New Job Need A Heads Up

[Dave54]

I'm like b-a, never done a lot of site work, and out of date, but that looks pretty good to me J&K. Any job, there's always going to be something you realise you need, but if you have the basics like your list you won't go far wrong.
You should (seriously) write a book on this stuff.

Grendel, when I was employed on factory maintenance we never got hand tools. Not beyond the odd hand out anyway. We had access to power tools, but they were pretty basic, if good quality. We didn't even get safety boots, although we got other PPE.

[Grendel]

No we didn't get hand tools as a rule but there were some exceptions. We could get handsaws , drill bits , lump hammers and occasionally things like spanners. On one job the firm were perfectly prepared to but someone a spokeshave although when I was asked and said I had one I was moved to the job that needed.
Pretty much all the chippies were provided with a cordless drill that would travel with them and when I was on small works I generally was supplied with a jigsaw and sds drill with other tools available in the stores.
Funnily enough though the tools were decent the ppe we were provided with was less good. The clothing was Chinese made and were labelled as Warrior. The stitching was poor and seams soon opened up and reflective strips fell off. I had one pair of boots that lasted three months before the sole fell off and that was on an inside dry job.

[Job and Knock]

When I first started work we would get tool money , not a huge amount but something towards our handtools . Nowadays it looks as if employees are expected to furnish themselves with a range of power tools . For someone on a hourly rate it makes no sense to use their own power tools just to increase production . The only beneficiaries are the companies who employ those daft enough to supply everything themselves.

Agreed, we all used to get tool money (and get paid sharpening time, and washing-up time, etc) "back in the day" In those pre-cordless tool days (1970s) the firm really would supply all your power tools. - although out on-site that often meant just a site saw and/or a big drill (chop saw? we used an Ulmia mitre saw!), whilst in the workshop it was mainly static tools. I started to buy my own power tools partly out of frustration at the firm not having what I thought we needed to speed the job up (and co-incidentally to make it easier for myself). At the time that meant a laminate trimmer (we used to do repair and reskinning of laminated counters on-site, for obvious reasons), an electric drill (complete with waxing brush, polishing mop and wire brushes) and a portable (hand) power rip saw all of which made me look a right flash little bugger I can tell you! With more a(and more affordable) power tools becoming available in the 1980s onwards I took on tools such as nailers and pinners to do the job faster (and keep myself competitive), as did a lot of guys. Once you'd used a gas pinner on 2nd fix work you never really wanted to go back to hand nailing, punching under and filling for example. I freely admit that a lot of the tasks I'd once have done routinely with hand tools I now undertake with my power tools. This is now pretty universal. If you do turn up on a job with a bag of hand tools and nowt else you'll find yourself so slow in comparison to the other guys (who are on the same rate, most likely) that you'll pretty son be out on your ear, I'm afraid. As to the other part of why your own tools - you don't queue up to use your own tools and often your own stuff is far better maintained than the firm's or worse the hire shop's tackle, not to mention often higher spec. I also find that any decent firm will pay for minor repairs, blades, etc as a matter of course.

J&K I have all the essential hand tools you listed above plus the cordless power tools I stated in earlier post.

Sorry for the repetition, but as a regular I do try to cover all the bases so that other outside of the immediate discussion can gain an insight as well. Sorry for any repitition

[dewaltdisney]

How did the first few days go then ?

DWD

[Grendel]

I started to buy my own power tools partly out of frustration at the firm not having what I thought we needed to speed the job up (and co-incidentally to make it easier for myself). At the time that meant a laminate trimmer (we used to do repair and reskinning of laminated counters on-site, for obvious reasons), an electric drill (complete with waxing brush, polishing mop and wire brushes) and a portable (hand) power rip saw all of which made me look a right flash little bugger I can tell you! With more a(and more affordable) power tools becoming available in the 1980s onwards I took on tools such as nailers and pinners to do the job faster This is now pretty universal. If you do turn up on a job with a bag of hand tools and nowt else you'll find yourself so slow in comparison to the other guys (who are on the same rate, most likely) that you'll pretty son be out on your ear,

Don't get me wrong I can understand your frustration although our argument was always that if we did the job in half of he time we wouldn't get twice the money, at best there might have been a slight increase in that week's bonus so there simply wasn't the incentive to go out and spend money on our own power tools
This frustration has probably been a failing for the employed working man in the building industry and one that has been exploited by employers. You are right when you say that someone turning up with just hand tools probably wouldn't last long and I think that is a very sad indictment of the industry but it's one of our own making .
If we were milkmen would we be expected to buy our own floats or crates or bottles?