tool trucks geared towards auto mechanics???

[mech-tech]

I always meant to ask this question cause no matter what shop I go into, it always seems to be the same. I can walk into a car dealership repair shop or just an indepentant shop and see nothing but snap-on tool boxes with the latest and greatest "limited edition gold trim" or the chrome wheels on shocks and springs, all nice neat chrome tools in perfect condition. But when I walk into a heavy equipment shop or diesel shop, I just see any random box that could be bought at any parts house and tools that were bought from sears, tractor supply, napa, etc... I work at an equipment shop and I have a plain jane craftsman box, and its filled with sears, sunex, kobalt, and other cheaper tools that never let me down yet and get the job done. My exuse is that I am a road tech so I just cant see myself lossing an expensive tool in the mud.

I know snap-on, mac, matco, armstrong makes great tools and I do love their ratchets, and I have no doubts that almost every mechanic has at least some tool truck tools in their box, but why does it seems the auto guys have sooo much more? I know with heavy equipment repairs tools get beat on and abused more often, but I see more old beat up harbor freight or craftsman stuff in any one guys box than any auto shop would have total! Just wondering if anyone else noticed the same?

 

[firebox40dash5]

Big-sized stuff from a tool truck costs a small fortune.

There's less ****-size comparing, especially outside of dealerships.

Probably also less demand for "precision", like the smaller OD of Snappy/Matco sockets, smaller heads on ratchets, dedicated swivel sockets, etc. Generally a lot more room to get tools into position.

 

[Conductor562]

The thought of laying a $100 ratchet in the mud while working on a dozer makes me cringe.

 

[jmm]

The thought of laying a $100 ratchet in the mud while working on a dozer makes me cringe.

Conductor's got it, warranty be damned.

There are suppliers for us, but it works differently. We've got a Snap-On industrial rep (no truck) where I work. There are a few others. The stuff they sell is about 75% of the time equipment we can't afford.

 

[marlinspike]

I know most of the dealers and shop owners I know have a tool truck coming there several times a week, some daily, as a matter of course. A good tool truck operator can be a godsend it seems, and means you have 0 downtime for a broken tool. I know one shop owner who didn't have a tool he needed on a Saturday and felt comfortable calling his Snap-On rep on his cell phone to bring it to him. I don't even like Snap-On tools, but that level of service will drive up a lot of demand.

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

I didn't notice. Snap on matco and Mac rule the show at the diesel shops I'm around (big John Deere dealer and a private truck shop and farm shops).... I personally have harbor freight dead blows and socket organizers and some gearwrench wrenches and some craftsman sockets.. But that's about it. Besides other random stuff ive picked up over the last 4-5 years. The tools were shiny at some point but I'm 18 and they are riddled with scratches and scuffs already. I grew up on a farm and now am new to the John Deere thing but I have never had a problem with expensive tools being abused in the dirt and grease and mud. I know that with some brake clean, compressed air and a rag they will always be clean and organized when the job is done. If its so bad that it affects use, those great companies will fix the problems.

Just before I waxed it on Thursday. That shoddy box next to it I have no idea who's it is. Been there for years lol

My top drawer. Nothing special. Diesel guys can be clean...

 

[Conductor562]

I work around the coal mines and I've observed 2 scenarios.

1. Some companies supply your tools. These guys have boxes full of Proto, Williams, Armstrong, etc. They find excuses to get an extra of everything over time so they have a nice set at home as well.

2. Some companies give an annual tool allowance. These guys tend to use their allowance on quality stuff or stuff they don't need for their job. They take all their good stuff home and go buy HF or other cheap stuff to use at work. Don't ask me why they do this. Not all of them do this, but a lot of them do.

 

[firebox40dash5]

I know most of the dealers and shop owners I know have a tool truck coming there several times a week, some daily, as a matter of course. A good tool truck operator can be a godsend it seems, and means you have 0 downtime for a broken tool. I know one shop owner who didn't have a tool he needed on a Saturday and felt comfortable calling his Snap-On rep on his cell phone to bring it to him. I don't even like Snap-On tools, but that level of service will drive up a lot of demand.

I don't think asking to make a purchase on Saturday is at all out of the question. Unless your driver lives way outta the way of his territory, which doesn't sound like a smart move. Besides, if you know what you want, they don't have to bring the whole truck out and burn all that diesel, they can drop it off in a car. Hell, when I bought my Redbacks from my Matco guy, I called him 3 days before his usual visit to see if he had my size and give him time to order if he didn't. He had them, and just tells me "I'm a few minutes from leaving this dealership down the road, I'll drop them to ya in 15."

