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
Can you add links to referenced previous videos in the comments? At least for me youtube doesn't add any video link when you say (at 1 minute 10 seconds). Thanks for the videos regardless!
Realistically, if you were not “giving your time away” by working on your old lawn mower, you could be selling that time at your posted rate repairing another customer’s equipment that would be paying you. There are only so many hours in a week to divide up. All said and done, a Craftsman mower like that would sell at our dealership in southeast Missouri for about $350-$400 about 5-8 years ago. At least that’s all we could get for them, without investing all that “free” time in them.
Yea, balk at these repair costs, but will spend $10 at a Starbucks or $27 at Chick-Filet on two spicy chicken combos..... I guess it's all relative....
I love this last video it really helps put people in their place that have no idea what they’re talking about, I also have a UA-cam channel and I kind of specialize in Snapper rear engine riders. They’re very simplistic and easy to work on and very well engineered, because of the deck design they will pick up and bag anything that you will run over. They are totally amazing for picking up leaves. I get a lot of comments where people think my videos are too long, then I get other comments that tell me that my videos are very well done, and easy to follow for them to repair their machines. I guess you need to ignore the idiots and try to help the people that really need help. Jims Fixit shop.
usually labor is what costs a lot for just about everything. With Bre fixing the mower herself is just parts only and then, parts for what she pays for them NOT what she charges when she does a repair.
It's unfortunate there are so many people that have no concept of the amount of work and COST that goes into small motors...it actually pisses me off when I see the ignorant negative comments...geesh!!! I dabble a bit in small engines but out of interest and hobby...I can appreciate the time that can go into these units...by the way, I personally think your shop rates are VERY reasonable
I used to buy all my appliances at a shop that hauled away stuff people didn't want to repair, and didn't want to pay to have the trash company pick up. Sure, sometimes they got stuff that ended up being a box of parts and a scrap yard run, but they rehabbed a lot of appliances, and people could get a fully functioning, clean, and well repaired item for a fraction of the price of new. The place was also great for having the smaller refrigerators that fit in older apartments. When you can't move the cabinets, you may not be able to fit the 6' tall x 4' wide double-door unit with deep freezer drawer and separate temperature zones and yadda-yadda. Sometimes you can only fit that 58" tall 3' wide unit, and that's enough for two people in a small apartment. - Sorry for waxing on so. I just loved that place. I've since moved well out of the area, and I miss places like that.
I have repaired my own mowers for years but when I know it is beyond my experience I take it to a shop. Once the estimate comes in, I make the decision to approve the repair or just give it to the shop for free. If they fix it with spare parts they have available that is good for them. These people are just butt hurt because they have no idea how the real world works. Take a back seat and enjoy learning new skills and do the work yourself. I love this video, great job.
Great video. I had a friend give me a mower that had the deck belt replaced at a shop but the deck wouldn’t run.I relaced the belt to get the deck running .But the engine burned so much oil that I gave it to my neighbor who used it to chase .after parts at his lawnmower recycling yard.
Shoot, I'll pay that for it but she hasn't replied on how we can buy it. I know the area the shop was in and I go there often. I'd buy used/repaired from her any day over new crap.
Yes, I have a mower just like the one in the video. Easy to work on, so I keep working on it. I like the OLD style transmission as well. Don't trust a hydrostatic to last very long, and the price of a new replacement is what forces you to buy a new mower. I'll keep my OLD stuff, thank you!
Chickanic, no matter what you do there will always be people who do not understand things. Most of them have never touched a tool one day in their life. Don’t sweat the haters, those of us who know you and what it actually takes love and support you and always will!
Next time anyone wants to donate anything to you, they should get you some parts shelves! 😉😇😁 I'm teasing. Anyway, your videos are fantastic and I always learn from you. So thank you for the work you put in!
Can't be popular without haters.... That's how you know you've made it!! Thanks for the continued awesome content, Brie.....one of my favorite channels. God bless!
It was (given) to the customer you got it from that customer that didnt possess the skills to repair it and gave it to you and now some negative Nancy's accuse you of ripping the customer off? but if you did repair it for more than its value those same negative pepole would accuse you of "ripping off" the customer. You did the right thing and handled the negative coment very professionally great video thanks
And it’s a fact family members are the worst about it, then you never hear from them until they need free stuff again Hate even talking to that kind of people
Yeah and if you do people a favor by using used parts and skimp on labor cost- they are the first to badmouth you the worst when it inevitably breaks down again…those people you don’t want for customers, friends or relatives! Cheers & have a cold one!
Neighbors, friends, co-workers and family members are the absolute worst because once you either give, sell or fix something for them YOU are now obligated FOREVER to keep it maintained and running perfectly FOR FREE. They in the meanwhile abuse the equipment, ignore advice on proper operating techniques and do ZERO maintenance.
@g.ox: agreed. My dad did this type of stuff for a few years. He’s a very good mechanic and would not rip people off. The number of people that balked at the cost when they came to pick up their stuff was amazing. He kept invoices for everything as proof. He finally quit doing it, it wasn’t worth the headache to him.
In the area I live in, that weld job wouldn't cost $40. It would cost about $80 or more. Just the welding alone would take 5 minutes for both sides. But preparing the area to be welded would take about 15 minutes for both sides. Then, there is cleaning the welds and preparing for painting, add 15 maybe 20 minutes. And lastly, painting and the cost of good quality paint. People are too quick to judge. It cost me $60 to get the carburetor fixed on my chainsaw. There is the cost in parts, labor cost plus taxes. Thanks you Bre for breaking this down for everyone so that they see what takes to take on a job like this.
I am by no means a mechanic but I do enjoy bringing back small engine equipment back to life. I'm retired and do it to keep my hands and mind busy. I work on all my friends and neighbors stuff to keep it running and save them the expense of a repair shop or a new machine. I don't charge labor, just the cost of whatever parts I have to use. Your videos have helped me more than once and I say "Thank you!!" for taking the time to make and post them. And to all of those haters I say......"Sit on it!!"
Always going to have trolls that have weird opinions! My neighbors craftsman rider is 28 years old ! I keep fixing it for him as needed. Still running well !! Thanks for sharing! 😁
As a retired automotive mechanic I fix up old stuff for fun, mostly small stuff, just because I like to do it. By the time I get them back into shape it would cost less to purchase a new unit if labor was included. Many people do not understand this.
Yeah, parts are actually fairly cheap in comparison to labor/overhead. I installed a reman trans for a friend. He received quotes for $9k for a USED one to be installed by a shop. Parts cost came to $3k without markup plus 15 hours of labor.
I have made a lot of money over the years fixing old mowers and weedeaters and I have had people tell me I ripped them off but they did not want to spend the money to fix at a shop, some of these I paid for and some were given to me and those free ones will bring people out of the woodwork when they find out I sold it and made $$$ I say learn to fix it your self or shut up and go away and I even to car's and truck's to make $$$$ love the videos and keep up the good work sis.
Dad worked on mowers in the 80s and 90s. He got a lot of business and a great reputation. He got to where if somebody wanted to give him a mower after he diagnosed it and they didn't want to spend the money, he wrote out work tickets and would have the customer sign it. There was always those guys who would say they didn't want it, only to come back and say they wanted their machine back but thought they wouldn't have to pay the diagnostic charges. He didn't take any scrap mowers without paperwork.
the people who made those comments about you stealing that mower are the very same people who would expect you to make repairs and then complain about the bill no matter what you charged for it. and those are the same people who abuse and neglect their equipment. most of them are not even qualified to so much as to put gas in the tank. ignore those comments. people like that will always be with us. love your videos.
I find it interesting that some people would complain about you getting this mower for free. They don't realize how many times you have fixed something and customer never picks it up. I think your videos are great and the amount of information you put out there helps so many people. As far as this one person complaining, they have never had any type of business. But we the public so appreciate your videos and keep up the great work.
Yep. They usually accuse you of being a big, rich, greedy business owner. LOL. I hate that. I've had a few over the years tho. My repair business in electronics provided the customer with a free estimate of parts and labor. We never exceeded that. But I STILL had people who declined the repair come in and yell at me for my 'estimate' that cost them NOTHING. I'd just stand there and let them vent, then remind them that most shops charge for an estimate. Theirs was free. This momentarily stunned them, as they already 'knew' this, but had temporarily lost their sanity and came unglued at me for nothing. Some of these came back much later with a lot of their other gear, and never complained again. lol.
