I think I'm screwed, my boss found out I've been looking for a new job

[Joe Williams]

It looks as of right now everything has cooled down. I've at least gotten out of some specialization certification practical tests for now.
He still doesn't talk to me which is good.

Wouldn't taking those tests have opened up some new doors for you, and perhaps made you a little more valuable to the company?

 

[Tactical Dave]

Wouldn't taking those tests have opened up some new doors for you, and perhaps made you a little more valuable to the company?

My thoughts also but then if you are gettting out........

I took a pay cut but I had to because we all lost our hours and were about to get layed off when the ecomomey tanked. I took a desk job right before they let everyone go........ I miss the money and wish it was still there..... it was worth the headaches looking back......

 

[DHolder]

I turned wrenches for years, at small shops and dealerships. It was the normal, feast or famine, the only one makin any money was the Snap-On man. I kept my ear to the ground, and found a 9-5, 5 days a week job doing fleet maint. That was the best thing I ever did. No need for a new wrench every time you turn around, no backstabbing for a job, getting fed by the service writers. Keep you faith, good wrenches are hard to come by.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I turned wrenches for years, at small shops and dealerships. It was the normal, feast or famine, the only one makin any money was the Snap-On man. I kept my ear to the ground, and found a 9-5, 5 days a week job doing fleet maint. That was the best thing I ever did. No need for a new wrench every time you turn around, no backstabbing for a job, getting fed by the service writers. Keep you faith, good wrenches are hard to come by.

Good point, I have never heard of anyone complain about fleet maintenance.

 

[Tryin']

Good point, I have never heard of anyone complain about fleet maintenance.

You have not talked to some of the guys at Ray's. . .

 

[Tactical Dave]

You have not talked to some of the guys at Ray's. . .

Ok I should have said I have never talked to anyone who had anything bad to say about working fleet maintenance haha.

I work with a guy that worked fleet maintenance on trash trucks for a small amount of time and said it was good easy money.... not all companies are the same though.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

It was the normal, feast or famine, the only one makin any money was the Snap-On man.

HAHAHA, very funny, a tool man making money.... you guys crack me up

 

[Tactical Dave]

HAHAHA, very funny, a tool man making money.... you guys crack me up

You should see the Vette that the then or still current top grossing sales guy for Snap-On drives

 

[Mike Elzinga]

I know what the ****ty pickup driven by the current Snap On guy looks like.

also, qualify that with your mention of the top grossing sales guy, like any business there is a large range. I know technicians that pocketed $150K last year, though that is far from common.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I know what the ****ty pickup driven by the current Snap On guy looks like.

also, qualify that with your mention of the top grossing sales guy, like any business there is a large range. I know technicians that pocketed $150K last year, though that is far from common.

I have known of automotive techs and new aviation techs that brought in over 100k a year.......... that was with a LOT of OT and with aviation a lot of it was tax free.

There was a Snap-On toll guy for the airport that seemed to do pretty good but I never saw his personal ride or anything.

I found pretty quick that there are quite a few quality tools at harbor freight. I worked with a guy in aircraft that has their sockets and wrenches and he has been using them day in and day out since the 80's..... I have some specialty stuff in Snap-On, Chraftsman, and MAC but thats about it. I met very few guys that had everything top of the line... Im sure that is not helping the tool guys...

One guy had a harbor freight 90 degree pneumatic grinder that had the bearings go bad. He paid $20 for it nad had it for the last 15 plus years an dused it about every day.... he trashed it and said he would buy another one for $20 and that one or the one after would get him to retierment and he would have $60 in them compared to the $200 plus for a Snap-On.


I just no longer see a point in high end wrenches, sockets, ect ect.... and I honestly think that is were the tools guys made their money.....

 

[oldfb]

If you quit for advancement reasons and the new job doesn't pan out you usually can qualify for unemployment I had to fight an appeal when I took a new job only to have the new company lie about scheduling and compensation/benefits back around 99. Stick with appeals even if fired for "cause" since most companies don't have the proper documentation unless you were a total scumbag employee. THEFT OR DRUGS were the only appeal you couldn't win. Once an appeal gets beyond the phone interview most companies lose when you file the appeals on time. They are counting on you getting back to work or broke before it gets that far. If you were a good worker and fired over something stupid stick with the appeals even after getting a new job since it will be retroactive.
If you were a craptastic employee you will never use this advice because following directions is probably beyond your "thing".

Get fired and take unemployment if you must. Just don't quit or knowingly eff up while on the job or you're debarred from unemployment insurance.

If he wants to fire you for no reason, let him.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

Please dont take my following comments as a disrespect, as everyone is entitled to their opinion and I can definetly see a base for your side of the fence....

I would however contend that if your harbor frieght die grinder let loose and exploded, sending bit of metal flying into ones arm, cause an injury, one would have rather invested in a premium quality tool than paying doctor bills. I know a number of guys that wont work with anything but a premium tool in their hands. A great deal of the fastener related items, ie, sockets, wrenches and such are related to concern for the fasteners. Any bolt that is consistently turned by a low end tool will round, break, or strip. Premium tools wont do that. People are always free to spend their money as they so see fit, but a toolbox full of premium tools will always be the mark of a premium technician who holds his customers machines in the highest regard.

btw sorry for the thread drift.

