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HVAC Technician

One of the highest demand trades. Recession proof demand.

Very low startup cost and high likelihood of success.

Can easily transition into other mechanical fields.

Welder

Many fields require welding. Many ways to specialize.

Countless industries have a skilled welder shortage.

Angle grinders are versatile tools that can grind metal and cut tile, stucco and pavers, rout out mortar, plus they can sand, polish and sharpen.

protection of eyes, face, and head from harmful UV rays and spatter by using darkened shade

A chipping hammer is a tool used to remove welding slag from a weld and welding spatter from along side welds. Primarily used for Stick welding methods.

Protection of the hands from heat, and welding sparks. Able to hold hot objects as well.

Plumber

There are many specializations within the trade.

A pipe wrench is any of several types of wrench that are designed to turn threaded pipe and pipe fittings for assembly (tightening) or disassembly (loosening). The Stillson wrench, or Stillson-pattern wrench, is the usual form of pipe wrench, 

A basin wrench is a specialized tool for installing or removing kitchen and bathroom sink faucets. With its long shaft, it's designed to reach up into the tight space underneath the sink and loosen or tighten the mounting nuts that are very hard to get to with other tools like standard wrenches or pliers.

Hacksaws were originally and principally made for cutting metal, but can also cut various other materials, such as plastic and wood; for example, plumbers and electricians often cut plastic pipe and plastic conduit with them.

A plumber's snake or drain snake is a slender, flexible auger used to dislodge clogs in plumbing. The plumber's snake is often reserved for difficult clogs that cannot be loosened with a plunger. It is also sometimes called a toilet jack.

A torpedo level is a spirit level designed for use in tight spaces. Johnson Level offers torpedo levels made in the USA in lengths ranging from 6 to 12 inches.

named after the American company that produces them – Channellock -- are used for grabbing and pinching things. They're made from sturdy materials such as high-carbon steel, and their gripping jaws provide a strong grip on an object.

A tube cutter is a tool which allows the user to cut through plastic tubing, often used by electricians and plumbers. ... Different cutters can cut tubing ranging from 3mm (0.1″) to 110mm (4.3″), with each having its own cutting range.

The plumbing torque wrench has a T-shaped handle that is preset to the desired level of torque strength, eliminating guesswork in No Hub soil pipe installations. This ensures proper coupling tightness for strong, leak-free joints.

Iron Worker

There are specializations within the trade.

Are able to work up within their small teams.

All commercial construction is dependent on this trade.

For lining up bolt holes in girders and beams

Barber

This trade does not easily transition into others.

A straight-bladed scissor can be used to trim hair, beards, and mustaches. The curved handle allows you to easily cut bangs or around the ears. Insert serrations or use a pair of shears on thinner hair to make the finished cut look even and complete.

A straight razor, also called an open or cut-throat razor, is a traditional tool that’s been around for thousands of years. It gives a close, but safe shave. It can be used on facial hair, on the neckline, and for carving straight lines around the beard.  

All sorts of combs come in handy depending on the hair length and style. A barber comb usually has both fine and thick teeth that help keep the cut uniform for each section of hair. The fading comb has teeth that go from short to long and is especially useful when creating the popular fade cut. A scissor over comb is good for blending and achieving a close cut on shorter hair.

The clipper guards help style the hair and create a unique design. As the blades smoothly run along the contours of the head, they trim the hair without pulling the follicles out of the scalp.

A duster brush works great for brushing off hair around the neckline and ears after a haircut. The soft nylon bristles are easy on skin, and the handle is ergonomically designed for a comfortable grip. The stand-up base is easy to use on any salon or barber station.

A specially constructed chair used in barbershops and usually having a footrest, a backrest that may be lowered to reclining position, and a hydraulic mechanism for adjusting the height of the chair

Electrician

For bending electrical conduit for protected routing of wire within building structures.

Portable Band Saw. The band saw is a saw that is often used for structural steel in metal fabrication shops. They are also used for bar stock in machine shops. They are available in horizontal or vertical styles for a variety of uses.