I was an automotive shop forman at a small shop in central California. You'd be surprised how many vehicles that were just left because of the repair ESTIMATE.
Local hazardous waste in my county sends the small engine equipment to high schools for them to work on. I cringed when I saw some parts I could easily re-use, but now happy to see stuff like that go to the kids to learn on. No better experience than real-world experience. Thanks for all you do!
Good for your local waste operation! Recycle, Refurbish, and Reuse is a lost thing in this disposable time. I run old stuff because I can fix it, and I learned to fix stuff in Ag Class, and from Depression Era parents.
If I was presented with a bill for $700 ish dollars for fixing that mower I would have paid it , and twice on Saturday. To replace the mower with a new one will cost at least twice that amount . I use my mower maybe 20 hours a year mowing . 100 hours towing my home made trailer to haul stuff around the place . I also use it to travel around town and cut the grass beside the roads . I really like your videos , keep up the good work .
When a reputable shop, like yourself, completely goes through a piece equipment to get it ready for resale, they do it right. No halfway fixes or rigging things. This video is a great example of what you run into on older equipment that needs repair. I do this occasionally for equipment I get donated from customers. Most of the time I am doing service and repair. When you add your real labor time into cost of repair the gross profit dries up quickly.
Howdyyawl from the land down under. You've got to weigh the cost of repairs to the age of the machine. Sometimes it's cheaper in the long run to get a new one. Keeping it real 😊
Bre, you handled the acuusations with dignity and class. Honestly, you explained the cost of parts and labor quite thoroughly in easy to understand terms for the non-mechanical public. Impressive handling an older riding mower that still had a long life ahead with some TLC from you and Ron. Great video, repair work and class. Best of success in the final repair(s) and future sale of this beauty!! 😀
Anyone that makes an ignorant comment like that has no idea what they are talking about. Just as you explained how it works. Its too bad you have to see ignorance like that. Is very nice of you to take the time out to explain how it happens. Keep on wrenching and ignore the ignorant because you can't fix stupid.
Don’t let ignorant people get to you. I personally love seeing you rehab something that is mostly still good and put it to good use. Too often I see people push nice machines to the curb for simple stuff and I just think that’s wasteful. So overall, it’s a good thing someone’s gonna get a nice machine for a few hundred bucksand it keeps it out of the landfill
This was a good program explaining how repairing old equipment can get very expensive and still have problems when the owner starts using it, it was interesting having you explain the problems and repairs on the mower deck
At any given time, the original customer could have paid the diagnostic fee and picked up that worn out rider and took it back home. Internet Trolls are always gonna talk trash. I had to rehab the deck on My 10-year-old Cub Cadet. So much rust under the factory powder coat I decided to strip it to bare metal, weld up all thin spots and beef up all bent or broken brackets. I even went so far as to make the pivot point bolts greaseable with zerk fittings. It took forever to finish ... I was fixing 10 years of hard use, weather corrosion and just plain factory defects/poor engineering. I could have bought a whole other brand-new mower for the time and expense I invested. But it is now way better for My use than it was when it left the factory. Thank You for this episode!! ✌
Honesty is the best policy. Amazing how some people don’t understand that. Also, if I remember correctly, the owner never got back to you after numerous attempts to contact them. After so much time, possession is 90% of the law. Complete the repairs and sell it or donate it to someone who needs a mower but just can’t afford to buy one. In the end, it’s yours to do with it as you please. Keep making these informative and enjoyable videos.
I've seen lawn tractors on Facebook for sale for as low as $500 running condition. If I were local to you I would give a lot more for that one because you have gone all through it. Take care!
I've had that happen to me, my customer said I didn't know what I was doing and said her boyfriend could do a better job. I said ok and 4 weeks down the road she called back and said could you get my ride on mower he doesn't know what he's doing, and bill me what ever you have to with no complaints.
I am glad to see you have success with this old mower. And for as old as this is, if someone takes reasonable care of it, it should last another 20 years. But with a brand new mower built the way they are today, it would be lucky to last 10 years. I love to see older stuff brought back to life.
Bugger the haters, you keep on doing what you’re doing. If the machine is left for lack of funds or lack of interest after a period of time then it’s yours. Specially if you bring in storage charges.
I work part-time for a Rancher. We didn't have time to go through the paycheck paper work ' the feed tractor was down . He just signed a blank check and told me to fill in whatever he owed me . If you and your family were in our area ' I'd have no problem doing business with you guys on the same level of trust .
Have a pig farmer locally that would do this all the time with us. Unfortunately, as we grew we stopped working on the type of equipment he was bringing in. Great guy!
Remember that this feed tractor was being used to MAKE MONEY. Every day it is broken down, the owner is LOSING MONEY. So signing a "blank check" to get the tractor repaired is GOOD BUSINESS practice for the owner.
One thing people overlook when a mower like this one turns up "abandoned" in a repair shop is who the mower belonged to. This mower was probably owned by a retired person who kept it in their garage or shed and was "proud" of it, thus the good condition it is in. It probably got to the point they either got tired of mowing with it and hired a service or became too old and moved to a retirement home and had no more use for it. So why not "give" it to someone who can use it or the parts in it rather than junk it. Kudos to Chickanic for putting it back in service.
No one would take such a gamble on a mower unless they were a mechanic. Me as a customer would've bought a new one and scrapped the old one. If you could've used it then you would have been welcome to it as I ride off into the sunset with my nice shiny new machine. ❤
We all have our places. Always buy/have new mindset people keep the bankers happy. As my father would say, in a democracy of bankers, new item mindset and repair mindset, 2 vote new/ 1 vote repair ... repair loses. It's up to you as to whether your mindset should be controlled by you or a democracy. What I don't understand is why a new mindset person is spending time watching and commenting on a repair channel.
I do most, if not all, of my own repairs. My point was that if it was beyond my capabilities and I had to use a repair shop and the repair shop tells me it is not economically viable to repair, then I would consider replacement with a new machine. There comes a point where, like with a vehicle, you CAN keep it running, but you still have an old vehicle that will require constant maintenance as all the other parts wear out. Plus, I enjoy the channel.
I've worked on mowers on the side in my home shop 30yrs. I live in a small town with like a couple two three or four hundred people. Im not a certified small engine mechanic like you are. But i can relate. Most customers and UA-cam commentors don't know how much work is involved most of the time. And id rather have that old Craftsman mower than a new take your pick mtd variety of "brands". That Briggs engine is a whole different engine than a single cylinder briggs intek throw away engine. If that deck is original it wasn't used much. Enjoyed the video.
I have to commend you for making this video to help folks understand the labor and parts cost going into this type of riding mower repair. On the other hand, doing this to prove to some pencil neck keyboard commando about something quite honestly who probably couldn't tell you a Phillip's from a flat head screwdriver is fruitless. I've done a few of these resurrections for myself and to help others that can't afford a new machine with the new hefty prices attached . It's time consuming, can get expensive, and sometime has to be fudged as the parts are no longer available and can't be located. I wouldn't have even entertained this type of comment, but my hats off to you for doing so. Just don't be surprised if the clown doesn't try to throw more negativity for his own jolly's. I rely on folks like you to get me though rough spots that is usually some machine I've never worked on so, Keep em coming!
i enjoy when they say we rebuilt it last year, and now it wont mow....checking my records....I did a simple spring tune-up,....and they used it all year.........stay strong....
I got out of repair because of customers like that. After any repair, there's a certain customer who will come back for all subsequent problems deeming them "the same damn problem" and expect you to fix it for free. "Last year the fuel pump was bad, now the idler pulley bearing is bad ... it was FINE until you guys touched it!" I could write a book full of ways customers (especially commercial users) tried to avoid paying a penny for repair work. I fixed different equipment, but I adjusted the example to fit small engine shops.
My father was a sears tech for 37 years doing lawn and garden and in home appliances. The frame cracking was a common issue with that era of tractor. Just happens over time and with use it seems. I’ve seen some cracked almost in half. That started in the early 90’s from what he’s told me. Great job with the welds!
I am a retired mechanic but when I was working I ran across some of the same issue people would bring their vehicle into the shop for repair and it would need more then they were willing to spend if they wanted to sell the car or truck depends on what they were asking for it I would offer to buy it from them. sometimes I would fix them others I would part out a couple of times when I fixed up ones I bought a few people complained about my asking price because they knew what I have paid for them but they struggled to understand what I had to put into them to sell. Some people seem to just want to complain.
