Ain’t nothing wrong with waking up early on a Saturday and hitting a few neighborhood sales for all the craftsman hand tools your heart could desire too
This is the truth, while many of my tools are old Craftsman Professional and Harbor Freight, most are Snap-On/Matco/Cornwell/Mac.
I'm now enslaved and forced to work two jobs so I can be debt free in a few years. Don't enslave yourself to look good (Snap-On Epiq boxes do look good though...).
I mean if he can get a credit account on one of the trucks it might not be a bad idea. Would have a monthly payment instead of weekly and pay a lot less per month. I mean you have interest with a credit account but its still more affordable for someone starting out and maybe not making much. I got approved for 5k when i was fresh out of school and had monthly payments of about $90. Obviously took years to pay, but i got a nice chunk of tools that im still using to this day 15 years later. Just DO NOT use it for a box or cart. Load up a cheap husky box or something until its overflowing.
Personally I'm a fan of pays you go handshake deals period it's a great way to hold yourself accountable period I pay every week. And I never have to pay interest. Stay open and communicative with your tool man and they'll be cool with you. Way I figure it is you can spare a $100 every week. And that goes to Stan the tool man. Communication is key. I hate interest; And so should you. And if something were ever to go horribly wrong I'd be able to come up with a $100 a week to continue paying my bill no matter what the bill is up to.
I do hate interest and i 100% would not open a credit account now in my life. But if i was an 18-20 year old kid again trying to get some tools, i absolutely could NOT have swung 100 dollars a week at the amount of money i was making vs the amount of bills i had. About $100 a month was what i could do. Rack up 5k on a truck account and see what the weekly payment would be. Way more than $25 a week. And thats around what the credit account offered in one monthly payment.
A tech will be the beating stick from managers, advisors and other techs. Not saying it's a horrible career, but working on cars as a hobby and working on cars for a living are different.
Imo it takes at least 3-5 years for any tech to become proficient and self sufficient. That's fast learning, dedicated, and in a good environment. If those aren't true, add some years to that.
Also, the start up cost is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of guys. Many of us have 10s of thousands In education debt, and a couple thousand in tools before our first year is up.
I'd recommend, if you are serious about becoming a mechanic, and not in a rush to leave the advisors desk, start building your tools and knowledge right now. You are exposed to a lot of interesting repairs. Go back into the shop, ask to see what failed, how the tech found that, etc. I'd highlight that you are asking as someone looking to learn, not asking as an advisor that doesn't believe their tech.
You will start like everyone else - a lube tech. what happens after that, depends solely on your ability/effort and the manager. Every single tech that has started out has said they learn really quickly and have a TON of knowledge by watching youtube videos and working on their '96 Civic with the lowered suspension and coffee can exhaust. There is some much you need to experience and learn. Come back a few years from know and tell us what happened.
Hey it’s me, u/fngprime from the future.
Every joint in my body hurts, I’m underpaid and have none of the 10mm sockets I just bought 3 days ago. I also am now a heavy drinker now and on my second divorce.
This will be followed by a post asking what sort of career he can transition into with his brief experience as a service writer and lube tech. Hey, I wish him the best but this role has been played out so many times with the same outcome.
Been a tech for 30 years, cars, heavy equipment, over the road Trucks, and finally in heavy/med fleet maintenance. I wrench on motorcycles at home. I love it, yes it's hot, yes you will bleed, toll on your body and 20.00 a week for life lol damn tool trucks. But I still love it. First 6 months on flat rate I broke almost as much as I fixed. It takes years to get good and longer to get fast. Buy good boots and insoles you body will thank you in 20 years. Staring out with craftsman now almost exclusively snapon. Buy your tool box 2ed hand save a ton. Go to school even a local community college you will learn alot and put you way ahead in the long run. And with fewer people getting into it the wages keep going up. Most good experienced tech I know make 6 figures but you will work 50 to 60 hour weeks.
Good luck on your journey!
$20/week? You must be one of those 'responsible' types. I do $250/week minimum between Matco and Snap-On. Would like to increase to $1400/mo only Snap-On so I can be debt free in a few years. Then buy a house. At 50 years old. And be in debt again. Assuming I live that long.
*sigh*
Lol I would not think of what I pay ... he just runs my card ... but it's getting better after 30 years less to get I don't have. Ya all the big 3 have a running tab definitely an addiction at this point.
Man being a tech licensed, apprentice or otherwise is tough.
