I am going on my second year as a mechanic. I am 30 but with my eye on the future. All the mechanics I know, with a couple exceptions, all need or have had major surgery due to job related injuries. How do you guys avoid this or does it just come with the territory and I should plan on developing my administrative career as I get older?
I'm 27 but I've been doing this for over 9 years now. I'm not beat up, broken or sore yet. Work smart, not hard is the best advice I can give. We have jacks, hoists, cranes etc now. No need to be manhandling components. Use knee pads/mats to save your knees, comfortable boots to save your joints and wear rubber gloves when working with chemicals, oils etc.
X2 X1000. Nothing hurts when you're young . It's when you hit about 34-35. Your joints start to ache. Might notice a little slower recovery from little bruises or scrapes. 92U 3406 hit the nail dead on. Take care of yourself. One day you'll go to do something you've done hundreds of times before and either sprain, strain or damage yourself or it'll just hurt like hell. Don't sit on concrete or steel Don't jump off tires and tracks Do cover up in the winter. Don't forget frostbite sneaks up on you. Do eat well and healthy Do spend extra on quality boots that fit right Do wear your PPE , especially eyes and ears, you don't know your hurting yourself till it's too late. Do take it easy with large/heavy air tools. Some of those impacts on the bolts are coming back into your body after all. Do see your doctor once in a while. You're not 20 forever. You gotta take care of you, cuz you're the only you you have.
Agreed with above. Sure you can throw heavy parts around like a gorilla, or you can use an overhead crane, jack, or some properly applied leverage to get a safer result. Don't live off the Mountain Dew and Hostess cakes from the vending machine.
I have been working the floor for 44 years now and I have a few years left in me. I have out lasted everyone I know or have known. I had very major back surgery 4 years ago. It was from a total accumulation from when I was a kid growing up on a dairy till I was operated on 4-14-14. The thing that will get to you over time that you can't control with shoes or rubber mats or what ever is walking and standing on concrete hour after hour year after year. Concrete will work over your hips, knees, ankles and back let alone standing on uneven surfaces doing over heads or an inframe. Yes I have some arthritis here and there but truthfully the concrete is what will get you over time. By the time 20 years rolls by a mechanic will feel it. It's just part of the job and most are done after 25 years and their looking for a service writers job. Blunt is the only way to talk about it. Truck Shop
At some point you have to switch to coffee and ibuprofen . Bob
I am turning 60 and retiring in June. Have been working in the trade since 1976 and other then a 5 year stint when I tried management, have been on the tools the whole time. I'm 5'9" and built like a brick **** house. I used to tend to be a human crane. Just pick it up and put it on. NOT ANYMORE! I have done some damage, I have a herniated disc in my back. I have arthritis in my hands, shoulders, knees and back. I can hurt pretty good some nights. As Bluox says, ibuprofen is our friend. I was doing a project with a bunch of old millwrights one time. We were laughing away about the job and how many asprin it would take to be able to get to sleep that night. I thought that I was the only one. Is it a one, two or three pill night LOL There are some really good replies up above, good advice. Listen to what they say. Golden years my *** If you look after yourself now, you will have a better old age.
Nothing wrong with being a service writer. Or owner of a service company. Or expanding your horizons. Like in the military, if you are not promoting somewhat regularly then you need to get out and make room for a new guy.
These day's I have the best of both, actually the last 21 years. I manage the shop and help with specs on new trucks and trailers we buy. I take care of parts inventory and all work load plus inspections. And I still work the floor and rebuild gear boxes. I like taking charge and making decisions. Plus I get to build a tow truck now and then and operate it too. Truck Shop
Started sweeping floor and worked up through service manager and back down again. Started a company doing appraisals to get out of standing on my head or crawling into the bowels of a lot of machines. Did a lot of fixing as well as appraising over the years. Now all I do is appraise. I don't have to make a living at it anymore and it's a good thing. I don't think I could handle the climbing up and down all day long that I used to do, it gets the knees and hips. I also agree about the concrete floors, big impact wrenches and twenty pound hammers. They get your neck and shoulders. Learn to work your mouth, a telephone and a pencil when the pain starts to get in the way of sleeping at night.
If you want to do service writing, managing, appraising, consulting or whatever, there is no substitute for real hands on experience so you know and they know that you know what you are talking about. But that experience is best gained when you are young and things grow back faster.
ROFL about the ibupof. !!! I started eating 3 EVERY 4hrs, from the time I woke up till the time I went to sleep.. notice I said, to sleep?? BECAUSE> a lot of times you couldn't make it TO THE BED.. I did that for 10 YEARS!!! The Dr's couldn't believe it when I told'm THAT.. Then had back surgery & had to quit the rat race.. I too was a human crane.. by the time it took to go get 3 guys off a job to come help, it was "easier" to grab-it & go.. suggestion> wait for the guys.. lol Use "roll around carts" for carrying heavy things across the room.. I ended up using one & everybody laughed at me.. By the time I left, you couldn't find a cart cuz everybody had them at their bench, using them.. Every step you take without 50-75lbs extra on your back, will make a difference!!!! Take it from someone who knows..US.. One thing about being OUT IN THE FIELD & then transferring to a desk is> YOU end up being the go to guy.. Its not a bad thing.. it just gets tiresome after a while.. you realize how much everyone around you, DOESNT know.. & you start to get a real bad attitude.. like> how the hell did you keep your job for sooo long?? [guy doesn't know crap] especially when you find out they make more $ than you.!!! Its a slippery slope..
