Tools for a mobile mechanic

[ffhopkins]

Hey guys new to the forum, I read threads everyday and decided to just join and make life easier. My question for you guys is what tools/specialty tools do you think a mobile mechanic should have ? I'd like to get some side work going I'm a pretty decent mechanic with a lot to learn but know enough to get my self in trouble I have all the basics sockets,wrenches,air tools , screw driver ect all snap on. So any and all advice would be greatly appreciated !!!

 

[woodstockva]

A good quality cordless lithium-ion 1/2", 3/8", & 1/4" HEX impact.

 

[ffhopkins]

Ok great thanks! What brand would you recommend ? I'm partial to dewalt but open to others

 

[woodstockva]

I would suggest looking at whichever brand has other tools that you like/can use/plan to buy & go with it....since the batteries are an extreme cost & the bare-tools (no batteries, chargers, or cases) are typically much cheaper than the kits.

Milwaukee & Ingersoll-Rand are the two best choices you will have for cordless mechanic tools.....it will boil down to brand preference & the choice of other tools you are looking at.

 

[signcrafter]

It all depends on what you need to do and how easy you want to make it on yourself. Every job has it's specialty tools it needs to get done.

 

[ffhopkins]

Ok great I'll look into those for sure any experience with snapons cordless drills ? And also pretty much the biggest job I'll take on is a head gasket and things of that nature. Anything to make things quicker easier. I have a mini van I inherited from my grandmother so any advice on what I should keep in there would be great as well.

 

[IFMJohn]

The snap-on cordless drill that I have used at my school is pretty decent. It's the 18v version and I used it to drill holes in the steel of an engine mount for a large bore cummins. Went right through it, plenty of power. I'm not sure how long the battery lasts as I only used it for a few minutes.

 

[woodstockva]

Ok great I'll look into those for sure any experience with snapons cordless drills ? And also pretty much the biggest job I'll take on is a head gasket and things of that nature. Anything to make things quicker easier. I have a mini van I inherited from my grandmother so any advice on what I should keep in there would be great as well.

You might want to stick to easier "in & out" jobs if you are starting out....head gasket replacements can get a lot more involved than you will want a lot of times, especially when heads are warped or exhaust manifold bolts/studs shear off.

I would suggest you advertise on-site oil changes, filter changes, brake pad replacements, etc.....most of those you can do in a couple hours total & be done with the job. You dont want to disable someone's car & have to eat the cost of paying for a rental or a different mechanic to fix things if you get in over your head.

Buy tools you CAN AFFORD & upgrade from there....Snap-on & truck brands are nice, but there are plenty of other....much less expensive....brands that work fine & will get the job done.

Make your tools work for you.....dont work for your tools.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Let us know what all work you're willing to tackle. You said head gaskets, but how far are you willing to go as far as brakes, drive line work, transmission/clutch, electrical diagnostics, etc?

Looking back, I'm pretty shocked at the amount of work I could knock out 5 years ago with a basic set of wrenches and sockets. Engine swap in a day with simple hand tools. I'm pretty spoiled now with all my air tools, cordless impacts, Fluke 87V, specialty tools, etc.

It all depends on the work you're going to do, but even a set of M12 Milwaukee cordless impacts will save you so much time it's insane.

EDIT: Woodstockva is dead on with his last post. Let us know what you have done and are comfortable with doing. I've done a shitload of water pumps, but it only took some broken bolts one time for me to change my mind about messing with the ones on a 460 Ford again. Not worth the headache it caused vs the pay.

 

[Ohmthis]

I second woodstockva. Start small, there are tons of jobs to do in shorter duration. Belts, hoses, brakes, some suspension, shocks, oil/transmission/rear end lube changes, alternator, tune ups, filter changes, maybe even tire changes (flat repair). I could go on and on. I would get a good 3 ton jack and some stands. Your jobs will dictate your tools. There's no reason to overload the van with tools for doing jobs a small carry box and a set of sockets would do. One thing I suggest is to find out what your insurance will pay for stolen property. It's tough to think about, but I have seen more tools stolen than anything else. Good luck!!!

