What is your favorite type or piece of equipment to work on? Trucks, earth movers, combines etc.? Do you enjoy the wrenching more or the puzzle that comes with diagnostics? If you're not a mechanic, what is your favorite piece to operate?
The diagnostics is almost always more interesting. I like field mechanic work in the boonies where you have to figure a way to make it work with what you have on your truck. A few days ago a customer's high speed, computerized hay baler got all it's hydraulic hoses and wires from in cab computer to B aler caught in the PTO shaft. He called me at 2 pm and I worked untill 11:30 pm tracing wires ( they were all yellow with worn off codes), and planning the replumbing job( the hoses had ripped tubes loose all down the frame). I left home at 5:30 the next morning to go to the nearest hydraulics shop (75 miles) and get a bunch of fittings, since it used manufacturer specific fittings that were special order. I replumbed it all with JIC to make it easier to work on the next time. By 1 that afternoon it was baling, and he beat the rain that night, saving him nearly 20,000 dollars. That's the kind of job I like.
The couch. Don't get dirty, its nice and warm... And comfy. Can't beat that!
Neat! I'm already intimidated by this just by reading that mitch. I hope that when it comes to thinking on my feet I won't brain fart out lol. Valley, I've spent too much time on the couch for one lifetime lol I just wish I had figured out what I wanted to do a lot sooner. Ah well, pass the popcorn.
"Favorite" is such a strong word. Truth be told, I think wrenching is a necessary evil. The thing that I hate most about it is that it usually has to get done on nights and weekends. But, things break and it costs money to have someone else fix them. I prefer fabricating tools and accessories.
I guess I should have asked which you prefer working on and or using. Which is a cake walk vs a nightmare etc.
I worked on so much of it for so long and joispoi is so right, weekends with lots of all nighters thrown in. Therefore none of it is my favorite to work on any more. Every time the a piece of the fleet gets sold and goes down the road I smile and wave bye bye to it.
So you got jaded or?
Nice fix Mitch504 :thumbsup Those jobs do make a mechanic feel good at the end of the day. Im sure the farmer realy appreciated the effort. Yeah.. Tough choise on what my favorite type of equipment to work on is? Pretty much enjoy working on anything that rolls,crawls,& blows smoke. Also have one that flys LOL. I'l have to spin the wheel on this decision....... Spin.... click click click click...........click....... And the winner is Farm tractor! I realy like working on farm tractors the best. I think it's mostly due to I'm standing beside the tractor in most situations while working on the engine or whatever vs. rolling around on a creeper coverd with oil & antifreeze like under a truck. No belly pans to clean out or remove like on a dozer. Favorite piece of equipment to operate? Motor scrapers are pretty fun .
Cool! lol One that flies huh? You own a plane or licensed A&P as well? I'm hoping to eventually become an all around mechanic as well after training. Not a lot of thru the door opportunities here as most want experience so if I have to take more classes after my initial training so be it. I don't want to become stagnant and fall by the way side. I've never operated any of these machines other than forklifts and the occasional straight trucks/ 18 wheelers so I'm kind of looking forward to that as well.
Farm tractors are nice to work on cause you can get to everything fairly easily, usually. No loader frames, belly pans, etc... The best to fix are those designed before computers, say pre- 1980. Worst, I hate cars. Rather change a motor in a farmall M than the spark plugs in a 08' ford 150.
Yeah, Td, I'd have to agree, farm tractors are probably the most convienent and pleasant. All I seem to have done lately is John Deere 6620 combines. The same guy who owns the baler bought a bunch of them and I am trying to make 2 runners out of the pile. I am about sick of them. They seem so much more complicated than they need to be. He really wants me to become an employee, I think, though he hasn't said so, because he knows I would hurt his feelings. It has been so wet here until a month ago that his projects have been a lifesaver. It rained more than average for 10 months straight. Now I need to get out and do some dirt work that is backed up, but he needs me and I hate to leave him hanging because he is a good customer.
