Don't Waste Your Money and My Time! Gambling on Repairs When the Odds are TERRIBLE, We Both Lose!
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 бер 2023
- Thanks for tuning back into Chickanic! If you found this video helpful, please LIKE, SUBSCRIBE and COMMENT!!
If you would like to show your support, find my Amazon Wish List HERE!
www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls...
Buy your own Chickanic T-Shirt or Hoodie HERE!
chickanic.com/
Find some of my favorite tools in the list below!
Get a WERA tool kit like mine HERE!
amzn.to/3CEkWo5
Get your WERA 8mm nut driver HERE!
amzn.to/3I4tx4B
Find your own 2 Cycle adjusting tool kit HERE!!
amzn.to/3IMn4vB
Get a compression tester like mine HERE!
amzn.to/3KM7Ibg
Get a spark tester like mine HERE!
amzn.to/3vIHUbM
Get your own digital tachometer like mine HERE!
amzn.to/3X2emS7
Find your own digital multimeter HERE!
amzn.to/38aX2FJ
Get some 12" hemostats HERE! I LOVE THEM!!
amzn.to/3tMvlvd
Get my FAVORITE pliers HERE!
amzn.to/36P5ud3
Get an Owl Torx drill bit set HERE!
amzn.to/3urvRze
Want a Endoscope like mine? Find it HERE!
amzn.to/3Ni71Ir
Get an ethanol testing kit HERE!
amzn.to/3YceU8h
Looking for the BEST 2 Cycle Oil? Find it here!
amzn.to/3E4kCkT
My name is Bre. I took two years of small engine repair at the local college. When I left school, I fell into a wonderful job at a local small engine shop where I worked the counter for a couple years. In 2010 my husband and I opened up our own small engine shop in central Arkansas where I am able to work alongside my family and best friends. We see over 2,000 pieces of small engine equipment every year, and answer 1,000's of small engine questions. We specialize in brands such as Briggs and Stratton, Kohler, Echo and Shindaiwa, but work everyday on MANY other brands like Stihl, Husqvarna, Honda, Craftsman, Remington, Red Max, Troy Bilt, Scag, Bad Boy, Hustler, World Lawn, Poulan, Mantis, Etc.. Hopefully, my experience I share, will save you Time, Money and Frustration in the future!
DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you! Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to provide you with free content each week!
Although very informative, these videos are for entertainment purposes. Please use all possible safety precautions when repairing and operating your small engine equipment. - Навчання та стиль
Thanks for Watching! Find a link to all of my "Must Have", Favorite Tools HERE!! www.amazon.com/shop/chickanic?ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_aipsfshop_aipsfchickanic_9ERPFPBNGQ924P8NS63B
We had 2 rules at our shop. We don't do basket cases or clean up messes. You take it apart, you put it back together.
A friend of mines dad used to work on gas station equipment. He'd have a guy bring in a big air compressor for a free estimate. Don would tear it all down and make a list of parts it needed and prices/labor. If the guy declined the repair Don would put all the parts in a box, add a few random parts from scrappers, and send the guy home with it.
@john street that would serve the jacka** right. I hated it when a customer would use as a diagnosis, then say they can get it done cheaper. About half would show up a week later needing it fixed right. My boss would usually add 50-75%. He called it a clean up tax.
@@blkmoon33 they flip out at a 65$ diagnostic fee that's on a sign when you walk in the place.
And even that's giving them a deal because the tech (me) gets an hour to diagnose and make a list of what it needs.
(I'm in a different field)
@@MrTheHillfolk and they never take into account the cost of tools to do the work properly. Those diagnostic computers aren't cheap. Just hand tools cost a small fortune. My first box cost more than my car at the time.
@@blkmoon33 ain't that the truth!
Wish I knew now what I knew then😂
That being we got about 50% off catalog price for snap on tools when I was in tech school.
The set was 4500 ,we sat down and began totaling it up, and 2/3 the way thru we were at like 7k and we still had tap and die sets and puller sets and the like.
We did get 25% off anything in the catalog so I spent another 750.
I was pretty set up ,I didn't get into the tool truck hole too much.
I'm mobile now so we don't really have a tool guy stop in, but I have a friend that works for snap-on industrial that gets me warranty or broken stuff replaced.
My favorite statement from the customer, “it ran fine when I used it last. It just needs a tune up.”
Same wording they'll use on Marketplace!
It just needs a small service..