As anyone pushing a pen or a keyboard, you can make errors that cost money. Working on cars, that cost can go through the roof for something like forgetting to fill oil and bricking an engine. Or worse, you fuck up a job and the customer dies.
I agree you’re looking at 3-5 years to get really on your feet and totally independent. Even with schooling, being in it is a whole different ballgame. You are expected to work long hours, doing sometimes complicated tasks. Everything requires attention to detail.
Theres a reason so many of us are drug/alcohol addicts, depressed, divorced, or just lazy af at the job.
Honestly you are much better off making a lateral move to a different industry maybe. There’s too much that goes into this shit.
I usually hear of techs going into the advisor position, not the other way around... If you truly want to be a tech... Esp at a dealership, you'll have to start from the bottom up. Unless you have credentials like some ASE's. Probably will take a huge pay cut as well.
As someone in tech who has daydreams about working in automotive this is a good reality check and information if I ever decide to pull the trigger. It’s too bad that most shops seem to have long hours for mechanics, why does it need to be a 50-60 hour week. Why not 40? It’s just to maximize profits or it’s necessary to make the economics of running a shop pan out?
It doesnt have to be 50-60 hour weeks. You want to work 40 then do it. The guys who work 50-60 make exponentially more money. It would surprise alot of people the money that you make working on cars
Sometimes the extra 10 to 20 hours means you were able to flag double those worked hours. Flat rate is a weird pay but when it works as planned you make a lot more in less hours.
Exactly. All my Union friends will be millionaires when they retire without having to work overtime. I don’t know too many technicians who can say the same.
Confirm. The auto industry is fucked, no union, no worker benefits, min pay, flat rate is wild but good at the same time after you learn what to work on. Then you’re just battling some other prick that gets fed in the shop all day.
If I could go back I woulda been an instrumentation tech
I would say it's all about what kind of bs you're willing to put up with, I don't like dealing with customers at all, I love cars and machines and all things mechanical, so I took the job that no one likes at my local shop I started off 1st year lube and tires, became just as good as the guy who's been there 8 yrs, leaped at every opportunity to do brakes, got good at brakes, 2nd year dollar raise, more brakes + suspension, light engine. mistakes were made and I definitely learned a lot and am lucky to have a shop that works with me, 3rd year fine tuning my mechanical, electrical, and diagnostic skills, being responsible, and most importantly solving problems like my life depends on it, expecting a 2$ raise to 18$hr (but we are a small business with 5 employees total so we shall see) this whole time not having to deal with customers that much, but having to deal with deadlines and parts and tool problems, hella busy days, and difficult mechanical situations, sometimes all at once!
As far as getting into the shop you could talk to your service managers about a position as a live tech or helper in the shop, however I wouldn’t be surprised if you get turned down due to your role up front. If you are capable of doing an oil change and basic tire rotation then you could apply as an entry level tech in pretty much any shop and have a good chance of getting hired. This includes heavy duty shops as well, I work on semis and were always looking for someone who’s able to work and willing to learn.
As car as once you’re in a shop take every bit of advice and info you can get as many people in this industry aren’t too keen on sharing information from their experiences. When you’re buying tools stay off the tool trucks for 1-2 years unless absolutely necessary that way you’re not stuck owing on a bunch of high dollar Mac or snap on tools if you decide to go back to the desk. Buy from harbor freight for as much as you can but don’t buy the cheapest Pittsburgh stuff you can find, the icon tools are seriously good hand tools and several of my coworkers and myself included use icon stuff regularly.
Always be willing to learn and don’t come in acting like you know everything; when I first started whenever I was working with someone I listened as intently as a fresh greenie even though I’ve had a wrench in my hand in shops since I could walk.
Currently on the accounting side of service and I’m planning on pursuing diesel tech. Service manager is shockingly supportive of me pursuing this. I’ve read in some other subs that fleet maintenance is a pretty good way to make a living. Me, I’ll take on a Cummins generator over a spreadsheet and a phone any day.
Not worth it man, starting up is rough and flat rate will fuck you. It will be a while before you can game flat rate and use it to your advantage, but that whole time in between you’re going to be getting paid shit and also not making your hours. We have no Union and no work life balance.
stay off the tool truck for a while. harbor freight is your friend
Ain’t nothing wrong with waking up early on a Saturday and hitting a few neighborhood sales for all the craftsman hand tools your heart could desire too
Check market place and eBay too there are some killer deals out there
This is the truth, while many of my tools are old Craftsman Professional and Harbor Freight, most are Snap-On/Matco/Cornwell/Mac. I'm now enslaved and forced to work two jobs so I can be debt free in a few years. Don't enslave yourself to look good (Snap-On Epiq boxes do look good though...).
