# does everyone who becomes a technician lose their brain?



## CADPoint (Jul 5, 2007)

I thought Logic escaped us humans!


----------



## JRaef (Mar 23, 2009)

As a one time "tech" for a manufacturer, I saw my job as knowing the ins and outs of our equipment, it was the electrician's job to make sure the installation issues were correct, i.e. supply fuses (unless the fuse was inside of my equipment). I tended to not want to embarrass or piss off the electricians I had to work with, having been there myself. It can be tricky politics though when they make a real bone head mistake and the boss is standing over your shoulder wanting to know why they are losing production. I remember one time writing down that I noticed a missing connection on a piece of paper and slipping it to the electrician. He read it, fixed it discretely and miraculously, the machine started. The boss wanted to know what was wrong, I blamed it on "a power glitch".

That said, to replace a motor and drive without checking fuses first is woefully stupid. My boss would have had me shot if I flew a replacement drive and motor to a jobsite only to discover afterward that the original one was fine. Troubleshooting step 1; Is it getting power at all points that need power?


----------



## wildleg (Apr 12, 2009)

some of the worst mistakes I have seen in my career involved tradesmen not checking the work of others prior to starting their own install, and it goes for every trade, and involves everything (simply checking for power, on/off switches, contactors in the off state, etc is a no brainer, even for a tech.)


----------



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

the sad thing is it was a panel they installed!
i have a feeling they were rushing to get things done and it kinda bit them in the butt:laughing:


----------



## micromind (Aug 11, 2007)

A lot of techs will concentrate on just one thing and pretty much ignore the big picture. 

I can't think of how many service calls I've been on and the problem wasn't electrical at all. Sometimes it's pneumatic, sometimes hydraulic, sometimes something else. But a really good tech understands the entire process and will look further than his part of it.


----------



## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

The other issue us that finding a guy that is focused, technical, detail oriented, can handle the customer politics, and is willing to be on the road going from one **** show to the next, week after week, is very hard to find. 

I hate to say it but the talent pool for people that are good an willing to travel these days is very small. OEMs especially will just send whatever dude out there they can convince to go (often either a junior guy, a guy who's a bit of a wierdo socially, etc).


----------



## 99cents (Aug 20, 2012)

KennyW said:


> The other issue us that finding a guy that is focused, technical, detail oriented, can handle the customer politics, and is willing to be on the road going from one **** show to the next, week after week, is very hard to find.
> 
> I hate to say it but the talent pool for people that are good an willing to travel these days is very small. OEMs especially will just send whatever dude out there they can convince to go (often either a junior guy, a guy who's a bit of a wierdo socially, etc).


I think this post should be splashed all over the home page for newbies who are looking for direction in this trade. Anybody who fits this description has this industry by the ballz.


----------



## KennyW (Aug 31, 2013)

Yes that is the other side of the coin. There are a lot of very good opportunities in this field for guys with the right mindset.

Field tech is a good way for a green guy to get his foot in the door. He'll generally learn a lot and make decent money at the same time as well.


----------



## gnuuser (Jan 13, 2013)

got one of them to admit they were working out some problems with the plcc software that was going to control the timing and speed and it slipped their mind and after a few chuckles he admitted that they will never make that mistake again:thumbsup:

glad they took with a laugh :laughing:


----------

