Shop Tool Box Tour

[Susquatch]

As for the IT bag, I don't do much cabling any more but it was the least liked task. I figured at least the tools would be comfortable, just work, and not be a pain in the fourth point of contact to use. Makes the job a little less unpleasant.

I sure hear you on that one!

Around 30 years ago I begged Bell to tell me where I could buy some of their IT tools. They told me they didn't know, but one day one of their technicians left some of his tools on the job site. I called the project coordinator at bell to tell them that I put them away for him so nobody would swipe them and he told me to throw it away or take it home cuz the tech was getting new stuff anyway. The next time I saw the tech he had the same stuff he had left that day so I asked him about it. He just smiled and said something about the wisdom of not asking too many questions. That was a long long time ago (before the days of big bad bell), but I still have those tools and they still work unbelievably well compared to the rest of the crap out there. I have the punch downs, the cut & strip tool, the cable terminators, and the electronic balance tester for both two line phone systems and for Ethernet cables. I also paid really good money a few years later for an automatic wire stripper and a fold and crimp wire connector tool.

I loaned the crimping tool to a buddy at some point who broke the crimp release cuz I didn't think to show him how it worked. All he had to do was crimp a little harder. But he pried it open and broke the release trip. Fk. The crimpers still work but not as well as they used to.

Wait a minute..... I bet I could make that release trip today! Hmmmm......

 

[Susquatch]

I try to keep a set of tools on each tractor for field repairs, have a full snap off tool box in the shop for more extensive repairs. getting more difficult to have everything you need in the field though due to metric fasteners. Some stuff has both SAE and Metric on the same machine. No band-aids allowed in the field, if it's a real bad bleeder that lubricates stuck nuts better.

Sometimes my ATV with dump box is a tool truck. Amazing how handy that thing can be when I have a major breakdown out in the field! One time I even brought a generator out!

 

[Ironman]

Over the years I have been doing a lot of machine repairs for local farmers. Think about this: you are trying to beat the rain, and your machine goes down. You drive your equipment to your local fixit guy (me) who then spends minutes or more pawing through his tools to find the right item while the clock is burning $75/hr and rain is approaching. Then, oops, need another wrench, and dig down some more.
I now keep everything in its place in labelled drawers in the tool chest, because of that and tools riding off into the sunset on someones combine.

 

[SomeGuy]

Over the years I have been doing a lot of machine repairs for local farmers. Think about this: you are trying to beat the rain, and your machine goes down. You drive your equipment to your local fixit guy (me) who then spends minutes or more pawing through his tools to find the right item while the clock is burning $75/hr and rain is approaching. Then, oops, need another wrench, and dig down some more.
I now keep everything in its place in labelled drawers in the tool chest, because of that and tools riding off into the sunset on someones combine.

It really depends on whether you are bringing the thing that needs to be fixed to the tools, or the tools to fix it to the thing that needs fixing. Sometimes you don't have a choice on whether the repair needs to happen.

 

[Susquatch]

Over the years I have been doing a lot of machine repairs for local farmers. Think about this: you are trying to beat the rain, and your machine goes down. You drive your equipment to your local fixit guy (me) who then spends minutes or more pawing through his tools to find the right item while the clock is burning $75/hr and rain is approaching. Then, oops, need another wrench, and dig down some more.
I now keep everything in its place in labelled drawers in the tool chest, because of that and tools riding off into the sunset on someones combine.

Welcome to our Forum! Please consider posting in our new members section to introduce yourself.

Like you, I repair a lot of farm machinery - for myself and for my neighbours. I do more farm machinery repair than anything else.

Unlike you, I never have any trouble finding the right tool in my tool box. The BFH (Big Fn Hammer) is always right on top.