How come if you lose a wrench out of a set it costs so much to replace it? I lost a 5/8" Gearwrench ratcheting wrench. Went to a tool store to replace it and it was $30, on sale yet to replace it. Forget that. I looked around at other stuff and came across the same wrench in a set with 4 other wrenches on sale for 50% off. The 5 wrench set was $25 so I bought it. Even at the regular price 1 wrench alone shouldn't be 60% of the complete set. I was thinking maybe a replacement might cost $15 or $16 not $35 or even $30 on sale. It seems stupid to me.
They make money on guys like us that lose one wrench out of a set. lol
But then the stores have full racks of individual wrenches that take up space collecting dust because the sets are usually on sale and a much better deal. It is an upsale but I think the tool maker would make better profit if the individual pieces were more reasonably priced. They're giving away wrenches for free especially when the sets are on sale.
10 MM sockets and wrenches would be $50 a piece if I was in the tool business. Only by some miracle I still have my HD branded 10 MM ratchet wrench.
Tools? Heck, I kinda expect that to be spendy. What makes my wallet pucker up to the size of a raisin is when I go to the grocery store!
The most annoying thing I find, is losing a tool out of set and rarely being able to buy a single tool to replace the one you lost. Not a lot of individual tools for sale around here any more, when sets can be so cheap on special. Tools are looking real cheap compared to the price of gas at present. That old joke about doubling the value of your pickup by filling the tank, is not going to be a joke soon!
With a limited income I'm always looking for deals and thankfully I've found a bunch. Sometimes I just see stuff that I could use or I'm not in a hurry and keep checking back. Really happy I found solenoids for the grader dirt cheap. What really sucks is when you need something special for a specific job and it's either rarely on sale or was on sale 2 month's before you needed it.
The problem I have is not just losing a tool, but breaking or one worn out. After doing this for over 35 yrs I've collected some tools, and the bulk of them are the guaranteed for life variety, I don't use cheap knuckle busters to make a living. But most of my tools are now discontinued they're so damn old, been change to a newer style. There is no direct replacement. Like my New Britain ratchets, I love using a push button release ratchet when your hands are oily or greasy. New Britain made the Craftsman and NAPA ratchets and wrenchs for years, you could get rebuild kits for them, now they're gone. I've scored some rebuild kits from Ebay, but there's no new source that I'm aware of. So if I muck up one of my tools it's either update or find a used one. I've got a Proto ladies foot prybar that is the absolute perfect shape and profile, it's my go to. I have a NAPA that the profile makes it useless, about all I use it for is a tapered drift. I've been searching for years for another Proto like the one I have and have had no luck finding one or even another one like it.
Ebay is where I go when I lose a socket and want one that matches. Unfortunately the 10mm and 1/2 sockets are always sold out and those that have them know their worth. But it is still usually the cheapest way.
I feel bad for the young fellows getting into the trades these days with tool prices being what they are. Tool boxes are almost double what they were when I bought mine. I don't even bother walking on the tool trucks anymore with the prices they're charging.
Ironically I have never lost a 10 mm of anything in the almost 15 years I've been doing this.
I haven't been on a tool truck for years, and I'd be afraid to step in one now. Back in 2002 I paid nearly 2K each for two matching Matco boxes to fit in a van body truck, still use them daily, but I don't even want to imagine what they would cost now
I've had a Mac Tech Series roller cabinet and top chest for over a decade now and it was about $10k CAD new. I saw a brand new roller cabinet on the Snap On truck the other day. Its probably 30" deep, so a little bigger than a standard cabinet. $17k CAD. 15 years ago that might have been an $8k or $9k box.
Just damn! At now 64 years old I don't expect I'll be having to deal with this for too many more years, which is good, but at the same time, not looking forward to the ending of my era. But hey, c'est la vie.
The cheap harbor freight mechanics tools cost much more than a snap on did in the late 1960's. Rollaways and such I'd never spend used car prices, or used heavy equipment prices, on a name brand tool box. Besides they are likely made in the same factory the Harbor freight or what ever brand is. I'd be building a tool box before I'd spend 17K or more for one. I could get some good machines to help the process for that. And the hand built box would be more secure.
