Hey yall, So recently I have had an issue that's really been pissing me off. When working in the shop I have no problem working out of my box or a roll cart, but road calls or on site jobs are becoming a hassle... My box is really organized and hate fumbling around for a wrench or a socket. Everything has a spot. All my Sockets are on rails and wrenches are on wrench rails ect. For road calls Sometimes I can get away with just 1 small bag of tools and other times I'm packing up what almost seems like my whole box. The issue becomes using 4 to 6 bags with wrenches in 1 Sockets and what not in another then one for other hand tools so on and so on.... When going to a job with not knowing what to expect I tend to pack up more tools than I would ever need, but hey would rather be looking at it then looking for it. But then when I'm on the job I'm constantly trying to find a single wrench or my socket rails are getting beat up ect... Does anyone know or use something different than a bunch of random size Snap-on bags?? I've been looking for a back pack of some sorts but can't figure out anything. These 2 pictures are old as there are a lot more added on to them but u get the idea.
When I got out of college and was working in a shop I was the same. Then I became a road tech and all that went out the window. I did my best but it was a struggle to stay organized. Wrench roll-up organizers and the best socket organizers you could find helped. But banging around in a truck things never stay in one spot for long.
Road call ruck ...... Normally keep the 5 gallon " Grab & go bucket " in the wrecker but it's so handy I often steal it and off in the Jeep we go to another adventure in service call land . Keep wrenches & sockets in it up to 1 1/4 " . Don't try to carry the entire shop with me , just bare essentials . Be surprised what a feller can take care of out of a bucket of tools . Plus you can also haul water in the bucket if need be . All else fails have to call back & have the Old Man bring the KW & drag whatever back to the shop for repairs . http://www.heavytruckforums.com/showthread.php?263-Some-Holmes-750-action&p=1606&viewfull=1#post1606
What's that funny stand and stick with all the numbers on it....? I've used buckets, bags, boxes you name it. Socket sets that have their own case are best. Wrenches in a pouch and any other set you can leave in the case works best for road calls. I still have quite a few sets in their plastic cases in my service truck so I can take all them with me when I climb in, on or under something.
That's what the pioneers used to navigate there way to the Promised Land . No beeping noise or batteries to go dead . LOL !
When I work on site, especially a building project where we are punching a lot of holes and they come behind to set their rebar cages, it sounds like like I'm sitting in a Wells Fargo telegraph office as they check their cage height!
Makes a feller want to just yank the wire out so the noise stops like Jack Elam did at 1: 45 . LOL !
Sorry, no fancy advice here, except a picture of my usual road box, unless I have a clean bucket handy. The tool box/bucket is kind of nice to carry water, or other fluids. Few years ago had a crane lose a driveline down in arkansas, went to repair and discovered a damaged pto box on the transmission. Had to dismount pto to fix, and no way to catch the oil, and a cardboard box for tools. So--- the 80-90 from the transmission, went into my 1 week old coleman cooler/ lunch box- it was never the same- 80 /90 is a smell that lasts forever. I don't remember why I was catching the oil, I don't know how I planned to get it back in the trans on the side of the road, I just knew my lunchbox was the only thing I had with me to hold the fluid. Not having the bucket box, cost me a lunch box that day.
Hey crane op, I have the same road box in white
Mine is a little more beatup!! but same color, tan cardboard. Do have a handful of totes I used over the years, were not any better than a cardboard box. See you also have the two favorite tools, a 4 lb deadblow and a 4 lb sledge when the first doesn't work!
Three must have types of tools for anyone, hammer/press, screw/chisel and vice pliers. I work out of a pickup now days. I've used the old Craftsman steel tool boxes for years. One box with a tote for 3/8 drive, wrenches to 3/4", some screw chisels, battery terminal cleaner, oil filter strap wrench, wire pliers, cotter key puller, coolant hose release tool and a couple of other odds and end. Second box with a standard tote tray has the metric wrenches and sockets, small ball peen hammer and some different types of pliers and again some other odds and ends. Third box has a custom tote and the 1/2" drive stuff with the wrenches 13/16" to 1 1/4" the common allen head sockets to remove final drive plugs. I have a 3/4" drive set in the rectangular box that just rides in the truck all the time. I have a 5/8" Sapon pray bar and three foot long card shark that the bar is stored in. The four pound hammer press, large channel lock filter remover and the 16" fit all ride between the boxes. I've tried to keep each box to around 20 pounds or less. I also have plastic box set up with the common engine tools but seldom ever use it anymore. Recently I had to go do an inspection that required walking about a half mile to get to the machine. It was a pain to carry two boxes to the machine and back when I knew about what I needed but didn't want to start mixing up the boxes. I have a couple of carry bags I got with a couple of battery operated tools so I'm considering throwing one of those in the truck for the next time I have to walk to a machine.