When a mechanic loses a Tool its a big thing. Please don't take them from us.

[@AmandaHugenkiss2915]

Decades ago the tech left their thermometer in my vent when they recharged my AC. I love my thermometer, it's so handy.

[@goodcitizen]

I left a flashlight inside a customers door. 2 years later after the window regulator failed again I found it. I have found many magnetic flashlights underneath vehicles.

[@StrongerThanBigfoot]

I'm famous for leaving my magnetic lights under vehicles lol

[@JamesSmith-xs7sr]

Lucked out once, left a 1/4" snap on ratchet in the engine bay on a 2,000 era Ram 3500 diesel. Customer brought it back 3 months later! I def remembered him. (Hooked him up nicely)

[@ghostwrench2292]

I left a Snap On 3/8” air ratchet, an extension and a socket in a customer car early in my career. Lost forever. Since then, I NEVER leave my tools in customer car.

[@jcm78]

I’m a diesel mechanic working on class 8 trucks. I’ve left tools in trucks that traveled halfway across the country for weeks and were returned by the driver. We also have a large scrapyard and I have found numerous tools that were lost by others. The top of the transmission is a good collecting spot for tools in big rigs. Last month I found a 1 3/16” snap on wrench. For the first 10 years of my career I worked in automotive shops and not once was a lost tool ever returned.

[@qzbumblebee]

As a detailer in a dealership that occasionally borrows tools from mechanics I take bringing them back very seriously, as soon as I am done with the tool I stop what I am doing and go give it back. Worked with many people who have lost or forgotten about the tool they borrowed and it just creates a horrible environment for everyone.

[@Born_Stellar]

whats wild is I would do that, but some people borrow stuff and then act weird when you ask for it back.

[@ToddMcDonald-zh4ym]

The dealership I use has a large sign stating " not responsible for items left in the vehicle." Why should customers care about forgotten tools? I'm just saying.

[@fetusness]

The fact you don’t work on your car and take it to a dealer pretty much sums up your nonchalant attitude. Mechanics spend thousands of dollars on tools, of their own money. If you’re a doctor do you buy your own medical equipment? It’s one of the only industries where you are expected to buy your own tool set. The dealership has that sign cuz they care about money and are likely questionably ethical. The mechanics are the ones doing the work, keeping your car safe and going down the road. Maybe show a little gratitude? Or empathy? Tools are expensive

[@Born_Stellar]

it only takes a little effort to be a good person, but it takes 0 to be an A-hole so I can see why a lot of people take that route.

[@isaiah7617]

Losing a tool will teach you to keep up with your tools and organize your workspace. If you cannot take inventory of the items in your possession you don't have the right mindset. If it happens that often, you should reconsider how you do things.

[@Born_Stellar]

I worked on aircraft, we have to have an inventory of all our tools going in and going out of the plane. stuff still sometimes gets lost. it happens. I found pliers behind lavatories and screwdrivers on top of overhead bins. I never left anything on an aircraft but I have left tools at the junkyard for sure.

[@fastinradfordable]

Too bad our inventory is too large to manage 110%

[@Gr8thxAlot]

The craziest thing I saw was a pressure bleeder left on a brake reservoir and the customer was having serious braking problems. In that case, the customer gets to keep it and it's not being returned.

[@parker7953]

I was actually using the brake fluid machine after my co-worker used it and noticed the pressure cap missing and a normal reservoir cap on the machine instead. I let him know and his jaw dropped. So he ran out just before the car left, opened the hood, and swapped the pressure cap for the normal reservoir cap. Non-flat rate mind vs. flat-rate mind. 🙄

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

The only time I have ever let anyone else change my tires was when I busted a pair of ribs in a mountain bike crash and literally couldn't stoop to move my jack let alone lift a tire. Got a local shop to put my winters on for me, few months go by. Ribs have healed up and I go under my car to change the oil. Found a magnetic lamp tucked away under my frame. No clue why they put it in such a hard to reach spot but there it was, still in working order too! Took it back to the shop, kid came out and thanked me personally for bringing me back. Had no idea it was such a big deal, but I guess if customers blowing up is as common as you made it sound I can see why he was so relieved!

[@patricksquires77]

When people find an auto tool in the road they think it fell out of work truck. Nope… it likely fell out somewhere under the hood 😢

[@Born_Stellar]

I lost a lug nut on the highway so i went looking, and I thought I found it but it was a 17mm socket. 🤣

[@Justiceincorporated.]

We understand your tools are important. Check out the vehicle before giving it back. Don’t try to push off your job on your customers.

