Originally posted by Kremithefrog:
My dad is a diesel truck mechanic and basically is the head mechanic where he works. He has spent a lot of money on tools, but by that I mean thousands, maybe $3k, $4k at most, not 10s of thousands. He has bought used tool boxs to save lots of money but of course only buys new tools. He has enough tools (save for air compressors, computers, lifts,etc.) to do basically anything to a diesel truck, and most passenger vehicles as well. I'm sure he has some specialized tools but ONLY if they are needed and no other tool can be substituted. And somehow he manages to do the job right because he doesn't want trucks coming back in to the shop.



3k is absolutely nothing. I could [did] spend over 1k just to work on a few FWD wheel bearings/hubs, and that includes no hand tools...spent over that much [1k] for just one 3/4 drive *airgun*...$850.00 on a battery tester...$400.00 for a short tracer...$200.00 for a few sockets...just some basic stuff. But I don't work on that many diesel trucks...just work on Acuras - Volvos, and pretty much everything in between, bumper-to-bumper, like most modern shops.



No offense MeanGreen, but the amount of money spent on tools means nothing to me. Its how you are able to fix whatever you are working on that matters. My Dad was also the head diesel mechanic before he retired. He has tools I never even knew existed. Estimated value is well over 20K mostly since he has been doing it for over 35 years, but a lot of his tools are MADE.

If he couldnt afford or find that tool he needed, or he was only going to use it 2 times a year, he made his own, usually for a single job, since he also designed and built one-off hydraulic systems for dump trucks, trash trucks, etc. He is also a damn fine welder and built packer bodies and all the related hydraulic and electrical systems FROM SCRATCH. He has tools that are as old as I am and are still in excellent condition. But he never paid $200 for sockets. he also taught me how to trace shorts without a $400 tracer He also built and tuned gas and diesel engines using only his ear, to make sure it was right, and was swapping V8s into mini trucks and retrofitting fuel injection onto carbed engines before it was "cool". He didnt need fancy computers or expensive tools. And all his experience and knowledge is being handed down to me, a little at a time. Wanna talk about experience? I got all I need just a few steps away.

Need a set of master keys for a Peterbilt or Kenworth?? I got em. Need special tools for any domestic gas engine up to about 1990, including Flatheads? I got em too. Because all of his tools were given to me when he retired. You didnt see me bragging about it when I got all these seriously cool tools. I had to build another shed just to hold all of it

I respect the fact that you are well equiped for your job, but throwing around $$ figures is kind of sad. I have learned that even of you dont have a special tool to get the job done, its no problem. Either make your own or make do with what you have. I also understand that you have a lot of experience, but so does Kremit and others on here, and if I can save a few bucks and still do the job right following what they say, guess what, I just saved a few bucks

OTOH, you want to buy whatever special tool is needed for a certain job, and I can respect that, more power to you. But dont talk about having so many expensive tools, cause I can hang with that, and probably show you stuff you never knew existed.

My Dad (and probably Kremits too, probably about the same age) come from the old-school way of thinking. If you dont have the tool, you still gotta fix the problem. No need to go out and spend $$ if you dont have to.

Can we all just get along now?

-Ken V. 1998.5 SE Praire Tan Zetec ATX psycho_bass@hotmail.com Roush springs Roush rear sway bar BAT struts 17" Millie Miglia HT3 and a ton of subtle asthetic mods