Wages in the 60s were also a fraction of what they are today as well.
I keep a list of all my tools for insurance. From 2018 to now most of the Snap-On tools went up 40-60 percent. Some doubled. Total for replacement cost today is $134,000 cad. I bet I spent 70,000 or less on all of them throughout the last 15 years. With the prices of stuff now I can see why most apprentices don't have Snap-On stuff in their box.
92U.. r u saying u don’t shop on the “STRAP-ON” truck.?? Lol
I couldn't believe the price of new welders. $2200cad. for a new Millermatic 211 and over $12K for a Trailblazer 325. Lincoln Ranger 305G's which are comparable used to sell for around $5K. Prices have more than doubled in the last 8 or 9 years.
Try buying a Lincoln portable engine driven welder! They are over AU$60K here, new! People fight over used ones that have had the cr*p beaten out of them! I was lucky enough to score a Cummins-powered Lincoln Vantage 580 in 2017 with only 2800 hrs on the clock - for AU$1300! The welder was in an auction, it was located at a remote minesite location, and no-one took any decent photos of it, and the description was limited to a single sentence! I took a punt on it, and when it was delivered, I found it only needed repair work to the protection cage (many of the portable welders here have protection cages around the frame), straighten out a couple of dents, pressure-wash about a quarter tonne of oily dirt and dust off it (I had to drop the pan off the bottom, to clean it all out) - and it ran like a Swiss watch! It's currently on rental to a buddy, and he loves it! What is even better, I can probably get well over $10,000 for it, still!
Still have my 1957 built Hobart Bros. engine drive on running gear purchased to go behind my 1957 Mack B-61 truck too. Bought the welder a month after the truck which was April, and May, 1979. That welder will still do what it was designed to do all day long as it's maintained well. Also have a 1983 built military surplus Hobart Bros. 500A diesel machine I cabbaged onto a few years ago which is both CV, and CC. Really like this machine but it's big and heavy so gets set into the pickup with the gantry when needed. I don't purchase much of anything new myself as new to me depreciates or expenses just the same without worrying about paying for it. Lost an 8mm open box wrench from my S-K set and found a new one on ebay. Seller's dad sold S-K tools for many years so was also able to add to my set with this contact as no other vendors for the brand local. Don't actually know if they are still around but always liked their ratchets, and wrenches. Screwdrivers always lacked however. Many of the new mechanics into the implement dealership I help out are loaded up with Harbor Freight tools. Most is the Icon line from what I've seen. Tool boxes are larger than anything I really ever needed but seem pretty well built and not very expensive in comparison to other's I've seen.
Not often. Mac's prices are quite a bit cheaper than Snap On's and I hardly go on that truck either. Glad that my tool buying days are mostly behind me now.
I think compared to when i started buying tools in the 70s we very lucky. You can buy good stuff worth the money back then you ether payed dearly or got buy with junk. The first mac tool box i bought cost $400.00 took about 3 pay checks . Today i have good stuff that is proven . I would have never dreamed i would have so many tools. Things tool wise are way better than years ago. Snap on and Mac make good stuff but i have some cheap stuff that has held up great that i have had 40 years.
Funny thing is I have a lot of tools that I bought cheap and I like them better than the snapon ones I have. Snapon combination wrenches are very weak on the open end. The trailers that I special order for my business have more than doubled in price since 2012. The same spec trailer I bought in 2012 for 10,000 went up to 14,500 in 2018 and is now 21,000.
Yesterday I spent $1,800 on 7 hydraulic hoses.
All this being said, when i started as an apprentice in ‘78, i made 5$/hr and a long snap-on 9/16 was $20. So, proportionally, its still similar. I only added wrenches, etc. as i could afford them. I bought the cheap Mac/Beach roll-cab and top box. Today, i see kids starting out with a $10k toolbox and can’t afford tools to put in it. The other day i saw a nice Milwaukee combo unit on sale for $1400. I checked it over and it seemed to be pretty well made. I almost bought it for extra storage. A lot of kids get sucked in by the expensive brands and the extra bling because it looks cool and they like having the fanciest toolbox in the shop compared to the old guy with the banged up cheap one who’s been at it 40 years. Unless a person has a job with a hefty tool allowance, snap-on and some other companies have almost priced themselves right out of the market
I've said it before, and I'll say it again... people wonder why we gotta charge over $100 / hr for the work we do. Look at the bills we gotta pay. I just paid my heavy vehicle use tax. Yep, I'm gonna pass that cost right on to the next guy who walks in the door, and I'm still the cheapest guy around.
