Next year im off to Northwestern Ohio to get my accoc. degree in Ag equipment technology. Ive been thinkin bout it lately if this is the job for me. I like workin on things and wrenchin on my truck. But is it worth it, will i still like doin it after lets say 10 years. i would just farm if we had enough acres or about 300 more cows. but we dont so ive got to do somethin. im kinda havin second thoughts because lately things have got rotten with my truck and hay equipment. (only if i could win the lotto.) So im just lookin for yalls input, if ya still like the job after so long.

 

I worked at Saunders Engine Company for 2 two summers as a helper. So tecnicly I am not a mechanic but I did the work and learned from some very good ones.


I learned from the old timers that there is money to be made but you have to work rediculous amounts of overtime, one of the lead men worked 65 or more hours per week every week, and made 85k a year.

I loved the work and mostly did head work (can rebiuld all detroit 2 stroke 60 series, cat all the way up to 3500 series, and perkins). But I would go out on jobs on a fairly regular basis. You learn very fast that when you work all night you have to be very careful not to doze off and fall off something high
(example crane on a dry dock).

It is very rewarding work and I could see myself doing it as a lifetime job if i hadn't been as lucky as I am (geting to go to college with my parents picking up the tab).

When you start working with the stuff full time for a while you will know if you can take the pressure and hours of the job.

But if you really like it when you think back on a really hard job you did and did right you get a lot of satisfaction from that (and some **** good stories).

Sorry for the long post but diesel mechanics are people who are very very smart and could have (mostly) done anything they put their mind to, and I have upmost respect for that trade.

 

When I sold my farm and didn't feel like retiring I put out a few feelers and had Ag mechanic job offers from all over the country. A few of them even offered to fly me there to check it out, all were very large farms that were also very isolated. Working for farmer can come with added pressure than working for a dealer. Nothing ever breaks when you don't need it. There are plenty of jobs out there, I'd rather work on Ag equipment than a pickup where the engine is shoehorned in.

I ended up landing a job at a state Ag research station and am glad I did. They even gave me the impressive title of Physical Plant Manager! To me it's not much different than being a jack of all trades farmer except it's easier because I don't have to worry about product prices, the only product is data.
Spend about half my time wrenching and fabing up one of a kind implements, the rest farming, working with researchers and basically keeping everything running. One day I might be repairing a lab centrifuge or electron microscope, the next replacing a toilet or a clutch on a combine , lots of variability makes it fun. A lot of it is learn as you go.
You might check out the ARS and state university research stations to see what's open. They are always looking for people with ag mechanical backgrounds. That's the up and coming in Ag, replacing human labor with machines and it's all coming from research.

 

I've been working at a Deere dealership for a little over three years now. We don’t work for flat rate, and don’t make as much as if I went to work for Michigan Cat or Michigan Cummins. We still get pressure to be efficient, and get rewarded for it with a very healthy bonus each year. What I like is that being that were not flat rate we tend to do all the "little things" and can take pride in a job well done.

 

i started out as a heavy equipment mechanic, moved to big trucks, then didnt want to mess with the heavy stuff anymore, so i went to small engines and have moved on from there, its great fixing and repairing things, just because you start out in one field does not mean you cannot move and learn the specifics of another, keep learning and building knowledge.

 

North Western in Ohio is a top flight school!!!! My youngest son went there and took their High performance course. Their ag program looked pretty good too. I have been a diesel truck mech for 30+ years. went to ferris in Mich for 1 1/2 years for heavy equip, landed a job at gm in engineering dyno labs then went self employed. Now I'm in southern New Mexico getting a small biz started again. It's been a good career to me. I hate the cold and snow and especially the ice. I slipped on some ice and tore up my rotator cuff and thought my career as a heavy truck mech was over, but I can't stand not doing anything and decided to do what I do best again. You can make a good career in diesel/truck/ag repair. There will always be a need for that type of service and make good money too. Good luck on your career choice. You will be your own limiting factor.

 

I've been a car and truck mechanic for 22+ years. I do enjoy it for the most part. I work for the municipality and the wages/benefits are good that way. I have the security of a decent job here but a smaller shop is a lot more hours, less pay and more demanding. Even trucks are getting more confined, more technical and less dependable.
We're finding the new electronics, body computers and ABS systems are not as dependable as they should be. The new systems aren't withstanding the elements of heavy equipment useage.
The weather, hard vibrations, wiring multiplexing are not allowing engine computer to perform at their best and truck systems haven't advanced in data retrievel like car computers have.
Cars are using a standard Diagnostic OBDII connectors and information. Trucks are not that simplified yet. There's still alot of technology to be learned and applied in the truck industry.
The basic system of diesel engines and transmissions have advance to all electronic controls.
Brake systems and monitoring systems have all gone electronic.

 

I worked as a heavy truck mechanic for more then 40 years and would never regret my choice of jobs

Its a tuff and dirty job but the satisfaction of knowing you fixed it was worth it

The work environment is important to job satisfaction....I worked for allot of #@% supervisors....and I worked for some great supervisors too....when I became a supervisor I would always let my mechanics know that their doing a good job and I always took time to listen to my mechanics

The mechanic trade is a broad range of jobs from aircraft to lawn mowers so a skill of being able to repair things will keep you working for a life time

 

I have been with Freightliner as a service tech now for 2 years (graduated from OSU-Tech). As others have said, the job can be very rewarding and money can be made. Like all jobs there is alot of stress and pressure. I think you will find that the work is alot easier than dealng with warranty claims through different engine manufacturers, that can get very stressful. You better make sure your paperwork is in order with these guys. The worst by far would be CAT, Cummins is a close second when dealing with warranty jobs.

 

And I thought they were getting soft with air conditioned cabs on a combine...

I put in many years at Ag mechanics before graduating from high school.
Got a mechanical engineering degree and that has been good for me. Currently I get my fix of wrenching with odd jobs.

My brother put many years as an ag and aircraft mechanic. He logged many years before the market got too competitive. Now he does excavation, general construction, and septic installation. He says this is the best of everything he has done over the years.