Professional Auto Mechanics Must Buy Their Own Tools?
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- Опубликовано: 2 авг 2018
- Buying Mechanic tools is EXPENSIVE! Did you know that most pro auto mechanics must buy their own tools? Even many beginner mechanics must spend a lot on tools. I spent about $5000 in tools my first year as a mechanic. So should you have to buy your own tools, or should a shop supply tools?
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I’d rather buy my own. Helps build to a point where I no longer need my employer if they piss me off enough
I am right there with ya.
That's me!
I kid you not dude, I’ve jumped jobs 4 times just since this time last year. I can’t seem to find a good job in this field in my area, and I’m glad as hell I own my own stuff, cause I can do whatever I need with them to make a living
Personally i would use and wear out their tools and build my tool set at home, so when i do finally get enough to make it on my own, my tools aren't all worn out.
Longtrailside Eh. If you buy good tools they don’t wear down easy. And if you do you just warranty them
My first auto job was at a Sears auto center and they supplied communal tools for the new, inexperienced guys. And of course the tools were absolutely trashed: cracked sockets, impact guns from the 1970s, torque wrenches with dents in the handles, ratchets with broken teeth, 8 wrenches (only 1 was metric)....ect.
The tool set from Sam’s Club my mother gave me as a gift for graduating tech school was far superior to the shop tools, and the very first paycheck I got went back into Sears pockets because I bought a Craftsman vertical 3 box stack to put my own tools in.
I didn’t need my own tools to make $$ back then, I needed my own tools to keep from going nuts waiting for someone else to finish using a tool.
Truth! I'm a dealer tech in a shop with 60 techs. Of course we all have our own tools but the shop provides the special tools for certain jobs. Many of us have ended up buying our own specialty tools for the reasons you listed: don't want to wait for someone to finish using it and tools used by 60 different techs are often abused and don't work very well.
Purchasing tools since 2006 (was 19), every time I open my drawers, its like a Time Capsule to my life, I bought this tool when this happen in my life, or this tool really motivated me to learn more within the automobile. I have some weird emotional connection to my tools (so many long hours wrenching) LOL wouldn't surprise me if I invested over 30k in my tools, worked at a independent shop for over 10 years.
Kevin Einheuser understand that completely
hi. my name is luke, and um... I am a toolaholic. it all started when I lost my first 13mm end wrench.....
I now own three rolling toolboxes all are full. some tools I got with cars I bought. some were my dads. you are right though. you can see a persons whole past looking in their toolbox.
" old worn and still working tools speak more loudly of my skills as a craftsman than my best work ever could."
When I first started , I bought a $100 husky tool set . A year and some change later im still using the same t30 . And other people snap on sockets have broken . So my tip to for newbies is don't get caught up in brand all the time .
Good advice for sure.
More like snap off
The best thing to do is get tools with lifetime warranty (or a long warranty where lifetime isn't an option) with turn around on a replacement is as quick as possible. The tool truck could take a week or two depending on the tool and issue, whereas a local store might get you a replacement tool same day
Smokeyninja exactly ! I've been waiting for my impact gun for 3 weeks now because the trigger broke . It's actually slowing me down .
YaBoi Brian Sometimes you just have to get a cheap backup to get you through
At first I didn't mind buying my own tools when I was working on mainly 1 brand of car. But when I switched to an independent shop I realized I had to buy different tools for different brands and that got way too expensive. I now own tools that I've used 1 or 2 times and they just sit in a drawer, tools that cost me a lot of money. So I feel that if its something I need to use every single day, I will buy it. But if it is something that isnt used often, the shop should buy it for me or give some type of tool allowance to help pay for it.
Yeah I totally agree. That’s kind of how I do it in my shop (technology repair). We prefer our techs have their own tools but of course let them use ours as long as they are taken care of. Then all the specialty stuff and larger power tools we buy for our techs to use.
Custom tools, definitely.
Real mechanics live to buy tools! It's an addiction.
Addicting for sure. If I wasn’t such a cheap ass I’d buy plenty more.
That true buying tools it an addiction
Don't forget us amateurs who just have to buy stuff....
I’m prolly gonna get reamed for this, but I’m also a starting tech and I just went ahead and bought all Snap-On tools. You name it; box, sockets, wrenches, EVERYTHING Snap-On. The way I looked at it? I’ve already been turning wrenches for a vast majority of my 20 year life as a farm boy and being too broke to pay someone to fix my trucks. Not only that, but my dad is a technician as well and he’s always told me you get what you pay for, ESPECIALLY in tools. He went Matco first and seriously regrets it. And if I go ahead and buy these tools now, I’ll never have to worry about upgrading or trading in for better stuff later. Overall, for most people this is a hard thing to do, and I get it. A $20,000 bill isn’t something to be taken lightly, especially when you’re in a school/ training program while also trying to pay for bills. I’m just lucky enough to save up for this after many years, do lots of looking around for good deals (my Snap-On guy is fucking awesome too, excuse the language) and to have the drive and hustle for these tools. Because remember, tools aren’t just a need, they’re an addiction 👍
Not here to ream. You get it.
