Adrian's Kitchen HVAC-R Chevy Van

Cheap Tools Philosophy

Adrian's been in the business for 13 years, but one of the great things about his gear is that a lot of it is cheap. He knows what he needs, he knows how to use it, and he shops for cheap stuff that gets the job done.

One reason he's got cheaper tools is because his have been stolen a couple of times. It's a lot cheaper to replace cheap tools than expensive tools!

He's got a mix of tools from Walmart and Harbor Freight, along with a few more expensive brands.

You can contrast to this folks that have "Milwaukee vans" that spend crazy amounts of money on matching Milwaukee tools. There are some folks out there that probably spend more time making sure they have that complete tool set, rather than worrying about how their work is going!

He uses a small Veto MB2 hung on the passenger tank rack (see the loadout here) as a service bag. The tools in this bag aren't ridiculously expensive, but they work. A small pill box holds some small parts.

Adrian uses a similar strategy with his Veto Tech MC Backpack (see the loadout here) that he uses as an installation bag.

Power Up

Adrian says his company is going digital, so he's got a printer in the cab of the van powered by a 400W inverter. The inverter also supplies power to his battery chargers and a Klein cooler.

It's great to see a printer in the cab, since this means that bookkeeping can be simplified for businesses that use apps instead of moving paper around. This kind of thing cuts down on human error and saves time in the office.

The Essential Cart

Adrian has an inexpensive cart that he loves! It has 4 wheels and 2 shelves. He can throw on a compressor, tanks, vacuum pump, tools, his torch or whatever he needs and wheel it in.

Carts are a cheap, easy way to help you save time and energy so that you aren't making multiple trips or hauling heavy things. Some techs use a 4-wheeled cart, some go for a hand truck, and some use a hand truck that converts to a cart. Some techs carry both a hand truck and a 4-wheeled cart!

Low Stock

Adrian says he's a little low on some of his inventory, but there are often supply houses nearby. Some techs like to keep as much as possible on their HVAC van, but carrying less inventory can make a big difference in how much you need to sort through and how much your van weighs. This is a lot easier and money-efficient when you work in a location with lots of supply houses than when you work in the middle of nowhere.

A Note on Acetylene Tank Safety

There are a couple of tank racks in the rear with refrigerant and recovery tanks.

Note that there is an acetylene tank stored on its side - you shouldn't do that and Adrian is changing his setup. Acetylene tanks need to be stored upright. Acetylene by itself is self-explosive. So it's stored dissolved in acetone. When you store an acetylene tank on its side, you might end up pulling out the acetone in the tank. This will:

• Make the acetylene more dangerous, since it's less diluted by acetone.
• Contaminates your hoses, regulator, and torch.

Keep safe out there!