Maybe he got something cool like this?

But something tells me it might look more like this

Or this,

Behold, the new PowerStroker mobile office

It's a KRL 1163 with stainless top and workstation hutch in candy apple red.

Wow! That is a spectacular work of craftsmanship there PowerStroker!

Even better than I had imagined! And it's red! The ONLY color a tool box should ever be made in! Very impressive!

Most people looking at that don't even have the slightest clue, but that box there probably cost more than my Corvette!

Way cool PowerStroker! 

I was going to say, just that lower box retails for $13,000 on the SnapOn web site! And that's not including the top portion you added on or even sales tax! 

A very good friend of mine who is a body guy has the same lower as you, but in Blue... He's always been a big fan of Blue, or Black. He got his almost 10 years ago I think.

The top portion you added on is really cool, so if you got a laptop or documents on the bench you can just roll down the door and lock it all up! A very good investment PowerStroker!

You see, consumer confidence is thru the roof under President Trump! LOL, although I am sure you will deny it... 

Damn fine box you got there PowerStroker! Congratulations and enjoy!

Usually the best way to transport these boxes is by way of a flat bed tow truck! I'm not even kidding! I've seen it done more than once. They are so massive they wont even fit on the back of most cube truck lift gates!

PowerStroker already had quite an assortment of Snap-On tools, if you check out the tool crib section you'll see. Maybe in time we should move this thread over there but that's up to you guys... I really don't mind either way.

I don't think Rastus was here the last time when you were having issues with the dealership... I think at that time there was a change in management/ownership of the dealership. But just so Rastus knows the particulars, it involved something to do with PowerStroker eating a customers Twix candy bar...

Damn that is pretty fucking impressive! 

You really do need a side box for all them boxed specialty tools, but that work bench is TITS! Love the lighting too!

It's already filled to the gills! Did your old box have more storage? Or were you having to store some of it outside of your old box?

Built in tool boxes? That sounds interesting, please explain!

Could you even see what was in them top drawers of the old box without a step ladder? 

I am sure this Insignia monitor I have hooked up to the Mac Mini displays horrible reds! My vette almost looks pink in some photos! My cheap ass needs to upgrade my monitor! LOL

At least you made the step up to a SnapOn box! I thought your old box was a SnapOn, but from the photos it appears it was a Matco, which was good, but no where near a SnapOn.

Not so sure I'm a big fan of the built in tool boxes... Might be good for them fly by night types, but honestly it's more or less too Orwellian for my taste, almost like them cookie cutter neighborhoods... The only advantage I can see would be the dealership being able to micro manage space and have access to your tools! 

Do these built in tool boxes come fully stocked with tools too? Just can't seem to warm up to the idea, and it would have to cost the dealership bookoo bucks too.

Man, you'd definitely want to be etching your name heavily on your tools, that's for sure.

I've got one of those Waterloo toolboxes, with a 4-draw box sitting on top of a main 2-large-draw box with a large upper fold in ( think garage door ) door for the heavy extras. There's no avoiding it being top-heavy, but that's life. I like that the top-box can fit into the lower compartment when moving, & then fit into the boot / trunk of my car. There's never enough room. I fully loaded this "new box" up on the first day, whilst emptying my fold-out six-draw type. ( Amazing how many tools fit into this small a space. And I ended up using it again when I did my stint as a mobile air-conditioning-repairman, since my Waterloo would never have fitted in the back of the van ).

Over the years & numerous embarrassing falls, with the Waterloo, I did notice that the weight of the tools was causing the wheels in the lower compartment to sink into the base-plate, where they mount / bolt-up...Thankfully, it stretched evenly lol, & remains reasonably stable.

You have to be careful IMO how many tools you acquire for yourself, based against the special tools that your employer / dealership needs to acquire for themselves. We don't get paid enough money IMO to cover what would be "their" costs. Things like "Special Factory Tools" need to be bought in greater than single numbers if they need to be shared by more than say 4-mechanics at a time. I don't think you should be buying them for yourself, unless its for your own use at home, on your own special-need basis toys.

Cheers,

Rastus

-- Edited by Rastus on Thursday 6th of April 2017 03:58:46 AM

PowerStroker wrote:

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HOLY $-H-I-T POWERSTROKER!

What are them round things in the blue dish at the top left of this photo! Are them ROLOC PADS, PowerStroker!?

Did you get the memo?

#87-61-24: INFO. USE OF 'SURFACE CONDITIONING DISCS' - (Apr 2, 1998) 

https://autotrend.activeboard.com/t48632137/powerstrokers-ultimate-saturn-rebuild-lots-of-pics/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NP8y63Ms4o&t=5s

Rastus wrote:

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Roloc Pads have their place-in-use...

