like monthly on the tool trucks? just curious, i know im pretty high right now at just over $720/month... its the highest ive ever been. and im not buying anything else for a while to get them paid down a ways...
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calling all mechanics. how much do you pay for tools?
- Thread starter muddysub
- Start date
DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
Zero. If i can't buy it outright I don't buy
hundreds of dollars a month is insane, let alone $700 a month. thats amost half my mortgage per month.
hundreds of dollars a month is insane, let alone $700 a month. thats amost half my mortgage per month.
yeah tools are my biggest bill right now, i pay less for my share of the rent on my house than i do on tools.
DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
all in perspective I suppose, my mortgage is $1700 a month and I cover the whole thing, so I can't really kick out 7 bills for tools per mth.
don't get me wrong though, if I could I would too.
don't get me wrong though, if I could I would too.
bowtiepower00
1/2 ton status
Nothing anymore, but for the first several years I was wrenching I spent at least 10 grand a year. Some of it monthly some of it lump sum. Without tools you can't make a living. The other reasoning behind that was that I knew once I had mouths to feed other than my own and other responsibilities my days of living on Ramen Noodles to buy tools and parts would be long behind me, and it's a lot easier to talk the other half into a truck or house payment than a huge tool payment. I would say that for the majority of those years I carried a minimum of $300 a month. I've got enough stuff now that when I walk onto Snappy's truck, unless they've got one hell of a truck I have most of the stuff on it. If I was still wrenching day in and day out I'm sure I would have even more, but everything I need now is REALLY expensive and most if it I already have in less expensive brands. If I needed a tool for any reason, I got it instead of borrowing it from someone else. Now I just need a shop...
DEMON44
Low-Tech Redneck
I just don't get that particular aspect, maybe automotive mechanics have it different than HD's like me in the oil field. I don't think I have $10K in tools including my box total. the company supplyes the big stuff like 1" impacts and anything over 1" sockets and wrenches, 36" pipe wrenches ect.... There isn't a job I can't do on a drilling rig with what I got in my box though. I don't even know what I;d buy if I had to spend say $50K on tools right now.
88sub4x4
1/2 ton status
I know I have about 20-25K in stuff spent over the first 3-4 years in the auto field. The only tools supplied by the employer is the lifts and shop equipment such as air comp, press, lathes, and computer. Other then that we have to buy it.
I never bought anything with financing. To me it was a waste of money that could buy more tools. I always just ran a truck acct. and was always reliable with paying it, even when I was on vacation. The snap-on guy trusted me enough to let me put my box on the truck acct. The crew I worked with when I started was real cool about loaning me tools until I had the $$ to get my own. They'd even leave me their keys when they went away. Man, I miss those guys now....
I never bought anything with financing. To me it was a waste of money that could buy more tools. I always just ran a truck acct. and was always reliable with paying it, even when I was on vacation. The snap-on guy trusted me enough to let me put my box on the truck acct. The crew I worked with when I started was real cool about loaning me tools until I had the $$ to get my own. They'd even leave me their keys when they went away. Man, I miss those guys now....
muddysub said:
I did the same thing when I was young....
Do it now while the other bills are low.
Once you own a house...it's hard to spend a dime on tools...unless its HF junk.
bowtiepower00
1/2 ton status
I've wrenched in the Automotive, motorcycle, and heavy equipment industries. Heavy equipment is a different beast altogether. Most of the Heavy mechanics I know do not use Snap on and similar tools, mostly because on things that big they don't really have an advantage, and the cost is outrageous. 10G won't even purchase a set of Snap-on slugging wrenches. HF and similar tools work just fine on large stuff, plus, in many instances, specialty tools and such can be made or modified from common tools. Modern automobiles and motorcycles cram a lot of stuff into a very small package, and require numerous specialty tools to work on. Are some of these tools absolutely necessary? Maybe not, but when time is money and the work keeps pouring in, I'll spend more on tools to get my job done faster. Extracting stripped fasteners in tight spaces is simply not possible without MAJOR disassembly in many cases. Also, having a set of tools provided to you greatly reduces the amount of tools you have to purchase. On another note, working in the field it is much more difficult to keep track of your tools- another reason to avoid expensive stuff.
I've got 18,400 in reciepts from Snap-On no idea on waht I've spent from Mac,Proto,or Matco . tools are kind of like buying a house If you keep them in good shape they will make you Money
Demon44, I'm like you though I don't carry an account I buy outright only
I've got over 50 g's in tools.... Almost all are paid for....
My current weekly payment is $24..... Still paying off my boroscope....
My current weekly payment is $24..... Still paying off my boroscope....
I lucked out on my borescope Govliquidation .com 100 bucks
Lot of different styles, models of boroscope.. Mine was normally a grand, I payed 450.... 42" flexi, with light, etc...
Heck, they can run upwards of 3 g's!
Heck, they can run upwards of 3 g's!
Mine is actually a Medical scope the flexi part is almost 8 foot long and it's lighted as well no idea what it costs new but it has a small 6 inch screen but will also plug into a TV with RCA cable
Confedneck79K30
3/4 ton status
i think i spend about 7k/week in tools, sometimes much more... lol
yea when your starting from almost scratch and your very young your gonna have a tool bill .. thats basically where im at .. im in rv industry and you need a lot of random **** like finish nail guns staple guns lp and noise detectors .. lots of random **** so a pretty big box is necessary
88sub4x4
1/2 ton status
locking file cabinets work great for those big tools. Alot cheaper then a side cabinet too. Kind of ghetto, but they're heavy enough people can't walk away with 'em.