Reciprocating saws cut through just about everything short of a rock. It's the go-to tool for remodeling and demolition. With a recip saw (also called a Sawzall, the brand name of Milwaukee's tool), you can cut through lumber even if it's embedded with nails.

A fish tape (also known as a draw wire or draw tape or an "electricians snake") is a tool used by electricians to route new wiring through walls and electrical conduit.

Diesel Mechanic

Tool used to measure gap widths and measuring clearance between two parts. 

Allen wrenches are effective hand tools that can produce an incredible amount of torque.

An impact wrench (or gun) is a power tool used for loosening or tightening lug nuts, large bolts, and frozen or rusted fasteners. They provide a very high rotational torque that a regular power driver cannot provide. Electric and cordless impact guns have gained popularity but previously compressed air-powered impact guns were more widely used.

A ratchet and socket combination (sometimes called a socket wrench) lets you turn a nut or bolt without repositioning the tool on the fastener — as you need to do with a wrench when there isn't enough room to turn it in a full circle.

Carpenter

A claw hammer is a tool primarily used for driving nails into, or pulling nails from, some other object. Generally, a claw hammer is associated with woodworking but is not limited to use with wood products.

A tape measure or measuring tape is a flexible ruler used to measure size or distance. It consists of a ribbon of cloth, plastic, fibre glass, or metal strip with linear-measurement markings. It is a common measuring tool.

Level, device for establishing a horizontal plane. It consists of a small glass tube containing alcohol or similar liquid and an air bubble; the tube is sealed and fixed horizontally in a wooden or metallic block or frame with a smooth lower surface.

Also known as a steel square, the Johnson framing square is a handy tool for carpentry. Its uses extend into framing and laying rafters and stairs. It can also be used as a straight-edge, finding and establishing right angles and marking cut-off work on widestock.

The Speed Square combines common functions of the combination square, try square, and framing square into one. Carpenters use it to make basic measurements and mark lines on dimensional lumber, and as a saw guide for short 45 and 90 degree cuts.

A pry bar is a tool comprising a metal bar with both ends flattened and a curve on one end. Often, one or both ends will have a small fissure for removing nails.

A plumb bob, or plummet, is a weight, usually with a pointed tip on the bottom, suspended from a string and used as a vertical reference line, or plumb-line. It is a precursor to the spirit level and used to establish a vertical or horizontal datum.

Motorcycle Mechanic

Fairly low startup but does require a shop.

Simply put, the purpose of carb synchronizing is to ensure that your bikes carburetors are all in the same RPM range at idle, so that each cylinder is drawing the same amount of vacuum through the carbs

A chain tool is a small mechanical device used to "break" a bicycle chain in such a way that it can be mended with the same tool. A bicycle chain has links and plates that are pinned together; these pins can be pushed out with the chain tool. 

The fork is what allows riders to change direction and also helps in braking and suspension. The fork itself consists of two tubes sealed with oil. A fork seal driver helps with installation of these seals.

Vacuum brake bleeders force brake fluid through the system to flush and remove old fluid while adding new fluid.

A torque wrench is a tool used to control and apply a specific torque to a fastener such as a bolt or a nut. It is a fundamental element in general mechanics, tire changing operations and industrial maintenance & repair industries, to ensure customers' safety.

Pipeline Welder

Very dependent on the oil and gas industry.

A heavy duty straight cutting torch with top, rear-mounted cutting oxygen valve lever. It designed for use in scrap yards, demolition and foundry work. 

Two hose model cutting torches are a “straight through” high performance design that minimizes turbulence and improves cut quality.

Pancake hoods are also called helmets or masks. They're designed to protect a welder's eyes from the sparks of the welding machine. Also, they can protect your eyes from the bright (and almost blinding) UV rays emitted when the welding machine is in use.

A stinger holds the electrode that you are using to create a weld. 

Blacksmith

Tongs are made of three pieces of metal — two long side pieces that work similar to the side pieces in a pair of scissors and a rivet that holds the side pieces together and allows them to pivot. In each side piece, there are three segments — the jaw, the boss, and the rein.