“Well, it ran fine before I forgot to put fresh oil in it. It just needs to get unstuck.” Lmao, I’ve heard that one before from a customer.
🤣 it ran when parked( fails to tell u that was 12 years ago) and just needs a battery🤣. when ya see it the frame is rotten away etc🤣
"When did you use it last?"
"Lemme think, little Billy was about eight years old - his wife just had her second baby, you know - so I reckon that was about 2004, oh-five. That sounds about right."
Not a small engine story but I worked as a mechanic back in the 70s for a small shop. We had a customer bring in his Chevrolet Impala that he had “worked” on. He couldn’t figure out how to get it back together. My boss decided that we could and took it on. Customer stated that everything was in the trunk.
Opened the trunk and found parts from three different engines, two Chevrolet engines and parts of one Pontiac😱. Two days later I was able finally get it together and running.
Some people 🤬.
You guys are what every small engine shop should strive to be, a real shop with honest people that will fix it if it's worth it and make the proper call when it's not. 👍👍👍
I have a 20 year old cub cadet and a 17 year old Eco weed Wacker. Both look and run like new still. I take good care of my tools and equipment. Great video 😎👍
I hear ya’, I have a soon to be (come September) 30 year old Homelite lawn mower that I have steadily used every season. I do all my small engine work after taking two courses at a local high school. My neighbors push their mowers out to the curb every few years including their snowblowers (ahh, they are also the ones that need to get a new car with the same regularity). My van is also 19 years old with no rust and running like new. The moral is it is better and cheaper to learn how to maintain your “stuff”.
I am the same way. The tools are too expensive to treat like that.
@@donjohnson3701Buy good equipment and take care of it, Regular maintenance is the least expensive form of repair
1986 john deer 165 hydro that has been in the family. Shit will last as long as you take care of it properly. "Take care of your stuff, and it will take care of you" I have tons of stuff 10-30 years old
You’re a smart Man! Mr Mike!
I always tell my customers. I do repairs I don’t do projects but just like your shop sometimes something gets by me. I have a Scagg zero in the shop right now that should have been taken to the scrap yard.
I retired my 1972 Simplicity 310H from mowing duty and bought a Kubota Z231 zero turn (Kawasaki powered). I figure buy once,cry once😂. I’m a retired mechanic and I feel your pain about customers who are not honest or forgetful. Thanks for the videos!
My experience with Kubota is that repairs scale to the purchase price. For example if you need a new transaxle because a hose popped off and all the oil leaked out, that alone is going to cost more than a whole new Club Cadet.
@@Nonplused That was the first thing I looked and sadly there is only one company that supplies the trans axles to all the manufacturers. The Kubota was priced cheaper than it’s competitors and had zero percent interest on the loan.
Another tip: DON'T LOAN YOUR STUFF OUT!!!!!
EVERY TIME I'VE LOANED STUFF OUT, I GET BACK A BOX OF BROKEN PARTS.
Let them be mad at you or keep some broken down used stuff on hand for loaning.
Don't loan out your prized tools! Just don't do it, you will regret it.
Especially to relatives ....
@@sparkywirenut OH HELL YES. from just a few weeks ago:
relative: hey, can I borrow your line trimmer?
me: no, because when I let you borrow my last one that was running perfectly, it came back damaged beyond repair. I've now bought a new one and you're not touching it.
relative: waah!!!
me: you can say I'm Hitler all you like. I'm the one with the working line trimmer.
@@sparkywirenut or neighbors......
Yup, can't even trust my own brother with my power tools.
@@markdanielczyk944 same here.....
As a small engine mechanic I have to give you a thank you for telling people that! I get the same stuff all the time, and it's frustrating to waste both customer time, and my time on stuff that is likely to not be fixable. P.S. I've gotten so many "5gal bucket tools" I keep one near the door with a sign that says diagnosis on 5 gal bucket full of parts will always be "Buy A New One" with an arrow pointing at the bucket full of parts.
2 funny but so dang tru
Just a small note: if you see an older guy smiling and/or laughing it is because you made him remember something he had forgotten. In my twenties {40 years ago} I started working downtown Tulsa at Bill White Chevrolet. I was a new heavy line mechanic, or NEWBY, as we called them. We have many customers would take their engines apart, give up and bring them to us in cardboard boxes. Of course they only wanted to pay half the labor because, they were nice enough to already taken it apart? We had the same thing with extra parts, where does this go? Then the customer would call and want to know why their car is not ready yet? We had to tell them, bring me the rest of the parts and we will finish the JOB! Thanks for the memories. Don the retired mechanic.
