West Coast Man
Welcome to West Coast Man!
Licensed commercial/industrial electrician with 30+ years in the trade.
I share real-world tool use, maintenance work, and life in the Pacific Northwest, from the shop to the farm.
If you're into tools, EDC, and practical skills from someone who actually uses the gear, you're in the right place.
West Coast Man
Just got these WORKPRO long nose slip joint pliers.
First impressions are good. The jaws line up well, they feel solid, and the quality seems better than I expected.
Too early for a real review, though. We'll see how they hold up after a few months of actual work.
Anyone else using WORKPRO tools?
1 day ago | [YT] | 29
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West Coast Man
What's in my Carhartt FR bibs?
My bib pockets are always evolving, but this is my current work loadout:
Notebook, pen, pencil, Sharpie
Ty-Raps (ziP TiEs)
Tweaker
FLIR NCVT
Knipex Pliers Wrench
Knipex Side Cutters
Knipex Forged Wire Strippers
Utility knife
Klein flashlight/laser pointer
Some of these tools have been with me for years. A few are newer additions that I'm still putting through their paces.
The goal isn't to carry everything. It's to carry enough to troubleshoot the problem before making the walk back to the shop.
What's always in your pockets at work?
4 days ago | [YT] | 72
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West Coast Man
Residential electricians:
gas station hot dog, Monster, and pure determination.
Industrial electricians:
carefully opening a meal prep container that looks like it was assembled by a stay-at-home wife on Pinterest before going to megger a motor. 😄
5 days ago | [YT] | 27
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West Coast Man
Follow-up to today’s troubleshooting video.
Got asked to megger two motors today.
One tested good at 2.2 GΩ.
The other one…426 MΩ.
Same type of equipment. Very different results.
6 days ago | [YT] | 37
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West Coast Man
At my age, I’m finally at a point where I can buy tools I genuinely enjoy using.
Not because I need them to survive the workday anymore…just because after decades in the trade, I appreciate good tools, good organization, and making work a little more enjoyable.
There’s definitely a lot of tool hype out there these days, but I’d be lying if I said a well organized drawer and a few quality tools doesn’t make going to work a little more satisfying. Lol
What’s one tool you finally bought later in your career that made you think:
“Yep…should’ve bought this years ago.”
1 week ago | [YT] | 73
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West Coast Man
Have you ever had an NCVT (Non Contact Voltage Tester) give a false reading?
1 week ago | [YT] | 9
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West Coast Man
7,000 subscribers.
Still blows my mind that this many people want to hang out and listen to an old electrician talk tools, work, and life.
I appreciate every view, comment, joke, disagreement, and conversation.
– Jay / West Coast Man
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 52
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West Coast Man
One of the best choices I made in life was to get out of residential electrical and into commercial/industrial. One of my biggest regrets in life is not learning how to program VFDs years ago. To the young electricians out there, learn as much as possible, challenge yourself, and make yourself more valuable.
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 71
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West Coast Man
Shoutout to @rjlindsley for the badass stickers. Let the world know you're a unicorn: rjlindsley.myshopify.com/products/straight-electri…
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 24
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West Coast Man
What’s the easiest way to lose an electrician’s money?
Yesterday’s video was basically me talking through tools I’ve tried, what surprised me, and what actually stuck around.
Video’s here if you missed it:
https://youtu.be/NZR20g6ZlZ4?si=pHCv4...
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 7
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