I cut and sprayed commercially for 25 years. My Gravely and Stihl dealer was my go to guy for most of that time. I trusted him. He was honest, sincere and his shop took care of all of my needs. He was just thinking and planning for retirement when his cancer returned. He had been cancer free since the 70’s. I’ll never forget the empty feeling that I had the day he told me that he was closing. You will never fully know the impact that you have on many of your customers. He helped guide me through many of my purchases and repairs and, the best way to properly maintain my equipment. 28 years later while not in business anymore I still have and use most of my commercial tools. Make no mistake, your customers think more of you than you may realize. As you too wind down, I wish you much happiness. I enjoy your videos!
I feel you Bo...Owned and operated my shop for 38+ years...Still get phone calls from old customers 5 years later. My folks getting old and passing away...Had to deal with all that so I decided to retire because of too many headaches.
It’s called planned obsolescence! I worked on a 2015 Honda Civic in Feb 2023 and the seat belt assembly and air bag module were no longer available! 😢I was forced to send them off to a reconditioned company.
Retired 24 years ago got fed up with the repair business ( semi trucks and large equipment ) after 30 years. A independent truck owner operator feeds his family with his truck.If I could not get parts fast enough to get his semi back on the road his family suffers.I am better off now not having huge head aches.I some times miss working with my hands.Good luck Taryl .I turned 83 years in may and I don't like what I see happening in this country.
You paid your dues for sure and so True what is happening to the once...best Manufacturing...U.S.A.....Now China ownes us and there is NO pride in people like your age group had for certain! Happy 83rd B-Day.
Gotta tell ya Taryl I broke my back three years ago and was forced to retire.(thank god) I had spent my professional life as a GM then a Mercedes-Benz tech and team leader. What a nightmare!! Warranty was daily life and Customer pay dwindled away. Enjoy your time doing what you like the way you want. Thanks for the videos.
@@Darjan_Spasojevic I have one with a 20HP Briggs opposed. It runs great, almost no issues. I can live with scuffs and scratches. I was in lowes and some customer was fighting with them about some 3K mower that threw a rod after 30 days. It lost all the oil when it blew and they said its not warrantied because he didn't check the oil.
I passed on your videos for the longest time, I found your shtick a little silly at first. Then I actually started watching, and listening to what you had to teach. Now I regret not subscribing sooner, for some odd reason you guys feel like family. Thanks for everything Taryl, I hope you continue making awesome videos.👍
Teryl will work for yotube sponsors... cha ching you know those dam stupid commervials that interupt and annoy us with crap we hate. Anyone notice that they are more frequent, longer, and over played over and over?
North California, have my own small engine shop. I completely agree with this Man. California makes it very hard to complete a paying job. Most people are ignorant to what we have to do. Sleep with the shop on the brain, no rest. Very tuff in 2024. Taryl is a good Mechanic. My ears are open , like my eyes. Thank you young man for your video's.
Best thing you could do is leave Commiefornia for Georgia, particularly close to the rural areas away from the liberal filth in the big cities that moved from Commiefornia. Selling your home and shop in Cali will give you more than enough money to buy a good bit of land and a 1000 sqft shop with concrete flooring built out of sheet metal costs about $45k and land here goes for $300-$1300 and acre in most places. You will have reduced business for a while until your name gets out there, but the reduced expenses and operating costs will take care of that. Plus we have a healthy population of landscapers here, particularly near the medium sized cities, so if you set up 2-8 miles outside of one of those cities you would more than likely have steady customers almost immediately from just the landscapers and more from homeowners that DIY their landscaping in the rural areas.
I feel for you man. I'm still using my old Ransomes 4 ft wide walk behind, self propelled, with kawasaki fb460 engine. I bought it used in 93 and just take basic care of it like you do. I dread having to ever buy any new piece of crap made nowadays. I'm 63 also . Good luck and don't stroke out!
This episode really resonated with me. I was in this business for almost 40 years. I saw the decline in service and support happening 20 plus years ago. I retired from it in 2013. I see that it has gotten worse (parts quality, availability, and timely support) from the factories. I loved being in the industry in the 70’s and 80’s, but damn glad I’m not in it today. Taryl, I hope you don’t leave us entirely. 😢. We still need our “Taryl fix” on Sunday mornings.
