I want to become a CAT dealer technician or a heavy equipment technician, but I really am not mechanically inclined and I'm a novice when it comes to this stuff. Is it possible to get trained to do these jobs and be trained on the job, or is it just for those who already know their way around an engine? Thanks!
It all depends, age and willingness to learn and work are important to an employer. I know there are employment laws but but most employers have guidelines to go by and if you don't meet them well... Talk to your local dealer and see what they require for employee education, training and skill level. Many of them have associations with the local tech schools and if you are good enough you get to attend some Cat training programs.
I don't think it would be possible for me to Answer this question without sounding Like I'm picking on you. I would sure Not start by going to any kind Of school . The Very First place to start ( let's assume you're 21) You must first "Make a Hand" (Loosely translated; the best laborer hardest worker I know) Make a hand where? Everywhere ! On the farm in the ditch in the snow and freezing rain... in the tire shop under your neighbors house with a Roto snake with poo on your nose and paws. Crawl under your brother in law truck and help him stab a tranny for free. Get the picture ? School? School? NO ONE IN LIFE IS GOING TO SPOON FEED YOU ! After laboring all day then helping people for FREE it's time for some book learning. Free. ...well clean this and shovel that and I your ornery neighbor will let you burn some welding rod for free! Yes flat of course.
Oh there's more. Do you Really know what a D 9 Is my son this (shovels) is a D 9 dis is Dee handle and it's got a Nine inch blade! Sure you don't mind blood and broken bones burns and the sweet sound of wax boiling in your ear
Oh I almost forgot don't even think of ever touching a wire welder until you can stick weld in all positions
Maybe it's time for some words of encouragement. That's later. But of course a good wrench knows how to Pray ! And pray hard. You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime You just might find, You get what you need.
Dang fixou, you are sounding like the first guy I ever worked for in construction. I wasn't to smart. I worked my butt off for him for two years before I got sent to a job with a actual human running it. Before that I thought all construction bosses was like him. I do agree with you though that it would be wise to work as a helper and see if you really want to do this type of work. That being said there are some great schools out there. It is going to take some serious commitment to succeed even from one that is mechanically inclined. Good luck, MossMan.
"Is it easy to learn a trade without ANY experience?" Of course it's not easy to learn without any experience, and even harder without any aptitude or inclination. It's just like anything else, to be the very best you have to grow up doing it, have it all figured out in your teens, and perfect it in your early twenties, then it's all down hill from there. Now if you scroll down to the "where are the mechanics" thread or some of the other good ones, you'll see that not all mechanics are "the very best" masters of their art. Modern machines make it easier to get by being a parts changer, if you can use computers, follow directions, etc. Engines, hydraulics, transmissions are really not that complicated, and a mechanic (especially one who works in a dealer environment) does not need to know the kind of information that is shared on here (regarding old, unusual, unexpected, bizarre, lost cause machine problems). See if you can find a Cat service manual to read through to see if you can make sense of some of it. Don't worry if some parts make no sense at all. So don't worry that you'll never be the Fixou Jedi mechanic, you don't have to be to be a competent, useful technician, and a valuable employee.
lol....so wrong. Modern machines are so much more complex than the old girls.I sometimes long for the days when you could get by on sight sound and smell,three wrenches and a box of gauges. Besides, who do you call once all hope is lost and all avenues have been tried? That's right, the dealership mechanic.
....and for the thread starter, yes its easy. almost all the regulars on this forum are experts.
How true, how true What I was trying to say is that you don't have put in years at the hands of a guru, and have bolts in your blood to get a job and do a decent job at it. Maybe they won't call you begging to come back after you quit the latest time, but if you show up, and try, you'll probably have no problems. There are training programs that don't involve a shovel, and knowing your way around an engine ISN'T the most important skill to start out with.
Hoped to build a fire under a few. Who knows when we'll have to go back to the old ways. I never claimed to be a Jedi master if you really read the post it's about "a hand and a goodn.!" Has anyone referred to you as such. a 23 Iraq vet came out to sniff around his uncles hoe I was repairing. "Now that you're back what are you going to do....... I want a big white truck with a yellow triangle" " have you ever repaired anything before? " no I was very kind to him. His uncle had older dirty machines and a garage full of "junk" he had no interest in such didn't have the nads to even watch me play.
Gee, thanks for the compliment! Nobody ever called me an expert before! On edit: Oops, maybe I'm the almost.
Anything is possible . Some people take to a new unfamiliar job or trade better than others . I think most of it has to do with mindset , willing to learn , show up on time . That kind of stuff . What one individual can do , so can another as long as they stay focused on the end goal . Best of luck with it Mossman .
Nobody knows anything that they didn't learn at some point. Prior experience is an advantage, but it has absolutely nothing to do with the ability to learn and to acquire experience. There are plenty of dentists, gynecologists and proctologists who have learned their trades with no prior experience. The same is true for many mechanics. Good luck to you.
Laborer experience is very helpful to an Operator, not sure if it's necessary for a Mechanic. Not that it would hurt. Although I would tend to agree with fixou's opinions about school, if you want to be a dealer technician, they might require it. Best way to find out is try to find someone working as a tech in a dealer environment and ask them.
It's been fun but Moss Man has a total of "one" post. Any how's I feel this stuff belongs in the Where are the mechinics thread..... It's been real, and it's been Fun...... but " it hasn't been Real fun" See ya on the Funway. .... Jed
Maybe the OP is busy, or maybe he got the answer he was seeking?
Can you be trained on the job? Well I should say so. I once knew a man that went from community organizer to President of the United States. Just sayin.
I pulled my first engine at 14. DT466 out of 2600 IH. Repower with Cummins 8.3. Little help from local machine shop for the mounts and Dad helped a little with the charge air cooler. (Wasn't much of a welder at 14) Truck is still running today. I thought I was a good mechanic until I went to NDSCS after high school. First thing I learned is I didn't have a clue what a real mechanic was. A few of the main things I learned before I was done were: You can't be afraid of any job. A service manual and the right tools will allow you to take anything apart and put it back together. Figure out as you take something apart (1) how and why it works (2) what is broke and most important what caused it. Figuring out how it works makes putting it together way easier. You should only need the manual on assembly for sequence and torque specs. Last but certainly not least is EVERYTHING you take apart goes back together down to the last nut, bolt, washer. Leftover parts are not acceptable unless you got new ones from the parts counter. Wish you best of luck hope this helps you or anyone that wants to be a "wrench turner"
Hello Mossman: Not sure if you're getting much encouragement from some of the other replies but I'll give you my story. I had some mechanical inclination and wanted to be a Cat Technician some day so I put myself through college and graduated with a Heavy Equipment Technician diploma. Along the way I worked in a truck shop nights and weekends to get some experience. I got hired right out of college by the Cat dealer and was working as a field service before I had my license. School isn't the only way to get you to your destination but it can be a good starting point. If you really want something, put your mind to it and get some advice on how to get there and it will come together for you. Good luck
Maybe he did Gramps but now lets examine what kind of a job he has been doing is the occupant of the oval office. Can't say that being a community organizer/rabal rouser was much of a training ground for him. Or is being a black moslom and illegal alien got anything to do with it too
Greg beat me to it. .lol
As far as other trades go I could not say, but if you are not mechanically inclined I think it would be a waste of time to try to mechanic. However, things can be learned by repetition . There are some dealership positions require limited skills, like pressure washing and floor sweeping. It seems the amount of knowledge required to be an anything that needs to be done tech is infinite . I have been at it over 20 years and am still learning daily.