# Do ALL of your tools travel?



## LEVELBEST (Dec 28, 2006)

Question. I was just curious about this so I thought I would ask. Do you keep all of your equipment in your trailer/truck? Obviously I am excluding ladders and scaffolding from that, but I mean tools. 

I do a lot of commercial trim work, and I really never know what I may need on a given day. You all know that when you throw an architect and engineer into things they can come up with all sorts of things, as well as attaching to all sorts of things. Anyways, I recently redid the shelves and stuff in my trailer and there were just some things that I wanted to leave out of it and keep in the garage......but I know as soon as I do that I will be on a job and have to say "damn it, I do have what I need, but I don't have it HERE. lol.

So I just walked thru my garage and saw one of those items that is riding the fence.........my ramset fastener.........and I thought I would ask.

Do you keep all of your tools in one place, like your truck and trailer? Or do you try to make sure you load everything you _might_ need for a given day?


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## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Usually everything I own ends up on the job, one piece at a time out of the shop. Amazing what you can drag out for a simple job.


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## LEVELBEST (Dec 28, 2006)

Well that is what I think too. I mean, I have been on a residential job that was mine, a bathroom remodel, and the tile guys were there and their wet saw broke. They were going to have to leave, which would have screwed me up, so I said "I have one in my trailer.........errrr.......no I don't........it's at the shop" lol. 

Also, went out just yesterday to do a "simple" crown job for someone else in a bathroom remodel. "it's just four walls, four corners, that's it" the guy said. I came real close to just throwing a miter saw, coping saw, and nailer in the truck and going............but decided to go ahead and pull the trailer. When I got there, he said "we already had the shower walls tiled up, but I measured and told the guy where to stop so you still have just enough room for the crown" :w00t::w00t::w00t: 

I knew I was in trouble before I walked in. Needless to say, they came up about 1-1/2 inches short of the crown........so I have to improvise and make a second piece of trim to put up first then layer the crown on top. Never could have done that if I hadn't had the trailer.


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## trashout dude (May 13, 2010)

As much as possibile. No matter how much I try to pack up, I still end up making trips to HD for small stuff I forgot. I am terrible about that.


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## Winchester (Jun 29, 2008)

yup there will always be something you didn't think of. doesn't matter


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## pinwheel (Dec 7, 2009)

Yes & no. My woodworking shop, stays at the shop, but my jobsite tools, stay in the trailer. I have lots of duplicate tools so I'm not constantly unloading tools from the trailer to work in the shop. At least 2 of each, skillsaws, jigsaws, most hand tools, tablesaws, sliding miter saws, air compressors, nail guns, ect, ect. Dedicated flooring tools never leave the trailer. It absolutely infuriates me to have to pull off the job to go get something, cause most times, it's bid work & I'm loosing money if I'm on the road for tools or materials I forgot.


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## dave_dj1 (Mar 16, 2010)

being a small contractor and working rural areas I keep almost everything in the trailer except the compressor and roofing tools. The roofing tools only get added in when we are doing a roof. It's amazing how many small tools you need on a daily basis.


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## buildenterprise (Dec 4, 2007)

Everything travels with me at all times, except my electric concrete mixer, gas auger and gas concrete saw. We do basically everything and we're often on job sites with other trades as well. Everyone knows who to see if they need a tool or fastener of some sort. Nothing makes me madder than needing a tool that's home in the garage.


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## WarnerConstInc. (Jan 30, 2008)

I have a portable shop.


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## mickey69125 (Dec 8, 2007)

All my small tools stay in the trailer. Might only need 20% of them on any one job, but just never know for sure which 20%. Plus I often work 20 miles away from my shop. I don't want to drive 40 miles for something I didn't think of before I left home.


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## tbronson (Feb 22, 2010)

From painful experience *ALL* my tools would go with me when I was going out. But I didn't have that big a kit to hall around.


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## displacedtexan (Nov 24, 2009)

I take everything to every job. Except the extension ladder.

Only exception is if I'm going to do hardware or something like that on a kitchen that I KNOW everything else is done. Because I finished it and went over the punch list with the HO and designer/GC. Even then I'll still usually take the trailer.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

i carry 2 tool belts, hoses, power chords, and hand levels, circ saw, jig saw, my impact driver and cordless hammer drill, a 5 ' ladder along with 2 tool bags all the time. when i go into trim mode my mitre saw, table saw, router and compressor plus all 4 finish guns. other tools get sometimes go on the truck as needed


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

I couldn't even consider hauling everything at one time, to the same location. I have a Knack box on site that holds everthing I use from day to day. Certain tools stay in the truck box just in case and the rest are in storage.

There is no way I'm going to need everything I own on the same day, or week for that matter. There is no sense in hauling all that around because of an off chance I may need it.


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## TBFGhost (Oct 9, 2008)

Hell no...my basic tools go everywhere....see photos for what I normally have...
Things have changed a little bit...I don't do much commerical work anymore so I pulled a few items I kept in there for that reason and swapped it out with other things.

http://www.contractortalk.com/f41/post-photo-your-truck-sits-68208/

I can say I have forgotten things...but there really is more then 1 way to skin a cat....

I always see the guys with the HUGE trailers and wonder to myself....why do you need to have a post hole digger when doing trim work? Is a tile saw needed when framing? Why do they have Tyvec when they are doing drywall? Why do they have all their wood working tools when they are framing with metal?