I feel you there I've watched this man for years and learnt a lot from him. I repair stuff myself fix mowers up and sell them. It would be nice if he would continue all of his. Taryl fixes all skits.😊
I’m a parts manager at a dealership that carry’s scag, exmark, cub cadet, hustler, & stihl. Brother I know your pain and can relate. Who would ever think a lawn mower could be so stressful. And the world that we live in were scamazon has introduced us to the “I can have it tomorrow and it’s cheaper”. All I say is that’s fine. In my mind i’m saying have fun replacing it, your going to get good at it cause you’ll do it multiple times buying that junk. I can honestly say too I have been “factory trained” and I have learned more watching your videos over the years. Keep up the good work and I hope you can hang it up sooner than later and enjoy doing what you wanna do.
I can tell you that I have bought from amazon and have had parts put on from parts supply vendors. This one part we bought to do ourselves and never go around to doing it and was at the shop and he said he could install it for next to nothing. He called and got the part dropped off. It was in the same package, same box and same everything as the one sitting in the trunk. This is from Napa auto parts store, the part I bought was from amazon. Nearly all the parts sold are from the same vendors, sure there are some really cheap parts out there yet not all OEM or parts supply vendors are better or worse.
I've been doing small gas engine repairs on and off for 45 years, and I still learn things from your videos. Thank you for helping educate me through the years. Enjoy your time.. Thank You, Millions!!
This is why I have learned to work on my own equipment thanks to channels like yours Taryl. Mostly push mowers with old briggs on them but also a John Deere GX85 and a few smaller riders. Parts is still such a headache. Fortunately i have a spare mower in case things go wrong.
Same here. I bought a mower for the engine so I could pull mine and re-ring it, it’s a great bagger and I need it for fall leaf cleanup. Because of all this spare parts controversy I’m going to keep the old engine for a spare instead of putting it back on the older mower and selling it.
I still maintain my 2005 MTD "Yardman" 46" rider. Thankfully, parts are STILL available. Although, so far I have only needed the "wear and tear" items, like belts and an occasional bearing or two. The 20yr+ old "breaks & scrap-um" mill STILL runs near-new. I still haven't changed the plugs and it drinks about a tablespoon of Dinosaur Neckter in a season! The engine MUST have been built on a Wednesday! LOL
I retired from large toro dealer ship many years ago ,people started dropping off equipment at my house ,I told everyone no but I would leave the house ,come home and there would be a dam lawn mower with a note on it won't start ,sometimes I would not even know who dropped it off, i still get calls in spring ,I got all kinds of job offers from dealers wanting me to work for them but I had my fill of it .I just putz with my own stuff now ,and you are sure right on with parts availability its tuff ,the manufactures started shiting on the dealers years ago....glad you will still do videos ,
I love being retired, and you will too. I really appreciate your channel and I've fixed my mowers several times with your help. Good luck and since you're not a woman, I can tell you to CALM DOWN......
Taryl your sharing of your expertise is much appreciated, I'm 66 and retired and on a budget. I've been considering a small riding mower, but after seeing this video I'm going to pass. My all wheel push behind still works and I never had a problem with it and it lives all winter long outdoors under a tarp. It has a Kohler engine. But when a shop owner can't get parts, that's enough for me to change my mind about a purchase. Thanks again for all your honesty. Belts & blades sound like a low key way to slide into retirement. Good luck with your new path.🍀
Teral...we will miss you. You remind me of my uncle. Funny to beat hell. You are a good person. Always clean humor and a living repair encyclopedia. Unfortunately, it has become a throw-away society. Remember when your TV tube went bad, went to the local store and there was a display that had an assortment of tubes, stuck it in and fixed. Nowadays when your TV craps out, you throw it out. Yeah...I'm old.
