I have been using a bag/w/strap for about 6 years and would never carry a tool belt ever.
But,a good idea is to clean it out about once a week or it will tend to get heavy...
Toolbox, bag and/or Belts?
I've read about the tools...now the ?? How do you carry your tools in the field?
Do you use toolboxes, tool bags, tool belts, and/or buckets with the tool pouches on them or some combination of these?
I have been using a bag/w/strap for about 6 years and would never carry a tool belt ever.
But,a good idea is to clean it out about once a week or it will tend to get heavy...
'Life begins with the journey each day'
have used a tool belt for years....not really sure thats the route to go but thats what they all did when I started out. Now being honest I guess I could use more space but most of what I need I have in the pouch other then flashlight and my meter. It always scares me having too much in a bag or bucket being if you loose any of it , you will usally loose all of it. Lost a meter about 2- years ago...now in over 25 years that was the first meter I lost. I could not totally prove where it was left but Im pretty sure where I left it but they claimed I didnt leave it there. Now being the place was really dark and the meter case being black, I think it was probably left were I could not see it before I left but if I had a system set up to see emediately that a tool was missing before I left any job I would feel better.
i prefer a bag, sure it get's heavy after a while because of all the trash that ends up in there, but i almost always have some tool i never use, and if it saves a trip out of a crawl space or attic....
an added bonus is throwing the temporary tools you will only use once that month in there too. just remember to take them out.
i know what belongs in every outside pocket and always check before i leave, if it's on the inside section, i just hope it's been remembered.
i like the bags too they do get heavy though
AMEN!!!Originally posted by aircooled53
I have been using a bag/w/strap for about 6 years and would never carry a tool belt ever.
But,a good idea is to clean it out about once a week or it will tend to get heavy...
It is up to you.
I like a small bag which carries whatever you need to get into cabinets and then wrench on things. Add to this what you need to measure your most common things like current, milliamps, temp, ohms, DC volts/ AC volts and mega-ohms.
Often when I am evaluating how much stuff I will need for the repairs .... I will approach the system with just my Fluke 16, regular manifold gages and my 6 in 1 screwdriver.
I met the boss on a job one time and when I moved towards the equipment room with only what was in my pockets, he stopped me and insisted I return to the truck and bring in the entire tool bag.
Different people have differing work habbits.
You will certainly develope your own over time.
When you have such a situation, what
This is what I have been using,seems to be about the right size.
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Ouch, Are you on a first name basis with your chiropractor? I carry a belt and sling it over my sholder!
Been through it all. Back to old trusty leather Kline electrician's bag. Used it for years and switched to all these verious bags and buckets. Way overloaded and my shoulder still hurts.
Now I use various bags for differant tasks. My Kline when I have to do repairs. One of those square bottom totes for AC tune ups and another for basic sheet metal tool. I have various tool boxes for electrical work and install pack.
Most times I approach the system with a clip board, service report, company sticker, "The Worlds Greatest Screwdriver".
This leave me to use my best tools first. That would be my brain, eyes, ears, and hands. Customer interveiw, place sticker on equipment, and visual of the job.
How about several of each?
I have a couple tool box's filled with the tools I can't bare to leave at home, but hardly ever need.
I have a tool belt, don't use it a whole lot though unless I'm doing commercial sheetmetal work. Most houses my ladder will hold enough tools to get the job done.
And the most used is tool bags. I have one bag with basic sheetmetal stuff in it (snips, 10 in 1 screw driver, hammer, beater screwdriver.... etc). One bag for my cordless tools, one bag for my panning goods (stappler, tape and a few other things). One bag for service with a bit more specialized (and little used) tools.
For what it's worth I'm a tinner who dabbles in service, and it seems to work out good with my stuff set up this way.
