6
MARINE TECHNICIAN TODAY
|
FALL 2014
By Bill Grannis
Income Implements
Tools of the Trade
W
ith just over 50 years as a marine technician
I have learned a few things about hand
tools and which ones are favorites and
used most often. I have a love for tools, especially the
ones designed for a particular purpose to save time
or to make a job easier. Those old-time mechanics
who educated me many years ago insisted that you
always choose the correct tool for the operation at
hand – no employing a large wrench as a hammer, and
no using a screwdriver as a chisel or pry-bar. They would
become very vocal if they saw someone using a pair
of pliers on a nut or bolt instead of making use of the
appropriate wrench.
Those long-gone characters were true craftsman who
were proud of their work. They also taught me that no
technician can have too many tools, as long as they help to do a
job more efficiently – which makes you more money in the end.
Buying tools because they look nice or thinking that you may use
them one day does not make economic sense. To advise those new
to the business and for technicians with established careers, this
article is to pass on suggestions and bits of wisdom learned from
my experiences concerning tools and their uses.
Today the marine repair industry focuses on the competence,
efficiency and productivity of the technician. If you are working
on commission instead of a fixed hourly wage, then the previous
sentence greatly affects your whole income producing scenario.
The quicker you complete a repair correctly, the more money you
make. At most commission-oriented shops, any “come-backs”
have to be fixed on the mechanic’s own time. For those on hourly
pay, producing more work output is powerful ammunition when
asking for a raise.
As a professional, one should never scrimp when it comes to
quality tools on which a technician has to rely day in and day out.
Items that do not get used often and are not highly stressed can be
less expensive and of “handyman quality.” Stay away from the flea-
market Chinese manufactured tools for the most part. Companies
such as Matco and SnapOn are known by their reputation for high
quality tools plus their representatives call on shops weekly to
supply and support professional mechanics. Their generous credit
programs help a tech afford things that he or she needs right away.
One thing that does not make you money is a toolbox. Many
mechanics spend thousands of dollars for the large “condo size”
toolboxes that look impressive but do not add to their income
production. In addition, those mega-boxes make moving to
another location a major undertaking due to their size and weight.
Unfortunately in this industry there is a large turnover of employees
due to a number of reasons, as anyone in that position can attest.
Why have to pay for a moving van or roll-back truck for transporting
a six foot long, several thousand pound box? Having a standard
sized roll-box, middle box and top box, sometimes two of each
if needed, simplifies changing companies when the time comes.
They can be easily unloaded and lifted into a pickup truck or a van
for moving to your new destination. Buying used toolboxes saves
you money.
The following are a few of my favorite and most
used tools employed on a daily basis. Over the
years I have found them to be invaluable for a
majority of repair jobs. They are also the ones
carried in a tote-tray or on my roll-around cart for
service calls or work on various boats in a shop.
,
TODAY’S TECHNICIAN