Some thoughts and questions:
- Having tools supplied by the shop does not actually exclude using your own tools.
- The shop can probably buy the tools cheaper than what a single mechanic can (larger quantities usually means better prices) and I assume that the shop does not pay VAT whilst a single mechanic does.
- When you use your own tools, what happens if they get stolen (I assume you keep them in the shop)? Do you have insurance, or does the shop have an insurance that covers your tools?
My recommendation would be to start not with a box but a cart. You can buy carts that have slots to hold wrenches and impacts. Plus plenty of space to put sets of railed sockets on. I started with craftsmen tool sets that came in their own cases so I would put the cases on the cart and just open them and have a plethora of sockets and ratchets at my disposal. Plus the cart was only $75.
My main complaint is when the shop dictates what work will be done but doesn't provide the tooling necessary like scanners, bearing pressing equipment, jacks, etc. They want to pay flat-rate, which is a HUGE benefit to the shop, but say you can't leave if there is no work. Plus say you have to do something you don't have the tooling for. Impossible to make/beat time and guarantee the job if you have to hack together tooling. Special tools are just that SPECIAL. As some have mentioned above, I have a couple drawers full of tools that have only been used a couple times in 5 years.
People will always take better care of their own property/tools than of somebody else's.
I feel like with me it's the other way around. I always try to take good care of not better care of someone else's tools as opposed to my own. Unless they just give me permission to beat the crap out if it.
True but imagine putting 2-400$ or more into stuff to do your job
As a plumber, I face a similar situation of my own tools versus company tools. You are right that both have their pros and cons, but the tools for plumbing are much more expensive. I have been fortunate to be hired on to a company that is a union shop. On my second year, I'll be given a brand new set of tools that are my own personal tools from that point out. At the same time, I have spent a lot of money already on tools getting what I need to do the job with the last company I was with. It's nice to be able to just have those for around the house projects now.
i like how the 10 mm was missing from the socket tray
carolina beacher I attached a 10mm socket to my keychain. Now my keys are gone too.
slidey1000 😂
When you have 500 sockets or more like I do it gonna happen
Can’t tell you how many 10’s and 13’s I’ve lost
If you find where they go you will also find a mountain of socks that disappeared from the dryer.
This is probably my favorite video you have done since you left the dealership. I love hearing your take on things and you’re the reason I started working at a dealership in the first place.
Charles. you inspire me, brother. I been working almost ten years in a Ducati dealership and some tools are waaaay to expensive, buuuuuut. I feel that having my own tools make me a better technician because the satisfaction of ending a job is amazing, make me feel a better tech. Thanks man.
I like having my own tools, I’ve heard allot of places that buy tools do it so they can search the toolboxes without permission of the person, perfectly fine if you’ve done nothing wrong but worrying if you have valuables inside
I've bought all my own tools over many years. I worked at one place recently where the company bought tools and the youngsters there were clueless. They had no respect for any tools whatsoever, as they hadn't had to pay for them. It used to piss me off beyond belief when they would leave tools on site and couldn't be bothered about losing them.
Yeah that happens when people don’t buy their own styff
Harbor Freight baby I ain't ashamed lol
Heck Yeah!
I have several hf. Stuff including my main roller tool box. But my main tools are snapon and matco. If you are a full time tech you're knuckles and face will thank you.
I have to drag my wife along with me so she can monitor what i need to buy. I will literally come home with 7 things when i just needed to go in for hose clamps xD
I've been a technician for 16 years. I always research tools before I buy them. You would be surprised at how good some of the tools at harbor freight are. Yea when it comes to the basic stuff (wrenches and sockets ect) I buy from the tool trucks. But specialized kits like pullers and stuff I usually buy from harbor freight.
@@lawman860
Every puller I have got from there has worked for only a couple times before self destruction.
HF is good start. Once breaks.. buy a brand.
During my 36-year career as a software developer, I purchased the bulk of my office supplies because it was not worth my time pleading with management about what items would improve my efficiency, enabling me to meet my deadlines. Now that I am semi-retired, I enjoy being a DIY mechanic, researching and acquiring various tools.
I started at my job as a international diesel mechanic, and they provide an apprentice tool kit, you get all the essential tools, wrenches, pliers, sockets, multimeter and hammers, plus a box, and it’s free. The only catch is you have to work there for 2 years before that box is yours. So almost half of my costs for tools is gone, plus I now have my cart and box for storage
Here in the UK if you start work in a workshop without tools your shown the door
Specialist tools or some of the large items I use for trucks are supplied for me but you can’t be borrowing sockets and screwdrivers etc
Love the video, I’m about to be going to tech school and my school actually awards a hand tool set when you graduate and it’s yours to keep as long as you are employed 3 months out of the program in your field. They say it’s $2500. Not sure as to the quality of the tools but it’s definitely something to get the job done. I’ve been investing some money in electric tools now but will wait for any air powered tools.
Specific point. Deutsch pin crimper pliers. Working in a shop, I could never find them. They were usually in a service truck. For $300, I bought my own. Seems expensive for a one use tool, but saved the head-ache of looking for the shops. Guys would ask to borrow mine, but I never loaned them out. Got called a dick, but 25 years later, I still have them.
