Repair or rework parts, using machine tools such as lathes, mills, drills, or grinders.

“Repair or rework parts, using machine tools such as lathes, mills, drills, or grinders.” is a core task performed by Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians. Among the occupation's 13 rated tasks, workers place it 1st by importance (#13 most important). About 89% of workers say it is relevant to their job.

This is a single occupation-specific task statement from O*NET. The figures below describe how central the task is to the job and what independent studies measure about AI and this kind of work — not a prediction that the task will be automated.

Work activities this task rolls up to

O*NET groups concrete tasks into broader work activities shared across many occupations.

• Repair tools or equipment. in Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment

AI exposure

The OpenAI / Eloundou “GPTs are GPTs” study rates this task E0. No direct exposure — current language models give little or no time savings on this task.

Exposure measures whether a model could meaningfully speed the task up — it is an estimate of overlap with model capabilities, not a measure of whether the work will be done by software. The study's intermediate score (β) for this task is 0.00. Automation potential label: T0.

Other tasks in this occupation

• Start motors and monitor performance for signs of malfunctioning, such as smoke, excessive vibration, or misfiring. · importance 4.3
• Document inspection and test results and work performed or to be performed. · importance 4.1
• Mount motors to boats, and operate boats at various speeds on waterways to conduct operational tests. · importance 4.1
• Repair engine mechanical equipment, such as power tilts, bilge pumps, or power take-offs. · importance 4.0
• Perform routine engine maintenance on motorboats, such as changing oil and filters. · importance 4.0
• Replace parts, such as gears, magneto points, piston rings, or spark plugs, and reassemble engines. · importance 4.0
• Idle motors and observe thermometers to determine the effectiveness of cooling systems. · importance 3.9
• Inspect and repair or adjust propellers or propeller shafts. · importance 3.9
• Adjust carburetor mixtures, electrical point settings, or timing while motors are running in water-filled test tanks. · importance 3.9
• Set starter locks and align and repair steering or throttle controls, using gauges, screwdrivers, or wrenches. · importance 3.9
• Disassemble and inspect motors to locate defective parts, using mechanic's hand tools and gauges. · importance 3.9
• Adjust generators and replace faulty wiring, using hand tools and soldering irons. · importance 3.8

See all tasks on the Motorboat Mechanics and Service Technicians page.

Sources for this page

Every figure above traces to a named public dataset and the exact release below — not hand-written opinion. See the full methodology for what each measure does and does not mean.

• O*NET 30.3 U.S. Department of Labor / National Center for O*NET Development
• “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130 OpenAI / academic

Data compiled June 2, 2026. Figures are estimates, not advice.

@misc{singulariki-task-13772,
  title  = {Repair or rework parts, using machine tools such as lathes, mills, drills, or grinders.},
  author = {{Singulariki}},
  year   = {2026},
  note   = {O*NET 30.3; “GPTs are GPTs” (Eloundou et al.) arXiv 2303.10130. Accessed June 7, 2026},
  url    = {https://singulariki.com/tasks/task-13772}
}