Plumbers have to carry a lot of tools and gear. From a knife to wrenches and plumbers putty. Having to go back and forth to get your gear can waste a lot of time. A tool belt can save you a lot of time. Which one should you get though?
Let’s discuss what you have to check when getting one.
Important elements of a plumbers tool belt
Below we will discuss some things that you have to keep in mind when you are looking for a tool or material belt. These are really important and can affect how useful the belt is.
Suspenders
Plumbers have to carry a lot of tools and it can be annoying when the belt is sagging all the time. Not everyone enjoys wearing suspenders but they can be very useful. Suspenders are often easy to adjust so you can make them fit your needs.
During the hot summer months they can be too much though so you can adjust your outfit based on the type of work that you have to do and the climate.
Size of the belt
Some belts can be easily adjusted to your size. In some cases you can also remove parts of them to make them lighter if youd don’t need a lot of tools.
Some belts come in different sizes and you will have to check the description to get the right one for your needs.
Types of tools the belt can carry
Some belts have dedicated pockets for wrenches and other tools. This makes it easier to carry them. Other belts don’t and you can just add the tools. This can result in a mess though if you are not careful.
It depends on your personal preferences what you like the most: dedicated pockets or just bigger pockets that can handle a lot of tools.
Material of the belt
Cheaper belts are made out of fabric (such as nylon) whereas more expensive ones are made out of leather.
If you have to work in dirty environments, you can opt for a cheaper belt as it can get replaced quite easily. If you plant to use the belt for a long time, you can opt for more expensive materials.
You will look more professional with a leather belt than with a fabric one. If customers see you with a nice tool belt, they might feel that they are dealing with a professional and be at ease.
Water repellent
Plumbers often have to work in damp and moist situations. A water repellent tool belt is often needed to keep our tools clean.
A welt belt can also become heavy and dirty. It is often mentioned in the product description if a tool belt is water repellent.
Comfort
At the end of the day, we all want comfort. You can try multiple belts and see which one works best. Often it is hard to know if you will like a belt without giving it a try.
Tool belts often have to be worn for several hours so it is essential that you can move around with the belt and that it isn’t too heavy or restrictive.
The best belts for a plumber
If we bring this all together, we can come up with the following options that work best for plumbers:
-Specs ops belt: What we like about this belt is that it is easy to adjust. You can add or remove pockets as you need. It also has some foam to make it more comfortable to wear.
The main drawback is that it is made out of fabric. This material won’t last as long as leather.
Other than this, it is a great tool belt that can hold a lot of tools. It is also easy to remove the tools from the belt so you won’t waste time fumbling around with the tools or belt.
The belt is also quite sturdy so you won’t drop tools by accident. This is important as it can be dangerous to drop a tool while you are working on a roof.
-Daisy leather: This belt is made out of leather and is very durable. I use it when I have a job that requires a lot of tools. You can carry a lot of items, such as a hammer, measurement tools and levelling tool. All of these can be needed during a job.
Given that they use a premium material, this belt is more expensive than other options but given that it lasts for a long time, it is worth the additional cost.
The belt doesn’t have suspenders. The double clip should make sure that the belt doesn’t sag too much though.
To conclude, we can state that a tool belt can be essential for a plumber. It can make it easier to carry tools and saves you time while you are working. Nothing is more annoying than having to interrupt an installation or repair job because you don’t have the tool with you.
We have discussed some things that you have to keep in mind when you get a tool belt. Everyone has their own needs so make sure to check all of these so that you can get the right belt for your working conditions.
A lot of plumbers use a smaller tool belt during summer as it can be quite hot to carry a big tool belt during the middle of the summer.