Drifts are rather like short punches. Made of carbon-tool steel, they are of exact size and shape and may be round, hexagonal, octagonal or almost any other shape. They are usually hammered through the work to finish a hole to size and shape while the metal is only at a dull red heat. A little grease can be applied to make the work easier and to give a better finish

A flatter looks like a strange square hammer, but is really a tool that is held on the iron and struck with a hammer. It is used to smooth out bumps and hammer marks from the finished iron.

Forge is a primary source of heating metal used in blacksmithing. It’s used by the blacksmith to heat a metal piece to a temperature where it becomes easier to form by forging, or to the point where work hardening no longer happen.

It only requires fuel and heat, and that fuel can either be from propane or coal. Coal once fueled all of the earlier forges, and many still use this method as it gives heat promptly. A forge can now be fueled by propane, which is cleaner and relatively inexpensive.

An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually forged or cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked").

A cross peen hammer is a hammer used by blacksmiths to complete metal work. The wedge-shaped end of the hammer allows you to make the metal fuller when used with heat. The main functions of a cross peen hammer is forging and riveting.

Stone Mason

Used to score and then break stone along the scored line.

has one flat traditional face and a short or long chisel-shaped blade.[1] It can thus be used to chip off edges or small pieces of stone, cut brick or a concrete masonry unit, without using a separate chisel. The chisel blade can also be used to rapidly cut bricks or cinder blocks.

The Masonry trowel is a hand trowel used in brickwork or stonework for leveling, spreading and shaping mortar or concrete.

A jointer in masonry construction is a tool in the form of a striking iron or a striking tool used to finish the vertical or the horizontal mortar joints. The masonry construction requires tooling process which help in waterproofing the joints and also to beautify the construction.

a level longer than a carpenter's level used in laying brick and stone masonry. Sometimes with padded ends for striking with a hammer.

Airplane Mechanic

A vibration meter has the role of measuring vibration levels on the aircraft. A vibration meter measures in kilograms and highlights the maximum vibration that an aircraft can hold. A vibration meter will help the pilot to understand the magnitude of the vibrations on the aircraft so that he can act accordingly and maintain the safety and integrity of the aircraft. 

A safety wire pliers are used in holding large aluminum wires and tying them together to form huge and strong braids. The wires are ‘tied’ strongly and using maximum toughness to ensure that there are no problems on the nuts and bolts.



Mirrors are essential tools in aircraft repair. In most cases, mechanics don’t see some parts of the aircraft. Technicians don’t have a direct line of sight in some critical parts that need to be checked regularly. Sometimes, the only way to see such an area is by using a mirror rather than dismantling the whole wing.

Well Driller

High startup cost but very high likelihood of success.

Well Probe Sensor. Well Probe Mechanically Activated Device for Dry Run Protection in Applications with LORENTZ Solar Pump Systems. The switch can be used to detect the water level within a well.

 Pipe clamps are the most important tool needed for safe removal and installation of submersible well pumps with drop pipe. It makes the task easier and quicker. Any homeowner who has a private well should have a pair.

Lineman

Most commonly used as a hunting tool, this specific knife features a gut hook most commonly used for skinning game. 

Lineman's pliers are used in the electrical trade to cut, straighten, and bend wire, and also to twist wires together when making splices.

A block and tackle or only tackle is a system of two or more pulleys with a rope or cable threaded between them, usually used to lift heavy loads. The pulleys are assembled to form blocks and then blocks are paired so that one is fixed and one moves with the load.

Classified by the level of voltage and protection they provide. ... Leather protector gloves – Worn over rubber insulating gloves to help provide the mechanical protection needed against cuts, abrasions and punctures.

A lineman's hammer is a heavy hammer, measured in pounds, used to knock around heavy and solid objects. Unlike the claw or ball-peen, it is meant to be swung much slower letting the weight of the hammerhead do the work. This is a “get out of the way” hammer as it's essentially a small sledge hammer.

Folding rules, sometimes called zig-zag rules or jointed rules, are a series of two or more smaller rule strips joined with hinges. These rules can be folded together to be carried easily, or used in confined spaces. ... Some folding rules also have other markings, depending on their intended use.

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