I haven't had the same awesome experiences warrantying most purchases though, aside from common hand tools. Anything not on the truck is at least a week out usually. Those are the times when I'm just thinking "If this was Craftsman, I coulda just stopped and had this taken care of, either on my way home or at lunch, the same day." I don't work at a big shop with a dozen techs plus the company itself all buying tools from the truck, though.

 

[ClrkLndeKmt'su]

We have Matco and Snap-On trucks coming by our forklift dealership. Our lead mechanic has a 57 Chevy edition snappy loaded with "the best." everyone has different tastes and what they feel is needed to do our jobs effictively(spelling? Haha). One guy literally appears sponsored by HF, where I have a dominate of Cman USA, with a dash of HF and Matco, and an increasingly growing amount Snappy.

 

[CompressionIgnition]

Depends on the shop. I have a big Snap-on box. but my tools vary I have Harbor frieght, Northern tool, Craftsman, Snap on, Matco, armstrong, ect for me it comes down to whatever works. My Road service tools aside from my cordless Snap on Impacts are all cheaper tier tools incase I leave them on the side of the highway or under the hood. Plus have you ever priced a 2" plus wrench off a tool truck? yikes.

 

[bobcatdan]

A tool truck will stop where ever they will let him in the door and he can make a profit. Spend enough and he will stop at your house.

 

[ZRX61]

You should see the **** aircraft mechanics work out of, you'd never get on an airliner again

 

[RCStocker]

A tool truck will stop where ever they will let him in the door and he can make a profit. Spend enough and he will stop at your house.

You are spot on. Money talks!

 

[sberry]

A lot of guys trying to impress each other,,, as someone said **** size,,, I found out that customers could care less and are not willing to pay more for a guy to use a brand name tool, they dont notice, they dont care and I cant recall one ever coming in to inspect my wrenches to see if they all match. None.

 

[battlegraduate09]

its not that way around here either. In every diesel shop iv worked in they have all had the fair share of each brand. Snap on, matco, mac, craftsman, kobalt, and harbor freight. Its all personal preference in my opinion. I myself have had craftsman, mac, and now a snap on KRL box. But im sure not going to judge the mechanic that rolls around a 56" HF box. Who am i to do so ?

 

[Bullitt427]

I was a mobile heavy equipment tech from 1996 to 2009. I went from almost 100% SK, to slowly working in Craftsman and later adding in more Harbor Freight.

Working in the dirt, mud, snow and rain is hard on tools. Not too mention I had a habit of losing **** by leaving it behind. For example, after I lost 2 SK 1 1/16" wrenches (both my fault, but one grew legs and walked away) I took the rest home and bought all long pattern Harbor Freight wrenches.

Darn good wrenches IMHO.

Josh

 

[matt1977]

A lot of guys trying to impress each other,,, as someone said **** size,,, I found out that customers could care less and are not willing to pay more for a guy to use a brand name tool, they dont notice, they dont care and I cant recall one ever coming in to inspect my wrenches to see if they all match. None.

yup, spot on

 

[85camaro]

Yeah, even the body shops don't seem to get the love from the tool trucks that repair shops do.

 

[richfinn]

I have got a decent tool kit at home with Snappy/Mac/Facom/Beta/SK/Fluke and loads of other quality stuff.

For work I just use cheaper end tools supplemented with a few choice quality pieces when only the best will do. We get supplied with Draper tools and they do the job most of the time.

 

[purplezr2]

You should see the **** aircraft mechanics work out of, you'd never get on an airliner again

Really, I was in an hanger that worked on turbo props and piston engines and they all had snappy boxes and tools .

 

[Hawk Thor]

I keep the really nice tools in my home toolboxes and use cheaper tools at work.

Working in the shipyard is hard on tools. We need to be mobile so tools are thrown into cantilever boxes or toolbags and carried around in humidity and often spend days in a job where they are hit with bilge water, sea water and chemicals. Guys often borrow a wrench from your bag or from right next to you because they need an extra and then forget to bring it back. Tools also seem to mysteriously disappear sometimes, almost like someone helped them escape my toolbox.

I mostly use Toptul at work, cheap tools but the quality is good, and the warranty has been good so far. I only spend money on pliers, pipe wrenches and adjustable wrenches, they see a lot of use and the money makes more difference there then in sockets and combo wrenches.

