New member in ohio

[Sndille1]

Hi all I am retired US Army and newly hired as a mechanic for CAT and Komatsu equipment. My company only does basic repair since it is a construction company. All equipment is less than 10 years old and replaced as it ages. I will be doing fluid changes, hose changes, on-site repair, track changes, and general lube and preventive stuff. At most engine or pump removal to send off for rebuild. What are the basic tools I will need for this position? The company provides all large size tools I assume above 1 1/4 and 32mm. Since I will be mobile at times I want to be quick effective and prepared but not spend all day putting together a mobile tool set each time I leave the shop. Any advice would be great. Thanks.

Nick

 

[willie59]

Welcome to HEF Sndille1. :drinkup

And thank you for your service to the country. :usa

Unfortunately, a mobile tech that even does the simple things you mentioned above will require far more than throwing together a tool set each time you go out. Take doing a hose change for example, Cat and Kommie machines, of course you're going to need the wrenches required as well as the occasional metric hex head socket screws in Code 61/62 flange fittings, but you're also going to need the various plugs/caps for JIC, ORFS, Code 61/62, and for the Komatsu JIS fittings. Also, you need various size drain pans, right down to the size of a pimento cheese tub to catch oil when you pop a hose loose as well as rags and pig towels to clean up oil. Now days, it's a bad idea to spill oil on job sites. Cases of starting fluid and brake fluid are a must for cleaning oil from surfaces. And keep a 5 gal bucket of oil dry for when a machine busts a hose and takes a puke. And even if you start out doing these simple tasks, hose changes and oil/filter changes, I assure you, once you're in the field, you will be doing other tasks as well, the tool box just keeps getting bigger. They really need to put you in some kind of service truck, even if it's just a small one to start off.

 

[Sndille1]

Forgot to mention the company has a large service truck with crane, welder, air, torches and all the usual but since most of my work will be in the shop my tools will be in the box and not on the truck. Do most techs just have 2 sets? One for the shop and one for the truck?

 

[old-iron-habit]

Forgot to mention the company has a large service truck with crane, welder, air, torches and all the usual but since most of my work will be in the shop my tools will be in the box and not on the truck. Do most techs just have 2 sets? One for the shop and one for the truck?

Have you asked how the truck is equipped. The company I recently retired from furnished all of the mechanics tools but I know that is not the norm.

 

[kshansen]

Every company and every part of even the same company will be different.

Back when the company I worked for had what they called "The Central Shop" where much of the major work for the state and even other states was done. We had a service truck to use around the state. One mechanic was assigned to this truck, for the most part that was me, and the tools in the truck were that persons tools. If no "road work" was being done I worked out of the truck. A bit of a pain but at least when an emergency road trip came up it only took a few minutes to put away tools I was using and jump in truck and head down the road.

In the last several years upper management decided to do away with the central shop idea and with it our service truck. As the shop had been located at one of the bigger quarries in the state I was able to be the one mechanic who was kept on to handle maintenance at this quarry. Problem was they still at times wanted me to help out at a few of the quarries near us. Now every time I needed to run to a some times remote area to work on something I had to guess what the problem was going to in-tale and grab the tools I thought I might need and pile them in a pick-up truck, often with an uncovered bed.

I guess if it was me I'd be asking the company if I was going to be given sole access to the service truck and if so load my tools in it. Then just work at your base location as if you were working at a remote location. Maybe have a tote box for some of the more basic tools that you would be using and have a roll cart in the base shop to put it on while there. I'd bet 90% of the tools you will be using on a day to day basis would fit in a box you could carry in one hand. Half a dozen screwdrivers, couple pair of pliers, 3/8--1 1/8 end wrenches, 10mm--24mm end wrenches and the equivalent in sockets, and of course a hammer and pry bar! Adjust this assortment as you find what you run into on a daily basis. Might even want to set up a second tote box, one for metric machines and one for inch size.

Good luck,

Ken

 

[Sndille1]

I am really going to show my inexperience with cat and Komatsu machines but are they a mix of metric and sae? It's been 15 years since diesel school and I was inside a cat diesel engine. I just was in an associates degree operator program but this job presented itself and its best for my family goals to earn an income right now. I can operate, I completed the 1st semester through 4th semester operator field finals during my first semester but colleges want money so I still have to complete the rest of the program. I feel like I am better suited fixing and maintaining the equipment for the long haul. I get bored operating after the first few hours. I never get bored when doing a repair or maintaince it keeps my mind engaged.

 

[Sndille1]

Thanks for the information everyone. And it was my honor to serve Wille but thank you for the acknowledgement for my family's sacrifice. My wife and kids are the true Soldiers, it's definetly a rough row to plow but without the support of family, friends and even strangers it can't be done.

 

[pburress]

Welcome to HEF Sndille1. :drinkup

And thank you for your service to the country. :usa

Unfortunately, a mobile tech that even does the simple things you mentioned above will require far more than throwing together a tool set each time you go out. Take doing a hose change for example, Cat and Kommie machines, of course you're going to need the wrenches required as well as the occasional metric hex head socket screws in Code 61/62 flange fittings, but you're also going to need the various plugs/caps for JIC, ORFS, Code 61/62, and for the Komatsu JIS fittings. Also, you need various size drain pans, right down to the size of a pimento cheese tub to catch oil when you pop a hose loose as well as rags and pig towels to clean up oil. Now days, it's a bad idea to spill oil on job sites. Cases of starting fluid and brake fluid are a must for cleaning oil from surfaces. And keep a 5 gal bucket of oil dry for when a machine busts a hose and takes a puke. And even if you start out doing these simple tasks, hose changes and oil/filter changes, I assure you, once you're in the field, you will be doing other tasks as well, the tool box just keeps getting bigger. They really need to put you in some kind of service truck, even if it's just a small one to start off.

X's 2


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