Organizing nozzles and stuff

STEVEusaPA

I've always worked by/for myself so I'm always interested in how other people organize their trucks (or don't organize them).
Was at the supply house re-stocking and 2 other guys liked how I organize my nozzles. I mounted the inserts from the Delavan boxes into drawers.
I just can't believe they just leave theirs in boxes and drawers, mixed up/banging around, never knowing what they have or having tons of nozzles they'll never need.
Due to the fact I track everything, I have one correct nozzle per customer, plus at least one extra per type. I also have stuff in pack out cases to find quicker. When I go in for tune ups, I bring in the right nozzle, filter, strainer. Always shake my head at the guy who has a dozen nozzles in their tool box and either have to make another trip to the truck, or put one on that's 'close enough'.
What do you guys do?

EBEBRATT-Ed

Looks like you have found a system that works for you. That's the secret.

most of my carear I did multiple jobs (jack of all trades master of none) so stocking a truck with everything I needed was ..........I would have needed a semi trailer. not practical. Doing multiple thing kept me employed for 46 years but did drive me nuts. I often wondered what it would have been like to only do one trade and have what I needed but I guess I will never know.

The closest I came was in the 90s when I did mostly AC and gas heat service for 3 years or so, I had my van set up just the way I liked it and it was pretty nice.Then, they started the refrigerant recovery process so had to have a recovery machine and recovery tanks so that messed things up a bit

HVACNUT

I don't do as much oil as I used to so a have a nozzle box with a nice assortment and if it's a maintenance, the nozzle for it gets pulled in the morning from the shop. I usually swap it with the same from the nozzle box just to keep the rotation. 

ratio

How can you find anything like that‽ We don't do oil, but if we did I'd just have a 5 gal bucket of nozzles & grab the right one out of it. Usually on the first try.

retiredguy

If I did residential oil burner service I would have had a system similar to yours. My truck had to be in fairly well organized all the time so I knew just where everything was and could pluck what I needed right off the shelf. I stocked a few dozen single flow oil nozzles but most of mine were much larger and more special. The burners I serviced were mostly of the modulating type using a 300 PSI oil pump pressure and a bypass nozzle with a turn down ratio (input) of about 3 to1 and sometimes up to 5 to 1 with inputs up to about 60 GPH . These nozzles were quite expensive so I only stocked a few of each. Above about 60 GPH oil input most of the nozzles were of the compressed air or steam atomized design and were ordered as needed.

I do have to complement you on your organization of those nozzles.

SuperTech

I have three metal nozzle boxes. One each for A, B and W nozzles. Each box is organized by going from the smallest to largest GPH nozzles ones. Some the more popular ones like .75 70A and 1.00 80A I try to have several at all times. I work on a lot EK-1 frontiers that use the .75 70A. 

I always bring in the nozzle, filter and strainer. But my oil filters and strainers are just thrown in a messy cardboard box on the shelf. I always try to keep several Suntec A strainers as well as ones for Riello and Danfoss oil pumps. 

Solid_Fuel_Man

I see you have a Ford van as well. 

gerry gill

I like the organization. Very nicely done indeed.

STEVEusaPA

Solid_Fuel_Man said:

I see you have a Ford van as well. 

1992, 54k miles. I have a pretty tight radius for my customer base.

Jamie Hall

Wish my shop were that organized. And it doesn't even move...

retiredguy

In the 35 years I did boiler service all over Pennsylvania I logged in 1,500,000 miles of driving. A service truck did not last many years.

EBEBRATT-Ed

@retiredguy

That's a lot of miles I used to do 30,000-35,000/year 100-120 miles one way to the job sometimes but you got me beat.

Toward the end when I got out of the truck after a 2 hour stint i can hardly walk