I retired in 2018 from fixing mowers except for close relatives and myself. I was working at a shop in town. I had everything in the shop fixed, along came Thanksgiving, and I told them that I thought I was just done. I was getting my social security check by then, and like you said, didn't need all the hassles and stress associated with the job. It was almost as good a feeling as when you played hooky from school and went fishin...But in a way it was better because I wasn't going to get into trouble for skipping. Most of the stuff they are making now is garbage anyway. I don't miss it any. 😅
I feel the same as you. I was FORCED into "retirement" at 64. I worked as an Electronic Tech for a small "Electronic Power Equipment" manufacturer in Minnesota. The company (Mom & Pop) was bought out by "Sensata". Sensata decided that they did not want to REPAIR old equipment, instead wanted to sell ONLY NEW units. I had to start collecting SS early, but things are working out okay. I live in Clark County, Wisconsin now where OLD people can live CHEAP. Public Housing is only $602/Mo (30% of GROSS income). We have a 2-bedroom house with garage and NO maintenance EXCEPT lawn maintenance and snow removal, hence the NEED for a lawn tractor and snow thrower! Healthcare is VERY AFFORDABLE too! We live in Thorp, a one horse town where they "roll up the sidewalks at 9PM (even Friday), BUT there is ABSOLUTELY NO CRIME to worry about, you hardly ever see the ONE cop car that the city owns. I believe "Officer Bob" only works part-time! I think they should rename the city "Pleasantville", it is STILL in B&W, but hopefully go to "color" one of these days! LOL
You're right on the money on Availability. I'm having the same issues. Breaks and Scrapem has been bad, as has Schtenz. When I order from Schtenz, half my order is on back order, no more free shipping over x dollar amount, and they've promised to send their rep to my new shop multiple times and she's never showed. Angry customers are a huge issue with waiting on parts. Plus, most of the shop owners I know are Taryl's age (Taryl and my dad are the same age, learned the trade in my dad's shop. They're all hanging it up and retiring. I have been 3-4 weeks out all spring, even with hiring a full time and part time mechanic. It's crazy times for everyone still in it, I think.
and now Honda crap... Honda, prices go up, quality goes down. I see many Honda clones on the curb, including mine, and I don't bother with them. What happened to Tecumseh?
This man is the best of the best. Always right on with his instructions and first rate videos. Makes repairs & trouble shooting appear simple and shows the easiest methods of carrying out those repairs. Having the correct tools is always essential and Taryl lets you know where you can get them. Hope to see you in your future videos. Five stars always and thank you for sharing your expertise.
I understand. Back in the 80s, I was a general mechanic at a small two man shop. I saw the writing on the wall and the future of the auto industry, making electronics take control of everything. I enjoyed working on mechanical things but electronic diagnostics wasn't my thing. Ultimately I ended up as a sheet metal fabricator and did a little welding and such. I have now retired being just one year older than you and I'll tell you, the stress of customer problems that seem to grow once you get involved is OVER!! 😊😊😊😊😊 Happy retirement!!
I'll tell you this even the ATV's these days have an ignition control module but with small engines or car or semi, you need air fuel mix and spark or for diesels you need fuel flow oil pressure and the ficm to be operational to fire the engines but yes if there is something electronically wrong that doesn't turn the fuel pump on which now on gm' s and fords there is a solid state relay either in the passenger compartment fuse panel or the engine compartment one and these eventually go bad so then you have to bypass it and install an external relay temporarily or you just put the fuel pump on a switch like I did with my excursion. The fuel actually has 2 relays due to the inertia switch but the main fuel pump relay is the solid state one inside the fuse panel, very bad idea on gm and Ford not a good thing to do they should just have made the fuse panel with a relay you can just plug into the panel, because these panels new are like $300+ and used ones can be $150, if a mechanic has time there is always one add on slot for relays but would have open up the fuse panel and take the 4 wires from the solid state one and get oem relay connectors and plug them into the open relay slot holes for the permanent fix, ford and gm did this for all there suv's and trucks, but with the excursion 2000 to 2002 had external fuel pump relays then in 03 it was changed to the solid state one and for the power stroke engine as well the only difference is you have one fuse for the ficm and the other fuse is for the fuel pump and they are in different slots but the fuse panels are exactly the same
I was shocked when I read the title about the shop closing. I was sure it was the end of our friend Taryl. Thankfully I watched the entire video all the way to the end and was relieved he is here to stay. Keep the videos coming.
Dearest Taryldactl, i cant help but feel a little sentimental and sad now but im glad to hear that youll still be making videos. Im probably the best small engine mechanic in the history of mankind 😉 but there have been many times over the past years that ive needed a little help and who was there for me??........ YOU were. And for that i say THANK YOU.
63 years old is a very full working life. But yes, it does take a toll on you, even if you love what you do. So if you do retire, have a great time, and enjoy things for you. And thanks for making the videos you made, and helping people keep their stuff running because of it. Sharing knowledge is a great thing, so thanks……
We sold our shop in 2020 and it was the BEST thing I ever did! There are way easier ways to make money nowadays. Now, I work half as hard and make twice as much money, with less headaches!
As an owner and mechanic of a small engine shop,I am extremely busy, make a good living but it comes at a price.Alot of bs in terms of cheap parts, unreasonable customers but luckily small percentage and you work yourself into the ground in order to make a go of it.I laugh out loud when people say to me you are lucky you love your job,I have grown to hate mechanical work and advise anyone to stay away from this industry.