Oh man, probably the greatest debate in the industry. I actually work in a shop where everything is provided, so I can offer up the opposite viewpoint. Is it nice to not worry about my stuff and have it available at home whenever I want? Sure, but at the same time, it’s almost a daily occurrence of wishing I had something that I have at home, or not being able to find what I need, or finding what i need has been damaged or broken and someone didn’t bother to report it. Lucky for me (or unlucky), I am straight time, so these inconveniences don’t cost me. For a flat rate tech, I’d say it’s to your advantage to have your own stuff for sure. I think best solution would be an annual allowance for tools based on how long you have been there.
Our local dealer chain supplies a custom box that fits with the layout of the service bays and air conditioning too. I feel like that is good compromise. Tech gets to pick their tools and keep them while the dealer provides a clean, cool place to work.
you made a lot of good points. I tried to become a tech, worked in one of the ford quicklanes. It was a step above a lube tech, but not quite a full blown tech. Technically our limit on a job was 4 hours of book time, or the main shop was suppose to do it. They said in the job description that tools provided, but I was informed in the interview that was not true. We did technically have one shop box, but having 7 techs all try to use one set of tools all at once, doesn't work. I did have a decent set of basic tools to start, but in the 6 months I worked there I probably spent at least $1500, between, harbor freight, the tool trucks and buying things online. (I bought a super cheep tool box for another $300) It gets expensive quick, and because of the position we didn't make much. I tried to be smart and buy only what I needed and expand as the level of jobs I was trusted with did as well. But as you know that adds up. I really like your basic tool set idea, sucks that it didn't work out. Would be a awesome thing for new techs if there was a way to do it. I liked having my own tools, I still use them at home a year later for my own projects, but I feel like if a place requires you to provide the things necessary to do the job, that you should be fairly compensated for that. maybe as a full tech your yearly salary justify providing your own tools, for me at $10 bucks an hour it was not. Buying tools had nothing to do with me leaving the industry, (didn't like the dealership life, and could make a lot more money going back to trucking) but it makes it a lot harder to start out.
Great post sir. I'm almost 59 years old I've worked at this shop almost 40 years and my shop has supplied my tools over those years only now my boss is going to be 87 and doesn't want to buy new tools, we were always a little bit short on hand tools anyways , so now I'm working on my own now, wish I hadn't gotten so lazy with my own tools
I enjoy supplying my own tools. Granted I won’t touch a mechanical side job anymore but I have my own project and take some of my tools home every weekend. My advice to the new guys starting out is make sure and shop around. Your name brand tools are ridiculous in price. Most tool trucks have a cheaper option as well blue point, expert etc. And almost every single third party tool on that tool truck can be bought online or at Lowe’s/ Home Depot at a significantly lower amount.
I prefer people buy their own tools.
Then you’re a lot more careful, so it don’t break or get lost.
I’ve seen a shop where tools were provided and they would just constantly go and “borrow” from the other guys.
I was sick of it and went home and brought my own tools, got a cheap toolbox and expanded my tool collection from there.
If they wanted to borrow something they had to ask me and had to have a damn good reason for it for me to say yes. Of course they had to bring it back the second they were done with it.
Even though the boss tells them that if they’re missing something or if they break something they can just order it without asking and that he (the boss) will pay for it.
Next week I’m leaving them and gonna take it all back home.
DON’T GO WORK FOR FAMILY!!! It doesn’t work out well!!!
If I go work somewhere else as a mechanic (not necessarily automotive) I’ll bring my own tools! Even if the company will provide them.
I am in construction and we have to buy our own tools like tool pouch hammers speed square tape measure etc but the company supplies table saws and ladders all the big items and I love having my own tools I can take them home and work on side jobs without having to worry about breaking a company tool and it’s more personal when it’s your hard earned money that bought those tools. Great videos Charles been a subscriber for a long time
i feel like every shop should give you the options whether you want to have your own tools or want to be provided from the shop especially for someone who is new to automotive industry and don't have the money to buy tools like myself. I'm one of the lucky ones that's allowed to borrow from other mechanics and learn from them and see what kind of tools that i need to buy (even though i'm still saving money to buy my own tools). But most shops need you to have your own tools which could kind of discouraging new comers like myself to learn and apply to work in a shop. but that's just my opinion.
Being fully shade-tree and nowhere near professional levels of activity (seriously, I'm under cars maybe 4-6 times/year) I still get by almost completely on the 130 piece craftsman set my mom bought when I went away to college. I've added a few things (torque wrench, socket extensions/adapters, vice grip, gear wrenches, allen and torx bits, new box and organizers, etc) so I'm probably in about $1000 and have avoided at least $3000-4000 by being able to DIY. It's only really major stuff I'm not equipped to handle and probably the kinds of things I'd want to leave to a pro anyway.
Always great to have those expensive specialty tools that you can use when you're starting out and can't afford them, but once you have all your basic tools and your feet under you, there's nothing like not having to worry about the shop tool getting lost or broken
Hi i'm here from SA. Love your video and love that tools I saw in the video.