[@Lancemechanics]

@@Justiceincorporated. doesn't work like that in a perfect world. Like you've never forgotten important things before?

[@PD722]

I'm sorry Mr. Perfect

[@Justiceincorporated.]

@ sure I forget. Last step should be. Do I have all my stuff

[@aidanltd5408]

Right cus when you pushed by the customer the manager and the service advisor to get it done and you are stressed about it you are never gonna forget something. You have no idea how stressful being a mechanic actually is.

[@Born_Stellar]

its like when you misplace your keys or phone, but then they drive away forever.

[@alanhall3297]

I hated it when other mechanics would borrow a tool and not return it until their job was done. If you borrow same tool twice, you need to buy that tool.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

@@alanhall3297 they used to borrow my torx security bits and bring them back twisted.

[@mr.nobody68]

I don't remember how I managed it, but I did an LOF on a Chevy EcoTech. Left my favorite Snap-On ratchet, I think it was a 6 inch extention, U-joint, and the specialty socket on the cowl. By the time I figured it out, the service advisor just handed me the phone and said it's dialing Uh yeah hi I just worked on your car a while ago, and I accidentally left my tools under the hood. They cost me a few hundred bucks and I was just wondering if you might still be close by? 90 minute drive and she had already made it home again. 😬 She was cool about it though. I tried to give her two $20 bills for her trouble and she said no. Ended up requesting me by name to do everything on her car. I learned. Always put away all tools before pulling the vehicle out, and make a mental note to check your drawers for missing tools

[@maxscott3349]

When I did the water pump in my dad's old truck I found a whole ratchet, extension and 10mm as well as another loose 10mm just sitting in the engine bay. Had been there for months at least

[@Born_Stellar]

so thats where all the 10mm sockets go lol

[@robertanderson1272]

Years ago i worked on a crew boat in gulf of mexico. when we had mechanics on board if they lost something in the bilges and i found it usually i would give it back next time they came out to do work.

[@dr.detroit1514]

I'm not a pro mechanic, I work on my own cars in the garage, and tools disappear now and then. Yep have found some of them later that I left in the car. One thing that keeps amazing me is how many tools it seems like it takes to do anything on a vehicle. Most of my tools are 80's and 90's Craftsman, they've done a good job for my use. Fortunate to get some hand-me-downs from my brother, who was a mechanic. That garage you have there looks very well insulated, could probably heat it sufficiently with a candle.

[@saskatchewan1913]

I gave up on Snap-On and Mac years ago, I'm more likely to lose a tool than break it. Most of my tools all come from Princess Auto, not always great quality but less of a hit when you lose something.

[@danielkearns3600]

In the 80's getting started i made 200.00 per week and spent 100.00 per week on tool truck for quality tools. There was sears but not many places to buy cheap tools like today for non everyday use tools. I did this for probably a decaded and now 40 years in i still have those same tools and 100's of thousands more and purchase now speciality tools and weigh in if i will be making enough in the future on this type job to break above even if not i send it away. I spent my entire life doing jobs to buy the tools to fix the customers vehicles and now rethink the entire situation in return on investment. I also remember dropping a 3/8 swivel in engine compartment that hangs out on cover and suspension and that $35 to $40 dollar socket sometimes is more than the simple job pays and we need to spend 30 minutes searching for that piece of gold

[@aaadamt964]

The owners son lost a matco socket and extension in a vehicle. They blamed me and treated me bad for days. I found them in the cowl of the vehicle at a different shop several years later. Ive had customers bring tools back. Typically a plastic trim tool.

[@SHDW-nf2ki]

Showed this video to one of my friends whose a pro mechanic in his words "I carry a stack of sticky notes and a pencil in my pocket. I write down every tool I take out for a job or that I lend to someone" Maybe that'll help some of you :)

[@ben10mama]

When I was younger at my first shop I lost the shop battery tester in a customers car. I looked it up and saw it was a 400 dollar tool and felt terrible. On another note I found a snap on 3/8 air rachet under the hood of a car however this was a used car sold to us with no history and while I felt bad for the guy who lost it I wasn't gonna try to chase it down, I feel like it's a hazard in the industry and if it's possible to get it back to the person I'll try but otherwise I keep it and recognize if another guy finds my tool under the hood and can't find out who lost it I expect them to keep it I still have it in my drawer, I got in the habit of double checking over all my work and checking where I put tools and even taking the time to put parts on the ground in a line next to the tool I used to take it off. It takes up a bit of space so I can't always do it but when I can it makes it a breeze to put it all back together

[@markm0000]

Why should you feel terrible? Honest mistakes happen all the time. The shop should feel bad for paying techs so little compared to how much they charge customers.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

What kind of bozo buys overpriced snap-on then leaves them behind?

