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I’m starting a career in mechanics, the only problem is the startup. Unfortunately I’m getting paid very little, and have all these tools to buy. As it stands I hardly have enough to buy tools — let alone food. Is it really worth this hard time to continue? I mean, don’t get me wrong; I love this job, and will continue to love it. The vehicles I get to work on, the problems I get to solve, the things that I get to experience are just amazing. I’m always excited to go to work, to see what I’m going to learn. Every other job I wake up and I always felt like I’m wasting my time, this job is different. My employer has agreed to take me on as an apprentice, so I will be able to make hours to go to towards it, but I’m really struggling to afford the basics in life. It’s hard, I was wondering how you guys handled it? What can I do to be successful?
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I would like to add that I started watching ETCG a long while ago, like when he first started uploading. He is one of the main reasons why I started wanting to become a technician. I eagerly await his tool reviews and repair videos. There have been plenty of tools that he has reviewed that I aspire to get, and his videos have actually already helped me where I am, ETCG is a valuable resource!
I thought I had it made when I first got started. I had all the book smarts and I had rebuilt a couple of my own personal cars, and all the tools needed to do that my first day on the job a lube tech making $11/hr hourly. Within 8 months, I had already gone flat rate at $13/hr and was up to $15.50, but building engines and doing other A work because I could. My boss had a hard time getting ‘corporate’ to even let him raise me that fast, but was aggressive about demonstrating my skill. Then he got lured to a competing startup dealer of the same brand and convinced me to go there, but they would only match my pay to bring me on at my boss’s word. I was still to professionally inexperienced to justify even the $15.50, it didn’t seem to matter that I could do the high skill work.
They were a startup, like I said, and things were very slow because they had no customers and started from scratch. I was there about a year, and my best week was 20.5 hours. I had a 40 hour guarantee, but the wage on that part was only $11/hr so my best gross pay was $532. I was on the brink, living off waiting room coffee (lost weight too), stealing a dealer plate and PDIs to commute because I couldn’t afford gas, got the utility bill up to $4,300 before they shut it off and I needed family help to make the down payment on a payment plan. It was real bleak, and I gave my boss a lot of shit about luring me into a shit-situation and all work ethics went to hell as I dove into disaster.
He did me right in the end, and told me about a better job I immediately went to where my 2 years experience combined with my word that I could do solid A work got me $20/hr in a shop where I averaged at least 50 hours a week. Obviously I had to be able to back my word up, but the point is that I had the skill all along. I had an advantage going into this business, but making a bad employer choice almost killed my career.
My miracle job was great for a few years,. but my employer made sure a good thing didn’t last. He brought in new people with no experience to the brand at a higher wage than those of us that knew our jobs in and out and made great hours. That move disintegrated the entire service team at that dealership. I had a moment of uncertainty after that mass exodus, but have luckily settled into a good place. It’s stressful to be a go-to guy that’s expected to deal with anything, but I’m respected and valued, which counts for alot, and get 50-60k now.
It’s a tough ride, and I found that proving your worth in the right place is the real trick of the whole thing.
Peanut Butter and Bread, Ramen, Cup O Noodles, frozen vegetables, hand made hamburgers made by me, hot dogs.
In all honesty it is hard. Tools are expensive but, also realize not everything in the world has to be tool truck brand. Also realize all tool truck brands are not necessarily better then all other tool brands. You also do not need tool truck brands right off the bat. Sometimes you need to work up to them. It will give you backups or standard length wrenches, etc.
Might want to read this I outline brands that I have used personally and even further down someone has quoted a list I made with various brands for starter tools.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/kunena/15-Technicians-Only/55499-so-you-want-are-going-to-be-a-mechanic-technicianOne of these days they will finally sticky that thread. The job in all honesty is going to only get more complex and stupid before it gets simpler. Add that along with no one wanting to do this kind of work because of people feeling entitled or above this kind of work it is only going to pay more in the future. It will take approx 20-30k to 50-80k to get all the tools you need depending on what you work on, how many specialty tools you buy, inflation, etc. You will always be buying tools. Normally around yr 5-8 the amount you are spending slows down because at that point you should have all the basic tools you will need, most of the diagnostic tools you will need, most of the tools that you feel make you fast and will only have to keep up with weird stuff you work on or the new stuff they introduce a lot of. You also get better at assessing whether you really need that tool or not and whether you can make something you have work or make a cheaper version.
I would read that link asit is good and watch the videos maybe not my work tools videos but…. It will give you a whole lot of information.
To be honest everything you do is going to require an investment. Even as you progress through your career.
Engineers are forced to get minimum of an associates degree, often a Bachelors degree. That’s roughly about $40k investment for their job.