 

[ffhopkins]

I really appreciate all the input ! And I see what you mean about the running into other problems with the head gasket I have run into that before and it's not fun at work so I imagine outside of work would really **** but I'm comfortable with brakes,driveline u joints, axles wheel bearings I can do tie rid ends ect but I'd rather not with out an alignment rack. Pretty much anything on the engine belts,alternators, water pumps, coolant leaks, hoses, belts power steering hoses pumps ect, pulleys. I'm pretty good with diagnosing problems but I know I have a lot to learn. Oh and also exhaust work in clamp form I guess you could say.

 

[Brian_B_]

There is a guy here locally that runs a "mobile lube" out of a full size van. He has one of those camper awnings that rolls out over the vehicle and goes to work. He stays busy. I see him all over town in parking lots doing oil changes.

Agree with the rest...start small. You don't need to overload a minivan or spend a fortune. I love the awning idea though. LOL

 

[ffhopkins]

Yea that awning sounds pretty cool wish I could see it ! And I wish I had a full size van but hey free is good with me so I can't complain lol

 

[Brian_B_]

It is just the typical one you see on any camper or RV...it is the size for his van.

 

[ffhopkins]

Oh ok still a good idea

 

[jmm]

Don't bite off more than you can chew. Start small on jobs you can make good time (and money) on without getting too deep in diagnostics.

I'd rip out everything in back of the van and install a waste oil tank. Get a manual pump and drain pans. Jack stands, and a couple jacks. Get a decent enough road chest and bolt it down. Aside from that, get a good set of adjustable wrenches, filter wrenches, lithium cordless tools (can't go wrong with the aforementioned brands), brake tools, etc.

Get a good creeper, and keep a piece of good plywood in the back. You won't always be in well-paved (or paved at all) parking lots. Rolling on plywood sure beats rolling around in the mud or getting scraped up by gravel.

 

[atwageman]

If working in somebody's drive way make sure to have a tarp or heavy blanket under the area you are working on. Spill a drop of oil on somebody's drive way and they might want to take you to court claiming they had to spend thousands getting the concrete cleaned.

There are a few mobile mechanics in my area. Only a couple are worth a **** though. One does only oil changes and flushes. 99% of his clientele are in the better parts of town. Does a lot of higher end cars.

Another guy does all the lube stuff plus brakes, clutches, spark plugs and such.

Neither one does broken down on the side of the road ****.

The others in the area, mainly feed off the bottom feeders and your lucky if your car will ever run right again. Local TV station did a investigation on mobile repair outfits not long ago because of complaints. One guy only had a small tool box with barely any tools, wasn't even a chest type. Local shops in the area threw that guy under the bus and rightfully so. Warned people to run the other way when you see stuff like that.

 

[ffhopkins]

Wow that's crazy atwageman and thanks for the solid advice everyone ! Now to figure out how to store tools in van ect also do you guys know where to get a generic repair orderform

 

[Brunel]

I don't know what your roads are like, but unless they are very good, you'll probably find there's a fair few busted coil springs that need replacing. It happened to me a few years ago, and I was at a garage last month when someone came in to ask about one, and the mechanic said he done another one the day before. Sounds like it happens quite often. So if you feel brave enough, get some good compressors.

 

[reptilezs]

all i can say is be professional and look the part too

 

[richfinn]

Ok great I'll look into those for sure any experience with snapons cordless drills ? And also pretty much the biggest job I'll take on is a head gasket and things of that nature. Anything to make things quicker easier. I have a mini van I inherited from my grandmother so any advice on what I should keep in there would be great as well.

Sunblock

Waterproofs/Hi viz

Tow pole (to move dead cars)

Battery tester/jump pack

Locking wheel nut removers/tyre plugs

Get some automotive fuses/bulbs/key fob batteries/key fob tester

Automotive oils/fluids

Lockout tools with an air wedge

You will use a Jack and stands much harder than techs with a hoist, buy the best you can afford.