Great to see the repair costs at the standard shop rate. And interesting how complicated even a 'cream puff' barn find can be. It had a harder life that it would appear at first glance. Lots of great tips in this one!
You are spot on! In my shop, I very rarely repair for resale for all of the same reasons. When you add up the time and the parts required to bring to machine up to standard that you can stand behind on resale the profit margins are slim to none in many cases. Sometimes you get a diamond in the rough that is worth it, but it’s rare. Keep up the good work chick!
Most people have no clue of the surprises that lurk with non running equipment. I just had a chainsaw that had not been run in three years and was brought into my shop go from looking like it was a simple service to needing a carburetor pushing the repair to $215 on a $330 saw. That is a great example of why those of us in the know council people to think hard about investing their money in a given repair. One of the other local shops where I am has stopped taking in riders because the cost to repair them gets high so quickly that customers get annoyed at estimates. We charge $55 to drop off a handheld or walk behind piece of equipment and $150 for larger pieces of equipment. It has really reduced that pile of scrap we have to get rid of each year. Bottom line is if you are not willing to put down the deposit up front then you certainly are no going to want to pay for a repair.
I rebuilt 3 riders one summer. The neighbor had them in the garage and I got them running for them. It's easy to double the cost of the repair just in parts let alone labor. I didn't charge for labor and two of there repairs involved engine swaps. Lucky if you break even on a salvaged mower.
As a dyi guy that has a bunch of tube frame Bolens that I have collected and restored. The man hours that are required are way more that you could afford to pay a shop to work on at any shop rate. For a stamped out box store mower , you are correct. They are throw away for most people. Great videos, keep on going. Adapt Improvise and Overcome!
I’m sorry there are trolls everywhere. It’s awesome that you are putting the work in to fix the mower and showing us how BUT most people aren’t going to take that risk. They would rather invest in a sure new one. I know because I had to do that myself. It’s awesome to see the ole beast come back to life. Great job!!
Very good video. Remember though, how much was $550.00 thirty years ago . But I would have spent the $550. compared to how much mowers are today and the quality of them. At least I know I have something that may last many, many more years. Great video, enjoy all of them and love your new shop.
Bre Don’t worry about the small stuff haters are gonna hate. Especially when they had no clue on the cost of labor and parts. If the customer wanted it back he would’ve came and got it in our area in Michigan. Anything left over 90 days becomes property of these you take it to. Love your channel keep up the great work
Hi Brei, I do not own a repair shop but have worked on garden power tools for 50 years. After watching this video, you come across as an honest hard working repairer doing an amazing job explaining the intricacies of the repairs. Hats off to you and keep up the astounding skills you have for the customers. @@Chickanic
@Chickanic in the start of your video you always say your here to save your viewers time and money to show people how to fix their own equipment. I believe every word of what you have to say about helping all of us. Thanks
Some people must think your time isn't worth much.............15 years ago our regular service charge for a rider was around 400 dollars ...........add in problem's then the bill really starts to escalate .........love your videos you do great work 👍👍
I use a local repair shop for all my "stuff". They may not be the cheapest, but they are the best. They are 10 of 10 on the honesty scale. Sadly, there are way too many shops ripping off their customers. I owned a sporting goods store, albeit a small one, specializing in firearms. I was ALWAYS honest with people and had a policy, if it doesn't cost me, it doesn't cost you. Example....A customer buys a scope, bases and rings for their rifle, I would mount and bore sight it, no charge. One happy and a repeat customer.
I get what you’re saying but it does have a cost to you. Your time has a cost associated to it, but it may not be big enough to add onto the bill and probably creates a better relationship in the long term just to add it in for free.
Hopefully you made a profit on the rifle scope & rings. The free mounting was the reason you got to sell the package & make a profit for your BUISINESS. If your nothing making a profit it a hobby not a business
I see this so often! I try to explain exactly what is going on with the mower (zero turn or whatever else) and give an estimate of what looks like it is good, may be needing replaces now or within the next couple years. Then the customer decides, if we find anything else while we have it apart we call but with extremely older equipment you can be darn sure your going to find something big 9 times out of 10 that makes it not worth doing during the process.
@@geostawny I even did this service if the scope/rings/bases were bought elsewhere. It takes15-20 minutes and the customer skips happily out of the door. They'll be back.
I worked at an electronics shop a few years ago and we constantly had customers 'abandon/donate" their equipment because the repair was going to be too high for them. We often would repair the item and offer it for sale. Nothing wrong with that.
$40 for the welding job? I know that was a hubby deal and all of that... but the welders I know would barely put a rod in a stinger for $40 - much less prep, weld, slick-up, and paint. 😄 Which just proves your point about repair expenses. Good videos!
I have also owned my own small engine shop and these mowers aren't "free" you have diag time invested and storage if then customer decides to not get back to you for months, that's money out of the shops pocket. Then if they leave it because of cost then the shop still has to repair the mower to get back an y monies lost while having the said equipment. Time is money!! Love what you do Bre and i know howq it feels to have haters LOL Love them 2!! Enjoy your week!!
not everyone sees it that way... I'll assume there would be a bit more to the cost not included here, so I'd estimate $800 That could be considered an investment, if the machine was then well kept up, maintained, etc. I wonder how many people take their equipment in to have it looked at proactively rather than waiting for problems. The spindle not being the right length might've been seen a lot sooner and prevented some further problems ... the bent rod might not have been as badly bent, but might've shown problems, before the brakes wouldn't engage...
Being a small engine technician myself I agree but not everyone thinks that way unfortunately. I will get a few people every year that will spend the money to get an older chainsaw repaired because they don't like m tronic carbs or fuel injectioned new technology. Or because of where I live they want to know if there Dads or grandfather's chainsaw can be repaired.
Agreed. She is also LOW on her labor costs. Zero time in there for diagnosis, and she put significantly more time into the machine than she charged for. To the people complaining... Fit it yourself! Save the money and keep mowing. I have a mower the same model as the one in the video. I just keep working on it, as I don't want to buy a new one! Mowers never truly wear out, you just finally get tired of working on them. lol With the price of new stuff, I'm not goign to get tired of working on this one for a very long time! I like the OLD style transmission. Hydrostatic units are what determine the lifespan of new mowers, and I'd rather not have that liability.
Great video. Most of the time, when people repair their machines and don't know what they are doing, they don't realize the expense it takes to get it running properly.
Great job @chickanic! You should see what I have to deal with for rust up here in Alberta Canada. The calcium chloride & salt they use on the roads in winter just destroys sweepers. More often than not I’m having to use my torch to even disassemble machines to even start diagnosing them they’re so rust welded. It’s crazy. I wish I lived down south where rust was simply a slight surface rust discoloration! 😂
I have full & complete confidence you do all you can to help people make the best choice about their eqipment . If people tried fixing these things their selves they would have true appreciation of what you do . Its a FACT that people who never attempt repair have no clue what is involved ! ! Love watching your channel . I do my own repairs & maintenance yet my 70 year old self still likes to learn more .
Bre, I have been a huge fan of yours for a long time and I think that I have seen just about all of the videos that I can find on Facebook and UA-cam. Not ever have I been bored with your work or content ! Great job, young lady 👩 ! Mike Ross from Gilmer Texas
Mike, I’m in Arkansas but my wheeling buddies all live in TX. For years I went down to (approximately) Gilmer to go wheeling at Barnwell Mountain. Some of the best wheeling around as close to AR as it is. I grew out of the mud stage YEARS ago, because water gets into everything. Dents are just battle scars. 😉 I’ve always loved it down there in the Gilmer area, mostly because it’s tucked away and off of the “typical” beaten path. I just thought that you might like to hear from someone on AR that has been to your little neck of the world. 🫡
@@ChickanicDon’t listen to the haters. They are clearly not doing the math here on parts and labor. I think it wasn’t as risky for you, as you already had the parts in stock, which if they didn’t fix the problem, then you would simply remove those new parts and re-use them on a future mower. I recently bought a non-working Mantis tiller and two non-working Echo SRM-225 string trimmers, all for $130. I fixed all three for less than $20(the tiller needed a new carb, and the trimmer carbs just needed to be cleaned).
Good way to set it all on the table Bre,I would have no worries in letting you and Ron work on my equipment,you guys are up front and HONEST.GOOD PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS WITH...................................................................Fort Worth,Tx
I've been in the building trades for over 30 years,and sometimes it's cheaper and more cost effective to tear a house down than it is to remodel,the same with the mower.