I hear ya... my Jeep is a PITA. I recently went to redo the front and rear brakes to pass inspection...well the fronts are a breeze, done em 100 times. Never did drums before. Had quite the adventure... a 2 day project turned into 5 lol. Changed the front U joints while I had the brakes off, then the front brakes...called it a day, went to test drive and threw it in 4hi to make sure it wouldn't bind... OOPS! Well, the shift linkage was out of adjustment (which I didn't know at the time) and since I rarely use the 4x4 I figured maybe the lever was just sticking....put in 4lo and hope to be able to shift back out.... nope.. bound right up so I limped it back to my pop's house ( i don't have a garage) which made it worse. Took a while day to unbind it after adjusting the linkage. Then, the next day ..day 3... I went to do the drums. Easy enough after watching some Youtube vids. Welllllll.....the lines that go to the wheel cylinders were good and rusted to the nut. I even hit em with PB a few days before so as I wrenched the line snapped. By this point I'm freaking out... didn't have the cash for a tow nor have I ever dealt with this stuff before. So I crimped the line off and after swearing for 30 minutes and freaking out, went and got some line and tried to bend it up but was too long. Anyway (yah I know long story lol) had my pops keep an eye on the fluid in the master cylinder. Had to work the next day, borrowed a vehicle and that night, came back and took the old line off and plugged the valve with the fitting from the old line and a small dowel I shoved into it (got all creative and stuff lol). This is day 4. Ordered lines from the dealer, but they only had the shorter line for the driver side and the longer line would take 6 days...no good. So I went and bought a length of NiCop line, correct length this time, for the passenger side. Had never bent up brake line before... got a cheap bender and used the old line as a template...didn't do half bad and NiCop is a sinch to work with. So the next day, had a friend come over, put in the NiCop line, tweaked it a bit and it fit nicely. Did the brakes, then did the other side...the old line also snapped but I had the new line so no biggie..bam boom done. Now, I know it's not the same as cars and I contemplated going into automotive but decided I wanted more of a challenge, but never having done the majority of that stuff before and succeeding in fixing it with a little ingenuity (yah I know, nothing too major but for me it was a trial for sure lol) it dawned on me that...this is what I want to do. I was kinda bummed I didn't have more to do really...the work, the success, the problem solving it all felt awesome. I don't mind crawling around on things I guess for now... I'm hoping that the HE program I go into will translate into other things (farm tractors perhaps) too and if I have to, take some classes for trucks or what not as well. The computerized stuff doesn't intimidate me as much since I'm used to having had to diagnose stuff on my jeep ...but I do need to brush up on my electronics skills.
Just own the plane JeepGeek. Single place Fisher Kit plane. www.fisherflying.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=33Itemid=5 Forklifts & trucks are a good start. After your training might try for part time position at a shop.Any type of Agricultural ,equipment,or truck shop. Be persistant in your intrest and take any position you think you can handle, parts man,cleanup, part time mechanic multitasker. Anything to get your foot in the door.Good luck with your training & future position as a mechanic.
Cool. I took an intro flight 2 years ago and want to get my ticket but it's not cheap. Even the LSA rating is beyond me right now but cool and thanks. I'm trying to get a feel for it all from those who are in it so thanks a lot.
Understand that well Mitch.The combines can be a pain but ya have to take care of the customer as he takes care of you. I started out on 4400 & 7700 Deere's. We had a F-2 Gleaner and I have to say it was pretty easy to work on compaired to other brands. Been pretty wet here as well. October set a record this year for rainfall.
Could not have said that better stumpjumper83. I open the hood on the 2004 Jeep and think..."where the hell are the spark plugs and distributor?"
i prefer working on excavators, you generally can walk around them and not have to crawl under them getting dripped on. but working on anything where it goes as planned and you have all the parts and pieces you need are the best, its always a bad day when you get out to fix something and a parts missing or you forgot to bring something and you have to go back or improvise. electronics are frustrating but fun at the same time, i enjoy the challenge of finding that stupid short that shuts down the machine thats hidden somewhere, its nice to finally find whats wrong and get the machine going again.
Ha! 2004 is the year my jeep is...and I never worked on much of anything until I owned it but a FSM, youtube and a little "hold my beer and watch this" attitude and I figured a good chunk of it out. I don't mind getting dirty, but I will probably hate freezing my tail off during the winter lol. Did you all have prior experience with any of this before going into the field or did some of you not know a thing about vehicles but decided to give it a go anyway? Provided I'm admitted, I'll be starting my training with zero experience on big machines, but a general understanding of how certain parts work (my favorite little ditty about engines Suck Squeeze Bang Blow lol) so I'm a blank slate. It's been helpful getting the opinions and a somewhat inside look at the industry from you guys... I really do appreciate it. One of my favorite customers at my current job is a school bus mechanic... I've had people try and warn me away from any of this but I can't do a desk job..would be bored out of my skull. So I say to hell with em, doing it anyway and you guys have been big time helpful and insightful.
I like working on anyting that runs in the dirt. Highway trucks, sweepers, pavers seem to be a bigger mess than a dozer or haul truck. Of course there are exceptions like scraper necks and any bleeding hydraulic leak. At least with you have lots of floor dry around when that happens. If back fill could talk, the stories it would tell.
I saw a guy about to go to town on a paver the other day...would loved to have asked him some questions but didn't want to bother him.