Nurses are required to have a bachelors in Ohio, and often pay out of pocket for certs they need for work. Just like our ASE’s.
Same with IT specialist.
Even concrete foreman. They are required to have their own tools.
Machinist must have extensive training and their own tools.
I say all this because I have experienced all this first hand. Every field that pays a good wage and isn’t capable of being sent over seas requires the apprentice or journeyman to come ready.
The difference between us and many other fields is we can take our tools and make money outside of work. And we will be in high demand.
Not many Nurses or engineers can do “sideline” work. Some get second jobs, some design things and tutor for extra money.
I know how you feel. I worked construction in the military. If you didn’t have gloves they provided them for you, for snow removal we got top of the line carhart cold weather gear and long johns. Special snow boots, and when I did wild land firefighting in Cali we were given top of the line gear. Down to $500 hiking/logger boots. All our training was paid for to the tune of $10,000 per member by the military.
As a civilian I worked construction and they didn’t provide anything. If you only had shorts and no gloves you either worked or went home with no pay. Bit of a culture shock because leather gloves arent cheap. And they are soooooooo easy to lose, misplace, someone grabs them because they have the same pair, not realizing they are taking someone else’s.
Good boots that don’t destroy your feet can run a few hundred bucks. And when you make $12.00 you don’t have much room in the budget for a good pair.
To me having your own gear makes you an asset above someone else. Just like schooling, experience, and ASE’s. It could literally come down to you advancing over a peer because you have your shit squared away and show you want to be there. You don’t borrow a tool 9 times a day and turn 80 flag hours a week with a 2 drawer craftsman flip lid box.
Remember one thing. The juice is worth the squeeze.
You have entered a field where 90% of it is EXPERIENCE. To get experience, you have to go through the learning process of TRIAL AND ERROR. You are going to have to learn mostly from your mistakes, because a key to becoming a good tech is what to do when things go wrong. Then there is the investment in tools. You need a lot of tools. Many tools you don’t use often, but when you need them, you really need them and it can make the difference between can and can’t. Finally there is a lot of comptition. Becaue this field doesn’t require a degree, or really any real education initially, you have to compete with a lot of people. Just when you think you are good, you get humbled and reminded that you still have much to learn.
What I would look into if I was just starting out is the BMW “Step Student” program. During the economic downturn a few years ago I was told this program was suspended as even step student graduates were not being hired, but I think it is back up and running. After graduation BMW helps you find a Dealer, that Dealer pays for your training and you start of with a handsome tool supply. Check out if the program is up and running and if the details have changed.
In CAN, VW had similar training course that i attended and we were first group to go through.
Each Vw dealer chose their apprentice to sponsor for training….”sponsor” only name….no money involved, no tool…when i got hired at one place…some techs had free tools from 15-20 years ago.whatever…i guess i wouldn’t have become mechanic unless VW was in production…i am kind of stuck like that…bosch product vehicles.recently tons of brands have bosch parts everywhere in their engine bay…
p.s. personally I started with Sears Canuck Craftsman mechanic 400pcs tool set.I never got around using all those guys….
end up upgrading to tool truck tools eventually.When I started, I had a Craftsman set from Sears, the 255 piece one. I got it for Christmas. From there I went to garage sales, picked up stuff from there, (screwdrivers, pliers, wrenches) believe it or not, women and men who don’t know the brands will sell Snap On, Mac, Matco, Cornwell, and many other great brands for just a couple bucks. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. I slowly accrued enough to feel good about going into a shop and applying. When I got denied the first time, I started wrenching at home. Started pulling in around 300 bucks a week un-taxed, so I saved and purchased tools that were better quality. A little at a time, I bought tools that I know I’d use daily, or extremely often. You don’t want to buy something because it looks cool, you want to buy it because you know that when the day comes, you’re gonna need it. I’ve been very lucky to have accrued what I have, but I wrench 45 hours a week, and I do it at home too. Any extra money goes to buying extra tools to make my job easier. Don’t worry about huge brands, Harbor Freight, stuff like that, will suit you just fine as a lube tech until you show your worth and start making decent money. Don’t worry about impacts and stuff unless they don’t supply them, then go and buy a 20 dollar one from HF and be done with it for a year. Don’t buy new stuff unless you can’t find it elsewhere. So don’t fret over your tools, you’re a lube tech. All you really need is a socket set, (1/4, 3/8, 1/2) Metric, Ratchets, an Impact, and various things. Don’t just go out and buy. Wait and see what you borrow often, then set a goal to get that item. If you borrow a 24mm wrench a lot, maybe it’s time to get your own. Do that, and you’ll be fine.
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