Sick of being a motor mechanic :(

Brian Scan

J Mysterio wrote: »

I just watched that show Car SOS or whatever it's called and was thinking how romantic :pac: Your man Pete Townshend is a cool guy.

Who?

khaldrogo

Cosmo K wrote:

Nahhh....average take-home pay for a vehicle inspector is around 550 a week.

Still a good wage for a handy(but mind numbingly boring) job

kona

dieselbug wrote: »

That would be a full time permanent tech and would be a 24/7 shift rota.

Sounds like a good move. I dont think spannering is sustainable in the long term, once you get to 40s you want to be getting out of that game!

dieselbug

kona wrote: »

Sounds like a good move. I dont think spannering is sustainable in the long term, once you get to 40s you want to be getting out of that game!

There's plenty of poorly paid jobs in that game too and plenty of one's that have back breaking work and some filthy one's.
But modern industry is full of cutting edge technology just as in today's vehicles. Anyone interested in technology such as robotics and process technology and can get in to that game will do well.

dar_cool

I feel your pain. Im not a mechanic but love working on my own cars and family cars. Have my own big shed with 2 post lift and shed full of tools. But the thoughts of working like you said in the cold and on piles of ****e depresses me. I have a cushy number in a pharma plant and it pays nearly 60k a year. Have you thought about reskilling ? You can get free courses in certain pharma courses which would get your foot in the door.

gibbon75

bucketybuck wrote: »

They must not be in Dublin then, our worst paid mechanics would be on that sort of money.

Cork,major player with 5 agencies.
After 11 years there I packed it up in January (I was in parts,3 of us for 5 agencies,you can imagine...).After 11 years still nowhere near the 30k a year.
I'm an MRO buyer now...
The funny thing is they were ready to match my new offer when I handed in the notice...

decky1

try Plastering, has to be the worst job ,always in wet cold conditions, since the Tiger died no money in it at all. Stay on the Spanners , have a look for another garage.

Big Nasty

Thing about mechanics and truck drivers is very few went in to the business the last few years and there's now a shortage of both. Truck drivers wages are beginning to improve and a good mechanic can command a pretty decent wage now.

iamtony

decky1 wrote: »

try Plastering, has to be the worst job ,always in wet cold conditions, since the Tiger died no money in it at all. Stay on the Spanners , have a look for another garage.

The grass is always greener innit. I drive a Taxi and though of becoming a mechanic at one stage and starting my own garage because I like that kind of thing. I think when your doing the same thing for over 10 years regardless if what it is it becomes boring.

Cosmo K

khaldrogo wrote: »

handy(but mind numbingly boring) job

This!

Not to mention the audits.

terrydel

I always think any trade in this country working in a cold factory thru our never ending winter must be tough.

jones 19

JC01 wrote: »

I'd hazard a guess you've never worked the job? Not having a go at you but in my experience the cold is one of the worst aspects of the job in winter time. You can't move around as much as a bricky etc and your hands are constantly covered in oil/coolant/ps fluid or just general muck and crap from under the vehicle. Plus for most jobs you need your bare hands to get at fiddly unseen bolts/clips etc.

Then there's the breakdowns on the side of the m50 at 8pm in the middle of January.....

I'm over 20 years at it, the last 7 for myself, the cold is no problem. Buy yourself some decent clothes, like I said Tiger grip gloves, I always wear them. As for breakdowns, I don't have to do them. I work 9.30 to 5ish, no Saturdays either , working for someone else maybe you have to do breakdowns .toe it to my garage or bring it somewhere else. I've weeded out the shiit heads who are slow to pay, most I've only ever been stung for 130 euro, and I don't answer numbers I don't know . decent accountant is key also.

Is it illegal to do breakdowns on a motorway?

Ubbquittious

jones 19 wrote: »

I'm over 20 years at it, the last 7 for myself, the cold is no problem. Buy yourself some decent clothes, like I said Tiger grip gloves, I always wear them. As for breakdowns, I don't have to do them. I work 9.30 to 5ish, no Saturdays either , working for someone else maybe you have to do breakdowns .toe it to my garage or bring it somewhere else. I've weeded out the shiit heads who are slow to pay, most I've only ever been stung for 130 euro, and I don't answer numbers I don't know . decent accountant is key also.