The 83 Hobart welder is probably the same as the ones used for pipeline welding with CRC automatic welding heads. They may have been used on the Alaska pipeline in the later stages too. Earlier versions were used on the pipeline. The machine I'm thinking of is 350 amps at 100% duty cycle. I believe the model is a DCC353P with a Perkins 4-236 diesel. I've seen them as a military model. I could have bought one from one of the pipeline contractors here but had already bought a Miller Trailblazer 55D that was also used for automatic pipeline welding. 400amp 100% duty cycle CC/CV. Apparently the Hobarts were easier to hook up with the CRC automatic equipment and were a nicer welding machine. That could be true because Hobart were true DC generators.
Tool prices haven't gone up, a Snap-On ratchet is just as expensive now as they ever were. My Father could barely afford high priced Snap-On tools in the 70's, and I could barely afford them in the 2000's. He made $2/hour then and I made $15/hour in the 2000's. In 30 years my son will shake his head when the ratchet I bought a couple months ago for $300 is $1500 . . .
Last year I bought 2 hoses for $600, one 1.25" x 4' and 1" x 5'. Was very nice
What working pressure? The 6500 psi for a hydrostatic drive get really spendy, 'specially over 1". Those 90 degree tube ends seem to end up $80+ most days.
Here's some good pics. of a Hobart DCC-353-P. It's from 2014 but a steal at the price. In 1985 a new TB 55D like I had was $14,000cad.! I paid $2750.00 and the machine was a 1975. I think the 1st year for the TB55. There were 7 at the auction that came from Henuset pipelines. I imagine the Hobarts were close in price to the Millers. Lincoln SAM400's were 3-$4000 more. https://www.k-bid.com/auction/2769/item/1
I'm only a 3,100 peak psi system. I doubt it ever makes much over 2500, but I've never had a gauge on it.
I have a DCC353 but don't remember a "P" afterward. I've only used it as a generator for a few hours to ensure that part worked during a power outage. I did weld with it rerailing a Kenworth truck a few years ago but it mostly sets in the shop now. Bought it to replace my 57 Hobart but just can't seem to let the old one go. I purchased this at a DOD auction site and it was either a complete rebuild, or never used. All sheet metal was new, all electrics were new, wiring harness was new, radiator and engine were new. Nothing rebuilt, or repainted having it's original olive drab color. 2.5 hours on the meter when I arrived to pick it up, and .2 hours of run time before I loaded it to bring home. These are right after unloading from my pickup bed and setting on shop floor: 1991 build machine so a full two years plus after I'd discharged. This is an example of having good friends and staying in contact is how this came to be. I'll post a couple more also.
I built up a remote "ditch box" for it that works well though I've not used it for anything. It does readily fine tune 100', (length of cord) distant. The machine was absolutely covered in spider webs when I picked it up so they needed cleaned out. I put the Tweco stabs on it as had my suitcase feeder, and a stinger with rod to test it out; passing with flying colors.
Nice machine and probably cost well over $20K. Probably new and barely used. I've seen some military versions with low hours listed for sale in the past. The P is for a Perkins engine. It appears some versions had a big (30kw) power plant as well and I think even an air compressor which it looks like your machine has or had at 1 time. I think it was belt driven and used an electric clutch which would explain the switch on the front panel. The hertz meter would certainly be for AC power rather than welding. The multi-wire and micro-wire connections are different slope (volt/amp curve) positions. The Miller I had had 3 slope positions on the front panel but also 2 cable connections, standard and with a stabilizer. I'd be curious to know why the military needed a big CC/CV machine. Did they build pipelines or big bridges that they needed them?? I wish I could have kept my TB55D.