 

[oldfb]

They really only have one real question about you. Straight or special.lol

I'm 25. My bosses know who I am and they want to know EVERYTHING about my personal life. But then again, I work with women.

 

[Tactical Dave]

Please dont take my following comments as a disrespect, as everyone is entitled to their opinion and I can definetly see a base for your side of the fence....

I would however contend that if your harbor frieght die grinder let loose and exploded, sending bit of metal flying into ones arm, cause an injury, one would have rather invested in a premium quality tool than paying doctor bills. I know a number of guys that wont work with anything but a premium tool in their hands. A great deal of the fastener related items, ie, sockets, wrenches and such are related to concern for the fasteners. Any bolt that is consistently turned by a low end tool will round, break, or strip. Premium tools wont do that. People are always free to spend their money as they so see fit, but a toolbox full of premium tools will always be the mark of a premium technician who holds his customers machines in the highest regard.

btw sorry for the thread drift.

Not to get off subject,

I don't feel that the tool shows a good mechanic...... I have seen plenty that had all the best tool's are were ok techs, I have seen guys with crappy tools that did amazing work. I was trained by one that could get any job that he wanted and he had a lot of MAC stuff but also had a lot of cheap stuff..... this is working on airplanes mind you and the sligtest slip can cause 20k in damages.

I am very picky on quality tools, I have some junk ones just in case I need to grind or cut on one to make it work (never had to yet), I have Craftsman 1/4 sockets, shop force and duralast for the larger stuff. I have the really nice big wrenches from harbor freight, next to a "quality brand" you cant tell the difference. The guy I knew that has had them sicne the 80's had the same ones and they looked near new.

On the air tools I know a diesel guy that said that's all they used because they olften worked better.

I have a Harbor Freight orange mallet, it works great, I know not to use it in below freezing temps because it will go into peices...

HOWEVER, if I was working for a coroporate aviation shop, general aviation shop, higher end automotive shop then I would have all top of the line stuff including the box just because of the image and some shops require it.

If I had th emoney to spend on all higher end tools I would but I would have so much money in tools right now it would make my head spin more then it allready does.

I have never heard of one of the grinders exploding, I have heard of plenty of the bearings going out and they just loose power and make all sorts of noise....... just keep oil in them.... I have a pulled apart harbor freight grinder at home and am not worried about one coming apart and it is the above grinder that went bad.

I even have the off brand Craftsman chissels and punches and all of them have stood up to amazing abuse (more then what you do in automotive) and I am sure they will last me for life...... you can't tell the difference between them and real craftsman...

Like I said, some specialty tools are the MAC ect ect... but not others....


I used a near one inch harbor freight wrench on a jet engine and was about standing on it and it slipped and it but a tiny nock on the wrench haha.

I worked with one guy that I nearly hated but he was a GOOD tech and had a HUGE Snap-On roll around box.......... he had very few high end tools but had the tools to fix anything.......

I allways say buy what you want, if it works then great. I knew a few guys that had nothing but high end stuff, one guy had over 20k in tools in his box and one night they all got stolen out of the hanger....... a few others with a lot of money in tools had the same happen......... it was a 24/7 place though...... I know in automotive this is not much of a problem.

 

[Mike Elzinga]

I would definetly agree that if you are only working on small home projects and such, you wont see the benefit to a high end tool collection. I would however vehemently disagree that if you put wrenches of all brands next to each other you cant tell a difference. I certainly can, and I can show, and sell, those differences to quite a few people.

However, I appreciate the discussion and your input.

 

[Tactical Dave]

I would definetly agree that if you are only working on small home projects and such, you wont see the benefit to a high end tool collection. I would however vehemently disagree that if you put wrenches of all brands next to each other you cant tell a difference. I certainly can, and I can show, and sell, those differences to quite a few people.

However, I appreciate the discussion and your input.

I just had a big reply for this and hit submit and the work computer dumped it.

In short if I could have all Snap-On I would, just can't afford it right now, one day I will. I think the quality of some of the cheaper stuff I have it there but they will never look like or feel like a Snap-On. At some point I am going to need to get a nicer Craftsman or Snap-On wratchet.... thre is no such thing as a GOOD cheap tool that has a clutch or gears.....

At some point I will pick up one of these used but brand new Snap-On boxes and fill it with Snap-On when I can afford it.

&n

 

[Jack Ryan]

There's Snap On, then there's every thing else.

 

[Jack Ryan]

Yes STEP. No other instructor lead classes.
I've started going to school again to completely get out of the automotive field. It's hard to leave the job because it pays well. I'm trying to decide if a pay cut would be worth the lack of headaches

If your job gives you head aches, get out. GET OUT NOW.

It only get's harder and hurts more later.

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

Wouldn't taking those tests have opened up some new doors for you, and perhaps made you a little more valuable to the company?

I have until the end of the year to take them as 1/1/11 is when the new certification standards go in place.

 

[Hotdoger]

Snap On swivel impacts are the bomb!

Nothing out there beats them!