Service writer or parts person would be my next choices if I were unable to wrench anymore. Most service writers just pick up phones and take down a name and phone number. Would be nice to finally get someone who could ask the customer for make/model/year/serial number, machine hours and a decent description of the problem and active fault codes. That's just wishful thinking though
Ibuprofen, that's funny. The Rx size ones fit into a pez dispenser perfectly. The OTC are too small and jam up. Back to topic though, there's been a lot of advice posted. If any of us had listened to our predecessors, we probably wouldn't hurt so bad today. I guess that's why they say youth is wasted on the young. What I would do differently? Wow!
2018 will be 25 years with wrench in hand for me. I think the industry has changed a lot since my Dad was doing it. I feel like I get to balance my work days between grunt work ( this 3rd member sitting on a pallet at my feet) and light days that comprise critical thinking and diagnostics (the Cummins 559 code in my bay). In other words, I think it was harder for guys in the 70's and 80's when a lot of the work was pulling out the broken part. Even when you trouble shot a fuel system issue you might end up pulling a massive mechanical injection pump. The technology on today's machines means I can spend half the day with a laptop and decide to replace a NOX sensor to fix the problem. So I guess my long term plan is to embrace the technology that makes my work easier and ask for help on the heavy lifts that still suck.
I finally kicked that habit this year! Well almost.... . Not much I can add to the advice other than I started listening to guys in my early 30's and I think it's helped me some. I heard the same advice in my 20's but at that age you're gonna live forever and nothin hurts. Work all day, drink and ...... well ya know all night!
Great reply TPG---you said a mouthful and how right you are. Truck Shop
The pic below is the iron I'm packing around, the fact is if you work hard even using all the lifting equipment your going to deteriorate to some degree and part of that is genetics. The pic is actually a card I carry to correct situations when I set off metal detectors. Truck Shop
I think getting away from undercarnage was the best thing I did for my body. Throwing track pads and running a grinder all day really beats a guy up. Physically its not super hard but the repetitiveness is what really gets you sore.
How often do you go in and get re-torqued? Haha
The doc installed them with red Loctite. Truck Shop
Whoa. You're gonna be uncomfortable should they ever have to come out!! Have them shave you so there's no burnt hair when they fire up the hot wrench to get the loctite loosened up!
Have kids while you are young so they can do the climbing & lifting as age creeps up . " Hey Sonny " ......... Crawl up there & pull that unit off .
Both my boys love to help. They're good at bringing me stuff when I don't want to get myself out of whatever hole I'm in. Hardest lesson was teaching them that stuff is HOT after you cut or weld it!
If your in it for the long haul spend money on tools that make things easyer.Find a place to work were they have good ways to handle stuff. Uae air or cordless tools as much as you can.I cant belive how many guys waste time and their bodys when a tool can do it easyer and faster.
You guys are missing an important detail, people with desk jobs don't have less health problems than we do. Talk to people outside the trades and it's no different, bad backs, bad knees... Sure there's less shoulder surgeries and missing fingers but trade that for a heart attack at age 45, is that really better?
That said, buy a set of hex knee pads (not the traditional strap on ones but the foam/spandex ones that just slip over your leg) and wear them all the time. You don't realize how much you abuse your knees even when you're not working on the ground, crouching in an engine bay, knees braced up against a metal bracket... And cranes are the best thing in the world, I don't care if you have to buy it with your own money just get one. I just put a 4k lb crane in my truck, it hasn't been to its first job yet and it's already the best money I ever spent.
Reading this thread, I'm reminded of the saying, "If I'd known I was going to live so long I'd have taken better care of myself."
Most of it is eating habits, 46% of males and 44% of females in the U.S. are obese and most of that comes from the lack of work/exercise. Calorie intake is horrendous for most people. It's laughable that smoking use to be the big problem and now day's it's how many Whoppers can one buy and super size those fries for under $8.00 bucks. Oh I left out the massive plates of BBQ and dipping sauces with the 2 lbs of tater salad, the massive order of biscuits and gravy and later on they wonder what's for dinner. We have become a nation of pigs. IMO Truck Shop
People call me skinny and I am on the upper end of the box of the height/weight chart. I really had to cut back lately to maintain weight. It is real hard but I have to keep telling myself a little food tastes just as good as a lot, and seconds never taste as good as the first so don't bother. Other things are spice/flavor/salt the food up so it tastes better and you can eat less. Drink more water and less beer/soda/milk. Remember that every extra bite you eat beyond what you need to keep alive will be with you pretty much the rest of your life. It really helps with clambering over/under stuff and wedging myself into tight places, also my back isn't very good from the factory so I don't need any spare tire.