Maintenance is cheap, buying new equipment every year is not. All my personal equipment was purchased used and has lasted many many years with no issues. I get trade ins with mowers I sell (usually they just give it to me for free to save a trip to the dump) and the stories i uncover from them are always frustrating. Practically brand new engines blown up, many bent crankshafts, decks rotted in half, etc. I can’t imagine what you have seen roll into your shop. Thank you as always for sharing! My favorite save was a 1987 Cub Cadet Riding Mower that was left to rot in the original owners backyard. That was 3 years ago and it’s still going strong today.
💯👍🏾
That's a shame with that Craftsman rider. I bought one in the 80's used it for years on a half acre and when I moved an elderly gentleman that was a friend of my brother's bought it and believe it or not it is still being used. I took good care of it and so did the man that bought it, maintenance is everything.
It is unbelievable the conditions that people bring things to you! I don’t like it when they take it apart and bring in the pieces. Thanks for the tips!
they called them basket cases in WW1
this happens all the time at my shop. ive hade people bring in engines tore all the way down to the crank. and i end up putting it back together to find another problem
My Dad had his own shop in the early 80's and a guy brought his push mower in and said it was running strange so he tried adjusting the screws on the carburetor and it's worse now. Dad dumped out his gas tank and put some fresh fuel in it and adjusted his carb. Dad called him the most honest guy he ever met because nobody owns up to attempting to adjust those screws and didn't charge him. Another guy kept bringing his mower back saying it wasn't running right. Every time all that was wrong was the screws were out of adjustment, so then he started marking the screw threads with a dab of paint and the guy kept bringing the mower back not running correctly and the screws obviously had been turned. So the next time it came back with the screws turned again, he adjusted the screws again, took out a pair of side cutters and cut the heads off the screws. When the guy asked about the screws, Dad told him there'd been a recall on that mower because of running issues and cutting the heads off was the manufacturer recommended remedy. Later on when my Dad saw the guy, he complimented my Dad for staying with it getting his mower fixed!
Yup!! Good solid advice!! I've heard a lot of "stories" and one of my favorite is: J.D. 225 rider..." it ran fine then KABOOM!! the hood blew up!! " Huge hole the size of a soccer ball in the middle of the hood. But right under this was the inner part of the hood and it was fine... no damage!! All the fluilds were fine, no sign of smoke, no other broken pieces. No leaks in the fuel system. No damaged or bare wires. Nearest thing I can figure is someone sat on it or dropped something on it.
I had one of those old snapper mowers that I got cheap from the hardware store because it had starter cord only and no one wanted it. It was the best mower I ever owned for many years 👍
I have one now. I'm in Australia and bought it 2nd hand from internet classifieds. Its in excellent condition. All I did was replace the drive disc and the belt now I use it every weekend
I always charged double when a customer brought me a “peach basket” item. Soon, word got around in our small town (2500) that it was cheaper if the customer didn’t work on it first.
Right on David just like the sign for hourly rates say: $70 per hour and $100 per hour if you have worked on it!
We used to charge an "Estimate fee" for everything that wasn't running when it came to us. We worked up an estimate, informed the customer of the amount/ problem and awaited their decision. They were given 30 days to decide or the unit would be disposed of after that time.
@@georgepruitt637 A proper method to employ and helps with storage of others equipment for long periods of time.
The last machine the guy didn't know much of anything about it, I guess he just wanted an estimate. At that point, you find really bad stuff and tell them it's going to cost more than a new one and sell them a new mower. Everyone is happy then
@@waynestefinashen239 eh? nothing wrong with people working and fixing their own stuff... the problem is when they dont finish it or get in over their heads... discouraging people from working on their own stuff is not the way to go about correcting the problem.. education is.
Service calls on larger stuff like a farm tractor, "I'd fix it myself if I had the time". They will find time to watch you fix it.
I absolutely love this channel!!! Great information!!!
I am absolutely gobsmacked at the state that you customers bring in items
I enjoy your videos. The details you give are excellent and pictures are extremely helpful. Also, very helpful to people who do not have a reliable small engine shop in their area.
Always enjoy your videos very informative. I wish you would do more videos like this of the disasters that people bring in.