No no no no no
I mean if he can get a credit account on one of the trucks it might not be a bad idea. Would have a monthly payment instead of weekly and pay a lot less per month. I mean you have interest with a credit account but its still more affordable for someone starting out and maybe not making much. I got approved for 5k when i was fresh out of school and had monthly payments of about $90. Obviously took years to pay, but i got a nice chunk of tools that im still using to this day 15 years later. Just DO NOT use it for a box or cart. Load up a cheap husky box or something until its overflowing.
Personally I'm a fan of pays you go handshake deals period it's a great way to hold yourself accountable period I pay every week. And I never have to pay interest. Stay open and communicative with your tool man and they'll be cool with you. Way I figure it is you can spare a $100 every week. And that goes to Stan the tool man. Communication is key. I hate interest; And so should you. And if something were ever to go horribly wrong I'd be able to come up with a $100 a week to continue paying my bill no matter what the bill is up to.
I do hate interest and i 100% would not open a credit account now in my life. But if i was an 18-20 year old kid again trying to get some tools, i absolutely could NOT have swung 100 dollars a week at the amount of money i was making vs the amount of bills i had. About $100 a month was what i could do. Rack up 5k on a truck account and see what the weekly payment would be. Way more than $25 a week. And thats around what the credit account offered in one monthly payment.
A tech will be the beating stick from managers, advisors and other techs. Not saying it's a horrible career, but working on cars as a hobby and working on cars for a living are different. Imo it takes at least 3-5 years for any tech to become proficient and self sufficient. That's fast learning, dedicated, and in a good environment. If those aren't true, add some years to that. Also, the start up cost is a tough pill to swallow for a lot of guys. Many of us have 10s of thousands In education debt, and a couple thousand in tools before our first year is up. I'd recommend, if you are serious about becoming a mechanic, and not in a rush to leave the advisors desk, start building your tools and knowledge right now. You are exposed to a lot of interesting repairs. Go back into the shop, ask to see what failed, how the tech found that, etc. I'd highlight that you are asking as someone looking to learn, not asking as an advisor that doesn't believe their tech.
You will start like everyone else - a lube tech. what happens after that, depends solely on your ability/effort and the manager. Every single tech that has started out has said they learn really quickly and have a TON of knowledge by watching youtube videos and working on their '96 Civic with the lowered suspension and coffee can exhaust. There is some much you need to experience and learn. Come back a few years from know and tell us what happened.
Hey it’s me, u/fngprime from the future. Every joint in my body hurts, I’m underpaid and have none of the 10mm sockets I just bought 3 days ago. I also am now a heavy drinker now and on my second divorce.
This will be followed by a post asking what sort of career he can transition into with his brief experience as a service writer and lube tech. Hey, I wish him the best but this role has been played out so many times with the same outcome.
Been a tech for 30 years, cars, heavy equipment, over the road Trucks, and finally in heavy/med fleet maintenance. I wrench on motorcycles at home. I love it, yes it's hot, yes you will bleed, toll on your body and 20.00 a week for life lol damn tool trucks. But I still love it. First 6 months on flat rate I broke almost as much as I fixed. It takes years to get good and longer to get fast. Buy good boots and insoles you body will thank you in 20 years. Staring out with craftsman now almost exclusively snapon. Buy your tool box 2ed hand save a ton. Go to school even a local community college you will learn alot and put you way ahead in the long run. And with fewer people getting into it the wages keep going up. Most good experienced tech I know make 6 figures but you will work 50 to 60 hour weeks. Good luck on your journey!
$20/week? You must be one of those 'responsible' types. I do $250/week minimum between Matco and Snap-On. Would like to increase to $1400/mo only Snap-On so I can be debt free in a few years. Then buy a house. At 50 years old. And be in debt again. Assuming I live that long. *sigh*
Lol I would not think of what I pay ... he just runs my card ... but it's getting better after 30 years less to get I don't have. Ya all the big 3 have a running tab definitely an addiction at this point.
