I make my living servicing and repairing commercial HVAC and refrigeration systems. Been doing it professionally for going on 18 years now. I've seen both sides of the fence when it comes to tools of the trade. Most companies will not provide the basic tools as most have been burned too many times by the turd drunk tech who constantly looses them or sells them for the latest fix. More often than not, the companies expect the tech to provide those basic tools.

I understand that and accept it.

Because I choose to provide a professional service (as my work is my autograph), I purchase ALL of my tools. With that I can have the correct tool for the job at hand and as a result, be most confident in my work.

The mess is VERY expensive! I've currently around $8k to $10k in my mess alone, all hard fought for.



Anyhoot . .. .

I go to a local bar yesterday to repair the main reach-in beer cooler. The owner and employees are good people. I get there about 2:00pm and find the system has a stopped-up capillary tube (meters the refrigerant). It's a major pain in the butt to replace this one due to it's routing through the cabinet. OK, fine.
I finally finish the repair successfully around 6:30pm. Toward the end of the repairs, the owner asks that I show him a few things about his ice machine. With the completion of the repairs, I put away all my tools less my main Tool Bag.
I go with the owner to the ice machine, and answer his questions. He's tickled and sets me up with a dinner plate to go.

Kewl.


I'm driving home for about 45 minutes, and get a call from the owner saying I left my bag of tools next to the ice machine. No big whoop, I'll be working in the neighborhood today anyway and can just stop by and pick them up. They say fine and hold the tool bag in the kitchen.




So I get there this morning, to find . . .. no one can find my tools!

Frantic calls to the employees of the night before end with the same story. The tools are there on the floor of the kitchen at the bag-in-a-box rack (fountain syrup).



Nope.


Fast forwarding, they ran a fella out of the kitchen toward closing time. He didn't work there (we know who he is and where he lives). At the time, no one noticed the tools being there or not.


The bottom line is I'm SOL and out a little over $1000 in tools. 14v screw-gun, Amprobe digital phycrometer, Fluke digital VOM (HVAC&R specialized), infrared thermometer, etc. It's my main bag of tools used in 80% of my work.


I've got to crap $1000 NOW to replace those tools immediately so as to be able to perform my job.



I can't put into words what I'm feeling right now.

 

You don't need to put into words how your feeling. I know how your feeling. Most people do that have had anything stolen. I forgot to lock the toolbox on my truck and someone stole a hydraulic jack right out of there. Broad daylight, Walmart parking lot. Believe me if I ever catch anyone stealing anything I'll be putting "boot to butt".

 

Sorry to hear man. It's happening everywhere. Not that my tailgate is work 1K but the other day I was at home depot and came outside and my tailgate was down with 1 of the sides taken off. Some one must have spooked them. I was inside maybe 10 minutes.

Sorry to hear.

 

That stinks big time, I know what you're going through, I got ripped for all my tools twice during four years in LA (I'm an electrician by trade) hope ya catch him and put him in jail

 

Check out search ebay in your area for the tools you are missing. I caught a kid who stole a couple servers from my work this way.

You might also pay the guy you suspect a visit and just see if anything obvious is laying around.

 

I suspect a lot of us here have experienced something similar, and it just plain sux.

About a month ago, I had my 2000lb firewood saw table stolen right from my woodlot here at the farm. I'm sure it was taken for the scrap value, but still, it was taken right out from under my nose!

Take a coupla friends with you and pay that guy a visit.

chaikwa.

 

Also check your local craigslist.com.

ONLY good part would be that tools are tax deductable.

 

Don't forget to check out the local pawn shops for your stuff also. When you search Ebay, make sure you know the Ebay account of your local pawn shops, many are now fencing the stuff they figure to be hot over Ebay.....

Perhaps we should form a little DTR caravan to let this schmuck know it aint cool to steal a mans livelihood.

 

Nothing like that kicked in the guts feeling. Dirty rats.
TOMMY

 

My uncle does almost the same thing as you BC but does residential. He went to a small office building that had a air unit that he had just took out. Was gone for 20 minutes. Came out to find his 01 GMC 3500 Van with HUGE locks on them, gutted. Lost nearly $15 grand in tools and other stuff, not to mention the locks and new doors for the van They busted the hinges off the van and left the doors in pieces.

Thieves are some of the worst. They dont care about you or your property but will do anything to make a quick buck.

Jon