eye-rolls.My Ex-wife's husband V2.0 used to brag that his SO toolbox cost more than his house.
Err, trailer.
Good for them!
OK, despite all of the other stuff, I still want to know how a toolbox that tall is practical for making money. I get that the owner may value having a showpiece more, but does one of those huge things actually pay for itself in efficiency? Maybe there are 13 mechanics in the country that are restricted to one wall of a bay just that wide and tall, and also get to bill a very high rate for their work. It just seems odd to me that any tech that wanted to have money to take home more than handing it over to the tool truck guy would do that. I'd want an efficient tool storage arrangement that would make me more money than it cost.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
The only thing that's rather unpractical about that box is overhead storage. An epiq, lockers, hutch, all pretty normal working height. I'll admit the top area isn't somewhere I'd like to write 20 pages but for the normal use of light typing and leaning it's ergonomic enough.
From a practical standpoint, vertical is better. Not all shops have horizontal room, you can always go up. Sort of like buildings, you need more land to increase footprint but building a sky-scraper doesn't require a radical footprint versus if the same space were a one or two story building. Consider someone like me, with two 72" boxes, 3 lockers between them. That's a TON of horizontal real estate and that's not always available. Like I posted earlier, some shops straight up cannot take my setup. I leave tools at home or I can't work there. Although an 84+ two 30" lockers is still a monster. Mine is at least two separate sections which helps transport and layout.
Overhead storage functions kind of like a locker. The Epiq line can have shelves or drawers all the way up, stock is 4 or 6 drawers? Drawers let you pull stuff out, obviously, and are more accessible than shelves. However, if you're dumping blow molded cases up there, it's not bad. Sure you need a step stool, but bulky items like fuel pressure testers, AC leak detection tools, timing tools, brake bleeders, etc could find a home up there. IDK about the corner sections, they're 30x30" like the lockers and 20" tall. Those I think you might have an issue with. I certainly wouldn't want to unload them to get something in the back on any regular basis.
FWIW I've considered trading in everything I have for something somewhat similar to that just to reduce footprint for if/when I leave where I work now. No hutch, drawers all the way up as I'd need the space. Maybe an overhead storage too. I don't see a cart in view in the OP. Some people run larger boxes if they can work directly in front of it all the time. I'm wheeling around sometimes 100ft between work areas so I have a big cart. At a certain point, if he needs more space, his bay is X feet wide, you gotta go up if you need to store more stuff.
Thank you for taking the time to explain that. It mostly makes sense now. Back in the early 80s when I started in the business, a 26/27 inch stack was the basic standard, with maybe an intermediate cabinet plus a side cabinet. The richest mechanic I ever knew worked out of a 3-drawer Craftsman bottom box and retired at 45. He wasted no money on any tool that wasn't profitable at the time.
What we called "Taco wagons" were just appearing at that time. 40-50-something inch stacks were just really getting popular when I changed careers in 1999. So these 8 foot tall 12 foot long ginormous stacks that literally cost more than my first house still seem weird to me. I can't figure out how filling that tool condominium could possibly work out profitably for a flat-rate mechanic given the severe erosion of pay rates since I was turning wrenches. Back when the 27 inch stacks were normal, we mechanics generally got paid 50% of the labor bill. But obviously, I've been out of the business for over a quarter of a century and the pay deal must work very differently now.
drokihazan
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2018
- Messages
- 264
Something that has been attracting me to the Icon line is how affordable they are for a box that includes the overhead storage option. I'm a tall guy, and I've tried them out in the HF store. I can easily reach all the way to the back of those overhead storage cubbies, they'd be great lockers for blow-molded cases and Icon will sell extra drawers so I can run them up the inside of the lockers just like an Epiq since the blow-molded cases would largely be stored up top for me. Biggest thing that stops me is waiting around to see if they come out with a 30" deep line of Icon boxes in the next couple of years, since I'm not in a huge rush. The Epiq is a little taller, but I tried one on the Rock'n'roll Cab and I can still reach in that overhead cubbie just fine - they seem like a totally reasonable option if you're well over 6'