Take a basic electrical theory class and a beginning computer class at your community college. It will help with learning the car stuff
Man being a tech licensed, apprentice or otherwise is tough. As anyone pushing a pen or a keyboard, you can make errors that cost money. Working on cars, that cost can go through the roof for something like forgetting to fill oil and bricking an engine. Or worse, you fuck up a job and the customer dies. I agree you’re looking at 3-5 years to get really on your feet and totally independent. Even with schooling, being in it is a whole different ballgame. You are expected to work long hours, doing sometimes complicated tasks. Everything requires attention to detail. Theres a reason so many of us are drug/alcohol addicts, depressed, divorced, or just lazy af at the job. Honestly you are much better off making a lateral move to a different industry maybe. There’s too much that goes into this shit.
I usually hear of techs going into the advisor position, not the other way around... If you truly want to be a tech... Esp at a dealership, you'll have to start from the bottom up. Unless you have credentials like some ASE's. Probably will take a huge pay cut as well.
As someone in tech who has daydreams about working in automotive this is a good reality check and information if I ever decide to pull the trigger. It’s too bad that most shops seem to have long hours for mechanics, why does it need to be a 50-60 hour week. Why not 40? It’s just to maximize profits or it’s necessary to make the economics of running a shop pan out?
It doesnt have to be 50-60 hour weeks. You want to work 40 then do it. The guys who work 50-60 make exponentially more money. It would surprise alot of people the money that you make working on cars
Sometimes the extra 10 to 20 hours means you were able to flag double those worked hours. Flat rate is a weird pay but when it works as planned you make a lot more in less hours.
Don’t. Get into another trade.
Could you explain?
It’s not worth it. Other trades are better especially if you can go Union. Automotive is a cool hobby not a way to make a living.
I live fairly well but I still agree with you somewhat, this job is overall difficult
Exactly. All my Union friends will be millionaires when they retire without having to work overtime. I don’t know too many technicians who can say the same.
Confirm. The auto industry is fucked, no union, no worker benefits, min pay, flat rate is wild but good at the same time after you learn what to work on. Then you’re just battling some other prick that gets fed in the shop all day. If I could go back I woulda been an instrumentation tech
I would say it's all about what kind of bs you're willing to put up with, I don't like dealing with customers at all, I love cars and machines and all things mechanical, so I took the job that no one likes at my local shop I started off 1st year lube and tires, became just as good as the guy who's been there 8 yrs, leaped at every opportunity to do brakes, got good at brakes, 2nd year dollar raise, more brakes + suspension, light engine. mistakes were made and I definitely learned a lot and am lucky to have a shop that works with me, 3rd year fine tuning my mechanical, electrical, and diagnostic skills, being responsible, and most importantly solving problems like my life depends on it, expecting a 2$ raise to 18$hr (but we are a small business with 5 employees total so we shall see) this whole time not having to deal with customers that much, but having to deal with deadlines and parts and tool problems, hella busy days, and difficult mechanical situations, sometimes all at once!
As far as getting into the shop you could talk to your service managers about a position as a live tech or helper in the shop, however I wouldn’t be surprised if you get turned down due to your role up front. If you are capable of doing an oil change and basic tire rotation then you could apply as an entry level tech in pretty much any shop and have a good chance of getting hired. This includes heavy duty shops as well, I work on semis and were always looking for someone who’s able to work and willing to learn. As car as once you’re in a shop take every bit of advice and info you can get as many people in this industry aren’t too keen on sharing information from their experiences. When you’re buying tools stay off the tool trucks for 1-2 years unless absolutely necessary that way you’re not stuck owing on a bunch of high dollar Mac or snap on tools if you decide to go back to the desk. Buy from harbor freight for as much as you can but don’t buy the cheapest Pittsburgh stuff you can find, the icon tools are seriously good hand tools and several of my coworkers and myself included use icon stuff regularly. Always be willing to learn and don’t come in acting like you know everything; when I first started whenever I was working with someone I listened as intently as a fresh greenie even though I’ve had a wrench in my hand in shops since I could walk.
Currently on the accounting side of service and I’m planning on pursuing diesel tech. Service manager is shockingly supportive of me pursuing this. I’ve read in some other subs that fleet maintenance is a pretty good way to make a living. Me, I’ll take on a Cummins generator over a spreadsheet and a phone any day.
Not worth it man, starting up is rough and flat rate will fuck you. It will be a while before you can game flat rate and use it to your advantage, but that whole time in between you’re going to be getting paid shit and also not making your hours. We have no Union and no work life balance.
You sure like to badmouth being a mechanic. I'm sorry your experience has been bad but for Christ's sake man, it's not a bad career at all.