I have a snowblower that is probably older than I am. Does it work perfectly, no, but it has kind of become my quest to keep it running. Is it grumpy on starting, yes, but so am I. It really doesn't take a lot of effort to keep small engines in shape. Also, this channel is really great. I learn things all the time, including, what jobs I am not capable of doing.
I have my John Deere 826 that I bought new in 1977 , still runs like a top , starts first pull , other than 4 frive discs a nd a spark plug I haven't had to touch it ,!
BTW , I live in the U.P. of michigan on lake superior so it gets well used every year .
Last fall my neighbor asked me to take a look at his Poulan chainsaw said it just needed a little carb adjustment. New fuel lines and rebuilding the carburetor new spark plug and a good cleaning now it runs and I sharpened the chain , so it also cuts. I told him sometime in the saws past it had ethanol fuel in it.
A little tlc has kept my old equipment running great. Your channel has helped me diagnose a few issues. I have never understood how people can let things get into such a state of disrepair. I worked too hard for my money to let it be wasted on running equipment till it dies.
Thank you for all of your great videos, they have taken up the majority of most afternoons since I found your channel several weeks back. So many great tips.
This is why I think its so important to educate yourself about basic mechanics and and maintenance whether you're the fix it yourself type or the type who takes things to the shop to be maintained. This applies to most things in our daily lives.
Extra parts in the strip down box was a joke often played on an apprentice by other workers in the workshop. Yes, you are running a business so your time and experience is worth something. I enjoy your infomative videos. 🐯
Yes YES I def charge an ID10T tax. Your time is invaluable!
I really love your videos, they are very informational. I have learned so much.
Another awesome video from our favorite small engine expert! You make such a great point about sending needy projects into service shops during the winter months! Not only is the turn around time better on a repair, with very reasonable-dare I say cheap?- labor, but it is also a great time to score deals on the items owners did not pick up, and are now up for sale! Bottom line: honesty is always the best policy, with yourself first, and then with others. You are not going to fool an experienced mechanic and what do you gain by even trying?
Crazy things people say and do with their stuff! Thanks for your channel.
Thank you for showing me how many bad things are brought in for you to fix that people have taken apart thinking they can fix it their self you just saved me from starting a lawnmower repair shop as used to work on Briggs and Stratton equipped push mowers in the 60's
I got a blower with a bag of parts a couple of days ago.... and it had 9 more screws than there were holes to put screws in. 🤣
Thank you for talking about this from the Repair Labor costs) YES so easy for me the owner to take apart. Many LABOR hours for YOU to look up in the correct manual to just start going through take down by ME. So glad you are explaining what a Repair shop must do, and showing real world customers take apart.
Wish spring was sprung here, waiting for the 5 to 8 inch snowfall we’re supposed to get. Hopefully after this I can store sno thrower for the season !! GODD INFORMATION AS USUAL👍
Love it! Nothing like a reality check for folks who don't take care of their tools.
Those box job are better off in the dumpster 😂.. great video
100% right on Chickanic and then they want a quote on repairs. They always say it was running fine. Sometimes i think our videos do more damage than good but in all reality that is only for those that try the DIY repairs and it is way over their heads. Many of our customers at Eliminator Performance can now do most of their own service because we take the time to show them how. It saves them money but gets us more business from their referrals. Additionally when something happens they are not sure of repairing they always call for pick up and repair.
That's the exact Snapper my dad had. I think I was 12 when he bought it. I'm 63 now.
Mrs Chickanic, On the bad Stihl pole saw powerheads I install used trimmer power heads usually a fs85. It cuts really well and no more valves and plastic cams.....
That's an old HT75, already has the same engine as fs85, I've one from 1999 or so, I had to replace the splined shaft a couple years ago and and replace the fuel lines, carburettor kit and fuel filter a month ago, but those were the first ones so i can't complain, that little engine is still really strong.
@@ruben_balea I never saw it, was vacuum & pressure testing a husqvarna 372xp while listening. I guess I assumed it was a 130 that someone tried to repair
@@grifonks Ah! I prefer those older engines too, a neighbor got a KM-whatever with the pruning attachment, he needed to prune a tree quite high and my father offered to do it by climbing another tree next to it that they were going to cut down later, because my father trusts more a healthy tree than a rental hydraulic lift...
My father then told me that maybe he didn't know the sweet spot of that engine but he definitely would have done it a lot faster with our HT75.