Is it illegal to do breakdowns on a motorway?

Was there a lot of those heads? Did they give much resistance to being weeded out?

jones 19

Not too many to be fair. Most people are on the ball. Also if someone brings their own parts I add a corking fee so to speak. I also have a spin FM. Tax in operation too.

Rob Golden

I see technicians are disgruntled overseas as well. I've been in the business over 30 years first at a Chevrolet Dealer now a Ford dealer. You can make money if you hustle on flat rate. I started out sweeping the floor as a teen and working on my own cars. It's hard to find younger ones who want to fix cars. Start about $10US an hour changing oil and train as you work. Senior Masters average 30-50US an hour(flat rate) depending location. That's why we move to a different dealer to get a raise. I specialize in automatic transmissions and drive train which is in demand here in the US. We have went from nice big sedans to match box cars here. Sad the crap we have to deal with.

Big Nasty

I see a new Mechanics Association on fb.

Quare amount of bickering on it!

galwaytt

Regarding the cold etc: there's no excuse for it. Half the reason is people build - literally - cattle sheds and call them garages. If you've a **** building, it will be **** to work in, period.

How do you think they manage in cold climes ?

My current garage is insulated, airtight, tiled, UFH, and you could sleep in it. Park a warm car in it and it'll still be warm hours from now. Very easy to work there.

I've built (for that's what I do now...), NZEB houses and done a few garages as well. The types of garage you'd rush out just to be in.

It's not rocket science. People just don't invest in them. And nobody wants to be in them as a result.

bucketybuck

galwaytt wrote: »

It's not rocket science. People just don't invest in them. And nobody wants to be in them as a result.

Respectfully, I have been in brand spanking new, purpose built from the ground up manufacturer backed main dealer workshops.

Airtight my arse, when you have multiple 15/20ft roller shutter doors opening and closing then you are losing that heat whether you like it or not.

Yes, many, many garages are shitholes, but heating workshops is an issue even in the good ones.

kirving

As much as I love working on my own car, I've yet to be in a garage that I thought would be a nice place to work. The physical conditions in most places really make them terrible places to have to spend 8+ hours a day.

Minister Boyce

Always new I had a good mechnic - I trust his advice, have winced at some of his bills and tried to do the maths in my own head but I never question him - I've stood in his garage too :eek: f f fuppin freezing. One thing I will do after reading this thread... I will pay him a little more promptly!!

Voodoomelon

I find the whole credit thing a bit odd, it's been mentioned a few times, what mechanic would allow a repaired/serviced car to go out the door unpaid for? I suppose you'll always have customers in all walks of business who you'd extent a bit of gratitude to, but even if I knew a mechanic like my own brother, i'd pay the man on the spot before driving off. Leaving a trade unpaid after doing solid work, even for a few days is extremely bad form. Don't leave your car in for work if you can't afford the agreed price before hand.

JohnBoy26

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I find the whole credit thing a bit odd, it's been mentioned a few times, what mechanic would allow a repaired/serviced car to go out the door unpaid for? I suppose you'll always have customers in all walks of business who you'd extent a bit of gratitude to, but even if I knew a mechanic like my own brother, i'd pay the man on the spot before driving off. Leaving a trade unpaid after doing solid work, even for a few days is extremely bad form. Don't leave your car in for work if you can't afford the agreed price before hand.

I think it's done more in smaller local garages. In fairness if you are in a small community and know the person well and know they are good at paying there is no problem.

the types that are known to take the p!ss and are slow at paying don't get much attention from any mechanics I know.

