Tool Allowance????

[mech-tech]

Just wondering how many guys here get a tool allowance at their place of employment? I hear about from other techs but never worked anywhere that gave such a thing to any of their employees. Is it a common thing?????

 

[Stick]

We get $30/paycheck or $60/month at my current shop (per union contract). Most broken tools that aren't warrantied come out of that money. At my last shop (also union) we didn't have a tool allowance, but tools were repaired or replaced no questions asked with the same or better quality.

 

[jeeper93436]

i worked at a shop in Fresno,Ca that did this instead of bonus or commission. so the question would be would you rather get extra cash or tool allowance. if i ever became a shop owner i think i would do this. tax deductible since shop is paying for them, techs wold not have a reason to why they dont have the right tools, keep the money from going to drugs or beer. i dont think its very common at least around where i live now, Santa Barbara County.

 

[Bluearmflames]

We get 200 a year. ***** when you first start, but evens out as the years go by. They also will buy any tools that you break within reason. I work in industrial food processing.

 

[SpiderGearsMan]

haven't seen a tool allowance at the dealer since 1986
had one at the public school bus garage , but they wanted receipts ..250 bucks

 

[joedodge]

Had one when I worked for our local transit bus authority ...$250. The other fleets and dealers I've worked for dont offer anything. I don't mind I but all my own tools so if me and my box role out the door everything gos with me.

 

[diesel research]

keep the money from going to drugs or beer.

how did they control fund allocation?

back in military time, they would simply add several hundred dollar "clothing allowance" on paycheck, although it could be spent or justified anyway you wanted.

in order to control, do they have to order the tools themselves? reimburse with receipts? how to prevent them from pawning tools for beer money? who decides what tools can be reimbursed?

 

[reptilezs]

i get 1% of my production/labor back as a tool allowance and performance bonus

 

[ken w.]

My first mechanic job I got a tool / shoe allowence.I think it was $ 25.00 a month. Not a lot but better than nothing. I think it's a thing of the past.

 

[James-W]

I am not a mechanic, but I do know several mechanics. Around here the mechanic uses his own tools, but if a tool breaks the company will buy a new one. Most shops I know of have a Snap-on truck or a Matco truck stop at least once a month and at that time you just give the broken tool to the guy and he will give you a new one if he has it on the truck. If he doesn't have the tool on the truck, he will get the new tool to you within a few days. If the tool isn't a warranty replacement, the bill is paid by the company. If the tool you break isn't a Snap-on or a Matco tool, it doesn't matter, the replacement tool will be a Snap-on or a matco tool. If you don't want a Snap-on tool or a Matco tool, you can buy the tool on your own, bring in the receipt and the company will reimburse you. That's how it works around here, at least that's what the mechanic buddies of mine tell me.

 

[crewchief888]

last shop i worked at our ($25) tool allowance was paid based on your safety for the quarter.
no lost time accidents and you got your allowance. safe for a year and you got a $200 "bonus"
a P.O. was cut to one tool truck, and thats where your tools came from.

 

[Applesauce]

$200 a year. All of a sudden I don't feel like this is too bad for a bicycle shop... Unfortunately it was taxed as a bonus.

 

[jontar]

we get $60/month as industrial electricians the millwrights get $100/month

 

[James-W]

last shop i worked at our ($25) tool allowance was paid based on your safety for the quarter.
no lost time accidents and you got your allowance. safe for a year and you got a $200 "bonus"
a P.O. was cut to one tool truck, and thats where your tools came from.

I don't understand the logic is a company giving mechanics a tool allowance based upon how safe they work. I was always under the impression a tool allowance is so that you can replace tools that wear out, or tools that break, while you are working for the company. In that light, what does safety have to do with a worn out tool or a broken tool? To base a tool allowance on whether or not you cut your finger just doesn't seem right somehow. But if that is what the company policy is, then that's what it is. I don't understand the thinking behind it, but then again, there are a lot of things in life that I don't understand.

 

[diesel research]

I don't understand the logic is a company giving mechanics a tool allowance based upon how safe they work. I was always under the impression a tool allowance is so that you can replace tools that wear out, or tools that break, while you are working for the company. In that light, what does safety have to do with a worn out tool or a broken tool? To base a tool allowance on whether or not you cut your finger just doesn't seem right somehow. But if that is what the company policy is, then that's what it is. I don't understand the thinking behind it, but then again, there are a lot of things in life that I don't understand.

it saves money by paying out less.

 

[Hootbro]

Never had a proper tool allowance.