Thanks for the video
There’s nothing I love more than buying my own tools slowly! I started working on cars and joining a shop to work as a GST about 9 months ago. I now have a great sized box with all the tools I need and every week I upgrade my old tools with Snap-On, Matco and MAC! It’s a good process to learn about tools and cars in general and by now I know a lot more than I ever did and still learning!
Big dealers should provide tools. And you can have a choice to use them or bring your own.
Or at least like you said for the first maybe 2nd year apprentice so over the first 2 years they can save and finally get there own by year 3
Sometimes the sticker price of tools can suck, but other times you can work a deal.
I’m at an independent shop now and if we need a special tool to do a job (I.e.: Timing chains on a 2.5L Jetta or Audi V8) the boss will order tools for the shop and they sit in our ‘special tools’ room. That’s something the boss should take care of, other wise I agree these are my tools and I want to use them as I see fit, whether I need them for a project at home or wanting to do side work, there’s no hassle.
Also, I miss the Time Lapse videos. Those were awesome.
At the Toyota dealership I was just at they provided tools for the lube line: but they were usually missing, broken, or not enough for each bay. So I ended up getting a bag that I could haul my tools to and from home/ school. They did have built in tool boxes and some carts. That was a huge help.
I prefer owning my own tools. Most the dealership supplied tools were the cheapest they could get. Torque wrenches were close enough. My tools are well looked after; they don't go missing unless I have lost or broken it. Plus, I can take them home with me.
Same in Canada !! we buy our own tools.
Our shop provides tools and it’s a mess about getting them put away or accounted for. I ended up buying my own set for common stuff as everything is exactly where I want and how I want it.
Hey charles, love your videos! Especially as I'm a vw master technician in sweden and there's a lot I see myself in :) Here we get all the tools supplied by the dealership, you have your own box but whatever you need you just order. Tools going missing happens but most of the people have respect for them. Dealerships usually have contracts with a good brand so tools are at a good price for them. To me the dealership should definitely supply the tools, the efficiency of the shop would be lower if the mechanics had to work with low quality or improper tools to get the job done.
Yes, people respect the tools because you are in Sweden. In southern Europe, Greece Italy etc techs will use a 200eur gedore tool as a hammer all the time. Especially if its not theirs. And tools get stolen all the time.
Over the last 40 years I have been in both types of shops and I will always choose to buy my own tools. In shops that provided tools, I always ended up bringing in my own tools, because they made my job much easier. I did have an advantage when I started as a mechanic because I had been racing cars for several years and already had a lot of tools.
As a heavy diesel fitter, we have to supply our own tools/tool boxes/specialty tools etc. I have zero problem with this. It sucks hard having to constantly borrow the other guys tools. Something I like about this though is if we break our tools doing a job, work will generally rebuy them for us. An example being a Sandvik truck, we snapped 4 filter straps getting 1 of 3 engine oil filters off. Came in next swing and boss had bought everyone a new strap.
My first tool set was from craftsman....back in 2006. Still have most the wrenches, almost all the deep sockets, sparse short sockets, but overall it started my addiction so to speak. I started working on vehicles in middle school, first real wrenching job was a the local freightliner dealership. I started washing vehicles and hanging out with the techs, doing menial tasks for them on my lunch break until I was able to be a porter. Cleaned bays started oil changing and maintenance service until they offered me a tech position. That took me to becoming certified on cummins engines, as well as Eaton transmission Mercedes and Detroit. Fast forward to today I work for a local well established technician at the local boatyard working on inboards, as one of 3 full inboard techs in our port city. Hard work reaps a great many benifets, as well as a broadening customer base will multiple doctors, lawyers, and lawmakers in the area. I started making 13 an hour full time commission mechanic when the job field was out to break you if you took any one wrong step.
I'm a maintenance tech and my work supplies tools. You guessed it, I use metric sizes a lot in place of SAE. You know, the 11mm - 7-16", 13mm - 1/2", 14mm - 9/16". Tools go missing because someone wanted to use a flathead screwdriver of mine like a chisel on a chrome plated part they now dinged up, creating a new problem of parts not fitting together right, while braking the tip off the screwdriver...
I prefer having my own tools to be honest but I love tools as much as I love cars so I can only sp3ak for myself lol
and now they show in the first recomendation of the videos , nice
Only need the very basics at my shop. Wrenches, sockets, pry bars, power tools, screw drivers, pliers, etc. All could fit in a large cart. Paid hourly and union. Work for the local transit bus. All specialty tools are supplied, even pullers and tap and dies. Paid decently and tons of overtime. I think better this way, no stress in getting something done fast and all those extra boxes for special applications are out of my hand and out of my big tool box.
One of the main reasons why I will never work as an auto mechanic. I will never work somewhere that doesn't pay for my tools. I love doing it as a hobby but it doesn't compare to my day job.
Most car mechanics don't make that much money yet spend a ton on equipment to do said job. Kind of a bummer
I live in Scotland with my experience about 99% of garages require you to buy your own tools. A handful of dealerships supply tools.