@@ruben_balea I think we'd all agree that the HT75/FS85's were stronger and more reliable, Stihl using soft steel in the early valve stems along with the plastic cam gears causing 4mix failures in the km's didn't help much either. My dealer is now unhappy with multiple BR800 failures. Currently most tree companies here are switching to Lithium powered pole trimmers. Your father is a wise man, dead trees are deadly
Hi young lady, I just ran across your channel. From the videos I've seen, you know your stuff! Only wished you lived closer to me. I would be a steady customer! Thanks, Ed
Total respect!! You are amazing. I've been wrenching 43 yrs. Small engines are in my DNA, so it's so refreshing to hear a fellow detail oriented geek.
Well put! To bring in equipment like this is a pure insult! Tell them, with a big smile, that you can guarantee it will cost them less than 10 000 dollars to fix it (and then you sell them a new machine). Don't accept harassment!
sound like good ideal to you find out the new stuffs junk and will never last like the old stuff does everything made cheap now days id rather spend same to restore old tank as spend it on plastic gear epa regulated to point it want run pic of junk
Thats a draw back from warching your shop .. you make it look easy
Great advice. Thanks for all the info.
I'm amazed at what people bring you Thanks for sharing
Good call! Always be straight up with your mechanic.
You are right, don't know how many repair shops I have seen with a yard full of old mowers people don't pick up, I am shure alot of people change their minds on repairs once they get the bill. They just go out a buy another leaving that shop stuck with their junk.
Great video seen all of it in my. I like when the customer tell you how long it should take to repair it. You are into the spring. Here in Canada we are dealing with 20cm (8") of snow today
Not even close to spring here snow up the arse in NW Wisconsin. Thanks for the video Bre take care of yourself and family and be Blessed ❤️❤️👍✅.
Awesome,thanks for sharing.
I just want to say "thank you" for the link I got from you for the small engine carb jet adjusting tool set a while ago. My chainsaws run better than new!!
Love your work. Relatively new to your channel. It’s a joy to watch and learn from. Also the Lowe’s electric mower with broken part that you found no replacement to be had. My god that’s incredible. Manufacturer should be shot. Again, great info and thanks for taking time to share. ❤❤❤
I've got a 75 Cub Cadet lawn tractor that runs like a top and mows like a dream. I give her all the TLC she can stand and she returns it in clippings.
This is my first time viewing here. Reminds me of my high school years, early 70s. I would go to the Coast to Coast and True Value hardware stores and buy all their "Trade ins" Usually paid $5 each, or less. They were happy to be rid of them. I fixed them at night, all winter. Tuned up, sharpened, painted. Early summer sell them off. I was able to pay for all my tools and much of my college expenses later. I don't know if young people could do the same thing now. It was good money for me at the time, but also hard work. I learned on my own.
I understand what you're saying and I feel your pain, I have to be completely honest with my mechanic as it's me doing the work. Keep up the great work it's nice to see honest mechanics that are willing to share their knowledge, dishonest jack leg shop "mechanics" were what led me to learning how to repair my own equipment and sometimes turning a "basket case" into a gem.
Great tips, thanks!
Great video's, I take a deposit on ALL equipment at check in at my shop to cover my initial time and to get some level of commitment from the customer. A zero turn or riders I charge $150 just to leave it , its $55 for push mowers and handhelds no exceptions. It really cuts down on the the junk you have to dispose of every year.
Yep...we get that "lame gift" statement from close friends/neighbors:
"OH, yes! It worked when I had it!"
[🙄...💭thinking then WHY did yooz people give it to us...talking about "bubble bobble heads"! And this goes for other things besides lawn and garden small engines...]
Larry/Angela Shaw
Fpk GA
...THANK YOU FOR YOUR SOLID
COLLEGUE
ADVICE!
HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY SAFE
AND
REFLECTIVE
4TH July
Holiday week, Bre and Ron...
Yooz folks are real gems in our hearts!!
Been there done that.Thanks for the tool info.
So Wise , Thank You .
GREAT show. Love it so informative 👏. Save tons of money 💰 listen to your channel. God richly bless.
Love the vet. Major respect for talent and the beautiful vet Right year and right color
If it was my shop / winter time would be disassembly and inventorying .... good used parts. Win / Win for both you and your customers.
I have turned people away when they walk in with a box full of parts and usually half of them is missing. For me it is just a headache i don't want anything to do with and often more stress than it's worth.
