Tool repair business

[street131]

I am fortunate enough that I got a job as a tool repair man and tool keeper for a big mechanical company. I’m getting pretty good at it, would it be feasible to run a tool repair business out of my garage? Just some light side work as supplemental income.

 

[Richard Cranium]

I would think so. Best of luck

 

[The Cobbler]

sounds good. but I suspect the issues would be,
getting the work,
getting the parts ,
fast turnaround,
staying priced so it's competitive.

it could be a good sideline for sure.
what repairs are you looking at primarily? air/ electric? etc

 

[Richard Cranium]

There is a guy here in the Yakima valley who drives around in a old snap on truck who repairs air tools.

 

[MayerMR]

Couple things to consider, aside from marketing and getting your name out there to drive customers, would be how far you plan to actually take this business. If you're just doing it on the side for a little cash here and there that's one thing, but if you're planning on making it a real business, then you need to find out if you're zoned/allowed to run small businesses from your home in your area. Additionally, you'd need to consider incorporating into an LLC to protect yourself from liabilities - ie, if you get sued they can come after the assets of your company, but not your home and personal assets. Doing that would mean you need to keep your financials separate and do your taxes qtrly, etc. Much more involved, but potentially can develop into a real business.

 

[marineman]

It's not a terrible business idea if you can come up with the work and source the parts for the right price. Even the small shops need to do high volume as the margins get pretty tight. New power and air tool prices keep making it easier and easier to replace instead of repair.

 

[rsanter]

I would look at being a used tool seller
I have bought, done some adjusting/fixing/light repair on machine tool and woodworking equipment and sold the stuff for profit.

If you can hit the auctions like the school auctions and company closing auctions there is some money to be made doing it

 

[Stuart in MN]

would it be feasible to run a tool repair business out of my garage?

What kind of tools? It will affect the potential market for repairs - if it's something everyone uses that's great, but if it's something not common you won't find many customers.

 

[signcrafter]

I have repaired a ton of air and electric tools, mostly buying used junk and fixing switches or brushes or orings or whatever. As far as a business it will be really hard since most people buy cheap air tools that cost less then 100 bucks. So when it breaks in a year or two and needs a 40 dollar rebuild kit plus labor it's better off to just buy new. Same with electric tools. When they break it's usually something fairly expensive as far as parts go so after you add labor it's just cheaper to buy new.

 

[sberry]

I repair some of my own if it's cheap and easy. Buying new got so competitive I ain't taking well worn tools and paying to have them fixxed. Parts are expensive in mant cases, not putting the 40 in parts in a worn body and not going to pay labor on top of it.

 

[MayerMR]

This is excellent advice. ^^^

Don't do it for the exact reasons above.


Small business and side business might need to be defined by expected net income from now on when we address these type of posts. If income isn't the first priority, then it's a hobby.

Exactly. That's why I mentioned the additional steps required to make it a "real" business. It stops being a hobby and starts being a real company. But first and foremost before taking such a step is to define and validate the market. I believe, based on many of the responses in this thread, that the idea of starting a tool repair business wouldn't be a viable concept this day in age. That said, however, we are a very limited audience and comprised of DIYers and probably pretty handy dudes, so it's fair to say that the sample size and audience may not be large enough to truly understand the validity - the little old lady down the street may be willing to pay $50 to have her trimmer tuned up and new string added, but how many "little old ladies" - to carry that example further - are in your area?

All that aside, doing something like this on the side (evenings and weekends), for cash wouldn't be an awful idea. If I were doing something like this, I would advertise myself in free locations like Craigslist and Nextdoor and the like and would forego any ideas about quitting my day job. Just my 2 cents though.

I do wish you the best of luck though, entrepreneurial spirit is what built this country!

S/F,

-Matt

 

[LNKMK8]

Another thought... how about buying up cheap/broken tools locally and fixing and reselling them?

 

[2manytools]

If is is working near where I think he is, people are tighter than a dutch boy's **** in a Catholic Church. I resell new tools in the GR, MI area, and people are stingy, wanting everything for nothing, and I've always priced competitively. Slowed down because of it.

I'll have to remember you when I come across something that needs some more than minor fixing.

 

[FigureItOut]

Are there one or more common problems that affect common tools? If you could identify a few specialized repairs for which there's a market, you could probably do well with a mail-in service. I know that back when all those GM gauge clusters were going bad, people did pretty well fixing those as a specialized service. Maybe there's something similar you could do.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930AZ using Tapatalk

 

[street131]

not looking to do this for a full time gig, if I did a couple tools a week, I would be happy, just a casual side job. I work on power threaders, core drill, demo hammers, I am knowledgeable enough with tools that I wouldn't consider throwaway. I do live in the grand Rapids area and business is booming in this area.