Mind over matter. Everyone just assumes you need to go to the gym to stay slim. Not true. I lost damn near 40lbs by just changing my poor eating habits and no real change in activity levels.
I met a 38 year old guy who had carpel tunnel surgery from typing on a keyboard. A desk job will not necessarily save you. I've got a bad knee and pretty bad arthritis in my hands at 33. But, I worked at a desk for 7 years and hated it. Humans were built to work with our hands. You do run into a few really fat mechanics, but it's pretty rare. You just can't get the work done if you're too heavy. Rolling under trucks and climbing up on tall cabs is not a job for a great big guy.
I get a sore back sitting at a desk and hand issues from typing too much. I vastly prefer to be up and moving That said good boots and good work habits help alleviate the aches and pains. I don't manhandle stuff if I can help it. Cranes and power tools are the best things ever I think
Life is about making good choices and that goes for everything you do at home and work. Walk with authority when you move. Truck Shop
They got some good knee pads with built in knee braces now. Get a set and wear them before your knees go bad. Climbing around on rough ground and machines are hard on knees as well as constant walking on concrete.
Damn Truck Shop that's a lot of titanium!
Its funny you should mention overweight mechanics.. & not eating right.. I stayed on my feet for 8hrs + aday & ate "A" sandwich or ate salads most days of the week{99%} MAYBE. once a month I would have a slice of pizza.. I lost 30lbs AFTER I left the rat race..?? Now THATS strange.. I think it was "stress"??
Lots of good advice here. I never fed the kids turning wrenches, but I often had to turn wrenches to make the things happen that did feed my children. I did work for 10 years strictly on concrete. The injury that sneaks up on you the most is hearing loss. If the shop doesn't supply good ear muffs, buy your own. I like the red Peltor muffs. Buy what is comfortable and you will wear. If its still loud, wear plugs under your muffs. Buy good boots that fit. Don't get into the trap of "I wear a 10EE". My favorite boot store (Kleinschmidts on I70 at Higginsville, MO) has 20,000 pairs of boots on the floor, and not a single device to measure your foot in the store. When you set down to try different brands, you may find a 9D that is actually larger than a 10E. If you are working at a bench, don't stand on concrete. Get some type of mat, whether it is purpose made mats, duckboards, or scraps of carpet. Any thing that isn't a trip hazard will help. Learn the only thing to ever jump off is an electric co bucket truck or ladder truck. Climb down of everything else. Don't strain yourself, never be embarrassed to put a cheater on a wrench. Aluminum conduit makes great cheaters. Re food. If it comes from the store ready to eat and it isn't a fruit or vegetable, it probably isn't good for you. Roach coaches are even worse. Yea, I know you are in a hurry for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The 10 years I spent on concrete, I usually ate TV dinners cooked in a toaster oven. Not the best, but it was a better choice, both health wise and money wise, than either the roach coach or fast food.
Dam good advise there TH.. I totally forgot about hearing protection.!!! I wore the Yellow Peltor's for 20 years.. THE SAME SET.. Trying to carry on a conversation w/ someone, when all you get in response is, "HUH"?.. gets old REAL QUICK.. Those idiots I worked with never wore protection.. & EVERY ONE of them is half deaf.. Its amazing how little air pressure it takes, to hurt someones ears..
Huh? What'd ya say?
I have been doing a little fab work lately, nowadays I put in hearing protection if I am going to use a little ball peen hammer, a sawzall, anything really.
Custom molded ear plugs is the way to go if you have to wear ear protection all the time. I had the set that had strings on them with a clip to put on your collar, they were the best, if you needed to remove, you just pulled the string and they were out, easy to put in and very comfortable, especially on a hot day when ear muffs get hot and sweaty inside. They say that they are only good for 5 years then the shape of your ear will change enough that the fit is not right. I have a pair that I had made for sleeping (night shift), they are over 10 years old and I still use them. Pricey, yes. But like a good pair of boots, worth every penny in my humble opinion.
I just caught myself in another bad habit. "Your hands are not hammers" said supervisor Bill P. And he said it more frequently and forcefully after he returned from carpal tunnel surgery.
I use hearing protection when needed . I'm fine with chainsaw's & equipment without it . Get home and the Wife is in a bad mood I need the hearing protection ..... Where are my ear plugs ... LOL !
I have been catching myself doing that a lot lately. Especially getting a vise tight. Nowadays it hurts to even do it once, but I still do it. Trying to break myself of it before it catches up with me.
I'll be 55 next month. Been doing it for 28 years. I've lost some hearing in one ear. Now I wear plugs and muffs. They protect your hearing but more importantly they reduce your stress level - a lot. I'm extremely careful of my back. The operators put their own tracks on. After all, they failed to adjust them. Haven't been to the chiropractor in over a year. I disagree with Some here. Jump off tracks and tires. It actually builds your bones. Fun informative thread- Thanks!