I have high end Euro tools and SO and Proto, but they're not coming to work with me. They get to live comfortably at home and occasionally do some auto work. Turning those cute little fasteners that are used in cars and 4x4's, causes next to no wear on them so they're living the easy life.

I only have SO and Proto because they were given to me or I got a good deal. We don't have tool trucks here, we just go to the dealer. With that said, SO does me no more good than high end Euro tools. The quality is the same, the dealers are easier to get in touch with and they cost less than SO.

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

I work on specialized machinery - some stand alone equipment / trailer mounts, but mostly built onto commercial truck chassis. So I'm somewhere in the middle of diesel / equipment / truck mechanics with a bit of small engine and automotive stuff thrown in. I have a decent little collection of tools I have built up over the years and I do have a nice SO box, but there's not much pecker waving going at my shop since I am the main mechanic with only one other guy working in the shop. I buy what I want to and will admit I'm a tool nut.
I can tell you my SO man is one of my best vendors. If I need something SO makes (or even the non SO stuff they sell), all I need is my phone to get it. Ship a tool overnight for Saturday delivery to get a job done for Monday - no problem (as long as it exists and we don't have to wait for it to be made) I have had him drive off his route to meet me across town to get something I needed fast. IMO it's more about the relationship between the mechanic and the tool dealer. There's good and bad on both sides. I can also tell you my SO guy likes dealing with our shop because we have always stayed steady and not slowed down with tech's dodging the SO man 'cause they can't afford their weekly payment.
The work environment issue is not a problem for me, either. The work I do can be nasty enough as it is - **** (literally), dirt / mud, submerged in water and all that doesn't make a difference and would not cause me to pack my SO stuff at home to protect it from that - stuff's too expensive not to be used daily.

 

[Fedwrench]

I thought all a hevy tech needed was a BFH, a chisel, and a tankers bar who knew they needed tools.

 

[jimindm]

I have lost my fair share of tools. If you do have the tool truck tools, you keep track of them a little more. Also people have no problem borrowing an HF 2" wrench, but if they use yours and loose it, it cost them some money.

I have a john deere 14sb push mower. My neighbors have whatever cost the least. Mine is several years old, and run/work great. About once a year, a neighbor will ask to borrow a mower. That is until I explain that my mower in $500+ and can not be replaced for $150. They usually never ask again.

 

[mech-tech]

Yeah, like I had said, almost every mechanic has that one snappy ratchet or that mac socket that was shorter than the rest. I too have a few proto and sk items that seem to work better, but I also see a lot of guys beating on sockets and grinding on wrenches, which is something I would NEVER do to something that cost an arm and a leg. The area I live in, there are way too many industrial hardware stores than carry proto, so that seems to be the dominate tool in my area. Another thing I noticed is that typically a diesel shop has the employees working on a "timed" work day. I know where I work, every hour has to be charged to what ever customer owns the equipment ya working on. I get paid by the hour, but every hour has to be logged as working on somebody's equipment, so there is never any "free shop time" to just wander around and do whatever, a.k.a. clean tools and wax toolbox. I know a bunch of other shops work their time this way.

 

[mrpizza]

You should see the **** aircraft mechanics work out of, you'd never get on an airliner again

I'm an avionics guy and my tools are all neat and have their own specific place in the box.

 

[marlinspike]

You should see the **** aircraft mechanics work out of, you'd never get on an airliner again

???

From looking at the aircraft tech toolbox thread everything looked pretty sharp, and it makes sense that it would since a missing tool grounds a plane.

 

[wafrederick]

Then there the mechanics that don't make the payments.I seen at least 10 Snap On scan tools in the local Snap on dealer's tool truck he repoed from customers.Once in a while,My Matco dealer raffles something off once in a while for anyone making the payments $40.00 and more.I got a flat screen tv,I bought a toolbox and completely paid it off on the spot.Had to return the TV today and got a replacement.Someone was not too careful,poked a hole in box breaking the screen.

 

[supersteve]

I'm one of the dealership guys with all the shiny Snap-on stuff.
I think we're all a bunch of "fancy lads".:supergay:

 

[greasemonkey44]

theres just alot more cars, meaning alot more car mechanics
its a wider easier market then smaller specialized diesel and hourly fleet shops, at least in our town
the matco driver does make a killing selling to equipment and diesel guys

 

[Gasser Built]

I have only worked at high end hot rod shops, from what I've seen is that having a nice shiny box helps you keep your job. The last shop I worked at, a new guy showed up with a matco box full of stickers, then owner made him remove the stickers as soon as it got unloaded from the tow truck.

