How do you organise your tools to be more efficient?!

[fonta]

Hello guys,

I'm working in centre of Madrid doing mostly repair work and leak detection. Parking tickets and the number of services can become very stressful. Weight of tools (out and in the van 12 times a day) must be well administered.

How do you organise to eliminate stress and be more efficient? Consider that for each type of material you need different tools and if I need to connect different materials I end up 50 kg of tools (I use a cart ). As you well know time is money and carrying a prearranged tool bags I always end up with a lot of tools I don't need for that particular job.

Any suggestions to improve that?
All the best.

 

[jonnyswamp]

Get yourself a Leatherman Charge TTI multitool with the assorted extra driver bits, its not a complete substitute for "proper" tools, but once you know its limitations you'll never be without it and know which tools you can leave in the van. Obviously don't use it on anything electrical

 

[Rich8]

Use a back pack for the tools you always need and smaller bag for the job specific stuff

 

[lame plumber]

put what you need in a bucket and leave the rest in your van.

 

[fonta]

I bought a Veto OT XL and I plan to use it as a "filling tray" with stuff only for a specific job. My hackzall and charger on a permanent basis. My first impact bag is a 14" CLC.

 

[newcastle phill]

I've got 2 tool bags.
1 with heat gear and grips
1 empty with 2 rack/tray of all hand tools above.

Depending on what im doing I fill number 2 as required.

 

[kay-jay]

i have a technicians tool bag with all commonly used hand tools in it, and in the van is a tote tray with all the heavier less used tools like cold chisels lump hammer, large hacksaw, etc .
i have a small tool box for my sweat gear.

 

[Ermintrude]

i have a technicians tool bag with all commonly used hand tools in it, and in the van is a tote tray with all the heavier less used tools like cold chisels lump hammer, large hacksaw, etc .
i have a small tool box for my sweat gear.

Almost the same

 

[jonnyswamp]

My technicians tool bag contains all my commonly used servicing and maintainence implements as well.........2lb lump hammer, crow bar and of course my voltage pen
I leave my less used tools in the house.........fga, electrical testers, mano etc

 

[kris]

Hello guys,

I'm working in centre of Madrid doing mostly repair work and leak detection. Parking tickets and the number of services can become very stressful. Weight of tools (out and in the van 12 times a day) must be well administered.

How do you organise to eliminate stress and be more efficient? Consider that for each type of material you need different tools and if I need to connect different materials I end up 50 kg of tools (I use a cart ). As you well know time is money and carrying a prearranged tool bags I always end up with a lot of tools I don't need for that particular job.

Any suggestions to improve that?
All the best.

Hi there fonta , ive had same problerms as u and what ive done is turned all my tools into different tool kits for different jobs, i have a magma tech case for servicing n repair work, i have a faacom box for plumbing work i even have a mini tool box for re-sealing baths n trays filled with silicone removal tools, i like to have everything organised or else you spend more time sifting through lookin for stuff, even lookin for tools --- i used to use an open tote bag but found i was always pulling out tools to get what i needed so im back to a cantilivier box which i find great,

 

[kris]

I like to carry everything with me as the day i leave something in store will be the day i need it at a job, i do have alot of items in the van that could probably be left in store but for some reason i just like to know theyre there, just bought new van so have been racking it out to suit, il post pic of old and new l8r

 

[kay-jay]

I like to carry everything with me as the day i leave something in store will be the day i need it at a job, i do have alot of items in the van that could probably be left in store but for some reason i just like to know theyre there, just bought new van so have been racking it out to suit, il post pic of old and new l8r

I also like to carry as much as possible. Van is probably slightly more expensive to run but the convenience of having stuff to hand is invaluable as it saves both time and diesel money otherwise needed to nip home for whatever it is yoi need.

 

[JCplumb]

Most of my work is fixing/replacing sanitary stuff and rads so my 'always to hand' gear is in 3 toolboxes that I keep in the car. Yes car, not van. I had a van for about a year and it was just too costly and unnecessary for the type of work I was doing.
It's a pain in the rear having to load/unload my gear each working day but it has saved me thousands per year. Also it's a Zafira, so with the rear seats down and the middle row of seats pushed out of the way it's probably about as big as an Astra van anyway.
Upshot is I am now pretty good at guessing what equipment I need for each job. Still get the odd times when I have to nip home for something though so I do miss the van on those days.

 

[kay-jay]

Most of my work is fixing/replacing sanitary stuff and rads so my 'always to hand' gear is in 3 toolboxes that I keep in the car. Yes car, not van. I had a van for about a year and it was just too costly and unnecessary for the type of work I was doing.
It's a pain in the rear having to load/unload my gear each working day but it has saved me thousands per year. Also it's a Zafira, so with the rear seats down and the middle row of seats pushed out of the way it's probably about as big as an Astra van anyway.
Upshot is I am now pretty good at guessing what equipment I need for each job. Still get the odd times when I have to nip home for something though so I do miss the van on those days.

see you in the morning joe. 8.30 on site. :24:

 

[JCplumb]

You will Kev

 

[JCplumb]

see you in the morning joe. 8.30 on site. :24:

Almost forgot to reply on here...
I was there 10 minutes before Kev and stayed 30 minutes longer, although it could be argued that while I was running to plumbfix for a trap Kev pretty much ripped out a whole bathroom on his own.
Anyway I digress... I cut my finger quite badly early doors and Kev refused to kiss it better.

I told him at the time that if he didn't kiss it better I would be telling Croppie, so:

Croppie - Kev didn't magic kiss my booboo today, can you tell him please?

TYVM.

 

[SafeGasInstall]

the most efficient way to organise your tools is to keep them oiled up and busy as much as you can

 

[fonta]

I also use the small kit set up and most of the times it works. I keep them oiled and busy.


I’ll describe my nightmare scenario. Ring 8 times at a door on the 12th floor. Slowly a half deaf retired owner opens the door. After breaking the bathroom floor open - I now have a 1/2 bag to dispose of - I find a leak in a 1/2” lead pipe. Here in Spain we still solder this stuff so that means I cut the part that is bad and replace it with a new one. Forget about clamps, lock led. Nobody uses them they are not cost effective. So I need the lead soldering kit - torch, copper tube, copper transition to pex , crimping tool (Rems and pretty heavy, I normally I do it in pex-al-pex). I now have 3 bags upstairs (the 1/2 bag is already in the van when I brought the repair kit). They are heavy and my aluminium cart is bending and screeching.


So now I rest my big hopes in my new acquisition Veto Pro Pac Open XL where I hope to be able to combine the 2 bags (torch and crimping tool) and Hope to throw some 24” wrenches when need it.


When the bag arrives I post pictures with my new set ups.


One more thing. My BIGGEST problem is the cleaning kit (dustpan and broom) located in my first bag. After a flood in a plaster ceiling It makes all my wrenches a mess and it seems there is no way around it.