A little hearing loss over the years aint a bad thing . We call it selective hearing . Wife tells ya to do something ....... You might hear the request and you may not . "I don't remember you saying that honey " I have this hearing problem
Man, don't be going and giving all of my secrets away
High frequency hearing loss. God's gift to the married man.
Weird but related to this topic, my Dr. told me that people exposed to frequent loud noise generate more ear wax than normal. Ear wax is your body trying to dampen the sound and protect itself.
I fully believe that. When I was young and could still hear good, I worked a pile job for 2 years using a Conmaco 300 air hammer. The anvil weighed 44,000 lbs with a 30" drop. You could hear it clearly from 8 miles away in town on cold mornings. For 12 hours a day, 7 days a week for 2 years we listened to that without benefit of hearing protection. I had heavy wax in my ears for years during and afterwards. Somebody smarter than me was taking care of me.
THATS WEIRD.. lol.. but I believe it.. I'm more than half deaf in 1 ear & I get wax build up in the other..weird..but now it makes sense..
Thanks for the tip, I was wondering what were a good choice.
Like my boy says ..... We can do whatever we want until Mom gets home .... LOL !
Like I always say>> "Its all fun & games till some Sonofabi*ch calls the cops"..
It may build your bones, but it blows out your knees.
AND your vertebrae.. ask me how I know.. I've got 2 plastic verts & an assload of screws to show ya..
The real indicator that your getting old and decrepit is when you start collecting reflectors and paste on fish, elk and deer. You can tell when a old feller has made too many trips to the doc to get his prostate checked, he starts putting reflectors on the mud flaps of his pickup because he is afraid of getting rear-ended. And the hunting scenes of monstrous valiant looking deer and elk are to let you know he was once a mighty hunter and the salmon and steelhead are pasted on the back of that Open Road camper also to warn you your following an ex professional fisher man. I sold my collection of reflectors and stick-on game to a old guy that needed it worse than me. About the only thing I catch is a cold. And my brother who is a retired surgeon told me to stay away from doctors they will probably kill me. Truck Shop
One trap I hope I don't fall into is the older guys who won't buy any new tools or equipment or make any kind of upgrades. I see older guys do this all the time. They struggle with outdated, broken, or missing tools and equipment because they feel it's "good enough to make it to the end".
Hahaha I am the opposite. I have to keep telling myself that I am retiring, you don't need that, put it down. The Snapon guy just about has a heart attack if I actually buy something.
Funny BUT TRUE, Wes.. Lol I hate it when "the new guy" comes in & doesn't even have a screwdriver.!!! & even the "old wrench" borrowing tools.. UGH.!! MY MOTO IS> If I need MORE THAN 2x.. I'm buying it...
Mine has seemed to evolve into if I THINK I might need it I buy it. Sometimes two...maybe that's why I have a shop full of stuff and 4 40' containers of odds and ends as well......
I keep up the tools but wasting money on Snap On at my age is crazy as hell, $141.00 bucks Snappy wants for their smooth and quiet 1/4 drive ratchet. That is foolish. If it no longer works or has little value to me in the scrap or garbage it goes. If I have to move something twice to get at something I want then I obviously have too much stuff. Truck Shop
I've spent more than enough on tools. I pretty much only buy what's needed to replace my lost and broken stuff.
That's foolish for anyone. Especially when you can buy a good quality SK or Proto that is made in the USA for $40. Snap on prices are insane. 3/8 deep and shallow chrome sockets in inch and metric plus a few extensions and a long and short ratchet will set you back almost $2000.
Snap On prices are plumb goofy. I've got a couple sets of wrenches, one set I ordered in black finish to save $ many years ago. Most everything Snap On I have came from pawn shops or EBAY. I'm so far beyond hand tools anyway. Hollow ram cylinders, hydraulic torque wrenches etc. I seem to get lucky and trade for them or find stuff like that for a great price. If nothin else I've got bartering material.
I haven't had much luck with Snap On. I must have been unlucky enough to pick all the stuff that slipped through quality control lol.
I ordered a couple snap on brake bleeder wrenches because they fit the old school Hurst Airhardt brakes on the Olds NASCAR really well. Shipped in and they had the dullest crappiest finish I'd ever seen on their tools. Took pics, wrote an email and a few days later they sent pics of an entire run of stuff that never made it to the last step of plating! A few days after that I got two more new shiny wrenchs so now I have four! Lol. The moral is yes, their QC has slipped some over the years. Plus it seems like they have a hard time keeping dealers going. If the truck isn't showing up then I really have no reason to buy their stuff.
I have a 3/4 snappy ratchet head and ten 3/4 drive sockets I bought at a yard sale for 60 bucks. The gears have broken twice and snappy still has to fix it. The letter code on those tools is a {S} for 1936. I buy the Napa Carlyle wrenches anymore, those work just fine and if you loose it you don't feel so bad. Truck Shop
I have some napa stuff I really like. I have 3 or 4 of their long handle 3/8 ratchets and I REALLY like them. Have some Kobalt stuff I like too. I have a good mixture of stuff. Even hit estate sales with my mom and find good stuff! Damn I said stuff a lot! Haha
I really like SK and Proto tools. I buy them through Zoro. The industrial brands like Wright, SK, Proto, Armstrong, etc are not as sexy, but the quality is great, made in USA, and cost a fraction of the truck.
