Shop Tools Vs. Tech Tools?

[jimmy12345678]

Fellow techs out there, I'm curious as to what your shop provides for you vs. what you have to provide for yourself, both tools and shop supplies (gloves, uniforms, etc.)

I've worked in three different shops so far in my career, two dealers and an independent where I'm at now, and had to provide varying amounts of tools and supplies at each one. The dealers provided gloves and uniform services, my current shop does not. At the dealer we obviously had the factory scan tools and special service tools (most of the time....), at my shop now I'm pretty much on the hook for any tools I need other than the basics (lift, brake lathe, tire machines, shop press, strut compressor, etc.) but my pay is a decent bit higher than at either dealership.

I personally HATE shop tools, because a shared tool is an abused tool. If you have no money in a tool, you're more likely to abuse it because "It's not mine!" And in a lot of shops the "shop tool" is the cheapest piece of **** the shop owner thought they could get away with (e.g. crappy HF tap and die set, torque wrenches, etc.) I'd rather invest in myself and my career vs expect the shop to provide a majority of the tools and deal with the headaches of sharing a tool with every other tech in the shop, and dealing with half working/broken or missing special tools that you're just expected to "make it work".

I'm also a big believer in the "If you borrow it three times, you need to buy your own" rule. If you've borrowed it that many times, you obviously need it enough to where buying your own would benefit you. I've seen so many guys who use the crappy broken shop tools and complain about them, but I rarely (if ever) see them investing in their own tools to do the job better. They are content to deal with half working tools because they're either too cheap to buy their own or just don't give a ****. Or borrow the same tool over and over just expecting either the shop or another tech to provide it for them, and only have the most basic of tools themselves.

So where do you guys draw the line, and how much does the shop that you work at/worked at in the past provide for you?

 

[MarineScott]

I have bought thousands of $$$ of tools, and special tools. Some of the bigger ones like the Hub Tamer/Grappler, I use the shops. Rarely do I borrow tools. I am NO WAY made of money. I told the last owner I was tired of jobs costing me money, and now it's time to cost him money. If some one wants to borrow and is a pest, I tell them I will rent them the tool. I absolutely will NOT lend out any type of pullers, or precision measuring devices.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I buy anything I can expect a decent ROI. Thanks to covid, I currently get gloves supplied. Doubt that will last.

Shop supplies - air, lifts, tire stuff, 20ton press, torches, welder, hydraulic exhaust bender, oil drains, some jack stands and posts, a floor jack, AC machine.


As MarineScott said, my tool my job. I don't spend thousands so goober can use my tools to make a living. Yours broke? No problem at all, use mine until it's fixed (reasonable time limit applies). But I don't subsidize anyone. No power steering pulley puller? Looks like you don't do power steering pumps. I supply 100% of the diagnostic equipment, thus I do, and am paid for, 100% of diagnostic work of any kind. Press accessories, ball joint tools, specialty engine stuff, measuring, you name it. Invest in yourself, and you get the added benefit of holding all the cards.


And don't forget - if the tool cost is too high for you, and the shop doesn't want to buy it themselves, you simply don't do that sort of work.

 

[richfinn]

The only Caveat I would add is invest in yourself, not some skinflints business

If your aim is to be the drivability tech, spend on those type of tools!!!!

If your boss wants you to buy shop equipment to do steering and suspension work beyond basic hand and power tools, look for a better job!!!!

 

[Fedwrench]

When I worked at a dealer, they provided uniforms, nitrile gloves, a sureshot sprayer, and a 55 gallon drum of brake clean. They had the mandatory Dealer special tools for the most part. However, since time is money in a flat rate world, you don't want to wait on someone else using a scan tool or something else so, to increase your own bottom line, you would pick up what you needed to get the job done.
When I worked for a city fleet, they provided uniforms, a safety shoe allowance, and a $600 per year tool allowance. Although many techs didn't spend it on tools They had a limited range of scan tools and a few specialty tools. They didn't let us use brake clean as it was too hazardous I missed brake clean at that job.
My current fleet job provides everything and I mean everything. From my uniforms, the safety shoes on my feet, to all individual tools, Ford, GM, & Chrysler scan tools, AC Machine, tire machines, etc. and a wide range of specialty tools as needed. It's not cheap stuff either. The only things we lack are a wheel alignment machine because, it's cheaper to send wheel alignments out than to purchase and maintain a wheel alignment machine based on the size of our fleet. I know my gig is an exception and extremely uncommon, which is one reason why I'm happy to trot off to work each day

Don't forget about your working conditions and training too but, that might need to be a different thread. Paid training has been available wherever I've worked. I've heard horror stories of techs having to pay for their training though. some shops are little more than dark dungeons without climate control, decent lighting, or safe lifts.