People can save repairs by doing it themselves. Some are just bright enough to start and mow. I had a craftsman for 23 years. I completely went through it, repainted, and installed new tires on it and gave it to my son-in-law in which he destroyed in less than 2 years. If you take care of things they will last you. Good job Bree and forget what others think. God Bless.
The spring on the spindle brake doesn't go over the nub it goes behind it like the spring on the other side. The round spring goes over the head of the bolt.
Just like a classic car. If you can do most of the restoration yourself or have friends help it can cost effective. If you just have a restoration shop do it, most likely you can’t get your money back out of it.
I wish I had a mechanic like you around me. Most people don't get how the real world works. I stuck $300 into my 6 year old 54" zero turn last year and was delighted I didn't have to spend 5K to buy a new unit. But 30 years equipment, good luck getting parts. I had to buy the steering kit from ebay as it was.
Great video Bre, remember the ole saying " You can please some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time but you cant please all the people all the time" Lol 😅
It never ceases to amaze me how many people think they know more about the other person's job than that person does! But, it's the same with EVERY service-related profession. I retired from commercial I.T. The systems I use for myself are "Franken-Boxes" that nobody in their right mind would want for a commercial environment, and that I cobbled together from crap that would have cost a customer to dispose of through a licensed electronics-waste handler, while sipping a couple Bourbons! (...and sometimes, watching the purple smoke roll out of a power-supply or CPU!) Hang in there, Bre! (and tell hubby that weld job really DOES look great!)
I would be very happy with your work, & prices. You seem very conscientious. Skilled workers are hard to find. You appear to be better than 90% of the men doing this type of work. Your two deck brake springs are put on differently.
I've worked on a ton of those exact mowers. 4 to 9 hrs of actual real Labor Hours for all that work is not uncommon. I never charged for every minute of work either.
Yup, me as well (still have a couple in the fleet). With the crappiest, new version of this machine never on sale any longer, at the big box store, for $2200, heck I would authorize up to $1K into one of these assuming a good engine, transaxle, and deck like this one has - what a clean machine that has been taken care of!
As a self employee for over 40 years and had a crew of 6 people working along side of me. I had people do the same crying about my time. They can't comprehend the cost of something to them is a simple fix. This is the reason so many people fail at self employment.
People always over look the cost of over head and liability. If they fix their own thing and then it breaks again, they simply fix it again. If they pay you to fixe it and it breaks again, they are pissed and think you ripped them off and want you to fix it again for free, including parts of course. Never mind that what broke had nothing to do with what you fixed originally.
no one thinks about it but it doesnt matter if you work for yourself or another its your time to are selling. and youre time is never worth as much as thiers.
That couldn't have been the first time someone thought you took advantage of them. A lot of people look at the price of the part and assume just because it is inexpensive installing it should be too. If you gave them all of the parts for free and sent it home for them to install they still couldn't do it. By the way you can't charge me for the time it took you to take it apart and diagnose the problem. You are doing me a favor by disposing of it for me. I'll just buy a new one. By the way I'll tell you how long it should take to repair my machine even if I have never worked on anything before.
Exactly fucking right I've been self employed 32 years How many times do people ask "Hey, what do you get it for " as if , the only cost involved was buying the part. People don't seem to understand what LEGITIMATE BUSINESS is Even a drug dealer has the cost of fuel and time and buying the crack. People think a Legitimate business is Do a free quote Buy the stock at your cost if the client changes their mind, it's ok, because YOUR'E A BUSINESS, You're loaded and have millions. and that you just sell them the part while doing nothing they don't understand Business start up costs Registration costs Licencing costs Certification costs Insurance costs Fuel Costs Running costs then the actual parts the labour the skill required to fix the product to be able to say confidentally I CAN FIX IT FOR YOU then if something goes wrong (which it always does) to be able to work around it to a budget NO FUCKING CLUE AT ALL Customers fail to understand that without business the economy doesn't survive but most of all, even if they don't understand all that JUST KEEP YOUR WORD AND DON'T FUCKING WHINGE I mean, if you don't want to donate it, then don't if someone else donated it, then YOU don't whinge because it wasn't yours or your decision These people just walk around thinking life is unfair and it owes them something. this comment on this video is just an excuse for that guy to have a whinge at her why she is even explaining her costs.... WHO FUCKING KNOWS... I wouldn't ! and her labour was only $120 Jeez man, that's really cheap what i've learned over the years is...... No matter what you tell a client is your labour charge they will whinge tell them it's $20 for 5 hours work and they'll say .. WHY ISN'T IT $10 tell them it's $10 and theyll say why isn't it $5 General rule of thumb.. Itemizing costs for clients is pointless. Firstly a client does not even understand what the costs are on those parts and what is a fair price. it's not like it's bread and milk I would just say this , this this and this was installed all that including labour here is the price that's it, itemizing is stupid i mean.. itemize THE ITEM sure, for warranty reasons but not the cost, there's no reason to do that when i sell a computer i don't say CPU this much case this much motherboard this much fan this much that's bullshit more like COMPUTER AND ASSEMBLY .... THIS MUCH computer includes item 1 item 2 item 3 etc that's it Customer now decides YES or NO and they can ask questions if they like who is she opening books to ? FUCKING YOU TUBE COMMENTORS LOL.......... I WOULDN'T
I like to hear your opinion regarding buying a traditional riding lawn tractor/mower or a zero turn mower when replacement time comes around. My mechanic told me when my riding mower gives out (its about 10 years old) that I should get a zero turn. I have a half acre and my son uses the riding lawnmower to mow three lawns in our neighborhood. All about a half acre each. His opinion is that the zero turn would be less of a headache in the long run. Maybe an interesting video for us who are unsure what to buy. Your videos are so well done. I watch them from beginning to end. Some folks just go overboard with the silliness and personality on steroids act.
Thats a great point people do not realize. I can buy thise crapsmens here in Pa in working condition for a couple hundred. Forget flipping them, I would lose my ass. I will take the good parts off and scrap the rest. Usually the rear end pays for the cost of the motor.
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
Can you add links to referenced previous videos in the comments? At least for me youtube doesn't add any video link when you say (at 1 minute 10 seconds). Thanks for the videos regardless!
12:12
Realistically, if you were not “giving your time away” by working on your old lawn mower, you could be selling that time at your posted rate repairing another customer’s equipment that would be paying you. There are only so many hours in a week to divide up. All said and done, a Craftsman mower like that would sell at our dealership in southeast Missouri for about $350-$400 about 5-8 years ago. At least that’s all we could get for them, without investing all that “free” time in them.
Thank you
There are a lot of people who will balk at the repair cost and just walk. It doesn't mean that Ms. Chickanic scammed the customer. On the contrary.
Yea, balk at these repair costs, but will spend $10 at a Starbucks or $27 at Chick-Filet on two spicy chicken combos..... I guess it's all relative....
It’s difficult to make a living repairing old equipment. You need to look at cost of new which are $1500 and up.
@@additudeobx totally agree! Personally, I would pay the price of repair, knowing that the new ones are expensive, but not made as well!! Tami F.
I love this last video it really helps put people in their place that have no idea what they’re talking about, I also have a UA-cam channel and I kind of specialize in Snapper rear engine riders. They’re very simplistic and easy to work on and very well engineered, because of the deck design they will pick up and bag anything that you will run over. They are totally amazing for picking up leaves. I get a lot of comments where people think my videos are too long, then I get other comments that tell me that my videos are very well done, and easy to follow for them to repair their machines. I guess you need to ignore the idiots and try to help the people that really need help. Jims Fixit shop.
usually labor is what costs a lot for just about everything. With Bre fixing the mower herself is just parts only and then, parts for what she pays for them NOT what she charges when she does a repair.
It's unfortunate there are so many people that have no concept of the amount of work and COST that goes into small motors...it actually pisses me off when I see the ignorant negative comments...geesh!!! I dabble a bit in small engines but out of interest and hobby...I can appreciate the time that can go into these units...by the way, I personally think your shop rates are VERY reasonable
A mechanic repairing something for a customer and a mechanic rehabbing something to sell are two very different things.
I used to buy all my appliances at a shop that hauled away stuff people didn't want to repair, and didn't want to pay to have the trash company pick up.
Sure, sometimes they got stuff that ended up being a box of parts and a scrap yard run, but they rehabbed a lot of appliances, and people could get a fully functioning, clean, and well repaired item for a fraction of the price of new.