Most of my stuff is a mix of Westward, Craftsman, Mastercraft, Mac and Matco. There's a few other lower end brands mixed in there too.
I agree with what's been said for the most part regarding tools. I have to admit, there is a difference besides the cost. That aside , regarding original topic. I had to share this. The rest of you ol timers will get it. You young'ns might need a year or 2 to get it.
I think the saying goes something like: first you get good, then you get fast, then grouchiness sets in.
We was dining at a Mexican restaurant last week . I ordered steak & Bud Light ....... Not sure what's up with the waiter's ? We were setting pretty close to the kitchen and they yell out the order loud in Spanish to the cook . Then they come to the table & talk in a real low mumble type English that I can't hear or understand . Wife intervened & said they are out of cold Bud Light ...... " Oh hell , I thought it was something serious ! " Go ahead & bring out the warm barley soda . Only two kinds of beer .... Warm & cold .
3>> Free..
Was out, in the field Flail mowin, with the new toy, fer the second time, I hears the (now) familiar rattle of a 3' long by 1/2" diameter steel fence post wrapping itself around the axle of the flail mower. Good thing I stopped it early, was able to hook the hole end of an adjustable wrench, out of the tractor's toolbox, and bend that sucker, just enough, to fish it out. If I were a younger man I woulda just grabbed that steel, and bent it out, bare handed... At least I caught the damn thing afore it wrapped tight. Last one I had to drive all the way to the truck, to cut off with bolt cutters... Learning is slow, but memory still works, occasionally...
I was "rebuilding" a picnic table out by my fire pit Monday.. The frame was good but the boards were on their last leg.. I grabbed my circular saw & went to town on her.. That "kick-back" can be a real bit*h.!!! I took the end of my finder off.!! Just a smidge to close.. Lol The wife was at work & no neighbors in site.. OH WELL.. some cold water & some stupid glue will take care of it ?? YUP worked like a charm.. So.. just because ya got some "age" on ya.. doesn't mean your REAL smart.. Lol
When I was 18 I worked for the road commissioner mowing the ditches with a batwing mower. I hit all kinds off stuff, but the worst was an old steel matress frame with all the springs. That thing wrapped up in there like birds nest. I ended up taking it out in pieces with an angle grinder and a cut off wheel. Not a fun job.
I worked at a building demolition and debris dump once in a while that my employers owned. Worst thing in the world for final drive seals are mattress and box springs.
TRY running over 1 doing 70 MPH.!!!! That friggin thing wrapped around the drive shaft of my "jacked-up" FULL SIZE Bronco so bad it stopped my forward movement.!!! Had to call a wrecker to get me off the hiway. Took a full day with linemans cutters, a chain & a tractor to pull THAT SH*T off the dr. shaft.!!!
Hello everyone here, I'm usually on the Forestry part of HEF but thought I'd ask for some advice here as I'm an old fart now and this title says that in an nice way. I have a two wheeled Toy and every winter I give it a lot of TLC and am finding it tougher to see some stuff on it and was thinking of buying a Magnifying Lamp. Online there's all kinds but little in stores to see an actual lamp. Anyone here use one of these? Any advice for the type and power of the magnification? Clamp base or? BTW I still like to buy new tools when my old ones are getting worn, I think I'm worth it. I have a Heinz assortment of brands, mostly Craftsman though. Thanks for any help. I enjoyed all the comments here.
I work in "fuel injection repair" so there are ALOT of small parts that have to be inspected.. HOURLY.. DAILY.. I bought a handheld w/ a light & 2 flip-out legs from northern tool for about 20.00 that worked GREAT.. I also bought a BIG mounted "swing-out" / "swing-away" magnifier.. I don't know the brand but it has a light also.. I don't know for sure but I "think" they're all standard magnification?? {The office type} The thing about the office type is it can be moved in & out/up & down to adjust for your eyesight.. & swing away when not in use.. VERY HANDY.. When I left the job.. I left the BIG magnifier.. it was bolted to my work bench.. it only cost 20.ish bucks so I wasn't worried about it.. I've found that my "reading glass's" from walmart are indispensable now adays.. I cant read ANYTHING without them..& they're +175.. whatever THAT means.. Lol
Thanks pumpguy, That info got me into more information about magnification power which I didn't know. I ended up in Princess Auto (like Harbor Freight) yesterday and came home with one. A bit $$ but it seems to work well and the desk clamp is metal and seems solid.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions. Those knee pads are exactly something I need. I will also look into a standing pad to put in front of my work bench and better boots.