It has the switch and the contactor for the air compressor but none ever installed. Threaded mounting holes still have painted over plastic plugs in them. We had them on trailers at NAS Norfolk and for part of the last year of my enlistment, I ran the ground support equipment detachment at the hangers. Used to have one of these same welders checked out to me constantly and was seemingly always repairing something busted off a cart, or tractor/tug. Told a buddy to watch auctions for me when I discharged and let me know when something came up. He did. The frequency meter is pretty accurate as verified with my Fluke 87 meter. I don't have an idle down circuit but there is an overspeed shutdown incorporated that does work. Does have an ether injector but I've not needed it as the machine starts quite easily at 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Much colder and I don't need to weld any more..... Believe it or not the Navy has combat engineers too. The had some large equipment and if they knew you, was not problem to borrow at will. I had military license for most everything so never had problems.
Does your machine have a 4-236 Perkins? It is a fantastic engine. Normally would have Thermo-Start for cold that burned diesel in the intake but for even colder weather would have the Thermo-Start removed and an ether injection system added. The Miller I had had an Arctic modification. It consisted of ether injection, circulating water heater, oil pan heater and radiator shutters. It had a Perkins but not as desirable a model a 4-154. I heard somewhere Perkins were preferred on pipelines and later Duetz engines.
Just my opinion, but one of the best industrial application diesel engines, at least at the top of the list, is the old Deutz 912. Air cooled, eliminates the need of coolant/antifreeze and all components related. Built like an anvil. And the damn things would fire off in the cold with no need of glow plugs, starting fluid, or other start assist devices.
Yes, it is a 4-236 engine and does have the ether canister. My forklift has a 4-248 and uses the burner in the intake so familiar with that also. I don't see any evidence of the burner on the welder.
I had an IR air compressor with a three cylinder Deutz engine and it was a real oil burner but started easily, cold or hot. I rebuilt the engine and sold the compressor as was only 100cfm and needed larger for my blast line setting up at the time. It was a good running and quiet engine being quite smooth.
Miller makes an "Air Pack" welder/generator/compressor. One particular model used a Deutz F4L912, which is a 4 cylinder diesel, but cylinder #1, which oddly enough is the cylinder closest to the flywheel, was used to compress air into an air tank, cylinders 2, 3, and 4 were the diesel engine, so it technically would be considered and F3L912.
The Thermo-Start would be removed or never installed if the ether injection was used. Could be catastrophic if used together. The original Miller Air-Paks had a serious flaw that I think no one envisioned. I was talking to a Miller warranty depot about them. He said the problem was the "air" cylinder would wear out before the other cylinders because it didn't get the same lubrication as the engine cylinders. Apparently the diesel fuel also helps to lubricate the cylinder walls and piston rings. I thought the air cylinder would last longer but apparently not. Miller went to a belt driven compressor on the replacements.
I have seen that setup on a tire service truck in the past. Injection pump had one line missing and what looked like a "cap" installed where the delivery valve would be. Engine still ran smooth however. I have a belt drive "Midland/Ross" air compressor pump to mount onto mine along with the swing mount. This compressor has it's own oil sump so no supply, or drainback line required. Also have an empty sheave, (pulley) groove on the harmonic balancer to drive it. Will probably install a D2 air governor to control the air rather than electrical clutch, or other electric control as the base will be air receiver(s). Shortly after purchasing this machine I purchased a stick of 8" channel, and 10' of 6X8X3/16 wall tube. Planning to make a "U" shaped perimeter frame that is open on the control end and the other end beneath the batteries will be a large air receiver with two, or three lengths of the tube crosswise to the long frame runners. This will make for two, or three receivers. The balance that is open beneath the welder is to be a pull out drawer that will house tools, grinders, hammers, and consumables, etc. I have several heavy garage door rollers in which to hang the drawer from on the insides of the perimeter channels running lengthwise. Haven't quite decided on single, or two axles yet but I suppose it depends on weight and balance of the unit once together. I'm kind of leaning on a tandem setup.