The place was also great for having the smaller refrigerators that fit in older apartments. When you can't move the cabinets, you may not be able to fit the 6' tall x 4' wide double-door unit with deep freezer drawer and separate temperature zones and yadda-yadda. Sometimes you can only fit that 58" tall 3' wide unit, and that's enough for two people in a small apartment.
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Sorry for waxing on so. I just loved that place. I've since moved well out of the area, and I miss places like that.
I have repaired my own mowers for years but when I know it is beyond my experience I take it to a shop. Once the estimate comes in, I make the decision to approve the repair or just give it to the shop for free. If they fix it with spare parts they have available that is good for them. These people are just butt hurt because they have no idea how the real world works. Take a back seat and enjoy learning new skills and do the work yourself. I love this video, great job.
*_YOU NAILED IT. They are definitely butt hurt (and they always think they are the smartest guy in the room - but it's often the opposite). LOL 👍_*
Great video. I had a friend give me a mower that had the deck belt replaced at a shop but the deck wouldn’t run.I relaced the belt to get the deck running .But the engine burned so much oil that I gave it to my neighbor who used it to chase .after parts at his lawnmower recycling yard.
@@andyroid5028ya if there mechanics them selves fix it your self or and all you'll have in it is your labor and parts costs.
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😅😅
@@everettparkin9795
Every body thinks you’re time is worthless but I bet they know what they’re time is worth
Even at 600 its a better mower than you can get today.
Shoot, I'll pay that for it but she hasn't replied on how we can buy it. I know the area the shop was in and I go there often. I'd buy used/repaired from her any day over new crap.
Yes, I have a mower just like the one in the video. Easy to work on, so I keep working on it. I like the OLD style transmission as well. Don't trust a hydrostatic to last very long, and the price of a new replacement is what forces you to buy a new mower. I'll keep my OLD stuff, thank you!
id payed 600 for repairs better then 3k for new one want last
Chickanic, no matter what you do there will always be people who do not understand things. Most of them have never touched a tool one day in their life. Don’t sweat the haters, those of us who know you and what it actually takes love and support you and always will!
My thoughts exactly.
Next time anyone wants to donate anything to you, they should get you some parts shelves! 😉😇😁
I'm teasing. Anyway, your videos are fantastic and I always learn from you. So thank you for the work you put in!
Can't be popular without haters.... That's how you know you've made it!! Thanks for the continued awesome content, Brie.....one of my favorite channels. God bless!
It was (given) to the customer you got it from that customer that didnt possess the skills to repair it and gave it to you and now some negative Nancy's accuse you of ripping the customer off? but if you did repair it for more than its value those same negative pepole would accuse you of "ripping off" the customer. You did the right thing and handled the negative coment very professionally great video thanks
Some people think labor should be free and parts should be given at cost...
And it’s a fact family members are the worst about it, then you never hear from them until they need free stuff again
Hate even talking to that kind of people
Yeah and if you do people a favor by using used parts and skimp on labor cost- they are the first to badmouth you the worst when it inevitably breaks down again…those people you don’t want for customers, friends or relatives! Cheers & have a cold one!
Neighbors, friends, co-workers and family members are the absolute worst because once you either give, sell or fix something for them YOU are now obligated FOREVER to keep it maintained and running perfectly FOR FREE. They in the meanwhile abuse the equipment, ignore advice on proper operating techniques and do ZERO maintenance.
yet they complain about their own jobs how they are not paid enough money.
@g.ox: agreed. My dad did this type of stuff for a few years. He’s a very good mechanic and would not rip people off. The number of people that balked at the cost when they came to pick up their stuff was amazing. He kept invoices for everything as proof. He finally quit doing it, it wasn’t worth the headache to him.
Most of us out here get it.
You're the cheapest shop. . . and the nicest. . . AND, the prettiest !!!
One man’s trash is another woman’s treasure ❤
In the area I live in, that weld job wouldn't cost $40. It would cost about $80 or more.
Just the welding alone would take 5 minutes for both sides. But preparing the area to be welded would take about 15 minutes for both sides. Then, there is cleaning the welds and preparing for painting, add 15 maybe 20 minutes. And lastly, painting and the cost of good quality paint.
People are too quick to judge.
It cost me $60 to get the carburetor fixed on my chainsaw. There is the cost in parts, labor cost plus taxes.
Thanks you Bre for breaking this down for everyone so that they see what takes to take on a job like this.
I am by no means a mechanic but I do enjoy bringing back small engine equipment back to life. I'm retired and do it to keep my hands and mind busy. I work on all my friends and neighbors stuff to keep it running and save them the expense of a repair shop or a new machine. I don't charge labor, just the cost of whatever parts I have to use. Your videos have helped me more than once and I say "Thank you!!" for taking the time to make and post them. And to all of those haters I say......"Sit on it!!"
Why don't you charge labor, are you a communist?
Always going to have trolls that have weird opinions! My neighbors craftsman rider is 28 years old ! I keep fixing it for him as needed. Still running well !! Thanks for sharing! 😁
As a retired automotive mechanic I fix up old stuff for fun, mostly small stuff, just because I like to do it.
By the time I get them back into shape it would cost less to purchase a new unit if labor was included.
Many people do not understand this.
Yeah, parts are actually fairly cheap in comparison to labor/overhead. I installed a reman trans for a friend. He received quotes for $9k for a USED one to be installed by a shop. Parts cost came to $3k without markup plus 15 hours of labor.
I with you thats why i work on my stuff. I rarely take anything in. 30 yrs of maintenance and auto work experience.
The only thing you "STOLE" is your devoted viewers hearts... Love your channel!
I have made a lot of money over the years fixing old mowers and weedeaters and I have had people tell me I ripped them off but they did not want to spend the money to fix at a shop, some of these I paid for and some were given to me and those free ones will bring people out of the woodwork when they find out I sold it and made $$$ I say learn to fix it your self or shut up and go away and I even to car's and truck's to make $$$$ love the videos and keep up the good work sis.
You can't pay no attention to what people say. Some people are just jealous. You doing a fabulous job. Keep it up. 👍
Dad worked on mowers in the 80s and 90s. He got a lot of business and a great reputation. He got to where if somebody wanted to give him a mower after he diagnosed it and they didn't want to spend the money, he wrote out work tickets and would have the customer sign it. There was always those guys who would say they didn't want it, only to come back and say they wanted their machine back but thought they wouldn't have to pay the diagnostic charges. He didn't take any scrap mowers without paperwork.
Very smart!
the people who made those comments about you stealing that mower are the very same people who would expect you to make repairs and then complain about the bill no matter what you charged for it. and those are the same people who abuse and neglect their equipment. most of them are not even qualified to so much as to put gas in the tank. ignore those comments. people like that will always be with us. love your videos.
I find it interesting that some people would complain about you getting this mower for free. They don't realize how many times you have fixed something and customer never picks it up. I think your videos are great and the amount of information you put out there helps so many people. As far as this one person complaining, they have never had any type of business. But we the public so appreciate your videos and keep up the great work.
The same holds true when people want their $69 weed eater fixed. An hours labor before parts costs more than that pos cost new.
whenever that happens i show them where the dumpster is.
Yep. They usually accuse you of being a big, rich, greedy business owner. LOL. I hate that. I've had a few over the years tho. My repair business in electronics provided the customer with a free estimate of parts and labor. We never exceeded that. But I STILL had people who declined the repair come in and yell at me for my 'estimate' that cost them NOTHING. I'd just stand there and let them vent, then remind them that most shops charge for an estimate. Theirs was free. This momentarily stunned them, as they already 'knew' this, but had temporarily lost their sanity and came unglued at me for nothing.
Some of these came back much later with a lot of their other gear, and never complained again. lol.
I just toss them at that price. When the plastic blade adapter thing on my kobalt mower breaks...I can use its 5AH battery in my leaf blower!
I was an automotive shop forman at a small shop in central California.
You'd be surprised how many vehicles that were just left because of the repair ESTIMATE.
Local hazardous waste in my county sends the small engine equipment to high schools for them to work on. I cringed when I saw some parts I could easily re-use, but now happy to see stuff like that go to the kids to learn on. No better experience than real-world experience. Thanks for all you do!
Good for your local waste operation! Recycle, Refurbish, and Reuse is a lost thing in this disposable time. I run old stuff because I can fix it, and I learned to fix stuff in Ag Class, and from Depression Era parents.