My Snap-on dealer refuses going to bodyshops, he says they leave his truck all dusty.

 

[slob]

When i was on the tools as a train mechanic i had SK and Armstrong. The company supplies all the big stuff so that's Proto, Armstrong, and Williams. The electricians all use a lot of Klein. But Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt, and Gearwrench rule the day here. Guys who worked as auto techs before they got here usually have some good stuff mixed in. You won't see any Snap-on, Mac, or Matco here.

 

[V70R]

Depends on your shop, depends on who is stopping by. You can go into different sections of the county I reside in and it is hit and miss, just depends on the dealer. Don't have a single dealer that gives a rats *** like my buddy? You spend your money wisely and balance the quality with ease of replacement.

 

[marlinspike]

The last shop I worked at, a new guy showed up with a matco box full of stickers, then owner made him remove the stickers as soon as it got unloaded from the tow truck.

Sounds like my kind of shop!

 

[Spudland_Dave]

Depends on your shop, depends on who is stopping by. You can go into different sections of the county I reside in and it is hit and miss, just depends on the dealer. Don't have a single dealer that gives a rats *** like my buddy? You spend your money wisely and balance the quality with ease of replacement.

Bingo...Used to work at a dealership...my current Crapsman box lower is from that dealership (Traded into Snappy guy who "Gave" it to me)...Its true theres alot of real nice boxes in a Auto Dealerships, but my BIL is a heavy mechanic here and I'd say theres just as many nice boxes there.

If I were looking for a job turning wrenches, before even applying anywhere I'd look in the shop...if they pay good you'll see all kinds of nice boxes, if they dont pay so hot...Cman...

 

[mattmankow]

Couple points.
Tool companies are in it to make $$. To r&d a special tool, such as a puller that that may only fit one vehicle, takes money. Add to that the $$ it takes to tool and manufacture it, and it takes lots of $$ to go into production. Now, to maximize the potential profit... Are there more D9 dozers or 2013 Camry's going to be sold this year? Are there more flat-rate auto mechanics, or heavy equipment technicians that will need this new tool?
Would you think that removing a stubborn 12mm bolt, or a 2" nut without slippage would be harder? What I'm saying by this is, that, if you have to get a over torqued, or corroded smaller fastener out, it will take a tool with tighter clearances. A 2" nut will forgive a lot of extra clearance in the tool without stripping. You can usually get the big nuts loose with the next size up without damaging them, try that with a 12mm.
Usually auto mechanics have 8mm-21mm plus random upto 36mm. Heavy equipment can go way over 2". As the size goes up the price goes way up. Most dealers can't stock an item they are using their line of credit to buy, and then have it sit on their truck for two years hoping for a sale.
Last point, when I was still working on cars, my SO dealer was great. I worked at a small independant shop. It wasn't good sense to buy all of the special tools for maybe a onetime use. If i needed a tool the dealer didn't have on the truck, he would do a sales history search and see who purchased it locally and we would borrow the tool from that shop for the one job. This works good, but its a two way street, we loaned our tools to other shops also.

I worked on cars professionally for 10+ years, ASE master certified heavy truck technician working on transit buses for 6+ years, and now working on metro subway trains.

 

[bcradio]

....Our lead mechanic has a 57 Chevy edition snappy loaded with "the best."....

Is that some kind of automobile?

 

[ClrkLndeKmt'su]

Is that some kind of automobile?

This

 

[KnurledNut]

I work around the coal mines and I've observed 2 scenarios.

1. Some companies supply your tools. These guys have boxes full of Proto, Williams, Armstrong, etc. They find excuses to get an extra of everything over time so they have a nice set at home as well.

2. Some companies give an annual tool allowance. These guys tend to use their allowance on quality stuff or stuff they don't need for their job. They take all their good stuff home and go buy HF or other cheap stuff to use at work. Don't ask me why they do this. Not all of them do this, but a lot of them do.

Ive had the same observations at the mines. A lot of Proto. Usually supplied from a local industrial vendor.

 

[IndyGarage]

Actually aero is where the more expensive tools actually are better - Aero fasteners are made of harder material, and can wear out softer (cheaper) steel. Years ago when I worked in an aircraft engine shop, most of the mechanics had some better tools.

Automotive uses cheap fasteners (when you're making millions of them, every penny counts), so any tools will do fine.