Here in Germany almost every shop provides you with tools
I have a small business my own and I started with just the basics (ratchet set 1/2 and 1/8, spanners and ring-spanners from 6-22mm, basic screwdrivers, sidecuter and some pliers, and some different sized hammers and a box of torx and those multitooth things
This is all I need to rip a whole car apart for around 150€ total
And if something from my cheap tools breaks or if I need a new tool for a job I'll replace it with something of better quality
In our "world"(Romania), the shop has the responsability to supply the tools for the mechanic's, but it is not forbitten to bring some of my tool's. I like to use my own tool's, but for us it is hard buy all the tools needed for a job.
Good video - people outside of the field are usually really shocked when I tell them I have to buy my own tools. When I first worked at a machine shop I was shocked myself (cause I was new) but now it makes sense. There's nothing worse than having to walk all the way across the shop to borrow the shops' tool or ask someone if you can borrow theirs (which I still do on occasion)....and then you gotta walk back again to return it. There goes wasted time. An old-timer always told me to keep my tool box/cart on my hip the whole time I'm in the shop or working on a car. When I first started at Pep Boys they told me they had a shop cart with tools in it...but really it was a bunch of random junk. I boxed all that up, stuffed it in the oil room and am still borrowing the cart itself with all my own tools. Our tools are what makes us $$$...that's our livelihood. I've never seen a plumber, electrician or construction worker borrow company tools like hammers and drills, so this is no different I guess.
I started working in my old mans shop as soon as I left school 5 years ago and he let me use his tools, while I slowly bought my own. Come September I'll be moving with my girlfriend to Glasgow (Scotland) 200 miles away and starting my own deal. I have all the knowledge and tools without having to get in debt right away which I am very fortunate for. It's a lot harder to start out in the mechanical field if you're not born into it with support. So I think if apprentices can use the shops tools while they learn it makes sense but otherwise you really should be buying and using your own tools to develop as an individual. You can't rely on anyone else really.
Shops have enough to hold over our heads . . Let's Keep Our Tools Ours ! It's a great negotiating position when interviewing for a job as well . Just my 2 cents . Thanks for the great content ,Charles
The shop i work provides the tools and equipment but over the years most have worn out, broke or have been stolen and we working with junk now from china because the boss won't buy new quality tools. We have wurth, unior, hazet screwdrivers, wrenches, air impact guns that are bend or broken and welded together many times, we have tons of broken sockets and ratchets we have many beat up bits and special equipment. Last week someone broke the VAG battery checking tool and we can't use it now. We are 30 people in this vw dealership and and many more have left over the years due to bad salaries. I have to bring my own hand tools (some sockets, bits, wrenches etc) to work, but i always take them back every day and NEVER leave them in the shop because someone will steal them. SO it's WAY better to have your own tools in the shop in order to do your job properly and not begging for new tools like we do.
Just curious, What is that shop charging for work? I bet it's not cheap the hourly shop rate.
@@wportegijsfor our wages it is expensive as well as for the majority of the people.
As a flat rate tech you basically work for yourself. Pretty much a sub contractor without the headaches of a sub.
I like buying my own tools. That's what made me money. All the special little or big tools that I purchased to make things go smoothly easier and faster. I know where my tools are at they are where I put them. I don't have to hunt down a tool to do a simple job. Like you said they can go where I go.
All that being said. Over 30 years in the business I have spent over $50,000 dollars in tools including my tool box. I've had the same Mac tool box since 1984 after using a Craftsman for many years. I have added a snap-on side box and shelves and had a roll around cart as well.
I did the not own your own tool thing while I was in the Army. It sucks not having your own tools that you want to use.
Good Points, I work in a factory and they buy my tools but On the other hand I've had my tool box broken into and tools stolen on off shifts.
i work as a park ranger in the netherlands. my main task is forest managing. but i also do wood working as side project and i got my own set of tools for it and that means i get those extra jobs :)
Im in the UK and in My current job (roadside breakdown) the company supply all the tools which is great because if anything breaks or gets lost it gets replaced no questions asked , also all the other mechanics are supplied with the same tools so you don’t get one guy doing a certain job just because he has the specific tool .. another good thing is all of my own tools from when i worked in a shop are now at home and i have a nice little miniature shop of my own !
I guess I’ve got it good. At the Mercedes Benz dealership I work at they provide boxes, and a roll around filled to the brim with your common hand tools for no extra charge. They’re not snap on but it’s sonic so it’s still awesome. I still have to buy some tools but it takes a big load off my back when first starting. If your in the same situation as me the best thing to do is to still purchase the common hand tools so if you decide to leave your not in a bind.
I think here in Australia it's a mix, a lot of bigger shops supply most tools, some smaller shops may not. I've worked mostly in welding shops and a couple car yards and they supplied most of it. Delicate items like precise measuring tools were the only things I had to get.
My Dad back when he still runs a shop issues a toolbox of new tools for each mechanic free to use. At the end of year inventory, every toolbox is audited to track any missing tools, submit purchase orders for new replacement due to wear or damage. The mechanics are only charged for any missing tools (ex: screwdrivers) they carelessly left in cars that rolled out of the shop.
