HVAC Tool Bag Setup- Veto Pro Tech XL
My Repair - Install - Startup Bag
I’ve gotten quite a bit of feedback regarding my HVAC Service tool bag loadout (if you haven't seen it, you can find that HERE) and many of you have asked for me to show what I carry in my other bag. This Veto Tech XL started as my service bag which I ran for a couple of years. While it still is a great bag, it is just too big to be a service bag. I don’t know about you, but I know that if my bag has more room, I’m going to fill it up and make sure that I am using that space, and if your bag is large like the Tech XL, you end up with an extremely heavy bag.
Currently, this bag has been re-purposed to my Install, repair, and startup bag. I use the smaller Veto for my every day HVAC maintenance and service calls, but I bring this one out when I know that I’ll be working on repairs that can get a little more involved or unit startups, etc. Utilizing the larger storage capabilities is also a great way to store and organize my tools in the truck so they are all in one place when I do end up needing them.
What’s in my Tech XL?
GearWrench - This little kit is amazing. Small ratcheting 1/4” driver that allows you to adapt it to multiple sockets, and bits for those hard to reach places. It can save you when nothing seems to reach or fit. I picked up my set at home Depot, but you can find a comparable set by GearWrench. Click the picture to purchase on Amazon.
Unit Bit or Step Bit Kit - Handy kit to punch out holes through sheet metal, plastic, plexiglass, etc. Anything you need to make a larger hole in, these bits work great for.
Milwaukee Driver Kit - I carry the Milwaukee, but everyone has their preference. It’s just nice to have a small kit that holds a variety of different sized bits for a multitude of fasteners all in one tiny, easy to keep organized case.
Crescent Wrench - If you don’t carry a crescent wrench in your tool bag, you probably aren’t a real HVAC Tech. Joking aside, why wouldn’t you have one of these in your tool bag? The Milwaukee version has been my favorite because the jaws seem to open just slightly wider than your average crescent.
Rigid TXV Wrench - This one is a must-have for anyone working in the HVAC Trade. A lot of versatility in this tool, but the main reason that I picked it up and that is has a spot in this bag, is because of the slim profile of the jaws. This feature comes in extremely useful when trying to rebuild a TXV. Typically the HEX portion of the powerhead is very slim, and a crescent wrench that opens wide enough to fit the powerhead will catch the valve body as well as the powerhead and you won’t be able to remove it. This wrench is the solution to that problem.
Milwaukee Demo Screw Drivers - Full tang metal screwdrivers with metal end caps allow these screwdrivers to take a beating.
Klein Nut Driver - Standard Klein magnetic Nut drivers. If you haven’t seen my Tips on how to clean these guys out. Check out that post HERE
Klein Crimper - Klein Tools are quality when it comes to electrical tools they are hard to beat for the price.
Klein Needle Nose - Everyone needs a set of needle nose.
Klein Allen Set - as well as a quality set of Allen keys. I hate the Allens with the ball head as they tend to round out much faster and strip the heads of whatever set screw you are trying to remove. I’ve had them break off in a setscrew before as well. Avoid the ball head. A great perk to the traditional style is that when the tip starts to get rounded out, you can simply cut off that small section and file it flat to a fresh section of the tool and it will be good as new.
Solenoid Magnet - I’m not sure about the residential HVAC portion of the trade, but as a commercial or industrial tech solenoid valves are extremely common on a lot of equipment. Sometimes they are power open, some are power close. Having a solenoid magnet allows you to troubleshoot and bypass these valves to make sure you are recovering the entire refrigerant charging, pulling a proper vacuum, etc. I’ve also heard of techs using them to test reversing valves, tho I have never tried this myself. This is a definite must-have for someone working in the trade.
Milwaukee Quick-Lock Extension - I like that this one allows you to lock your bits into place vs the traditional one that only relies on a magnet to hold your bits and chucks.
