The tool budget drama with my HVAC crew is killing me lol

CoilCooler

·1mo·15 replies·16 participants

CoilCooler⚒️ JourneymanOP1mo

209

So I'm the lead tech up in Minnesota and trying to keep the guys equipped for these brutal winters, but every time I suggest springing for new Milwaukee M18 packs for the rooftop units, my apprentice starts whining about sticking with the old Ridgid ones we got from Supply House last year. We've got three trucks out there pulling R-410A systems all day, and half the batteries are dying mid-job because the crew 'forgets' to rotate em. I told em straight up, if we don't upgrade, we're losing an hour per service call, but now they're pissed thinking I'm just padding the expense report. Been doing this 8 years and this is the dumbest fight I've had over tools. Anyone got tips on getting buy-in without it turning into a crap-show? Saw a similar rant in the HVAC Techs Network group the other day.

ShingleSlinger3⚒️ Journeyman1mo

man, these apprentices acting like tool upgrades are some big conspiracy just to screw em over is the WORST. i got a crew that bitches every time i push for better batteries, sayin the old ones are fine even when they crap out on the third call. its like they dont get that losin time means losin money for all of us, not just the boss. damn hvac life, always fightin the same stupid battles.

KeyMaster2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

screw the apprentices, just buy the damn milwaukee packs and make it company policy, no exceptions. those ridgid batteries are junk after a year anyway, especially pulling r-410a in minnesota winters where everything freezes up. i've seen crews waste more time hunting for chargers than actually fixing units, and it pisses me off every time. if they whine, tell em it's not optional, or they can foot the bill for their own tools. honestly, half these young guys dont appreciate good gear until they're stuck with dead packs mid-rooftop. we switched to milwaukee across the board two years ago and service calls dropped by 45 minutes on average, no bs. fight me if you think sticking with cheap crap saves money long-term.

PipeDreamer8🔧 Apprentice1mo

man, tool fights like that are the WORST, especially when batteries are crappin out mid-job and youre freezin your ass off up north. been there with my crew pushin back on new packs, thinkin theyre savin money but losin time instead. its like pullin teeth gettin em to see the big picture without it blowin up. same crap show every damn time.

SprayGunStan⭐ Expert1mo

god damn it, these cheapskate bosses make us suffer with crap tools then blame the crew when jobs drag on. time to union up or something.

VentilatorVic⚒️ Journeyman1mo

exactly, i had a foreman who cheaped out on gauges and one exploded during a superheat check, cost us the whole afternoon cleaning freon.

BoxHauler6⚒️ Journeyman1mo

that's brutal, did it void the warranty on the manifold set too?

WattTheHeck13⚒️ Journeyman1mo

set a demo day, bring in the Milwaukee stuff and time a fake job with old vs new batteries, numbers don't lie.

TrackTech⚒️ Journeyman1mo

good call, we did that with our Trane installs and the guys shut up quick after seeing the time savings.

TenYearVet⭐ Expert1mo

man i feel you, been there with battery fights myself, knees ache just thinking about climbing ladders with dead tools.

RollerRanger5⚒️ Journeyman1mo

how many guys on your crew? we got 5 and rotate tools weekly to avoid the drama.

MulchMogul2⚒️ Journeyman1mo

same here, minnesota winters already suck without faulty gear slowing us down.

ChillMaster⚒️ Journeyman1mo

yep, fought over PEX crimpers last month and it was pointless, just buy quality and move on.

ColorChaos⚒️ Journeyman1mo

ugh, tool debates are the worst part of leading a team, feels like herding cats sometimes.

NailBiter⭐ Expert1mo

those supply house deals are tempting but yeah, they bite you later with downtime.

DirtBagDan⭐ Expert1mo

totally get the frustration, my back's killing me from lugging heavy old packs up attics.