I carry a scan tool/scope/diag tools and a set of popular ignition coils and sensors/drive belts/spark plugs/caps/rotors and ground straps/battery cables/fusible links etc.

I'm sure you will get asked to do bigger jobs, but mobile I think it's better to concentrate on emergency type repairs.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

This site should help you out as well for pricing jobs:
http://www.automd.com/repaircost/

Sometimes it only brings up local shop rates, but it will usually list the cost difference for Dealership / Shop / Self and give you the average flat rate time.

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Don't leave home without it....

 

[cientiros]

I like your style Tarheelgarage. My father got a permit to pack some heat in his mobile mechanic van. In case someone wanted a go at his tools.

This is some great advice. Definitely figure out your services up front and work your tooling around that. Also keep in mind what you may want to do in the future in order to consider growth, if its the route you want to go. Leave room for expansion.

On the mobile mechanic subject, how do you guys feel about mobile auto mechanics owning a business website? Do you think its a good idea?

My father is starting his mobile mechanic business and I offered to build him a website. He was hesitant because he did not want a ton of customers.

My thought process is if you put exactly what services you want to "openly" promote, I think a website is the way to go in promoting the business.

I think this can definitely help someone starting out.

 

[ZRH`]

ot deleted -.-

 

[John in OH]

You might want to stick to easier "in & out" jobs if you are starting out....head gasket replacements can get a lot more involved than you will want a lot of times, especially when heads are warped or exhaust manifold bolts/studs shear off.

I would suggest you advertise on-site oil changes, filter changes, brake pad replacements, etc.....most of those you can do in a couple hours total & be done with the job. You dont want to disable someone's car & have to eat the cost of paying for a rental or a different mechanic to fix things if you get in over your head.

Buy tools you CAN AFFORD & upgrade from there....Snap-on & truck brands are nice, but there are plenty of other....much less expensive....brands that work fine & will get the job done.

Make your tools work for you.....dont work for your tools.

If working in somebody's drive way make sure to have a tarp or heavy blanket under the area you are working on. Spill a drop of oil on somebody's drive way and they might want to take you to court claiming they had to spend thousands getting the concrete cleaned.

all i can say is be professional and look the part too

Sunblock

Waterproofs/Hi viz

Tow pole (to move dead cars)

Battery tester/jump pack

Locking wheel nut removers/tyre plugs

Get some automotive fuses/bulbs/key fob batteries/key fob tester

Automotive oils/fluids

Lockout tools with an air wedge

You will use a Jack and stands much harder than techs with a hoist, buy the best you can afford.

I carry a scan tool/scope/diag tools and a set of popular ignition coils and sensors/drive belts/spark plugs/caps/rotors and ground straps/battery cables/fusible links etc.

I'm sure you will get asked to do bigger jobs, but mobile I think it's better to concentrate on emergency type repairs.

Good, practical advice in these posts and I like richfinn's tool suggestions!

 

[Lassen Forge]

Develop a GOOD relationship with your local parts suppliers, so when you need something they'll bust **** to get it for you, or get it to your job site. You won't be able to haul a lot of stuff in a minivan, but if you have a good partsguy or partsguys, you will shine.

You'll need at least a vise clamped/welded on, our old truck had one welded to a trailer receiver, worked great, just remember to put it up before you drive away... You also need some kind of a bench, doesn't have to be huge, but you need a work surface.

Depending on the van, you can get a lot of working space out of it, just takes work and imagination. Heard of people turning those little Ford Transits into mobile shops - if they can do it, you can.

Something to invest in - a good computer, power for it(inverter), a printer, and a cellphone with tethering or an aircard. And business software to track jobs, invoices, billilng, generate invoices, etc. You'll see if you're making money (and how much), and come tax time you'll be eternally grateful you did this.

 

[captain14]

If not a metal awning off the side of your van, how about a collapsible shelter that you can place over the cay to shield you from the westher( rain, sun , etc.)?