I WISH someone would have told me about knee pads when I was younger.!!! I had 1 account that had all big forklifts w/Cummins engines,, the decks were all stamped raised steel.. kinda like a p/u trucks tool box.. After years of working on those things & using rags under my knees.. my poor knees are messed up.!! Granted, you wont be wearing/using them all the time.. but being able to grab a pair when needed, makes all the diff. in the world..
Knee pads!! I wish I coulda found a spare mattress from time to time!! To land on as I fell off a truck or trailer. Going deaf, 35% gone now wit certain frequencies just toast. Bad knees, two back surgeries so far, hands do not respond well to cold or hot. Left eye is a mess, most of my skin is scar tissue anymore, shoulders DO NOT like me anymore. Ibuprofwhat!!, been on Aleve since came out, thought two were good would drop three at a time, my liver has to look like swiss cheese. Tried the Trifecta for the back, Tramadol, ibuprofen and acetaminophen all at once two each, did SQUAT for the back so just dealt with. Got bad enough had trouble getting in and out of trucks, cars, off bikes and so on got it repaired not fixed as not fixable. Scars, broken pieces hate to say are part of the deal with wrench bending, wait until you are on the backside of a 1" gun with the wrench holding the nut, it will hurt.
The big guns are just hell on you now days. Last dealer I wrenched for had one of those double hammer Ingersolls that would snap 2,500 pounds if you had a one inch hose and 40 CFM of air. The thing weighed about twenty pounds and you had to hold it over your head to do PC650 on up counterweight bolts. After a while you could feel every time one of those hammers snapped across the back of both shoulders. As for scars I'm probably kind of proud of most of the ones I have. I think of them more as a badge of life. I actually think they look a lot better than the tattoos I see now days.
Mines all good
For now!
I sympathize with all you mechanics / repair guys. I've had the back thing going for 4 years, 3 surgeries with #4 as soon as I walk the daughter down the aisle in a week . I am an engineer primarily in the office at this stage of my career so I can still do my job. If I was a mechanic, driver or operator I'd have to be on disability (or retire lol)
I spent a few years with Cianbro (profile pic related) and if you know them they are HUGE on safety....especially PPE. We had mandatory company stretching routines 1 to 2 times a day. Some would say they were very excessive in many areas!! But they encouraged employees to use company gear at home under the reasoning that it doesn't help them if you're out for a week or a month cause you hurt yourself on a Saturday project. So I started wearing more PPE on personal projects out of habit. I have to say I started to appreciate not having my ears ringing for an hour after running a saw or grinder (I do pro sound work on the side....the ears need to keep making money)....not getting hit in the face or eyes with crap. Not worrying if I'm going to fall out of a tree or off a roof and leave my kids with no daddy. Not hacking out lungfuls of nasty dust, fibers, or who on earth knows what. I've just started making PPE a habit on all jobs now and I think it really makes a huge difference. I've done a few weekend jobs now where I kinda got made fun of for wearing a mask or tyvek suit or face shield while not on the clock....but it always seems like half a day into it someone admits they wish they weren't spitting out mold, sheetrock, and insulation or getting crap in their eyes all the time. I dunno.....I have to imagine all that stuff adds up along with kneepads, lifting assistance, chemical gloves, etc in reaching 60 or 80 and not having health problems that could have been avoided. I know PPE on the job can be a sticking point and some people can be immense pricks about it but its kinda nice breathing clean air and being able to hear.
Even something as simple as safety glasses, I see people using a wire wheel, striking hardened drivers, working a press, just basic things without glasses. I like to say "The only way you could be more useless around here is if you were blind." It's a good mix of safety tip and insult.
I like that one MB.. think I'm gonna store that one away.. lol
Wow! It’s amazing sometimes how when your going through things and you think your alone something like this thread comes into your life. I have been a heavy equipment mechanic professionally for 22 years now. This doesn’t include the summers weekends and holidays cleaning shop parts and steam cleaning starting in gradeschool. I have just recently decided to quit the wrenches. I started to realize in 2017 I just didn’t want to go to work anymore what used to really get me excited was just a burden to do. My body is still fully intact. I been through lots of what I’d described here drinking way to much Mountain Dew and eating packaged food and sweets, drinking whiskey to fall asleep at night, taking way to much Advil, switching to coffee now and eating way better. I always prided myself on how dirty I got during the day compared to how sparkling clean I could get at night. People would ask how I could stand to get so dirty and I would reply it washes off. Well I’m tired of washing off the nasty sewer smelling stuff that hangs out between the torque converter and the transmission of a dozer. The stuff that even with gloves and full sleeves turns your arms black from your finger tips to your arm pits. I started doing real dumb things last year because I was not focused on my job. For example twice last year I shot mysrlf with a pressure washer in the hand! Who holds on to parts with their hand and pressure washers them? One time the tip came off the pressure washer I picked it up and pushed it back in with my thumb over the end of the hole and the machine running and somehow pulled the trigger and I was looking right at it! The only thing that saved my eye was my bleeding red thumb! So many near misses with a toe catching on something when your climbing on and off. So many heavy parts that could have broken or cut off fingers if they had hit just right. I guess what I’m saying here is the mind can give up on the wrenching before the body does so look out for that too before the body suffers from it. I will add more to this thread later but for now BE SAFE! TIO
That's why MSHA requires an annual refresher 8 hours of training. They know complacency sets in and you need to be reminded that everything out there truly wants to kill or cripple you. It's your job to maintain a healthy respect .