I have an old push mower given to me by my father in '97, with a straight rear axle and adjustable throttle, that my son ran over with his pickup last year. I took it to my mower guy who told me that it wasn't worth fixing until I told him what it meant to me. It was a great mower, well cared for, until ran over. I helped find parts and we had to find parts to the Briggs engine where my son had cracked it. The deck was warped, but we straightened it up pretty good. The mechanic warned me how expensive it was going to be and I told him to do it. I also said that it was not a priority and to do it whenever he had the time.
It was just before winter when he called and said it was done. It cost me over $200, but you know what? I was happy to pay for it and in the end, the mechanic was even happy that he made me happy by resurrecting that mower for me. Now my son on the other hand........I think his ass is still sore from all of the chewing! He never put it away after use and forgot about it, which is why he ran it over when backing out of the drive.
Job always costs more when the customer tries to repair it first.
I used to tell my customers I charge $75.00/hr, if you watch it's $100.00/hr, if you help it's $150.00/hr.
That's why it's better to work on your own equipment instead bringing it to crooked small engines repair shops.
@@johnstreet797 And if I do it myself it's free except for the parts I buy.
@@David-si9pi absolutely!
yeah that is a lot of bs... sure there are some cases but making blanket statements like this is just straight up wrong.
Mrs chickanic, you and Ron are probably 2 of the last small engine mechanics around. I don't even try to take my small stuff anywhere now. I just watch your videos and try to do it myself. I have a car mechanic who just called me about a car I have at his shop. He basically said that he has to replace everything and wanted me to let it go and buy a newer vehicle. So, maybe 🤔 we sometimes just let it go. Finally, when you take in a POS you should get a $50. To go through the machine and give an estimate
There are lots of small engine mechanics around.
@@Rockjock007 Are those available new? (the FS131 or 56 engines)
I give you alot of credit any of the small engine shops by me would not even take in any of the equipment in this video as a auto mechanic I can't say I really blame them you are actually saving time and money in the long run
Thanks Bri another great video
Hi from Oz, when an old clapped unit arrives & I'm told "It hasn't had a lot of use", my answer is "yeah right, is that since Noah owned it ?"
Great channel, thanks 👍😉
Great show. Thank you
When I had a boat repair shop, oh the stories I heard!!!!!!
BOAT, acronym for break out another thousand
@@johnstreet797 depends
I have been given at least 6 mowers during the past year. Most of them suffered from a lack of maintenance. Most had a filthy air cleaner which prevented the motor from running. Others had water in the carburetor.
Some people don't have the sense God gave them. Bre, have a great season. Make lots of money, I want to see the Mercury Cougar back on the road.
the world does not need another small block Ford.
the 'Gumpmobile', on the other hand! Snapper for the Win!
Reminds me of my $10 self-propelled walk-behind mower from a yard sale. “Yeah, we were using it last year”. If they were, it was leaking gas and burning oil pretty regularly.
never pay $10.
just wait till they roll it out to the curb with a 'Free' sign.
then pull the motor, re-mount it to your deck, new sparkplug, new air filter.
Of course, tighten the blade. (it's usually loose & knocking, so they think the motor is gone)
We don’t see that so much in my neighborhood, I know further north(I’m in southwest Michigan) there are more roadside “free” items
I wish you were in my area. I don't mind paying the price if I could actually find someone honest that actually knows what they are doing. I get so sick of people trying to rip me off I've resorted to doing work myself. Thankfully I never got in a spot that I couldn't finish what I started. If I ever do, no way would I bring it in for someone else to fix. Just push it out to the curb! LOL
It amazes me that people don't take better care of their equipment. I blow off all my stuff before I put it in the barn.
My 1990 john deere 420 still cuts like new.
My dad had a mower shop. March 1st customers come in. They say my machine won't start. One sniff of the fuel we tell them it needs a carb job. We fix it get it running. Customer comes to get it we start it for them and tell them to not use the feul in their gas can it's probably bad. Machine comes back a couple days later. Customer says we did a bad repair. Happened every year a couple times.
As a tech at a big cub cadet dealer we get many mtd machines in every season with just what u had. Takes too much time to even get an estimate, you quote high(more than value of machine), they approve the repairs, more stuff gets uncovered during repairs, bill is more, we loose our A$$. It's a vicious cycle. I liked all the info on the video! Super good tips and great ways to do business in the industry.
