I FINALLY got a job at a repair shop
 

Feels good honestly, been dreading the restaurant industry, 7 years of food service is enough, too much for me.

It isn't any place special, a do it all chain shop, but I can't complain I'm in. I have a feeling I can take on and soak up all of the engine performance diagnostic work as well as electrical. (I can do the basic stuff as well too)

One of the managers already hinted at that potential, "We have a few guys in our shop who have been doing this for 20 - 30 years but they refuse to adapt and learn new things on how modern cars work."

I know at the end of the day this career is just a job, it won't be rose's all the time, if at all depending on how it's managed. Pretty much learned to not let my expectations to get to high when I started working at a pizza shop and I was let down (I'm an expert pizza maker btw).
The expectations and reality where totally different.

If I truly do get the job there, I'm definitely going to have an all diesel fleet!

Good for you, congratulations.

Thanks, there are so many tools I've wanted to buy but couldn't justify it lol. First thing I'm getting is a Butterfly air impact wrench and SP Air 7770 and 7772, they seem to be intuitive tools.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceXw_d9aM34

Buy assorted extensions and QUALITY universal joints... nougat the square style, get the round ones with the bearings....

This style right? https://www.amazon.com/SK-Hand-8-Inch-Universal-Retainer/dp/B00062LNSU
I'm going with SK as my brand of choice for just about all sockets and wrenches.

The "butterfly" air wrench is a waste of money. It is too easily triggered in my opinion.

Y.M.M.V., of course but I prefer the control of a positive moving switch.

SK is a decent brand but pretty soon, working at it professionally, you'll become a "tool snob" like the rest of the professionals.

Tool storage? Matco or SnapOn. Matco's are less expensive but still high quality. A collection of tools quickly becomes HEAVY and the cheaper boxes collapse and warp.

Heavy duty stuff? Look for OTC.

Klein, Ingersoll Rand, Chicago Pneumatic, Central Tools are all brands you will be getting familiar with.

One rounded bolt/nut on a customer's car negates any money you "save" on a bargain tool.

WELCOME To The Madhouse !
 

I hope you enjoy the career change, it's a challenging and rewarding job *if* you allow it to be .

Plenty of good tools to be had cheaply, Kennedy rollaway tool boxes are top notch if prolly all 40 years old .

Pawn Shops, craigslist and bankruptcy auctions etc. will be your best friend ~ Don't buy big combined all in one tool sets, just get the basics and add as you go along .

LOCKS on everything ! .

Don't go down the rabbit hole of rushing every job, therein lies frustration and misery .

I don't own a butterfly air tool and rarely ever used my air ratchet either .

Take the time to learn how and why things work, don't be a parts changer .

Time will tell .

All great advice.

That's what I love about this forum.

Good luck to you.

Plus one on that! Don't be a "good guy" and let people borrow your tools. This ends up being a "It was like that when I borrowed it" situation. Shop mechanics have notoriously bad memories when it comes to borrowing tools.

My favorite tool box sticker was from Snap-on.

"I make my living with Snap-on Tools. Please don't ask to borrow them"

Attachment 151267

Many places have been moving away from air tools....you can get the same if not more power and control from modern battery powered tools....with no compressors or air hoses. I recently added a 3/8 electric ratchet to my tools and it is better than the air powered version I have. Air tools do have the advantage of toughness and no batteries though, so there's pros and cons to each.

Tools
 

In 1984 I helped out two Mexicans in a junkyard, they thanked me by following me and stripping my truck of every tool & box in it, a week before I began work at a heavy duty truck shop, what to do ? .

I borrowed $1,000 and began buying used tools and the same Kennedy rollaway I still have .

Over the decades I was able to replace almost all of those stolen tools, many were German car specialty tools those a-holes would never have been able to use :mad: .

If no casters on the old box (how I got a top quality box cheaply) just take it to a Weld Shop and have them make up a base with BIG casters (bigger rolls over bumps, cracks, air hoses etc.) and a loop on the bottom out of angle iron plus a flat straight piece to go through all the drawer handles, it slips over the loop at the bottom and you use a padlock .

Always beware of the loudmouths with the biggest & flashiest tool box, they never know the job well and are compensating .

They all laugh at my collection of old and new Japanese / Chinese tools but not a one of them could ever diagnose / repair as well/quickly as I could and that's the name of the game : quality works, not speeding through every job .

I hear you on that, I'll take it slow and buy cheap/used.

Not all used tools are good and not all cheap tools are bad, you must look closely and chose wisely, why Pawn Shops are so handy ~ most have large boxes of unsorted tools to dig through, the best ones are of course, always on the bottom.... .

Yes.
And I agree with everyone on the butterfly tool... never had one, I used one of my bosses, but it was pretty weak, only good for fast removal or install... after the bolts are loose, or up to torque setting, no power.

Congratulations!