 

[vavet]

Another idea for a potential source of work: check with local pawn shops. They might turn away broken tools because they cost too much to fix. If they know you can fix them, then maybe that becomes a win-win-win (customer, pawn shop, and you).

 

[2oolhound]

I heard a recent interview on the radio about Repair Cafe's. The place being interviewed was in Europe. When I googled it there were 3 right near me here in hicksville Canada. They aren't so much cafes as a community repair settings where vollunteers come and hang out (fix it types), tools are provided by the community or organization and the public can wander in with the broken toaster, lawn mower or lamp that was grandma's and they try to match you with the right person for the repair. It's all free but you pay for parts needed and the coffee pot is always on.

 

[2manytools]

not looking to do this for a full time gig, if I did a couple tools a week, I would be happy, just a casual side job. I work on power threaders, core drill, demo hammers, I am knowledgeable enough with tools that I wouldn't consider throwaway. I do live in the grand Rapids area and business is booming in this area.

Definitely not throw away tools. I think you could do well then. Just with more consumable tools, including cheaper drill sets, I've found people to be feugal. If you buy one of those kind of tools you repair, i think one would be much more inclined to repair it, maybe even more so in this area.

I would agree GR is doing great right now, aside from i96 split construction that should have been solved a decade ago.

 

[engineer2]

Unless you can work really fast and can get parts cheap, you'll be lucky to make minimum wage.
I spent 4 hours cleaning and rebuilding an old AEG hammer drill that was given to me. Original Koyo brand motor bearings would have been $20 plus $10 for brushes. Not worth it for a drill worth maybe $40. So I oiled the bearings and adapted some brushes I had laying around. I'll see what happens when I put it on CL, but I have better things to do with my time.

 

[lilredex]

You could talk to this party.....looks similar to what you have in mind.

https://www.kijiji.ca/v-tool-other/...ir/1175272070?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

 

[bochnak]

I repair motorcycles from my home garage. Have been doing so for the past 7yrs to earn some side income. It has evolved into an online business as well.

It all started with posting an ad on C-list for service.

However, I don't work on cheap chinese scooters and such. These people are price sensitive and the repair bill often is a 1/3 of what they paid for it. Apply this to cheap tools as well. You will have to fix high dollar items.

Heck, the guy across the street would refurb old slot machines. Gotta do what it takes to put food on the table.

Matt

 

[EyesFit]

When it comes to fixing things for other people, you must be vigilant because if they pay for a service and you are unable to fix the tool, they will hold you accountable. I've had cases where the person believed I caused more harm to the tool in order for me to have to repair it entirely. Even with a broken trigger, there's a lot of chance. If something goes wrong later, they'll think it has something to do with the fix you did, even if it isn't. When it comes to customer service you may be get device from a business expert, you need thick skin because there will be difficulty, time constraints, and money involved. Your best friend is a compilation of pictures and a signed waiver of responsibility. Make sure you're safe.

Picking up a few practice pieces from a nearby pawn shop is your best choice in terms of preparation. Take them apart and reassemble them on your own. View the cost as an educational expenditure. In the worst-case situation, you would lose the money you spent on the tool if you are unable to repair it. In the best-case scenario, you gain experience and a new method.

 

[bonneyman]

I've considered setting up a small mill and lathe in the shop and start making ratchet rebuild kits for models people have but parts are NLA.
But I haven't pulled the trigger yet. After running a contracting business for 14 years I'm thinking maybe I'd rather just work a part time job for someone else and save my rebuild skills for friends and family on the weekends.

 

[Packard V8]

I have a friend who does small engine repair in his home garage and has more business than he wants. He's too nice a guy, but I'd have a $20 fee just to leave one for evaluation; non-refundable, but credited toward the repair cost.

Same with tool repair; an up-front bench fee. Come to think of it, the only remaining electric motor repair shop here now has a $75 bench fee just to chase away the homeowner business.

jack vines

 

[The Cobbler]

.... After running a contracting business for <strike>14 </strike> (35) years I'm thinking maybe I'd rather just work a part time job for someone else ....

I hear you

 

[bwringer]

Sounds like a good side hustle, and you're working on commercial stuff, not Harry Homeowner's dead Walmart drill.