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Becoming a mechanic |
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1968AMC770Wagon 
AMC Addicted 
Joined: Jan/09/2009 Location: CT Status: Offline Points: 1140 |
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 Topic: Becoming a mechanicPosted: Aug/25/2010 at 3:16pm |
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Well, I have always known what I have wanted to do with my life since I was about 6 years old and working on cars with my dad in the garage. I have applied to The State University of New York IT at Morrisville, for the Automotive Technology Major, and during the breaks i will be in Fords ASSET program, earning a certificate and assuring a job straight out of college. With this program, comes a long list of needed tools, and a lot of choices to be made. Since I am an automotive student many of the tool companies give me a discount of over 50% off. So my question is, who makes the best tools, boxes, equipment etc. Here is a list of what I will need: 1 - Tool Box (lockable top box and/or roll cabinet) |
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Zach Orcutt
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slownugly
AMC Apprentice 
Joined: Nov/23/2009 Location: PA Status: Offline Points: 221 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 4:53pm |
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thats a big list to dissect bit by bit. better off just getting everything from snap on. take advantage of the discount pricing. i wish i had in college oh well. what options of companies do you have? |
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90 notch mustang v8 t5
28 model a 73 gremlin drag car 74 gremlin project 00focus v8 5speed hot rod rollback |
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scott
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Joined: Jul/10/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 953 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 5:45pm |
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I'd be hitting up some garage sales & flea markets. Its amazing what you can find out there for cheap with some looking. A $1.00 flea market Stanley or Craftsman Hammer will hit just as well as a $75.00 Snap On. Stick to brand names on used tools & you should do OK. It is hard to beat Craftsman for the ease of warranty replacement, but not everyone likes their tools. The nice thing with flea market Craftsman is that you can take 'em to Sears & basically trade them in for brand new ones. Buy a $1.00 ratchet & trade it in for a new $20.00 one.
One thing I'd advise is to not go into debt to buy this stuff, if you decide to buy new. Save up & pay cash!! Don't sell your soul to the tool man & end up hiding from him when he comes to the shop looking for his $$$. |
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slownugly
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Joined: Nov/23/2009 Location: PA Status: Offline Points: 221 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 6:22pm |
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fleamarkets craftman items are fine and well. i have my share of throwaway craftsman screwdrivers. they will serve there purpose for a home garage tool set. not for a dealership environment. does a craftsman truck come to the dealer every week? when you get these tools on discount your not going through a truck your going directly through snapon. in the program we had, we could buy tools all the way until we graduated. all through snapon no truck guys involved. |
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90 notch mustang v8 t5
28 model a 73 gremlin drag car 74 gremlin project 00focus v8 5speed hot rod rollback |
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mramc
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Joined: Jul/12/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 1285 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 6:30pm |
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Best tools are probably Span-On , but they really, really expensive. I've always used the good Sears Craftsman's tools. You get about the same warranty as Span-On for about half the price. You may want to check with the schools program. They may have a deal with some one. I use to work for a junior college and they had a deal with Sears for the craftsman tools they needed and did it at a greatly reduced cost as it was group buy for there auto shop programs. Use to get a truck load of tools in at the start of the school year from Sears for that program. LRDaum
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LRDaum
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jayson738
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Joined: Jun/06/2009 Location: Coloma, MI Status: Offline Points: 119 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 7:04pm |
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My box is a Snap-On and I am very glad that I got it vs. other brands. As far as screw drivers I also use only snap-on they seem to fit my hands the best and have very good bite. All of my cordless tools are also snap-on including my grease gun. Most of my air tools are blue-point or ingersol, but I work on boats for a living and the cordless tools get used more often. Cornwell makes a very good plier set...they don't seem as bulky as the snap-on set. They also make a nice torx set with inverted sockets and tamperproof torx. I could keep going but don't want to bore everyone reading this. The most important thing to do is to hold the tool before you buy it. You should be able to get the feel of it pretty quick. You want tools that fit you and that are quality. When you are in the service industry you want repalcement tools to come to you, you don't want to have to go to the local sears on your time off to replace tools. There are a couple of items that I would reccomend that you dont have on your list and thats a quality tap and die set or a tread repair kit. I have a Mac tap and die set that has extractors and drill bits. I went with that one because all of the taps/dies/extractors, and drill bits are warrantied regaurdless of size. Jayson
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6768rogues
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Joined: Jul/03/2007 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 2500 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 8:57pm |
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You should pick up a couple of AMC fender covers, just for the fun of it.
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Why Ramblers? Chicks dig 'em. Whatever it is, I can take it apart.
Located near Rochester, NY |
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RamblinMan
AMC Nut
Joined: Sep/26/2007 Location: BG, Kentucky Status: Offline Points: 324 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 9:13pm |
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Find out if the 50% discount is off of LIST price. I never paid list price off the tool trucks. NOBODY (that I ever knew) pays list price off of the tool trucks. I thought my tool-truck tools were expensive until I looked at the LIST prices. I think you can buy almost any Kobalt, Husky Pro, or ?? for WAY less than Snap-On at 50% discount. They don't fit the hand as well, and the truck's convenient, but $10,000 in debt is REAL easy to do on the Snap-On truck. FYI, if you get behind on your payments, they will repo your tools so fast your head will spin. Then they will bill you for the difference after they fire-sale your used tools to someone else. Been there, got the T-shirt.If you can do it without debt, you will have an extra $100+ per week in your wallet and nobody can take your tools (legally). Heck, I'd go to Harbor Freght before I got into hock with those guys again.
When the customer picks up his car, he never asks what brand of tools you used to fix it. He pays the same hourly book rate to the mechanic who uses Snap-On as he does to the mechanic using Chi-Com tools.
Just sayin' . . . Edited by RamblinMan - Aug/25/2010 at 9:17pm |
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The Right Reverend of Blessed Acceleration
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slownugly
AMC Apprentice
Joined: Nov/23/2009 Location: PA Status: Offline Points: 221 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 9:13pm |
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and nash patches for you uniform
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90 notch mustang v8 t5
28 model a 73 gremlin drag car 74 gremlin project 00focus v8 5speed hot rod rollback |
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steeters
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Joined: Feb/02/2008 Location: California Status: Offline Points: 913 |
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Posted: Aug/25/2010 at 10:43pm |
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I'm not a mechanic, but I've been through some of the automotive technology classes at the junior college and I've gotten all the sales information you have gotten. The deals do sound great. The SnapOn truck guy will let you finance what you need (not necessarily the best idea, but borrowing to fund your employment is necessary at times). Ask if the 50% discount in class still allows you to finance, or must it be cash only? Our offers were always 50% off in class, but no financing.
I would go talk to a few mechanics at the local ford dealership. a mechanic with a few years under their belt will have made a few mistake tool purchases and could probably tell you what you need to buy "the best" and what you can get by with for less money.
FWIW, I see a bunch mechanics selling off everything on craigslist. SnapOn box, bunch of random tools, etc and they really need the cash so they sell for cheap. Maybe you could build some of your collection that way. Cash is king. Any relatives willing to help you get started with a little getting started money?
Steve
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Steve Teeters - 1970 Javelin SST 390 Ram Air (401/727)- For Sale $10,000
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