I'm not an auto mechanic (industrial maintenance) but I have worked in facilities that buy our tools and shops that we supply our own. I would say I agree with most of these points. I enjoyed being able to just go out and bring tools in. Most employers I've had either won't buy tools, or drag their feet. The building I'm at now they usually have no issue buying things and are usually pretty quick about it, but because all the toolboxes are the company's "your" tools never seem to stay in "your" toolbox for very long, since everyone has access to it.
Honestly this is my first year in the real word of being a mechanic and my let’s me use his tools and I honestly appreciate it also gave me an idea on what tools I use every so now that I have all that info now I’m going to buy my own small tool box and tools that I use a lot so I don’t have to keep using his tools
Good on you. Keep buying smart.
Interesting video, Charles. You're right, there are definitely pros and cons to buying your own tools, and auto techs are in a fairly unique position with this issue - is there another skilled trade where the worker has to invest anything like so much of their own money in the tools of their trade? I can't think of one offhand. I'm not a pro mechanic, but I was having a conversation today about this very issue with a colleague at a community workshop where I work part-time - her son actually is a pro auto tech, and is going down the common young-guy route of getting into hock with a certain popular tool truck brand. Now, I use a lot of those tools myself, so I can understand the appeal, but I'm happy to have been able to put together my tool collection slowly over the years, without going into debt and having that monkey on my back.
when i went to tech school a portion of the tuition went towards a tool kit from snap on. You would use the schools tools through the time you were there and at the end you got the same tool kit brand new to start your job with. I liked that approach but at the same time it eliminates your choice in it you cant chose the brand or what you get. Not everyone wants snap on even though at the time it was 50% off
Hey Charles, I was a tech for about 6 years. Good points on both ends. On one hand, if your dealer provided tools, you would have cash to spend on tools for home. I only just recently started spending on tools for home (tired of the back and forth, and time wasted) and mannn, it definitely reminded me of when I was starting off. On the other hand like you stated, the quality of the tools may not be up to snuff with your personal fitment should the company provide them. Certainly not one size fits all. When it comes to power tools, I have a preference for Milwaukee, so I might've held a DeWalt like it was mysterious alien technology lol. Being this far down the road, it is what it is, even if it is costly.
Just a tip for all you guys working on VWs I found that Amazon had a lot of vw or Audi special tool kind of cheap. And the stuff works. I work for a dealership and I just bypass most of the VW special tools. I.e timing stuff cam stuff and strut tool
I agree with what you said Charles. It's expensive but well worth it. What you failed to mention in the case where the shop provides you with tools. If you lose it and it was specifically tagged to your box. You are now liable and would have to replace the tool out of pocket somehow. In the military they provide you all the tools but after you sign for it if it's lost you must pay for it or replace it out of pocket. As a professional tech if i lose a 10mm socket out of my box down into the valley pan of a 6.0 diesel and im not able to fish it out then I know that when snap on comes during the week I can get a replacement. No big deal no write up for lack of accountability etc....
Same in Australia, dealership may provide an additional workshop tool box unless you have your own. I buy my own tools and some shops/dealer employer may provide reimburstment for each tool you buy but its expensive for them. Being in the trade for 3 years and almost qualified is really expensive in terms of ppe latex gloves, pens, pants, shoes and tools which cost roughly $15000 AUD and counting. I own couple of special tool that my work place doesn't have and alot of times, tech would ask if I have it and I do as an apprentice. We also get tool allowance but on like $6 per week
A lot of interesting points on owning your own. I think it's a matter of getting over that first year or two just trying to get by while making no money and trying to live. When I was a tech years ago (worked in VW prototype/testing work, not dealer) we had tools supplied and there were three to four of us sharing one box. Many tools were busted and the company never wanted to pay for new tools, so we had to make due and make tools sometimes (one guy was a former welding teacher and would modify or make specialty tools) Sharing wasn't a problem because we were very tight knit and we weren't as rushed. Also worked for a private collection and owner was cheap, so there was a ton of early, poor quality harbor freight kinda stuff that would break easily or damage fasteners too easily, so I built trust with the other guy there and would use his tools and always clean and return them where they were.
I was lucky in that time working with great guys who made due and were trustworthy. I haven't been a tech career wise for a long time, but now have a ton of my own tools, funny enough. Was finally able to afford them working in unrelated fields lol
While i was in manufacturing the machine operators shared tools for each machine. It never worked. Tools were always missing. Mostly just never put back but a few were stolen. I hate paying that bill but i love the option of walking out and taking them with me.
In the shop I work at, we buy our own tools but the company will replace broken stuff. As the working foreman, I'll throw a couple of things for my guys on a shop supply order, especially for the newer guy if he needs something, flashlights, utility knives, voltage detectors, etc..
VW Shop Mechanic from Germany here....our shop pays four our Tools (well VW here has a list what every Mechanic has to have in its toolbox)!
