Wes J
Senior Member
This is going to sound odd, probably because I'm an odd guy.
To an extremely long story short: I grew up in a shop, mostly farm equipment repairs. Worked in a truck repair shop and one year in a car dealer shop while I was in college. Degree in mechanical engineering. Don't like working as an engineer, 6 years chained to a desk was enough of that. Started a CNC machine shop. Found out I liked fixing machine tools much more than I like running them.
For the last 3 years I've been doing field service on CNC and manual machine tools as an independent contractor through a large company that sells parts and service for a few dozen brands of machines. I provide the tools and transportation, they find the work and handle the money. I get paid an hourly rate just a few dollars less than my shop rate. I'm good at it. I do electrical, controls, mechanical, etc. Basically, anything that needs to be done.
The problem is that it's 100% travel and most times overnight. The first year I stayed in a hotel over 100 nights. That was fine then, but now I have a 1 year old son and it's not really fair to my wife, who also works full time. Also, things have been very slow and I put too many eggs in one basket.
I've tried to find local work fixing and rebuilding machine tools, but haven't come up with much. Larger places have their own people or have new equipment that is serviced by a dealer. There are 4 other companies in the area providing the same services, so lot's of competition for a fairly small market.
Anyway, I'm trying to find a way to stay busy without so much travel or going back to a desk. I was thinking heavy equipment or truck repair is an option. Are there independent contractor opportunities in this line of work? I've never actually been employed as an equipment mechanic, but I have most of the tools needed and I think most of the skills. The equipment I have worked on is really old, but maybe still relevant (old IH TD-9 and Cat D4 and some old Bobcats). I have rebuilt many engines and gear boxes. I'm very good on the electrical stuff and hydraulics. I can weld and obviously have a handle on machining. I have a small line boring rig I built. I still have my shop and machine tools, so I can work on anything that can fit through a 12X12 door. I have a class A CDL.
I don't know if it would work out to go back to work for someone as an employee, but I'm not too proud to do so under the right circumstances.
I guess the question is am I qualified to repair heavy equipment? Is there a place for a guy like me? How do I go about finding work? I don't really know anyone in the industry in this area.
Hope that makes sense.
To an extremely long story short: I grew up in a shop, mostly farm equipment repairs. Worked in a truck repair shop and one year in a car dealer shop while I was in college. Degree in mechanical engineering. Don't like working as an engineer, 6 years chained to a desk was enough of that. Started a CNC machine shop. Found out I liked fixing machine tools much more than I like running them.
For the last 3 years I've been doing field service on CNC and manual machine tools as an independent contractor through a large company that sells parts and service for a few dozen brands of machines. I provide the tools and transportation, they find the work and handle the money. I get paid an hourly rate just a few dollars less than my shop rate. I'm good at it. I do electrical, controls, mechanical, etc. Basically, anything that needs to be done.
The problem is that it's 100% travel and most times overnight. The first year I stayed in a hotel over 100 nights. That was fine then, but now I have a 1 year old son and it's not really fair to my wife, who also works full time. Also, things have been very slow and I put too many eggs in one basket.
I've tried to find local work fixing and rebuilding machine tools, but haven't come up with much. Larger places have their own people or have new equipment that is serviced by a dealer. There are 4 other companies in the area providing the same services, so lot's of competition for a fairly small market.
Anyway, I'm trying to find a way to stay busy without so much travel or going back to a desk. I was thinking heavy equipment or truck repair is an option. Are there independent contractor opportunities in this line of work? I've never actually been employed as an equipment mechanic, but I have most of the tools needed and I think most of the skills. The equipment I have worked on is really old, but maybe still relevant (old IH TD-9 and Cat D4 and some old Bobcats). I have rebuilt many engines and gear boxes. I'm very good on the electrical stuff and hydraulics. I can weld and obviously have a handle on machining. I have a small line boring rig I built. I still have my shop and machine tools, so I can work on anything that can fit through a 12X12 door. I have a class A CDL.
I don't know if it would work out to go back to work for someone as an employee, but I'm not too proud to do so under the right circumstances.
I guess the question is am I qualified to repair heavy equipment? Is there a place for a guy like me? How do I go about finding work? I don't really know anyone in the industry in this area.
Hope that makes sense.