Hey thanks for the video on the windup string trimmer heads finally got to do it on my Echo was Easy 👍BVW Brantford Ontario Canada
I bought a 52” grasshopper with the engine removed and sitting by the mower at auction. I bought a brand new 25hp horizontal shaft engine, a new pulley, new clutch, and new hydro belt only to find out that the hydro drive system was shot on both sides.
I ran a small engine shop back in the 80's and I hand a sign made up to hang on the wall , You should do the same went like " Shop labor rate $20.00 per hour, Next line " You stand and watch over my shoulder $ 30.00 per hour, Last line , " You tried fixing it yourself and brought it here in a Box $ 40.00 per hour ! had some laughs about it but you know, but like ya all say if time, money and frustration, my personal fave. they bring in their mower and its acting funny cutting, of course I do not know how many blades U have had to install in the correct rotation but it always made me grin
This video is classic. This is why I only help buddies fix mowers and always tell me people I will not work on their mowers for money. When I end up with these types of mowers they go to scrap can get about $50 per rider at the scrap yard. Keep up the funny videos Chickanic
Great Video, thanks
I’ve got an old Wheel Horse garden tractor with an 18HP Kohler opposed-twin that I had to make over a dozen phone calls just trying to find someone who would want to work on it. The passenger’s side cylinder has a pretty gnarly compression leak and the machine hasn’t ran in over a decade. Even after finding a master .010 over rebuild kit for the engine, I still went through hell trying to find someone willing to turn a wrench.
Friggin sucks because originally mom got sick and needed care and that put his plan to teach me how to rebuild it on hiatus. Then after she passed, dad himself couldn’t get around too well either… now he’s gone, too.
I don’t want to sell it because it’s been in our family since 1975 and some of my favorite memories with mom and dad were them teaching me how to operate it and letting me mow the lawn with it back in the mid 90’s when I was still a kid. I wanna get the old horse back up and running no matter the cost, the the real kicker is that thing is in GREAT shape cosmetically and aside from the engine itself because it’s always been stored indoors. I didn’t even want to touch it or try starting it and potentially causing more problems rather than just bringing it to the shop as-is. Can’t put a price on memories… and the simple truth of the tractor itself is they *literally* don’t make them like this anymore.
Closest comparable modern machines would be a Kubota B-series or a John Deere 1-series, and those things cost a king’s ransom. :(
Greetings from Norway. Ok that and fixing old things is the Green line, and there is a new dimension. hehe 🙂Give everything ...Nice 🙂
Its often past the point of no return when people bring it in. They are just fishing to see what a shop will do it for but usually its in the junk stage.
And to be honest, its usually way cheaper to just buy a new item. Even if it gets fixed, its still mostly old rusted worn out components that are still on it waiting to fail.
was talking to a mechanic and he told me he was once GIVEN a caterpillar tractor with a disassembled engine. for reference for non mechanics, the bolts on a cat are like snowflakes: no two exactly alike. he said he got it back together, but it took him days to do it.
You have so much patience for working on some of these machines. I wouldn’t have touched them.
That last mower I love those kinds of equipment, I would get the engine to run if possible and remove it for another project, and maybe a few other parts for other mowers. Too much to fix that one, but others could be made usable with the parts.
That may work for an individual, but not for a shop. A shop risks warranty responsibility on the used parts, investing labor in removing and making the used parts serviceable, Storing the parts, waiting for just the right machine to come in needing that part and the owner willing to take a used part, etc
@@scottnunya1
That's very true, I can take a messed up machine like that take the engine off possibly get it running and put it on another mower, sell the repaired mower and make a few hundred dollars. I realize most shops don't want to do things like that. Too much time, and problems.
I have a 95 Craftsman ride on mower. Changed the deck out in 2011. Still works like a hot damn
The 'Craftsman' label is magic.
Swapped a Craftsman branded B&S Quantum on to my '84 Snapper walk behind.
It's still running, more than a decade after I did that. Build month: April 2000.
during the middle of winter they are fixing snowblower here.
The condition of the equipment you showed us speaks volumes to the lack of any basic understanding of how to look after mechanical equipment. Having worked on autos in a previous life i've seen some pretty disgusting cars.
The oil in that last mower looked fantastic. All mower oil should look so good.
My lawn mower shop also has Echo tools on the walls. I'm taking that as a good sign.
Just another day for our shop. We get crap like that all the time. It is fun when they lie to you. "Oh it was running just fine this morning." and you can tell it has not ran in 5 years.