If I was presented with a bill for $700 ish dollars for fixing that mower I would have paid it , and twice on Saturday.
To replace the mower with a new one will cost at least twice that amount .
I use my mower maybe 20 hours a year mowing . 100 hours towing my home made trailer to haul stuff around the place .
I also use it to travel around town and cut the grass beside the roads .
I really like your videos , keep up the good work .
When a reputable shop, like yourself, completely goes through a piece equipment to get it ready for resale, they do it right. No halfway fixes or rigging things. This video is a great example of what you run into on older equipment that needs repair. I do this occasionally for equipment I get donated from customers. Most of the time I am doing service and repair. When you add your real labor time into cost of repair the gross profit dries up quickly.
Howdyyawl from the land down under. You've got to weigh the cost of repairs to the age of the machine. Sometimes it's cheaper in the long run to get a new one. Keeping it real 😊
Fantastic video 😊 thanks for sharing 👍
Bre, you handled the acuusations with dignity and class. Honestly, you explained the cost of parts and labor quite thoroughly in easy to understand terms for the non-mechanical public.
Impressive handling an older riding mower that still had a long life ahead with some TLC from you and Ron. Great video, repair work and class. Best of success in the final repair(s) and future sale of this beauty!! 😀
You have great penmanship! That should be a line item as well. ;)
Anyone that makes an ignorant comment like that has no idea what they are talking about. Just as you explained how it works. Its too bad you have to see ignorance like that. Is very nice of you to take the time out to explain how it happens. Keep on wrenching and ignore the ignorant because you can't fix stupid.
If you cease to be yourself then you open the floodgates of cynicism.
Don’t let ignorant people get to you. I personally love seeing you rehab something that is mostly still good and put it to good use. Too often I see people push nice machines to the curb for simple stuff and I just think that’s wasteful. So overall, it’s a good thing someone’s gonna get a nice machine for a few hundred bucksand it keeps it out of the landfill
This was a good program explaining how repairing old equipment can get very expensive and still have problems when the owner starts using it, it was interesting having you explain the problems and repairs on the mower deck
At any given time, the original customer could have paid the diagnostic fee and picked up that worn out rider and took it back home. Internet Trolls are always gonna talk trash. I had to rehab the deck on My 10-year-old Cub Cadet. So much rust under the factory powder coat I decided to strip it to bare metal, weld up all thin spots and beef up all bent or broken brackets. I even went so far as to make the pivot point bolts greaseable with zerk fittings. It took forever to finish ... I was fixing 10 years of hard use, weather corrosion and just plain factory defects/poor engineering. I could have bought a whole other brand-new mower for the time and expense I invested. But it is now way better for My use than it was when it left the factory. Thank You for this episode!! ✌
Honesty is the best policy. Amazing how some people don’t understand that. Also, if I remember correctly, the owner never got back to you after numerous attempts to contact them. After so much time, possession is 90% of the law. Complete the repairs and sell it or donate it to someone who needs a mower but just can’t afford to buy one. In the end, it’s yours to do with it as you please. Keep making these informative and enjoyable videos.
Yeah , like that generator you fixed and gave to a family member. 😊
I've seen lawn tractors on Facebook for sale for as low as $500 running condition. If I were local to you I would give a lot more for that one because you have gone all through it. Take care!
I've had that happen to me, my customer said I didn't know what I was doing and said her boyfriend could do a better job. I said ok and 4 weeks down the road she called back and said could you get my ride on mower he doesn't know what he's doing, and bill me what ever you have to with no complaints.
Good video. Some people don't/can't understand how working on equipment/vehicles never is as simple it looks!
Great explanation of a real life scenario
I am glad to see you have success with this old mower.
And for as old as this is, if someone takes reasonable care of it, it should last another 20 years. But with a brand new mower built the way they are today, it would be lucky to last 10 years.
I love to see older stuff brought back to life.
Bugger the haters, you keep on doing what you’re doing. If the machine is left for lack of funds or lack of interest after a period of time then it’s yours. Specially if you bring in storage charges.
I work part-time for a Rancher. We didn't have time to go through the paycheck paper work ' the feed tractor was down . He just signed a blank check and told me to fill in whatever he owed me . If you and your family were in our area ' I'd have no problem doing business with you guys on the same level of trust .
Have a pig farmer locally that would do this all the time with us. Unfortunately, as we grew we stopped working on the type of equipment he was bringing in. Great guy!
Yes
Remember, deals being made on a handshake.
Remember that this feed tractor was being used to MAKE MONEY. Every day it is broken down, the owner is LOSING MONEY. So signing a "blank check" to get the tractor repaired is GOOD BUSINESS practice for the owner.
honesty goes a long way and builds trust with people and when you treat people right they will be there for you when you need them.
One thing people overlook when a mower like this one turns up "abandoned" in a repair shop is who the mower belonged to. This mower was probably owned by a retired person who kept it in their garage or shed and was "proud" of it, thus the good condition it is in. It probably got to the point they either got tired of mowing with it and hired a service or became too old and moved to a retirement home and had no more use for it. So why not "give" it to someone who can use it or the parts in it rather than junk it. Kudos to Chickanic for putting it back in service.
No one would take such a gamble on a mower unless they were a mechanic. Me as a customer would've bought a new one and scrapped the old one. If you could've used it then you would have been welcome to it as I ride off into the sunset with my nice shiny new machine. ❤
You ride off on a shiney new overpriced piece of junk
😂😂😂
@@wanderer418
With a plastic transaxle. 😮
We all have our places. Always buy/have new mindset people keep the bankers happy. As my father would say, in a democracy of bankers, new item mindset and repair mindset, 2 vote new/ 1 vote repair ... repair loses. It's up to you as to whether your mindset should be controlled by you or a democracy.
What I don't understand is why a new mindset person is spending time watching and commenting on a repair channel.
I do most, if not all, of my own repairs. My point was that if it was beyond my capabilities and I had to use a repair shop and the repair shop tells me it is not economically viable to repair, then I would consider replacement with a new machine. There comes a point where, like with a vehicle, you CAN keep it running, but you still have an old vehicle that will require constant maintenance as all the other parts wear out. Plus, I enjoy the channel.
I've worked on mowers on the side in my home shop 30yrs. I live in a small town with like a couple two three or four hundred people. Im not a certified small engine mechanic like you are. But i can relate. Most customers and UA-cam commentors don't know how much work is involved most of the time. And id rather have that old Craftsman mower than a new take your pick mtd variety of "brands". That Briggs engine is a whole different engine than a single cylinder briggs intek throw away engine. If that deck is original it wasn't used much. Enjoyed the video.
I like the storage table in the background! Kind of resembles a corvette!
I have to commend you for making this video to help folks understand the labor and parts cost going into this type of riding mower repair. On the other hand, doing this to prove to some pencil neck keyboard commando about something quite honestly who probably couldn't tell you a Phillip's from a flat head screwdriver is fruitless. I've done a few of these resurrections for myself and to help others that can't afford a new machine with the new hefty prices attached . It's time consuming, can get expensive, and sometime has to be fudged as the parts are no longer available and can't be located. I wouldn't have even entertained this type of comment, but my hats off to you for doing so. Just don't be surprised if the clown doesn't try to throw more negativity for his own jolly's. I rely on folks like you to get me though rough spots that is usually some machine I've never worked on so, Keep em coming!
i enjoy when they say we rebuilt it last year, and now it wont mow....checking my records....I did a simple spring tune-up,....and they used it all year.........stay strong....
I got out of repair because of customers like that. After any repair, there's a certain customer who will come back for all subsequent problems deeming them "the same damn problem" and expect you to fix it for free. "Last year the fuel pump was bad, now the idler pulley bearing is bad ... it was FINE until you guys touched it!" I could write a book full of ways customers (especially commercial users) tried to avoid paying a penny for repair work. I fixed different equipment, but I adjusted the example to fit small engine shops.
Oh, and from rxperience, you really have 4 to 5 hours in that job. You seriously understated your labor time.
My father was a sears tech for 37 years doing lawn and garden and in home appliances. The frame cracking was a common issue with that era of tractor. Just happens over time and with use it seems. I’ve seen some cracked almost in half. That started in the early 90’s from what he’s told me. Great job with the welds!
I am a retired mechanic but when I was working I ran across some of the same issue people would bring their vehicle into the shop for repair and it would need more then they were willing to spend if they wanted to sell the car or truck depends on what they were asking for it I would offer to buy it from them. sometimes I would fix them others I would part out a couple of times when I fixed up ones I bought a few people complained about my asking price because they knew what I have paid for them but they struggled to understand what I had to put into them to sell. Some people seem to just want to complain.