My dad had a small engine repair shop for 37 years. He closed up due to health issues. Je said the same thing about the parts. It was great while it lasted.
This was a timely video for me. I have a Cub dealer where I bight all my equipment and he's done all the service that I cannot do. I trust him and he's honest. I always hear "go to this guy. He'll pick up your mower for free, etc." but I will stick with my mechanic of whom I trust and pay that damn 60$ fee to pick up my Garden tractor. He knows his stuff.
Good luck with that retirement. My father is 76, owns his own business, and still in the process of “scaling down” and being more selective of work. His health issues are the only thing that’s going to bring everything to a grinding halt.
I worked in the Appliance Industry for numerous years. We found that products manufactured by China, offered very few parts when needed to allow timely service repairs. I seldom purchase anything that is made in China now. The quality of China Manufactured product (of any type), just isn't there. As the Ole valued saying goes, "You get what you pay for".
@@jameswordenjr.7628 True but not so fast. Times, as they say are changing, (again). I've found recently that some, but only just some like a small minority of some things made in China that fortunately or unfortunately are pretty good quality. On the flip side, esp post Covid, I'm starting to find some things that claim "Made in USA" are like poor quality, or at least poor quality control (Boeing), sloppily made, or just like the fit/finish is off. It seems to me to be like a repeat of the 1970's era, like with the automotive industry. In the USA, car makers got lazy, made horrible shitty products, the EPA didn't help, but Japanese cars were just as bad if not worse in some cases. Also in the 1970's: Very high mortgage interest rates, high unemployment, and very high inflation, coupled with a couple of useless presidents. Ford and Carter were both a joke. Sound familiar? By the 1980's, Japanese cars and especially Japanese audio equipment quickly became top quality, and USA stuff fell way behind. If we keep sitting here like we are now, you're going to see less and less high end stuff made in USA, the only things left will be things that are simple to make, high profit margin or able to be made by robots etc. Just look at the 1980's Hi-Fi equipment, you can't go wrong with old brands like Sansui, Technics, Marantz, Pioneer laser disc players or today's Toyota, Honda etc, compare a good Toyota with any late model GMCrap. Ha. Made in USA doesn't mean "the best of the best' anymore. In fact, it hardly ever was except for brief periods of the 1940's, 50's and 60's (maybe). In the 1950's my parents and grandparents told me stories of how they made fun of "Made in Japan" on cheap imported junk just like today we complain about seeing "Made in China" on a lot of stickers on stuff sold at Wal-Mart. Well in my parents generation, those things were sold at five and dimes, some of which were started by Sam Walton. My dad's father told me once about the only good thing that said Made in Japan on the bottom in the early 1950's was ash trays. And now look today, or at least from 1980-2010, Made in Japan became top quality, and if we just sit here and complain, history will repeat itself. The problems with USA is not limited to: Hard to find dependable employees, high cost of doing business, lots of regulations that are only selectively enforced (unlevel playing field), supply chain issues, and just general lack of pride in their work. You can look at even a cheaper Japanese car, and see all the panel gaps, and door gaps are like accurate to the last 1/10,000th of an inch, but I have a 2023 Ford Van built with "UAW" pride in Kansas, it's pretty good, but I can see a difference in the panel gap on one side of the hood to the other. Does it affect the performance of it? Of course not, it's just cosmetic, it's not that bad, I've seen worse, but it just shows the "I don't GAF, I'm just here to collect a paycheck" attitude of whoever was on the assembly line that day when it rolled down the line. Workers in China for the most part (there are always a lot of exceptions to any 'rule'), tend or at least used to tend to be more conscientious and take more pride in their work and take their job seriously, and try to not show up late or hung over etc. The reason for that is, at a lot of industrial factories in China before all the Covid nonsense hit at least, was there was always 1000-2000 people outside the factory gates every morning that everyone that worked there had to walk or drive past up to the guard shack every day to go clock in. It served as a stark reminder to anyone lucky enough to have a job there that, if they didn't like their job, or came in and slacked off, that there was 1000's of people waiting outside, just waiting for that one chance that maybe you would make that one last mistake, or show up to work 2 min late, and gone. Today however, workers have caught on to the fact that they're being treated as slaves and now the current thing in China is just refusing to work, and they call it "laying down". It was kind of a silent protest against the latest horrible 996 initiative introduced by Xi, the "Work is 9am to 9pm 6 days a week". How productive would people be, if they were forced to work 72 hours a week. In Germany and France, they proved that people can actually get more total work done in a given year by limiting hours to 35 hours a week, and taking a minimum of 4 weeks of vacation per year. Yes they have to work a little faster and harder (and SMARTER) to get the work done, but they can do it and not feel as burned out as someone working 72 hours a week, but they're working 3 times as slow as a well rested well paid worker in Germany because they're just tired as hell. TL'DR: "Crappy things only happen when good men do nothing"; ie. keep failing to learn from history and you'll be stuck in a sicko version of the GroundHog day movie, enduring the same mess over and over again.