If I need something that I need? Every 2 weeks there comes someone where we can order tools (like XZN tools etc)! So yeah, most of the time in Germany you get the tools from your shop
Your videos and from EE are very, very good.
Today I will do the oil- and brakefluid changeon my new R/T and send it into to wintersleep.....
Tomorrow, I will wake up my Golf VR5 and have fun during wintertime with the awesome sound...bastuk-exhaust.
Oh yes, my toolbox ist full, but allways found something I didn't have to fix something. Yesterday I purchased a3/8" wrenchset from Bahco (swedish), cause of my 1/2" is sometimes to big...not enough space to work with.
Greetings from germany
I definitely prefer to buy my own general use tools... gives me the option on features, quality and so forth, plus they will be taken care of better because I felt the pinch at purchase time. Most specialty tools should be provided by the shop though, especially in a dealership setting. Two of the dealerships I worked at had the specialty stuff behind the parts counter, and they had to be signed in and out. That worked well in my view, we rarely had things missing or broken at those shops, and the wrecking balls who had a habit of damaging tools could be educated or terminated.
It's always good to have your own tools. I wouldn't wanna use somebody else's tools. Plus I work on my own car as well. Even things that you may not use very often is good to have laying around. You don't have to worry about finding the tool that nobody may have or having to rent it. If I need a specialty tool I buy it instead of renting. Saves me gas and time if I need it again.
I’m a Mercedes benz tec and my first year of being there I spent a lot of money on tools but as rightly said there my tools but the dealer dose supply special tools but people do leave them at the backside tho ha
I'm the assistant manager at an oil change shop and we have one set of tools that everybody shares and it kinda sucks. One guy quit and only stole like a hundred bucks of tools but they were all the ones we really use a lot. Plus we have to do a weekly tool audit to see what has grown legs and walked away so we can order new ones
I’ve been a Nissan tech in the uk for the past 6 months now and I’ve managed to stay off the tool truck and spend smart, cost about £1057 (about $1300) to get me started with a full tool kit including a toolbox and top box, I do prefer buying my own tools, plus in the uk we can get a lot of the money back through a rebate!
Even working as a building maintenance technician, it was nice to be able to take my tools home (for home repairs, renovation projects, etc). So I can sympathize. I also was able to finnagle my boss into buying some of those tools for me. But that's probably the exception to the rule.
Actually, you often allowed to borrow the Tools of your Company here in Germany - Actually, nearly always if we don't speak about special Stuff which costs five Grand or so and needs alot of configuration after setting up.
But regular Tools, just fill a formular out which states that you lend it -> You're good to go + you always can bring your own tools with you.
Back when I worked in a bigger company, they even offered me once a Truck to lend for my move from one appartment to the next. Futhermore, if it's by law regulated that an Employer has to supply you with the needed tools ... Well, you wont earn less.
To a European it's ridiculous how it's supposedly an advantage to pay for your own tools when employed by a company. Just imagine a Programmer having to bring his own PC/Laptop with them to work or a fireman or soldier having to buy their own equipment to do their job.
When I learnt my trade as an apprentice in Germany every new employee was given a whole tool set (cart etc.) as their personal toolbox. They were responsible for the tools, reporting breakages or losses etc but the company paid for it, usually Hazet or Gedore professional quality tools. Price was absolutely secondary, no time lost asking around for a wrench or socket etc. If a company skimps on the quality of tools they give you then you know to start looking for a new employer.
Edit: Even the apprentices were given their own cart. Same goes for clothing too. A good firm will give 3 sets of clothing and have them washed regularly.
Edit2: Extra bonus: If you don't like it at the company you don't even have to haul a heavy tool box or cart with you ;)
Ok taking the programmer example. Assume the IT department forces all the employees to a new operating system (for all the stupid safety reasons). And then you already know that wouldn't run the CAD software you daily use......
And then 1001 more of such corporate shit examples. Get the idea?
@YeOldeGamer
As an newly issued Auto Tech, I couldn't agree more!
In my opinion, this comment is an example of professional principle at its finest.
Companies want to have the best work results? Then you need to have the best employees.
You want to have the best employees? Then you have to pay them and/or issue them the best benefits; this includes tools.
Its such a simple concept, but many, *many* larger companies (especially in the USA) do not wish to incorporate these ideas; its really quite a shame~
YeOldeGamer oh man after reading your comment i am saying united states is the hell on earth i don't know why we struggling here in everything :/
As a European I suppose you don't know the advantages of self reliance, personal freedom, and not living in debt for 50 years.
I'm not familiar with European ways, the apprenticeships, so correct me on anything. Are you paid as an apprentice? If not then you're making no money to learn. In America our companies pay us to go to school, or certifications, or training. What if you need to modify your tool, you send in a work form? I have a technician co-worker who had to cut a slit in one of his sockets to use it for something I don't remember. Plus what if you leave? The tool cart is yours? And are trades paid a set income where you're from? Like a union pay? If that's the case fuck that. Unions and set pay blow.