I agree w/ everything you said, TIO.!!! My mind gave up too.. & then I sat down w/ pencil & paper & figured out "the bills".. & said, screw this.. I don't NEED IT.. Why does anybody GET A JOB?? cuz you NEED money, right?? What you SHOULD BE working for is, NOT NEEDING A JOB.. GET what you need in life first, a house/someplace to live, A SKILL, a decent mode of transportation.. money in the bank & leave the rest behind..
I'm sorry to hear that guys. I hate to see wrenches leave the shop. But I know that burn out is a real thing. I think the way I've avoided it is by moving on when I get bored. In 25 years of solid wrenching my longest job was 5 years. It pisses off my wife and maybe HR depts don't like to see a dozen previous employers. But I don't care, it keeps me in the game. When I joined HEF I was working on readymix trucks, then I did a truck dealership (the 5 year stint). Then a year and a half ago I felt it was time for HE again and moved to CASE. If I can phrase this as advice to current techs, I'd just say, Don't limit yourself. If it's held together by nuts and bolts convince yourself that you can work on it. Once you understand the systems that make everything work you can find the similarities between different machines. I believe that if I had the desire, I could learn to fix railroad equipment or marine diesel, hell I check postings at Sierra Nevada in hopes that there will be an entry level spaceship mechanic position! Sure the size and application will be different, but I really think that given some time I could find my way around something totally new and enjoy the challenge. Maybe you haven't found the type of equipment you love working on yet. That's why toolboxes have wheels!
I'm with you all the way Muffler Bearing. My wife calls me a gypsy, always moving on. My longest stint was 7 years with one company but I transferred divisions 1/2 way through. The fellow I did my apprenticeship under told me the best thing I could do was to move on and try some other places to work, round out my experiences. I took him to heart and just kept moving hahah I did go back to work for him and he did get me hired as a manager at one point. I feel that I get stale if I stay in one place too long I have been one of the "go to guys" for years. I might not know how to fix it, but I can find the information or I have a friend that can point me the right way. Having worked on the old logging junk for years, I am one of the old guys that still knows how they work, I can run a grapple yarder in the middle of the night with a flashlight hanging out the window LOL. And like TIO and Pumpguy, I am just about done with it. Retirement is June 25th, just can not wait for that day. That will be 43 years of busted knuckles and sore backs. Keep it safe guys.
I had to leave the shops at 25 years, worked on my own stuff from then and a few SPECIAL case pieces now and again but for the most part back, knees, shoulders and attitude would not do it anymore.
That is a good one. When I would see someone doing stupid stuff and they argued with me, I would often say loud enough for everyone in the area to hear, "Isn't it sad that I care more about your health and well being than you do."
I use safety glasses when I work the buffer AT HOME.. Its even MORE critical now, that safety is a factor..[working from home}
In 1970 safety glasses were not used much on construction jobs. I wish they had been. I was was cutting a cable for a Cleveland trencher with a cable cutter that you hit with a sledge hammer. When I hit the chisel with a sledge hammer a chip went directly into my left eye and punctured it. The fluid from my eye ran down my face. I will never forget the thought of having sight in only one eye that day. I was lucky, because I was told later by an eye surgeon that if the projectile had been a fraction of a millimeter closer to the pupil I would have lost all or part of my vision. It took several weeks for my to heal and I thank God every day that I have 20/20 vision in both eyes to this day. Here is a picture of the style of cable cutter I was using.
Used similar many times large and small. Scary when the eyes are involved.
Ughh, just looking at that tool I can picture the scene
This is the inside of my neck, I am becoming bionic!!
I had the dubious distinction of having the first ever 'Largest Available' implant installed at the lower one. Doc was glad they had it on their cart once he got access to see what working with. Lots of strain and effort to make bone grow that heavy was a comment he made. Do have considerable arthritis there and lower spine, nothing they can do for that yet just pain management that for me nothing in pill form or injections does much if anything. I do enjoy Brown Bottle Analgesics as they still do make me happier!!
I'm kind of like that with just over 4 years being my longest at a job. The thing I'm noticing now though is there is so much proprietary stuff on equipment these days that you almost need to stay long term if you get in with a dealership otherwise you'd never get to do any major diagnostics on modern electronics.
I'm sure there are instances with very specified systems. But for me, whenever I see a common rail fuel system, I just see components that all perform the same functions regardless of brand. And as for aftertreatment, I'll admit I had to learn some new terms like PMCAT and realize how CASE was getting away with just a DOC and SCR. But the basic components are the same. CASE uses the same DEF pump you'd find on any semi with a Cummins. Green and Yellow twisted wires are still the CAN. I'm not saying " I've worked on _________ so I can work on anything." That guy is a jerk I just hate to hear guys say, "Well I've only worked on _______, so i don't think I could work on anything else."