Great to see the repair costs at the standard shop rate. And interesting how complicated even a 'cream puff' barn find can be. It had a harder life that it would appear at first glance. Lots of great tips in this one!
You're right A lot of people this thing forget it I would I've got all kinds of stuff out there needs to be worked on
You are spot on!
In my shop, I very rarely repair for resale for all of the same reasons. When you add up the time and the parts required to bring to machine up to standard that you can stand behind on resale the profit margins are slim to none in many cases. Sometimes you get a diamond in the rough that is worth it, but it’s rare.
Keep up the good work chick!
Your amazing with this type of equipment 👍
Most people have no clue of the surprises that lurk with non running equipment. I just had a chainsaw that had not been run in three years and was brought into my shop go from looking like it was a simple service to needing a carburetor pushing the repair to $215 on a $330 saw. That is a great example of why those of us in the know council people to think hard about investing their money in a given repair. One of the other local shops where I am has stopped taking in riders because the cost to repair them gets high so quickly that customers get annoyed at estimates. We charge $55 to drop off a handheld or walk behind piece of equipment and $150 for larger pieces of equipment. It has really reduced that pile of scrap we have to get rid of each year. Bottom line is if you are not willing to put down the deposit up front then you certainly are no going to want to pay for a repair.
I rebuilt 3 riders one summer. The neighbor had them in the garage and I got them running for them. It's easy to double the cost of the repair just in parts let alone labor. I didn't charge for labor and two of there repairs involved engine swaps.
Lucky if you break even on a salvaged mower.
The heck with them, she does not mess over anyone, totally honest about what her shop does, another great job
I'm with you lady🎉. If peeps don't like it, tell em to fix it themselves.❤
As a dyi guy that has a bunch of tube frame Bolens that I have collected and restored. The man hours that are required are way more that you could afford to pay a shop to work on at any shop rate.
For a stamped out box store mower , you are correct. They are throw away for most people.
Great videos, keep on going.
Adapt Improvise and Overcome!
I've worked on my deck a lot because of striking tree roots a lot, and wet grass clippings left round the blade.pulleys.
I’m sorry there are trolls everywhere. It’s awesome that you are putting the work in to fix the mower and showing us how BUT most people aren’t going to take that risk. They would rather invest in a sure new one. I know because I had to do that myself. It’s awesome to see the ole beast come back to life. Great job!!
Very good video. Remember though, how much was $550.00 thirty years ago . But I would have spent the $550. compared to how much mowers are today and the quality of them. At least I know I have something that may last many, many more years. Great video, enjoy all of them and love your new shop.
Bre
Don’t worry about the small stuff haters are gonna hate. Especially when they had no clue on the cost of labor and parts. If the customer wanted it back he would’ve came and got it in our area in Michigan. Anything left over 90 days becomes property of these you take it to.
Love your channel keep up the great work
I know, it's just the only thing I truly "hate" is a liar and a thief. I don't like people thinking I am one.
Hi Brei,
I do not own a repair shop but have worked on garden power tools for 50 years. After watching this video, you come across as an honest hard working repairer doing an amazing job explaining the intricacies of the repairs. Hats off to you and keep up the astounding skills you have for the customers. @@Chickanic
@Chickanic in the start of your video you always say your here to save your viewers time and money to show people how to fix their own equipment. I believe every word of what you have to say about helping all of us. Thanks
A great job doing the mower
Some people must think your time isn't worth much.............15 years ago our regular service charge for a rider was around 400 dollars ...........add in problem's then the bill really starts to escalate .........love your videos you do great work 👍👍
I use a local repair shop for all my "stuff". They may not be the cheapest, but they are the best. They are 10 of 10 on the honesty scale. Sadly, there are way too many shops ripping off their customers. I owned a sporting goods store, albeit a small one, specializing in firearms. I was ALWAYS honest with people and had a policy, if it doesn't cost me, it doesn't cost you. Example....A customer buys a scope, bases and rings for their rifle, I would mount and bore sight it, no charge. One happy and a repeat customer.
I get what you’re saying but it does have a cost to you. Your time has a cost associated to it, but it may not be big enough to add onto the bill and probably creates a better relationship in the long term just to add it in for free.
That is some old world customer service. That with friendly chat would make me a dedicated customer at your establishment
Hopefully you made a profit on the rifle scope & rings. The free mounting was the reason you got to sell the package & make a profit for your BUISINESS. If your nothing making a profit it a hobby not a business
I see this so often! I try to explain exactly what is going on with the mower (zero turn or whatever else) and give an estimate of what looks like it is good, may be needing replaces now or within the next couple years. Then the customer decides, if we find anything else while we have it apart we call but with extremely older equipment you can be darn sure your going to find something big 9 times out of 10 that makes it not worth doing during the process.
@@geostawny I even did this service if the scope/rings/bases were bought elsewhere. It takes15-20 minutes and the customer skips happily out of the door. They'll be back.
Great come back- I laugh to myself working on my own stuff also thinking that I couldn't sell it for the labor I have in it! Great videos!
I worked at an electronics shop a few years ago and we constantly had customers 'abandon/donate" their equipment because the repair was going to be too high for them. We often would repair the item and offer it for sale. Nothing wrong with that.
$40 for the welding job? I know that was a hubby deal and all of that... but the welders I know would barely put a rod in a stinger for $40 - much less prep, weld, slick-up, and paint. 😄 Which just proves your point about repair expenses. Good videos!
I have also owned my own small engine shop and these mowers aren't "free" you have diag time invested and storage if then customer decides to not get back to you for months, that's money out of the shops pocket. Then if they leave it because of cost then the shop still has to repair the mower to get back an y monies lost while having the said equipment. Time is money!! Love what you do Bre and i know howq it feels to have haters LOL Love them 2!! Enjoy your week!!
Bre, has anybody told you today how awesome you are! Great video!
Awesome job. Some people expect everything for nothing...but would they work for nothing. Probably not. Cheers from Australia.
A 30 year old machine is well worth it due to the poor quality of machines today.
Yep
not everyone sees it that way...
I'll assume there would be a bit more to the cost not included here, so I'd estimate $800
That could be considered an investment, if the machine was then well kept up, maintained, etc.
I wonder how many people take their equipment in to have it looked at proactively rather than waiting for problems. The spindle not being the right length might've been seen a lot sooner and prevented some further problems ... the bent rod might not have been as badly bent, but might've shown problems, before the brakes wouldn't engage...
yep, and a new mower of similar features would cost at least, $3000
Being a small engine technician myself I agree but not everyone thinks that way unfortunately. I will get a few people every year that will spend the money to get an older chainsaw repaired because they don't like m tronic carbs or fuel injectioned new technology. Or because of where I live they want to know if there Dads or grandfather's chainsaw can be repaired.
Agreed. She is also LOW on her labor costs. Zero time in there for diagnosis, and she put significantly more time into the machine than she charged for. To the people complaining... Fit it yourself! Save the money and keep mowing. I have a mower the same model as the one in the video. I just keep working on it, as I don't want to buy a new one! Mowers never truly wear out, you just finally get tired of working on them. lol With the price of new stuff, I'm not goign to get tired of working on this one for a very long time! I like the OLD style transmission. Hydrostatic units are what determine the lifespan of new mowers, and I'd rather not have that liability.
Great repair video. Someone will end up with a really nice, long lasting machine.
Great video. Most of the time, when people repair their machines and don't know what they are doing, they don't realize the expense it takes to get it running properly.
Thanks Bear!
That’s where good old UA-cam comes in. 🤪
I for one am a UA-cam certified master riding mower tech.
Got a tee shirt and everything. 👍🏼
Great job @chickanic! You should see what I have to deal with for rust up here in Alberta Canada. The calcium chloride & salt they use on the roads in winter just destroys sweepers. More often than not I’m having to use my torch to even disassemble machines to even start diagnosing them they’re so rust welded. It’s crazy. I wish I lived down south where rust was simply a slight surface rust discoloration! 😂
I have full & complete confidence you do all you can to help people make the best choice about their eqipment . If people tried fixing these things their selves they would have true appreciation of what you do . Its a FACT that people who never attempt repair have no clue what is involved ! ! Love watching your channel . I do my own repairs & maintenance yet my 70 year old self still likes to learn more .