Back when I ran service work I started out carrying a belt w/ a Klein tool pouch. I quickly became tired of dropping tools while climbing ladders w/ the belt slung over my shoulder. After some tinkering I ended up fastening the pouch inside a backpack. The pouch held all of the tools I needed for a quick evaluation and nothing fell out of the backpack while climbing ladders or crawling under homes. I could strap my manifold to the pack which made climbing safer as I could keep both hands free to hold on. It also made cleanup quicker because I could load it w/ items from subsequent trips to the van and make less trips back. After going through several backpacks I tried using a backpack made specificly for carrying tools.(lots of flaps and places for individual tools)Too many zippers and flaps. Spent too much time finding tools, so I went back to the home made one.
Since I've moved into maintenance I started carrying a Bucket Boss pocket pouch which has a flap that slips into your back pocket or behind your belt. I added a holster to carry a Fluke T5. I can carry all of the small hand tools needed to do a quick evaluation and alot of the time this is about all I need. If I'm into something more involved I carry a VETO Pro Pac. Very sturdy and well organized w/ a comfortable strap and more than enough room for almost every tool I'll need.
Make it fool proof and someone will make a better fool!
sucks that you always need half of everything on van to fix unit.get mexican to tote tools form you.
Kinda hard to tell from the pic, but I use LOTS of bags, SOME toolboxes, a belt, and buckets.
Different carriers for different items.
My main bag is a 14" Gatemouth by Bucket Boss.
You'll find most people that use the tool pouch slung over the shoulder were primary trade electricians... it's like a given... like full faced helmets on Japanese motorcycles....
But actually, you'll have to figure out the best approach on your own. As you can see, there are many ways with long term techs that often don't agree with methods by way of the telling... but they also know, not to argue the fact, because they found what works for them.
Me? I tend to subscribe to convenience. I have a tool bag that is too heavy, and often toss in the extra tools that I need for a particular situation. I always go in to the job first to 'scout it out'... and decide from my first visual... what I THINK I need... "THEN" I'll make the seventeen trips out to the truck to fetch what I need to make this job successful.
You are doing AWESOME... ASK first... THEN descide... once you've driven through all the drivel we older dogs give you....
Teach the apprentices right... and learn from their questions and ideas.
I HAVE USED THEM ALL AND FOUND THE BUCKET W/BUCKET BOSS WORKS WELL WITH A LID. IT GIVES YOU A SEAT TO HELP WITH FATEGE.
I use a tool belt & pouch, have for 30 years. I wear the belt where it should be worn, not on my shoulder. I like to have my hand tools where I can get at them quickly. I don't even have to look when I grab a tool. I know exactly where it is in my pouch. I believe that the pouch saves time over anything else. I keep 90% of hand tools I need in pouch & even carry my meter on my belt too.
Sometimes I have to take it off to get into tight places.
As someone said, I started out as an electrician.
This is the general idea I found when I started that thread on what do you carry in your tool bags.Originally posted by lynn rodenmayer
Been through it all. Back to old trusty leather Kline electrician's bag. Used it for years and switched to all these verious bags and buckets. Way overloaded and my shoulder still hurts.
Now I use various bags for differant tasks. My Kline when I have to do repairs. One of those square bottom totes for AC tune ups and another for basic sheet metal tool. I have various tool boxes for electrical work and install pack.
The smart one's here have transitioned from one main large bag over to several bags/ boxes/ totes which are more specialized.
if people take this "get organised" too far ... pretty soon you will find little carriers for your vacuum pump which will not only support the pump itself, but also the items you need WITH the pump / oil, special four valve manifold with braided hoses, micron gage, etc.
And for the torch, a spot to carry a reasonable sized fire extinguisher plus a compliment of tubing tools. It will depend upon whether you are doing an install or a simple repair ... like changing out a solenoid valve or TX valve. Or a compressor change-out.
The motto of these new carriers would be "Grab N' Go". One trip and your ready to work.
If you can write down those little things which cost you a trip back to the van .... and have them with you the next time your far awy from the vehicle ... you will work more effeciently as well as have less stress.
So you will be more alert and fresh for the next service call when your dispatched.
Stress, whether self generated or done so by a supervisor or dispatcher is a major factor in what will take away your edge when working in this field.
Having the right tools handy and the little parts or acessories that go with the major motors/ pumps, etc .. this will help to make you a much better mechanic over time.
Knowledge & experience & attitude are your best developed partners.