When it hit 97 I had a complete change of heart. Get out if you can! This is a terrible occupation, not fit for man nor be beast
Some days you just cannot work Outside!!
Aint THAT the truth Miller.. My old boss would send me out on jobs in 108* temps & expect me to fix a piece of equip out in the middle of a corn field.. w/ no shade, no breaks & a broken a/c in the truck.. & wondered WHY I was "late" getting back to the shop.. Honest to God.. 108* IN THE SHADE.. I told'm.. "they don't even let the carriage horses work down town in this sh*t".. I think the heat index was 118* that day.. I was pukin & passin out.. it was horrible.. AND STILL had to drive back 2 hrs to the shop.. after all that.. & do you think I got a THANK YOU or a "way ta go, we appreciate it"?? {nope}
Try replacing broken shanks on an excavator bucket in Pasco in the middle of July outside of town in the desert. I drank two gallons of water before noon and never took a wiz. Back then no one put AC in service trucks. The coveralls were soaking wet and full of welding smoke and soot. I felt like I was wearing the sharp side of a porcupine those days. That was a bad couple of days.
When your clothes are heavier than your tool box from water and the socks in your boots squish it is time to stop for awhile! Been there so many times I DON'T want to remember but cannot forget! Same for dead of winter, cannot layer up as cannot get into where need to get with all those extra oil soak rags on so frosted my butt Many days, tolerate cold better than ever will hot!
As always TIO, well-written post, good message.
Thanks for that TIO. The whole aging thing has not been very entertaining to this point and I doubt I am going to embrace it at any point. While I don't wrench for a living, I have noticed that lately the large excavators we have seem to be getting taller. This is an unscientific observation using information gathered by myself using the criteria that I will soon be using ropes and carabiners soon to reach the seat. Used to run and jump up on the front of the track... seem to have lost the speed and elasticity for that.
My issue is getting up from a creeper, or trying to use my arms above the shoulders. Really slows down inframe overhauls.
I figured that I must still be growing, because it sure is a long way up from the floor now. And as far as the above the shoulder work, I feel your pain there. It just plain hurts after a bit.
There are days that I think guarding the door at Walmart might be a good gig. But I think shooting shoplifters would be trouble.
This is a message for all the new guys (and girls) that want to do this for a living. Just remember who you really are working for... Yourselves. Don't let management push you into tearing your body to bits. I've been there with a lot of "attaboys" but it's not much help now.
When I was a kid, I was jumping out of a Freightliner cabover and this very senior driver named Red looked at me as he was walking by and uttered a message that I actually heard at 20 years old. He said "Your going to need those knees someday." and he just kept walking. Quit jumping out of cabovers that day! Some of the best advice I chose to hear.
I always figured it this way, having a job with a dress code never cut it with me-fa8ting through polyester isn't working it's setting on your ***. After 44 years I still like the job because I enjoy what I do. Most people setting behind a desk are there because of a lack of talent, can't find their *** with both hands. Setting around sipping wine and talking crap about the money they made. Most of those people die with little respect and few friends. No I'll stay where I am too late to change, sore body and all. Truck Shop
I do it because that's all I know.
Beg to differ with ya there …… If ya want to know how a business is run ask the chick running the desk ,phone & computer . She will set ya strait on all issues Bro ! LOL You got a lot to learn yet .
Yep, those pats on the back don't matter anymore when the knees ache on rainy days or just climbing stairs. Or when you have chemically-induced eczema from not wearing rubber gloves when working with certain chemicals, and the dry skin flare ups can irritate the hell out of you.
Remember washing down the black grease and oil with waste ATF then moving to the solvent wash sink or some waste diesel then Goop then to the bathroom for LAVA soap, skin so dry you could use it for 120grit!! I do think I still have internally absorbed Detroit Diesel oil that seeps out from under my nails EVERY DAY! Can tell when rains coming, hate when rain is Here, some things ache when humidity changes others at temperature changes, and then there is always that time of year everything hurts for around two days to a week for seasonal change then just goes back to normal.
Sure glad to hear the eye healed up ! Never was a big fan of those cable cutters . Torch it off & weld the ends all the way .
Good " Back Hand " slap upside the head should work fine when ya get that job RZ . Probably be an app on the shoplifters smart phone buy that time …. Don't lift anything from this store as they got a crazy feller greeting people and will slap ya around for steeling .
So, so true.
You TD you have a lot to learn such as respect your elders. And if you would read what is written correctly you would know I'm not talking about the office help. Don't troll me anymore understand. And keep your political crap to your self. Last time. Truck Shop
Yeah Truck Shop … Now you cat's know not to take my late night HEF banter to serious . I just come in here for a few laughs & catch up on what my buddy's are doing . If I hurt anyone's feelings I would be the first to offer apology & cut an olive branch .