[@Born_Stellar]

the kind that buys them in the first place? I lost a ratchet once, it was cheap tho so I just got a new one, and its still 15% the price of a snap on

[@steamy1225]

You think that's bad. I work on Corporate Jets. If we lose a tool all work stops and everybody starts looking for it until it's found . if not we have to fill out a lost tool form and turn it in to mgt. And that tool can bring down a plane if it jams in the wrong place. And yes we buy our own tools too.

[@mph5896]

I recently lost a Cyclops light. It's prob stuck under a car. $40 out. My brother used my backup socket set. I used it yesterday and 10mm socket is missing. Out $10.

[@crasher88]

i left a $100 surefire flash light o. the bed of a truck i was working on. don't remember what is was doing but left it on the bed rail and got called off to go do something. 5 minutes later the truck was gone with my flash light.

[@Aaron-or6ov]

After awhile I started double checking my tools before I drove the vehicle out. But I always had the habit of forgetting my expensive flash lights lol. And at that time, not sure now all lights were black. I wish they were brighter colors lol 😂.

[@Rom3_29]

Same here. I worked on city streetcars, and forgot my magnetic flashlight underneath. Founded week later still on. I wish they’d make brighter color flashlight cover. Worst is the camouflage. Drop that on the ground…

[@truthseeker2190]

With the crap pay in this trade, I’m considering selling all my Snap On stuff and replacing it with Powerfist stuff Why should mechanics dish out big bucks for quality stuff when it’s the shop owner who reaps 85% of the benefits? They will take on jobs that require specialized tools, like crank seal installers or diff seal installers not even realizing it takes a special tool to do the job Why should the mechanic have to buy specialized tools that are quite expensive and only use it once every 4 or 5 years?

[@user-xn7dw7zg5u]

What about the tools stolen from the customer and the worker pretends it was his.Everybody who works with tools knows which ones belong to the customer which ones are the workers and which one belong to the company.

[@stevenquigley4208]

Who in the world would make a big deal about it? All I have found is a terrible wooden handle screwdriver (more like a chisel now).

[@natelysy3114]

Customers be like " I paid enough, why shouldn't I keep it"

[@nvragn]

Ever since the rechargeable flashlights with magnetic baces I've went through several. I would use one up inside of the frame rail and then it dies and no more flashlights. I've had a flashlight go to Texas and back on top of a transmission. It happens. 👎🇨🇦🔧

[@lifequalsrootofallevil]

especially when it falls in engine bay then u spend time looking for it and end of the month u hav worst ERT time out of all techs in the shop....i hate this shit man. being a mechanic is like being a hooker. everyone like sex sure but no one likes to do it everyday all day with different people. same way i like working on vehicles sure but doing it everyday, all day, on different shitboxes it sucks. m on my 2nd yr of apprenticeship and ready to quit. but idk what else i can do to make a living.

[@Lancemechanics]

@lifequalsrootofallevil it's never to late to change. Look into heavy equipment or electrical. Factory maintenance. Hvac. It's a pay cut at first but man things get better quickly

[@JamesSmith-xs7sr]

The sooner you get out, the longer you will have pursuing something you enjoy!

[@lifequalsrootofallevil]

@@JamesSmith-xs7sr this is what i enjoy doing. i just cant cope with working for someone else. i own a piece of land and im saving up money to build a garage on it. hopefully i can get my ticket by then. after that fuck it, im working at home whenever i want and on whatever i want. if i want a day off, ill take it. thats what id enjoy

[@FluffyHawk13]

You left your tool in the vehicle after service? Guess you don't care about your tools, mine now! 😊

[@Born_Stellar]

well if you've never misplaced anything ever, then I guess you could say that.

[@FluffyHawk13]

@Born_Stellar well, when I took my engine apart, I labeled everything. When finished, I put all my tools back where I found them. If you are organized and clean you won't misplace items when working on a car. That's just me though, can't speak for others.

[@mjb4217]

​@@FluffyHawk13well when you have to stop working on one car to go touch another car and then another depending on who's waiting, who's not it's easy for it to happen. A lot of times techs are working on more than one car at a time and being rushed

[@Rom3_29]

I lost 1982 Mac tools ¹/₄ short ratchet in one my own cars. Just before I sold it. It was like loosing my favorite shoes. 40 years ago that ratchet was with sockets $200. After that, I’ve made habit keeping tools that I need for the job at one spot and not leaving them around the repair area. That way I know they’re not going get lost. Other thing keep my tool bag organizing, not just tossing them in after use.