@@jameswordenjr.7628 The problem is...........hardly anything you buy is NOT made in China! Even OEM (not OEM replacement) parts are Chineseum! To find "American Made" products, just walk down the "paper products" isle. You will find GENUINE American made TOILET PAPER!
They are starting to build equipment that fails and the only option is to buy a brand new piece of equipment. The company wants to save money because it is more money to maintain a vehicle then it is to sell a new.
You just gotta set the right expectations Tayrl.. When you tell them that you have to use scamZon parts.. Just make it clear that you can't warranty them....... When you get basket cases from the other shop-- just make it clear to the customer that the price may snowball and talk them out of it that way. If they still insist and don't care about the price-- then you can take on the job without stress, because they already know that it's coming. Setting expectations is the key to keeping this stuff stress free. As far as getting too much work-- you could hire another guy or two. :) ... but otherwise, it's a good problem to have.
Thank you for all the great videos Taryl . I'm not a mechanic but try to fix things my self and you guys are so much help. I'm 68 and a semi retired truck driver. Go ahead and retire and do things you enjoy. Good luck to you and all the crew. I will still be watching, God bless ❤ There's your dinner 😄😄😄
Hey brother,man can I feel your pain I rarely ever leave comments maybe this is the third one but I just want to let you know I appreciate the pride and honesty that you put in your work we are a dying breed I've had a custom cabinet shop for over 25 years some people don't understand you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear keep up the good work my Southern American brother (Peppers)
due to things beyond my control. I was forced into retirement in 2018, I was 63, after 50 years in Automotive, Im tickled to have gotten out of that,, now after retirement,, I started flipping old lawn equipment,,,, did it for 2 years,, finally gave up, as you stated, PARTS!!!, its just not worth it anymore..
I've been watching and learning from Taryl for a long time, he's got me through a bunch of mower, whacker and trimmer ordeals. When I get 'em fixed I say: "and there's your dinner" 😅 The Led Zeppelin reference just reinforced I'm hanging out on the right channel. 👍 🌾🐀
It’s the whole parts industry. Parts quality is garbage. I bought a set of batteries for my F250 in 2020. 4yrs later one of the batteries is still working. I had a set from advance that took a dump only 1.5yrs in, & resorted to the ones I took out cuz I didn’t want to drop $300 on batteries again. The 4yr old battery is from Walmart. I used to be an auto tech, & we had defective parts except OEM left, & right. Duralast batteries are the worst. We’ve had several that were less than a year old, & it got replaced. We had bad power steering pumps, steering racks, & defective alternators out of the box. The advance auto parts we had failed when we replaced them last. We then ordered the only one in our city I drove nearly an hour one way to go get it. Ever since then we always go to the dealer. If it’s back ordered we tell the customer, & if they ok the aftermarket parts then we do the go ahead but we can’t warranty it as long.
Just a home owner here,. I know I speak for many.... Hate to see you go but, I am really happy that you are going to keep your videos going. You are my goto guy when ever I have a problem with equipment.Thank You, for all you do. Good Luck with your retirement.
Been watching you for years, worked in a mower shop when I was a kid, your stuff reminds me so much of the jokes and good times with the ol guy that owned the shop back then. I'm so grateful for your channel here.
Your right , I have become friends with a lawnmower repair shop outside of Lagrange , Texas and he has a lawnmower salvage yard and it's mind-boggling . He had a old roper garden scratcher on Craigslist I need parts for mind and when I pulled up to his shop I could belt what I saw out in the cow pasture .
I agree, snatch up as many old ones as you can stack up because there is going to be demand for ones that can be given a good once over and last for 10 years instead of replacing every other year.
I understand. I spent 28 years as a marine mechanic, factory certified Mercruser tech. ( I do know shit). Had my own shop for 17 years. The people that pissed me off the most were ones that came into the shop,picked you ear for a half an hour, asking the same stupid questions, and don't spend a dime with you. Glad to be out of it. I'm almost as old as you, now I have a part time job at one the largest auto parts chains (66K stores). And even THEY have trouble getting parts, and I swear half of them come back for warranty replacement.