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## csv (Aug 18, 2009)

Everything in my trailer stays in. They are tools and supplys I use on a regular basis. Most things in my shop are special purpose tools that I know when I will need them, trailer stuff could be used on any given day.


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## SAH (May 6, 2010)

I lost count of how many caulking guns I have which I always seem to forget.

I have my gear set up for specific task... Box for electrical, box for plumbing, box for drywall, box for painting, box for tiling, then there are my power tools. All have their own box or bag. Most of it travels with me and I just pull out what I need on site. Guys that work with me call me anal about my tools. Everything has its place and if its not there because someone borrowed it or forgot to put it back, I blow a gasket. 

Larger tools like table saws, augers only come when I know Im gonna need them. If I know Im not painting or tiling, these boxes stay stacked in the garage.


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## katoman (Apr 26, 2009)

csv said:


> Everything in my trailer stays in. They are tools and supplys I use on a regular basis. Most things in my shop are special purpose tools that I know when I will need them, trailer stuff could be used on any given day.


Ditto that.


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## chris klee (Feb 5, 2008)

i have a tool box that carries my everyday tools. i dont always know what i will be doing on a given day, so i have to be as prepared as i can.
what i carry every day:
circ saw, 18v cordless drill, tool box with elec testers, wire nuts, wrenches, other misc stuff, bosh pocket drill, 18ga, 16ga, 23ga finish guns, jig saw, 3 divider boxes. one has deck screws and tapcons of different sizes, one has drywall, cabinet, and finish screws, and the new box has hand nails, bolts, concrete anchor bolts, tico nails, ect. on top of that i have my 4' level, 2' level, sawsall, 50', 25' cords, 25' compressor hose, and framing and finish hammers. on the other side my tool belt gets squezed on top of the circ saw and drill. the coping saws sit in between the cases where there is room. on the side pockets of the tool box i have drill bits, mason bits, paddle bits, screw tips in the cases, and an extra 18v slim battery. pass side has 16ga and 18ga stainless gun nails, stapes for staple gun, staple gun and slap stapler, and my hole saws along with my door handle drilling jig.

in the bed at the tail gate i have a tractor supply drawer box. it has 3 shallow drawers and 3 deep drawers. in the drawers i keep 3 clamps for doing cabinets, loose drill bits, chisels, screw drivers, railing wrench, scribes, plumb bob, cabinet knob templates, and other stuff like that. between the box and bedside i keep random tubes of caulk and glue. a couple bungies and a cable lock also. the caulk gun i keep inside under the back seat to keep the rust off it. used to keep it with the caulk, but the rust was no good.

my superduty has the back seat where the drivers side folds up seperatly just behind the drivers font seat. that is enough room for my pancake compressor to fit, so most days that rides with me unless i leave it on the job somewhere.

i may have to take some pics, cause listed out thats a lot of stuff shoved into a couple small spaces. 
i want a top so i can carry bigger stuff with out worrying about rain and theft.


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## john5mt (Jan 21, 2007)

I try to have everything with me at all times. From framing saws down to painting tools. You never know what you'll run into.


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## BuildersII (Dec 20, 2009)

Most of our jobs are either full remodels, or a handyman odd-job repair. Either way, before we had our trailer (which has about 90% of what we own toolwise in it) I could remember painful journeys back to my garage in the middle of the day. I'd have to pick up either a tool I'd forgotten, or I'd run into something hidden and need something else. Also loading / unloading at the end of the day always took half an hour on the average job, as even the smallest repairs can end up using 20+ tools and materials.

I may only get about 12 mpg, but it's been worth it, no doubt about it.


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## PrestigeR&D (Jan 6, 2010)

*uuummm,,,,,*

NO! Maybe I can stick a hemi under her, throw a limited slip posi rear end on and ride her to work:laughing::laughing::laughing::laughing:, seriously though, no I do not take everything with me, Just what is needed.:thumbsup:
Brian


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## Ten Fingers (Nov 5, 2006)

I keep all the main tools with me, and also a ridiculous assortment of fasteners.


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## Leo G (May 12, 2005)

I bring just about everything I would use to an install. You'd be surprised at what you need. 

I was doing a hutch install. Should have been a plop and drop. But I knew I had to drill a few holes for different wiring between office machines. The guy giving me a hand saw me putting everything in my tote all cart and was asking me why the heck O was bringing this or that. I looked at him and told him the place is 40 minutes away and I don't want to have to come back because I couldn't do something.

The tools I used that I wouldn't have suspected was the dremel and the belt sander. If I had left them at home it would have made the job difficult to do. Over the years I have learned. If you own it, bring it. That's why you bought it.

Obviously there are exceptions.


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## Hockeycoach (Oct 31, 2009)

Unless I know exactly what tools I'm going to need, I just drop the trailer on. Most tools are in the trailer. I can go to job and not have to worry about leaving something at the shop.


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## Jason Whipple (Dec 22, 2007)

When the tools start to build up on the job, I bring out this bad boy...


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## jbiking (Mar 13, 2010)

I have a e350 and a dual axel 6x12 trailer. Carry everything all the time plus a lot of misc. crap. Have never had to leave a job.


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