You're an MTG double. That's something to be proud of.
Bre,
I have been a huge fan of yours for a long time and I think that I have seen just about all of the videos that I can find on Facebook and UA-cam. Not ever have I been bored with your work or content ! Great job, young lady 👩 ! Mike Ross from Gilmer Texas
Wow, thank you!
Mike, I’m in Arkansas but my wheeling buddies all live in TX. For years I went down to (approximately) Gilmer to go wheeling at Barnwell Mountain. Some of the best wheeling around as close to AR as it is. I grew out of the mud stage YEARS ago, because water gets into everything. Dents are just battle scars. 😉 I’ve always loved it down there in the Gilmer area, mostly because it’s tucked away and off of the “typical” beaten path.
I just thought that you might like to hear from someone on AR that has been to your little neck of the world. 🫡
@@ChickanicDon’t listen to the haters. They are clearly not doing the math here on parts and labor. I think it wasn’t as risky for you, as you already had the parts in stock, which if they didn’t fix the problem, then you would simply remove those new parts and re-use them on a future mower. I recently bought a non-working Mantis tiller and two non-working Echo SRM-225 string trimmers, all for $130. I fixed all three for less than $20(the tiller needed a new carb, and the trimmer carbs just needed to be cleaned).
Good way to set it all on the table Bre,I would have no worries in letting you and Ron work on my equipment,you guys are up front and HONEST.GOOD PEOPLE TO DO BUSINESS WITH...................................................................Fort Worth,Tx
I've been in the building trades for over 30 years,and sometimes it's cheaper and more cost effective to tear a house down than it is to remodel,the same with the mower.
People can save repairs by doing it themselves. Some are just bright enough to start and mow. I had a craftsman for 23 years. I completely went through it, repainted, and installed new tires on it and gave it to my son-in-law in which he destroyed in less than 2 years. If you take care of things they will last you. Good job Bree and forget what others think. God Bless.
The spring on the spindle brake doesn't go over the nub it goes behind it like the spring on the other side. The round spring goes over the head of the bolt.
I also noticed that. Spring looked a little odd compared to the other one that was not part of this video.
I noticed that also!
You're the best small engine mechanic out there so they just jealous
Just like a classic car. If you can do most of the restoration yourself or have friends help it can cost effective. If you just have a restoration shop do it, most likely you can’t get your money back out of it.
With leverage and knowledge, we can do everything.
Hi I people just don't think before they type 😂!! LOVE your channel have been learning lots
Thanks you!
I wish I had a mechanic like you around me. Most people don't get how the real world works. I stuck $300 into my 6 year old 54" zero turn last year and was delighted I didn't have to spend 5K to buy a new unit. But 30 years equipment, good luck getting parts. I had to buy the steering kit from ebay as it was.
I’m grateful you guys will use them for parts. Whatever would I do with something I picked back up?
Great video Bre, remember the ole saying " You can please some of the people all the time and all the people some of the time but you cant please all the people all the time" Lol 😅
It never ceases to amaze me how many people think they know more about the other person's job than that person does!
But, it's the same with EVERY service-related profession.
I retired from commercial I.T.
The systems I use for myself are "Franken-Boxes" that nobody in their right mind would want for a commercial environment, and that I cobbled together from crap that would have cost a customer to dispose of through a licensed electronics-waste handler, while sipping a couple Bourbons! (...and sometimes, watching the purple smoke roll out of a power-supply or CPU!)
Hang in there, Bre!
(and tell hubby that weld job really DOES look great!)
I would be very happy with your work, & prices. You seem very conscientious. Skilled workers are hard to find. You appear to be better than 90% of the men doing this type of work. Your two deck brake springs are put on differently.
I've worked on a ton of those exact mowers. 4 to 9 hrs of actual real Labor Hours for all that work is not uncommon. I never charged for every minute of work either.
Yup! You really can't if you want people to be able to pay for the repair.
Yup, me as well (still have a couple in the fleet). With the crappiest, new version of this machine never on sale any longer, at the big box store, for $2200, heck I would authorize up to $1K into one of these assuming a good engine, transaxle, and deck like this one has - what a clean machine that has been taken care of!
THANKS CHIC, YOUR THE BEST!.
As a self employee for over 40 years and had a crew of 6 people working along side of me. I had people do the same crying about my time. They can't comprehend the cost of something to them is a simple fix. This is the reason so many people fail at self employment.
People always over look the cost of over head and liability. If they fix their own thing and then it breaks again, they simply fix it again. If they pay you to fixe it and it breaks again, they are pissed and think you ripped them off and want you to fix it again for free, including parts of course. Never mind that what broke had nothing to do with what you fixed originally.
no one thinks about it but it doesnt matter if you work for yourself or another its your time to are selling. and youre time is never worth as much as thiers.
That couldn't have been the first time someone thought you took advantage of them. A lot of people look at the price of the part and assume just because it is inexpensive installing it should be too. If you gave them all of the parts for free and sent it home for them to install they still couldn't do it. By the way you can't charge me for the time it took you to take it apart and diagnose the problem. You are doing me a favor by disposing of it for me. I'll just buy a new one. By the way I'll tell you how long it should take to repair my machine even if I have never worked on anything before.
Exactly fucking right
I've been self employed 32 years
How many times do people ask
"Hey, what do you get it for " as if , the only cost involved was buying the part.
People don't seem to understand what LEGITIMATE BUSINESS is
Even a drug dealer has the cost of fuel and time and buying the crack.
People think a Legitimate business is
Do a free quote
Buy the stock at your cost
if the client changes their mind, it's ok, because YOUR'E A BUSINESS, You're loaded and have millions.
and that you just sell them the part while doing nothing
they don't understand
Business start up costs
Registration costs
Licencing costs
Certification costs
Insurance costs
Fuel Costs
Running costs
then the actual parts
the labour
the skill required to fix the product to be able to say confidentally I CAN FIX IT FOR YOU
then if something goes wrong (which it always does) to be able to work around it to a budget
NO FUCKING CLUE AT ALL
Customers fail to understand that without business the economy doesn't survive
but most of all, even if they don't understand all that
JUST KEEP YOUR WORD AND DON'T FUCKING WHINGE
I mean, if you don't want to donate it, then don't
if someone else donated it, then YOU don't whinge because it wasn't yours or your decision
These people just walk around thinking life is unfair and it owes them something.
this comment on this video is just an excuse for that guy to have a whinge at her
why she is even explaining her costs.... WHO FUCKING KNOWS... I wouldn't !
and her labour was only $120 Jeez man, that's really cheap
what i've learned over the years is...... No matter what you tell a client is your labour charge
they will whinge
tell them it's $20 for 5 hours work and they'll say .. WHY ISN'T IT $10
tell them it's $10 and theyll say why isn't it $5
General rule of thumb.. Itemizing costs for clients is pointless.
Firstly a client does not even understand what the costs are on those parts and what is a fair price.
it's not like it's bread and milk
I would just say
this , this this and this was installed
all that including labour here is the price
that's it, itemizing is stupid
i mean.. itemize THE ITEM sure, for warranty reasons
but not the cost, there's no reason to do that
when i sell a computer
i don't say
CPU this much
case this much
motherboard this much
fan this much
that's bullshit
more like
COMPUTER AND ASSEMBLY .... THIS MUCH
computer includes
item 1
item 2
item 3
etc
that's it
Customer now decides YES or NO
and they can ask questions if they like
who is she opening books to ? FUCKING YOU TUBE COMMENTORS LOL.......... I WOULDN'T
Thats why you have someone other than the mechanic taking in the jobs.
I like to hear your opinion regarding buying a traditional riding lawn tractor/mower or a zero turn mower when replacement time comes around. My mechanic told me when my riding mower gives out (its about 10 years old) that I should get a zero turn. I have a half acre and my son uses the riding lawnmower to mow three lawns in our neighborhood. All about a half acre each. His opinion is that the zero turn would be less of a headache in the long run. Maybe an interesting video for us who are unsure what to buy. Your videos are so well done. I watch them from beginning to end. Some folks just go overboard with the silliness and personality on steroids act.
There's no guarantee that you will actually sell anything for what you're asking. Some idiots just love to complain
Thats a great point people do not realize. I can buy thise crapsmens here in Pa in working condition for a couple hundred. Forget flipping them, I would lose my ass. I will take the good parts off and scrap the rest. Usually the rear end pays for the cost of the motor.