It's known that you don't use them for cylinder-heads or block surfaces that need to be perfectly flat. And certainly not on aluminum.

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Shawnee_B wrote:

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Never heard of the rolaks but kinda shy away from cylinder heads! Least when it counts like someone elses shit. If it my IC, OK I'm game.

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Yeah Rex, see... Even Rastus knows about this all the way in Australia, and Shawnee all the way down in a backwater state like Kentucky. Where the hell have you been?

PowerStroker wrote:

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Rastus wrote:

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Roloc Pads have their place-in-use...

It's known that you don't use them for cylinder-heads or block surfaces that need to be perfectly flat. And certainly not on aluminum.

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Shawnee_B wrote:

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Never heard of the rolaks but kinda shy away from cylinder heads! Least when it counts like someone elses shit. If it my IC, OK I'm game.

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Yeah Rex, see... Even Rastus knows about this all the way in Australia, and Shawnee all the way down in a backwater state like Kentucky. Where the hell have you been?

 

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Yeah well since we're not fixing ships, and I am not hiding behind the dealership I think it's quite well known you're just a Fords speciality mechanic, Rastus is a Sailor - and I am the Master Mechanic! 

They have airplane sealant to fill any fine abrasive scratching on aluminum and iron. 

One thing is for sure, I don't think I could trust either of you in the instance of a repair that needs a clean surface for a quality seal, except to say that PowerStroker is FOS and has been caught red handed with Roloc pads in his toolbox, so obviously he knows the real truth, but omits it because he is used to hiding behind the dealer and spreading disinformation. One only needs to look in the Ford truck forum to see exactly how predatory them Ford guys are. It breaks their heart every time a vehicle falls out of warranty because 9 times out of 10 that means they just lost a customer. Meanwhile they keep doing warranty work for Ford Motor Company for about 1/2 to 1/3 of the true labor time.. And people wonder why Dealership guys can be so cranky? 

And before anyone dives off into a big debate about Roloc pads, let me just say once again that:

"There is a big difference between milling something that is not flat and cleaning/resurfacing something that is already flat".

It's called a straight edge and a feeler gauge, USE IT!

PowerStroker wrote:

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haslefree wrote:

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Okie dokie then. Im impressed, PowerStroker!  Youve got a small fortune invested in that awesome hot Red tool box and all those tools.
Hope you have that insured properly. You just never, ever know...

xoxo
HF

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Thanks haslefree! See this is why I have to charge you extra to fix your Trump Edition truck, I've got a lot of overhead to pay for you know. The dealership I work for provides some insurance, but wouldn't be enough to cover a total loss, so I have a lock on one of the wheels to make it awfully difficult for a thief to roll away with it.

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 PowerStroker, are you saying if a Ford customer got another employee in the service department, they could possibly charge less because they dont have to pay for that beautiful tool box filled with tools like you?

just askin...

haslefree wrote:

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PowerStroker, are you saying if a Ford customer got another employee in the service department, they could possibly charge less because they dont have to pay for that beautiful tool box filled with tools like you?

 

just askin...

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Well, there are some cases where what you pay depends on who makes the estimate... I don't know which of my colleagues actually worked on that truck, or even what it was in for, I just saw it in the service parking lot and decided it would be fun to snap a picture and suggest to some of my friends here that I gouge Trump fans. I like to stir the pot.

Some technicians allow the advisers to estimate their work, but I am one that makes my own estimates. About 70% of my day is spent doing warranty work anyway, in which case I have no control. The 30% of the time I'm doing customer pay work I generally just go off of what our shop's internal computer system suggests, which is set at Alldata time +10%, and that is usually fine with me. I do have the ability to override the labor suggestion, and in cases where I know there are more difficulties involved, I do pad the estimates accordingly to cover my time. Just like if you call 5 different furnace repair people to get an estimate, you will likely get 5 different numbers because there is always a human element involved in estimating work. I do pride myself on making a correct estimate the first time to avoid having to call a customer back to get more money - an ongoing issue with some of my colleagues. I own everything outright, so the price tag of my tool box and its contents does not factor in to the equation when making an estimate for a customer, (though their attitude might). Btw, there are 3 other techs where I work with comparable boxes to mine. The other guys each have different drawer configurations, and they went with a side locker instead of the overhead locker that I got, but the prices are very close. Our Snap On rep even told me that on his entire weekly route, he sees about 12 opulent boxes, and 4 of them are at my dealership.