Best thing I had was free replacement if broken. The catch was that they company bought the "like" replacement on their industrial account and it was usually a Proto replacement. So if you broke a Snappy or Craftsman, you got the Proto regardless. Also, they only swapped out and ordered tools quarterly, so you either had to get by with something else brought from home, or winged it until the quarterly order went in.

 

[wise]

$600/YR, free replacement for out of Warranty tools (including air tools, which is nice). Free calibration of Torque Wrenches. Plus they supply most of the really expensive tools.

 

[volaredon]

57.00/mo a pittance but better than the allowance I rec'd at any previous shop which was $0.

 

[diesel research]

$684/yr a pittance

you are in the top 5 percentile, need to be a bit more gracious lol

 

[volaredon]

someone, I see, edited the post that I put up before they "quoted" it; but seeing it put into those terms (yearly) I have spent more than that in tools in the last 3 weeks, and have a long way to go; I thought I had a lot of tools and wouldn't need to buy much; hah! I have only seen 1 paycheck so far from this place and need to wait if at all possible a couple checks to get any more, but I have borrowed a couple things from co workers a lot more than I should be borrowing so far; right now I see a dire need for the master adapter OTC ball joint set... I only have the "basic" set at present. (on that particular set, that's all any of us that work there has, at present)

I didn't say I wouldn't "take" what I get, not at all; I did say that previous to this job my tool allowance to date was exactly $0; buy hey, it could always be a bit more, right?
at my last job I had the biggest, fullest box of anyone there; that same box at this shop, is the smallest. I'm gonna have to either buy me a bigger box, or a 2nd box to store things I am now needing to buy. AND now find myself needing a bigger "home" box as well... my MAC "Econo 1000" is bursting at its seams as well.... I have a Matco 2 bay 4S top and bottom at work, and needing more space there too. I went into this job hoping that this new found tool allowance could wind up as "pocket money" thinking that wow I had a lot of tools and would not need to be buying much more than I already have... but, nooooo

 

[volaredon]

I don't understand the logic is a company giving mechanics a tool allowance based upon how safe they work. I was always under the impression a tool allowance is so that you can replace tools that wear out, or tools that break, while you are working for the company. In that light, what does safety have to do with a worn out tool or a broken tool? To base a tool allowance on whether or not you cut your finger just doesn't seem right somehow. But if that is what the company policy is, then that's what it is. I don't understand the thinking behind it, but then again, there are a lot of things in life that I don't understand.

yup agreed. Worn out tools are unsafe tools. so tying tool allowance to safety record seems counter productive, for sure.

 

[Bryanthegreat]

500 a year and need to show receipts.

 

[darkk]

yeah right.....I wish.

 

[Quiksilver]

We can receive up to $200 per year, have to show that we spent at least 10% more than that through receipts for reimbursement. The job doesn't require a large variety of tools, but it sickens me to see how many people let the allowance go unused. We repair optical equipment.

 

[neophyte]

I don't understand the logic is a company giving mechanics a tool allowance based upon how safe they work. I was always under the impression a tool allowance is so that you can replace tools that wear out, or tools that break, while you are working for the company. In that light, what does safety have to do with a worn out tool or a broken tool? To base a tool allowance on whether or not you cut your finger just doesn't seem right somehow. But if that is what the company policy is, then that's what it is. I don't understand the thinking behind it, but then again, there are a lot of things in life that I don't understand.

Maybe the companies insurance premiums are tied to the safety record. If the safety record is good the insurance premiums go down, or at least don't rise as much, then the company takes some of the money and passes it on to the employees.

 

[foreverfalcon40]

$100 per year...which is nothing when you first start out. Must have reciepts

Heavy Duty Diesel Mechanic

 

[diesel research]

there is nothing mysterious about calling a safety bonus something else, no need to over think it.

instead of safety+tool allowance, which could total up to $1,000+, now you may get to pay out half as much while still getting to call it both, and reaping the benefits of both safety and claiming you have a tool allowance for recruiting and morale purposes.

to sweeten the pot, if even a minor injury or infraction occurs, you can pay out $0 instead of still having to pay out a tool allowance.

its about paying the least possible money for the desired outcome.

 

[bsaint]

I expense one snap on item at a time. Like one socket at a time.

 

[pilotman81]

$0 direct allowance, but company will replace any broken/stolen items 100%. They have so far been good about that.

 

[J.SAN]

We get $1000 tool and $400 boot allowance each year., no receipt needed. Plus free calibration of tools, and they provide most of the expensive and specific tooling.

They also replaced stolen and broken tools. As well as damaged tool boxes. (if there were damaged while working by someone else)

Hopefully these will increase with the new contract.