jmbfestool
Member
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2009
- Messages
- 6,646
Dan1210 said:
You r into car hey lol
Jmb
New van
- Thread starter dwh87
- Start date
You r into car hey lol
Jmb
Well, I've got three, plus the wife. If we all go, we go in her car. The van is for work and well worth having for the write-off. No rear seats. I reckon when I've fully depreciated it, I'll swap the full bulkhead and security grilles into a new one and put a bench seat in the old one for the herd. Maybe a couple DVD screens, a playstation, a camper awning.........
The van is great for connecting with only one kid at a time. With three, sometimes somebody gets left out for a while. Riding in the work van is a special time. [big grin]
The van is great for connecting with only one kid at a time. With three, sometimes somebody gets left out for a while. Riding in the work van is a special time. [big grin]
[/quote]
I agree I dont see the need for massive vans unless your a builder or like you said a workshop joiner BUT you do need a Van cus I see sooo many site joiners who turn up in a car and have der chop saw on the back seat! If I was Forman I would be like dont bother getting out of your car go home lol! Cnt see any joiner being any good if they use a car unless they have der van in for repair or something.
[/quote]
Waaayyyyy back in the good ol' days, i found a job a mason's helper. the boss was one of the very best around and was always sought after for the most complicated projects where the skill needed to be supreme. As long as I worked with him, his mode of transportation/trucking was a big beatup Cadillac. He used it for work, hauling tools and upon many an occasion, he sent me to the supply yard to pick up a load of sand and cement. On weekends, the "truck" served as his family car as he went to town. or wherever toting wife and five kids.
I knew another tradesman who was a master machinist and also a much in demand photographer. He would go to work with his beat up old jalopy, i don't recall the brand, his various tools of trade loaded into the trunk and back seat. His tools were ancient, but he never failed to get work when he needed it. His big problem was he had a liking for "suds". Once he had cash in hand to spare, he would fall off the wagon for a month or so. When he would hit bottom, he would look for work as either a machinist or photographer. He was that good, that he was always in demand even though all employers knew he would only be around for a couple of months until he fell off again. My Uncle used to say about him and his work that "you can't tell how far a frog can jump by his looks."
Tinker
I agree I dont see the need for massive vans unless your a builder or like you said a workshop joiner BUT you do need a Van cus I see sooo many site joiners who turn up in a car and have der chop saw on the back seat! If I was Forman I would be like dont bother getting out of your car go home lol! Cnt see any joiner being any good if they use a car unless they have der van in for repair or something.
[/quote]
Waaayyyyy back in the good ol' days, i found a job a mason's helper. the boss was one of the very best around and was always sought after for the most complicated projects where the skill needed to be supreme. As long as I worked with him, his mode of transportation/trucking was a big beatup Cadillac. He used it for work, hauling tools and upon many an occasion, he sent me to the supply yard to pick up a load of sand and cement. On weekends, the "truck" served as his family car as he went to town. or wherever toting wife and five kids.
I knew another tradesman who was a master machinist and also a much in demand photographer. He would go to work with his beat up old jalopy, i don't recall the brand, his various tools of trade loaded into the trunk and back seat. His tools were ancient, but he never failed to get work when he needed it. His big problem was he had a liking for "suds". Once he had cash in hand to spare, he would fall off the wagon for a month or so. When he would hit bottom, he would look for work as either a machinist or photographer. He was that good, that he was always in demand even though all employers knew he would only be around for a couple of months until he fell off again. My Uncle used to say about him and his work that "you can't tell how far a frog can jump by his looks."
Tinker
When i was single, a plumber friend asked me if i would build a stone fireplace for him up in Vermont. (I'm in southern Connecticut). I told him i would only do it on weekends, which was fine with him. At the time, i had a couple of trucks and a motorcycle. i loaded all of my heavy equipment and my hand tools into the pickup truck and headed north. I started the job and left for home Sunday evening, leaving my mixing tubs and mud pans, along with shovels and mixing tools up in Vermont.
The following weekend, and for several weekends to follow, I would load my tool bag and a bucket full of stone tools, sleeping bag, duffel bag with extra work clothes and some extras for my Saturday excursion into Bennington, all onto the back of my motorcycle and head back north to the hills. Sticking out behind the bike was my four foot level with a big red flag tied onto it. The load was so heavy, that the first nite i headed to the job, I was riding up the hill to the job in pouring rain at 2 am in the morning. As I neared the top of the hill, the bike was about to stall, I started to spin as I twisted the throttle. As the rear wheel grabbed into the mud, the front wheel rose for the sky and over I went, tools and bike were in all directions. somehow, nothing ended up on top of me. The owner (the plumber) had heard my bike climbing the hill and happened to look out thru the side of the house (still open , but it did have a roof) and happened to see the bike go over. He came out to help and since I was ok, we both stood there laughing in the pouring rain. I was ok with great protection from my raingear, but he managed to get soaked. He often talked, and laughed, about that nite for many years afterward.