The recession must be over..... building airtight garages & reckoning that's a possible solution to many mechanics disliking the job :pac:

JC01

Voodoomelon wrote: »

I find the whole credit thing a bit odd, it's been mentioned a few times, what mechanic would allow a repaired/serviced car to go out the door unpaid for? I suppose you'll always have customers in all walks of business who you'd extent a bit of gratitude to, but even if I knew a mechanic like my own brother, i'd pay the man on the spot before driving off. Leaving a trade unpaid after doing solid work, even for a few days is extremely bad form. Don't leave your car in for work if you can't afford the agreed price before hand.

Biiiig problem with working vehicles. Vans/trucks in particular, say you get a courier van in, MB sprinter to use an example Iv seen a few times. Has coolant/temp issues. Owner is thinking it'll need a thermostat at a hundred quid fitted. You start diagnosing and quickly cop water mixed into the oil. Ring the owner telling him it's a head gasket best case scenario, maybe 700-1k all in. He says go for it as he needs the van back ASAP to get back making money. So you start stripping away and find the injectors are in bits, chain needs new tensioners, oil cooler is bust etc etc and suddenly the 1k job is a 3k job, and that's so long as the engine itself is good.

So you talk to the customer, fix the van and the total bill is 2200. He hasn't the cash to pay you and can't make more cash unless you give him the van back, meanwhile you owe your motor factors for the parts and you've rates/insurance/whatever else to pay at the end of the month.

See how quickly cash flow becomes a huge problem for a mechanic? Now multiply that by 5 jobs a week and you see where the question of credit begins to become a real headache. Obviously here Iv used a few real life experiences mixed into one example but you get the jist.

galwaytt

bucketybuck wrote: »

Respectfully, I have been in brand spanking new, purpose built from the ground up manufacturer backed main dealer workshops.

Airtight my arse, when you have multiple 15/20ft roller shutter doors opening and closing then you are losing that heat whether you like it or not.

Yes, many, many garages are shitholes, but heating workshops is an issue even in the good ones.

You're doing it wrong: pumping heat into a 'shed" is a waste of time. It'll leave as fast - or faster - than you can put it into it

I've been in a span new main dealer one lately. I don't care how many millions you spend: it was still a shed.

Mine is airtight, because it's built to the standard of a house. If you think a roller door interferes with an "airtight' build, then you need to read up. That's not what it means.

Part L of the Building Regs will enlighten you, available online.

Del2005

galwaytt wrote: »

You're doing it wrong: pumping heat into a 'shed" is a waste of time. It'll leave as fast - or faster - than you can put it into it

I've been in a span new main dealer one lately. I don't care how many millions you spend: it was still a shed.

Mine is airtight, because it's built to the standard of a house. If you think a roller door interferes with an "airtight' build, then you need to read up. That's not what it means.

Part L of the Building Regs will enlighten you, available online.

The roller door let's the heat out when you open it. Add in multiple doors being opened several times an hour and the heat won't last no matter how sealed you have it when the rollers are down.

Ultimate Seduction

JC01 wrote: »

I packed it in a while back, did a course or two in the evenings and working in pharma now earning twice as much as I did and the work is half the hardship at its worst. I've also gotten my passion back for tinkering with my own cars which I had grown to hate while I was on the spanners. Plus I actually enjoy going to work which has improved every single aspect of my own life.

Without a doubt the best decision I ever made, there's lots of opportunity out there if you use your head. In some unrelated industries mechanics are well respected and easily converted as they have fundamental skills that can be very difficult to teach to lads fresh out of college with masters etc.

Spot on there, big money to be made in big pharmaceuticals for mechanics, electricians and to a lesser extent, plumbers.

zweton

What course did you do in the evenings?

Bmw123d

bucketybuck wrote: »

Many of ours would be getting more than that, those that are worth it anyway. And thats even aside from any overtime. I also know a few fleet companies offering close to €25 p/h for their own in-house workshops.

Like I say, its a nightmare getting good mechanics right now, show me a good one and I'll give him €750 p/w right now.

I will take you up on that offer. There are plenty of bluffers out there

Jim79

What is the problem with people bringing their own parts? Assuming they brought the right ones is it not saving you the hassle of getting the new parts?

jones 19 wrote: »

if someone brings their own parts I add a corking fee so to speak.