Electrical Kit - Since this is primarily an install and repair bag, I prefer to keep a small electrical fitting kit in the bag holding some of the commonly used fittings. This little box has been with me for a long time now as it originally came in a Custom Leather Craft 1523 I used to run before they ruined the design by placing the storage box on the side.
Zip Ties - Make your work nice and tidy when you finish
Tin Snips - I don’t do a ton of sheet metal work, but everyone needs to have a set of snips
Scraper - Gotta have one to remove old gasket material Etc
White Electrical Tape - Typically electricians will carry a roll of Red, Blue, Black, Orange, Yellow, and Brown to differentiate between the different phases, but I prefer to carry only black and white. This way I can simply write on the white tape noting which DI or BO control wire goes to, phasing, specific terminals, etc. The white tape is great.
File - Surprised that more guys don’t keep a file in their bag. Shaft keyways often have little burrs or imperfections that can cause you some headache while trying to reassemble a fan, pump, or blower, Filing them down only takes a second instead of fighting that keyway in to place.
Precision Screwdrivers - Handy for landing low voltage control wiring, thermostat wiring, etc.
Service Wrench - Use a service wrench, don’t use a crescent
Torpedo Level - Take some pride in your work, make it level. Or make sure that the condensate drain line is properly sloped and will drain.
90 Degree Drill adapter - Awesome little tool allows you to have the power of your drill in some tight spots that would otherwise be impossible.
Mechanix Leather Gloves - Safety First
Testo Smart Probe with Yellow Jacket 90 degree Low Loss - These have been a game-changer since they arrived in the industry. I’ll be doing a full review on these soon. I prefer to use a set of 90-degree low loss fittings on all of my stubby gauge setups. First, it cuts down on the oil spray all over the piping when you disconnect, and second, the 90-degree tilt allows you to get your gauges onto some of those service ports that were installed in a terrible spot.
Milwaukee 12v Light - This little light is seriously impressive. Combined with the magnet attachment that threads into the back and a 4 amp hour battery, this thing lasts forever.
Milwaukee 12v Fuel Drill - Powerful little 12v drill. Everyone has to have some sort of impact/drill in their bag.
Touch ThermoCouple and Pipe Clamps - I keep a couple sets of each, as well as the bead type-K
Fluke 52-2 -Best Dual input thermometer out there. This thing is spendy, but they are accurate and built like a tank. Mine actually has a crack in the screen, but still works great. I guess a lot of techs don’t see a need for these thermometers any more due to the fact they are all using smart probes for calculating super-heat and sub-cooling, so I guess I'm old school. There also comes a point that you will work on bigger equipment that the smart probe temp clamps won't fit on.
When taking quick water splits or coil deltas I don’t want to have to pull out the smart probes, pair them with my phone and wait for all that when I could have already taken the splits and moved on to something else by then.
I had hope that with the announcement of the Fieldpiece Sc680 I could cut down on a few meters, but that does not seem to be the case. You can see my review of the SC680 here: Fieldpiece SC680 Review
Fluke 116 - Solid meter for anyone in the HVAC field. Check out the post BEST HVAC METERS to learn more.
Infrared Temp Gun - I wish this was the older style that also had a type K thermal-couple input to take multiple temp readings.
Punch and Chisel Set - Not used a whole lot but great when you need them.
Gear Wrench Set - I keep an entire 3/8” drive socket set in one of the nylon tool pouches. Great for saving space by getting rid of the hard case, and allows you to keep the whole kit in your bag.
Extech Psychrometer - Gives you the ability to read Relative Humidity, wet bulb temperature, dew point. Great for plotting out unit performance on a psychometric chart which can help you prove that a unit is undersized or underperforming compared to nameplate ratings.
What’s In Your Bag?
I’d love to hear what your bag set up looks like. Drop a comment below and let me know! HVAC tools can be expensive, curious to find out how much do HVAC techs make? Check out my blog post in the link!
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