I finished that job on a weekend when it snowed about 12 inches. I would go to the foot of his hill on Sunday afternooon and jump into the freezing brook to get cleaned up before heading south. My friend was laughing that I would not go into the brook in that snow storm. He often told his friends about that one also. he could not believe that I actually did it. It was quite a ride that nite with the snow coming down and the load of tools on the back of the bike. By the time I got to Pittsfield, the snow stopped and i had a good ride the rest of the way home.
Yeah! When the work is there, you drive what you need to drive. You also gotta have a little fun along the way.
Tinker
The following weekend, and for several weekends to follow, I would load my tool bag and a bucket full of stone tools, sleeping bag, duffel bag with extra work clothes and some extras for my Saturday excursion into Bennington, all onto the back of my motorcycle and head back north to the hills. Sticking out behind the bike was my four foot level with a big red flag tied onto it. The load was so heavy, that the first nite i headed to the job, I was riding up the hill to the job in pouring rain at 2 am in the morning. As I neared the top of the hill, the bike was about to stall, I started to spin as I twisted the throttle. As the rear wheel grabbed into the mud, the front wheel rose for the sky and over I went, tools and bike were in all directions. somehow, nothing ended up on top of me. The owner (the plumber) had heard my bike climbing the hill and happened to look out thru the side of the house (still open , but it did have a roof) and happened to see the bike go over. He came out to help and since I was ok, we both stood there laughing in the pouring rain. I was ok with great protection from my raingear, but he managed to get soaked. He often talked, and laughed, about that nite for many years afterward.
I finished that job on a weekend when it snowed about 12 inches. I would go to the foot of his hill on Sunday afternooon and jump into the freezing brook to get cleaned up before heading south. My friend was laughing that I would not go into the brook in that snow storm. He often told his friends about that one also. he could not believe that I actually did it. It was quite a ride that nite with the snow coming down and the load of tools on the back of the bike. By the time I got to Pittsfield, the snow stopped and i had a good ride the rest of the way home.
Yeah! When the work is there, you drive what you need to drive. You also gotta have a little fun along the way.
Tinker
Brice Burrell
Member
- Joined
- Mar 13, 2007
- Messages
- 7,385
Tinker, love your stories. [thumbs up]
Frank Pellow
Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2007
- Messages
- 2,743
Great stories Tinker from what, I expect, has been a great life!
Grey Heron
Member
- Joined
- May 1, 2011
- Messages
- 35
Tinker story was really cool. Thank Almighty it didn't end up tragic but... what the heck you live once!!
My two pence to topic.
I drive MPV - Seat Alhambra - I can take all seats apart first row (passanger and driver) and then it turns into quite spacious van. I never had a problem that I had to leave some tools behind coz they didn't fit in.
I can't afford having van - maintenance costs are just too high. If I need to get something heavy then I just take my bro in law's Nissan Patrol and hook up big trailer (3.5T capacity) and I can go anywhere.
During weekends my 'van' turns into family car as I have 9mths old son and 6yrs old daughter plus wife plus plenty of gear for wee ones and shopping on top of that - Sometimes with family I'm packed more than with tools!!
Recently I mainly drive my bro's 4x4 as roads in Scotland are not so great and simply any van or car would be wrecked in no time.
And at the end I dun care what ppl drive as long they have all they need for a job and do job efficiently - to me you can have even riksha or skateboard if it's enough.
Rule is simple - no tools - no job, and that's all it matters.
My two pence to topic.
I drive MPV - Seat Alhambra - I can take all seats apart first row (passanger and driver) and then it turns into quite spacious van. I never had a problem that I had to leave some tools behind coz they didn't fit in.
I can't afford having van - maintenance costs are just too high. If I need to get something heavy then I just take my bro in law's Nissan Patrol and hook up big trailer (3.5T capacity) and I can go anywhere.
During weekends my 'van' turns into family car as I have 9mths old son and 6yrs old daughter plus wife plus plenty of gear for wee ones and shopping on top of that - Sometimes with family I'm packed more than with tools!!
Recently I mainly drive my bro's 4x4 as roads in Scotland are not so great and simply any van or car would be wrecked in no time.
And at the end I dun care what ppl drive as long they have all they need for a job and do job efficiently - to me you can have even riksha or skateboard if it's enough.
Rule is simple - no tools - no job, and that's all it matters.