Here in Norway, the shop buys the tools. I started at a Hyundai and Mazda dealership, and no tools for me. Two weeks later i had my own toolbox, workbench and a lift (The lift was already in the shop but unused since there only was two mechanics working there)
It is better to use your own tools what would happen if you loose the shops tools you will always look after your own tools better if it wasn’t your tools
Tools are addictive I got a shop under my bunk in my t680 but I'm 100% technician bought tools because there's always that one bolt or that one connection that no tool produced can reach so you gotta cut and weld it at a certain angle to do that job but something's as you said should be shop supplied like in my industry a 1" monster jack hammer of an impact because unless you run a farm too you won't need that in your home life but you can still personally buy those things say you don't like Ingersoll rand and have better luck with another brand it's up to you but that's the beauty of tech supplied tools you can tell a great tech most of the time by looking at his tool box
seems like a weird gray area between employee and contractor
Very.
Honestly I think if techs thought of themselves as contractors things might be better.
HumbleMechanic if techs thought of themselves as contractors then every ticket would be a new contract. Along with the option to say no to work because it is not of a high enough value. I don't see that working very well.
on the other hand if they are employees they should be paid the same even if there is nothing to do, the risk of slow times or low value work being on the employer
Lasse Langwadt Christensen that is exactly right. If I'm at work for 40+ hours I should be getting paid for it.
You can always say no. But that doesn’t really work out too well.
Think of it like a commission sales job. Which I see, like I see a tech, is kind of like running your own thing.
Its the same in the UK. Buy your own tools unless its a specialist job then the firm might buy it.
Coming from Europe this always seemed weird to me. I was no mechanic, but I worked in a carpentry shop. The company provided us with tools to accomplish tasks that the job required us to perform, If I needed anything i just went out and got it, the tool was my personal tool until I eventually quit my job. Then the company passed it down to an apprentice or someone who needed it, the next guy would go out and get a new or better one when he broke it or it didn’t perform the way it should.
For me it’s reasonable that the company should provide you quality tools to deliver quality product.
It’s not your responsibility to make quality product without them providing you quality tools that makes you accomplish a product that the company can be proud of and stand behind.
I think it would be great after a few years and you've amassed a nice set of tools, for all the reasons you mentioned. You can take them home, you can leave when you want, etc. Starting out in the industry, this situation sounds like it sucks. One solution might be shops providing "tool dollars". Basically a budget, say $5000, you can get up to that much in tools from the shop. Any amount below that you simply take it as salary. That helps newbies. And if you already have your own tools, it all goes to your pay check. Just an idea :) Thanks for the video, really interesting.
I commented before you finished the video. You mentioned the lease portion :)
I’m an aviation mechanic, we buy our own more common tools. Anything specialized like a test set for testing altimeters and transponders and a bunch of other “niche” tools is purchased by the shop. Still spend $$$ on our own tools
when i left my last place of employment my tools of course came with me. sadly for them they no longer have the minimum tooling to comply with their dealership contract. unfortunately there is a fine line as to what is a techs responsibility and what the shop owners responsibility is. and in every case this is negotiated between the shop and the tech and never have i seen anything in writing. this becomes a point of unnecesary friction a lot of times.there are good and bad with shop supplied or tech supplied tools and there really is no good answer as to which is better. the us is different in many ways and its not limited to car techs. machinists hvac techs appliance repair etc etc etc. the list goes on.
my career route was air compressors and i supplied my own tools. The stuff they supplied was crap and nowhere near what i needed to do my job, then they fought me when i approached them about needing more.
Own tools, you appreciate more, and you pick the quality. Plus the memories of getting them, they become very personal. I dont work at a shop but i think employer should supply at least gloves, glasses, scanners, and food!
Here in Australia with taxes you can buy tools STRAIGHT UP and it's just a business expense/work expense and you will pay ZERO income tax. It gets a bit harder with vehicles because the only allow "commercial vehicles" which HAS ACTUALLY driven the price of pickups and vans to ridiculous levels.
I just bought 2 torque wrenches for myself with the company loan policy, the advantage here is that he get some nice discounts from the tools shops. my next is an Impact wrench
I agree with buying your own set of tools, but specialty stuff and 'consumables' should be provided. I work for a commercial truck fleet. Our shop supplied "specialty tools" is a fairy tale. Jacks, a very incomplete set of 3/4" and 1" drive impact sockets, 1 A/C machine, 3/4 torque wrench and some seal and yoke pullers is the extent of it. 2 diagnosis laptops and 1 battery charger for 5 guys to share. No tap and die, no AC leak detection.
For valve train adjustments there's expensive special sockets needed. I just figured it out and built my own set. One good thing is they will reimburse 50% of prescription safety glasses.
We have to buy them here in the uk too we have the snap on man and Mac tools van come round once a week we love and dread the snap on truck though
My experience with shops that say "we will provide your tools" seem to be shops sponsored by China and harbor freight. Other then one shop I was aloud to bring in my own tools in place of their harbor freight tools. The one job that I couldn't, well let's just say it lasted 3 weeks... I find that me buying my own quality tools pays me back in lack of things breaking, stripping, or just plain fighting with the tool making the job 10x harder and putting me in a bad mood.
Great points! Thank you