Miller wasn't the only ones to do this trick. Schramm made a 450cfm compressor that had an 8V-71 Detroit driving a 6 cyl piston compressor. Also, Grimmer Schmitt made a 125cfm compressor that was a Ford 302 engine that had one side of the V-8 a gas engine, basically making it a 4 cyl, and the other side of the V-8 used to compress air.
Using a Detroit would be genius - you'd never have to lubricate your air tools again.
Most of the agriculture tire dealers, and many of the road service guys had the Ford setup on their trucks around here.
Maybe it's better with a gas engine. You don't see them anymore but they used to sell spark plug tire pumps. You take a spark plug out and put an adaptor in with an air hose.
I always thought the spark plug tyre pump was an invention of a West Australian fella, one Roy Menzel, in 1939. He was in business as a tyre retreader, when he reportedly thought up the idea. He made a lot of money out of selling tens of thousands of his "Menzel air pump" throughout Australia from the late 1930's to the 1990's, and I was under the impression he gave a licence to Schrader to build their own version. But it appears the Schrader version appeared a year earlier than Roy Menzel's version, so I'm guessing Roy Menzel simply copied the Schrader model - possibly because any Schrader patent didn't cover Australia. But then again, it might have been an idea that wasn't patentable, as there might have been "prior art" in existence long before Schrader produced their tyre pump. You still find the occasional Menzel spark plug tyre pump for sale, even though they haven't been made for over 30 years. Compact 12V compressors put the spark plug tyre pump out of business. I did find out that NASCO, which was General-Motors-Holdens spare parts and accessories division, also produced their version of the spark plug tyre pump (in 1939), so I'm guessing the idea wasn't patented. However, the 1939 local motoring article in the images below says that Roy Menzel had applied to acquire a patent on his design. However, there's no indication whether he ever got that patent, the application could possibly have been rejected. Making sure you're not a bot! Making sure you're not a bot! Making sure you're not a bot! The Schrader version - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/258796099?searchTerm=Spark plug tyre pump Schrader tyre pump - 1939 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/260878540?searchTerm=Spark plug tyre pump Scharder tyre pump - 1938 - https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/174116796?searchTerm=Spark plug tyre pump
Had one of those as a kid. With use it got hot in the base of the hose as had a rubber coated metal check valve in it but worked well. Never took it apart so don't know if it were a spring loaded ball, or disc affair. Had long forgotten about it. Always coiled and kept in my truck behind the seat with a small tire tool kit on the other side behind, or under the seat.
That probably worked about as well as Ford trying to inject fuel into the last two cylinders on the 6.4 on the exhaust stroke to feed the after treatment system . . .
Was that Ford or international?
I pay for whatever I buy off Snap on truck when he comes, I need something I buy it.. I told him to stop coming till I need something. Its the same **** on the truck that I already have. I can't keep buying a ratchet every week he shows up just to buy something
We call those guys, “shoppers”.. They aren’t gonna buy anything but go out and spend 15-30 minutes just looking around and chewing the fat..(lol)
Don't know, probably both. I am under the impression that was an attempt to achieve the emissions standards without using DEF. Didn't Cat flunk out with the Acert stuff trying to do the same thing?
The in-cylinder aftertreatment burner injection was not unique to any one brand. Cummins did it also and afaik still does in some engines. Just that some companies took the time to make sure it worked right and others did not seem to care.
The way I remember it is everyone tried to not use def and they were Regen only trucks from 08-10
Tools-I don't count wrenches-it's all the specialty engine tools I have-Series 60, Cat and Cummins. those tools are not harbor freight. Most mechanics don't have them, the shops supply them or did. I told the daughter when I'm dead there yours do what you want with them, But the 1910 REO badge on the front of my tool box-that's a 1,000 bucks don't let it go for less. The rest 10 cents on the dollar.
IIRC 2010 was when they moved on to the next emissions level and NOx reduction targets could no longer be met reliably on EGR only.
I didn't know there was someone that did a EGR only truck until 2010, I don't think that's right.
DEF did not exist really before 2010 in my recollection. It was EGR + DPF only. They knew they wanted to avoid DEF as long as they could and the NOX restrictions were not as tight.
Yeah the DPF doesn't reduce NOx. So EGR only for NOx reduction until 2010 when SCR was introduced.