Soon there will be no repair facilities for anything. Remember the TV repair man? That was my dad. He and his loyal men also fixed all the appliances and the stereos too. He even financed used appliances for poor people, allowing payments of a few bucks a month on a handshake. What happened to society in my lifetime?
The tv tech went beyond test tubes to computer chips that produce realistic images. Mass production has brought down the price of a TV so cheap that its made with a single board and several wires. Nearly all tv fails require parts that are not sold to the general public because no on repairs tvs anymore. The cost of the parts and labor would exceed the value of a brand new tv. The same applies to fixing mowers and the likes. Its cheaper to swap a engine on something older than it is to fix it. I will use an example that my neighbor did. He said that his wood splitter was no longer running. Not sure what was wrong with it. I told him to just order a new motor and swap it. I told him to pick one up at Harbor Freight for 150 bucks. He was like nah I will just take it to the small repair guy and he will fix it. I told him that he is going to spend about 200 dollars or so for the repair guy to fix it. Which requires loading your splitter on a trailer and taking it to him. He took it too him and his bill came out to be 225 dollars and all the guy did was add in a fuel filter and clean out a nasty tank of fuel. My neighbor is pissed because he could have got a brand new machine that was a big more power than the original one. He even tried to barter with the guy as well. The kicker is he had the splitter for nearly a month before he got around to it. Some of the fee was yard storage till he got to it. FFS I was going to town a few days later and could have picked one up and installed it the next day for free or 20 bucks. Would have been back up and running so fast. He would have not had to pay the fuel to pick it up since I was going that direction. He did the same thing with a mower. I told him that he needed to replace a couple of those plastic guard things on the mower as it was throwing the belt. Google told me this. He spent something like 250 at one place and another 250 at the guy he now goes to only to find out that I was still right. Keep in mind he gave someone 300 bucks for the mower. I had told him to just buy another one or fix the one he has. I think the parts cost 30 dollars.
@@kameljoe21As an ex laser & inkjet printer technician, I know exactly what you are talking about. You sound like you have golden advise, but your neighbours character is 'stubborn as a mule'. Don't ever feel guilty because they won't listen to you, it's just the way they are made. But people who want to do it their way, pay a dollar price for their satisfaction. At the end of the day, just walk away happy you offered help.
I'm 55 and run a shop very like yours and I can't wait to retire but I'm sure I'll still have to get out there and keep working on things till I die , its just in my blood!
Needed a fuel pump for my 2003 Ford Focus last year Ebay had Bosch fuel pumps for $38. I called Bosch, they looked up the item, confirmed it was a FAKE BOSCH PACKAGE. The really crappy fuel pump came with a 1 year warranty. I paid $115 for the part at a local auto store, it has a lifetime warranty.
I can't blame you a bit for wanting to get out of it and I'm glad you will be still doing your videos . Good luck on your retirement and thank you for making all of your videos
i agree with you, i was n the outdoor power equipment repair industry for 48 years, just gave it up december 2023 and retired, because you could no longer get decent parts and all the issues with aftermarket parts and OEM parts thet were no good, you just cant make money at this anymore ! and a zillion other things just not worth it anymore !
Great videos! I have a jd L110 that's 20years old has the older kholer command, it's been a workhorse and is still going strong never had any issues with it other than new blades belt tires and regular maintenance 😊
I worked to I was 70 years old. Had all the same problems,a yard full of machines waiting for parts makes no money and no where to put fresh work to keep the wheels turning over, I am retired a number of years and I don’t miss it,no longer pushed to breaking point over the summer and wondering where my next meal is coming from in the winter, Taryl I enjoy your videos understand your problems and wish you a happy retirement.
Thanks Taryl for THIS video and for all the others!! Good luck on your new path. You deserve a break. Youve taught many of us "grass rats" how to keep stuff running. We will forever appreciate you humor and your archives. Blessings to you as you go forward
I use aftermarket parts primarily, and have few availability or quality issues. Set the expectations clearly and up front with the customer. Be as selective as you need to be. Be transparent, honest, and keep communication lines open, and fewer problems will result. There is plenty of good business out there, no need to chase bad repairs or customers.
I closed my shop last july.Had a huge auction and sold out all inventory and most of the tools.I sold because we moved out of state to be closer to my oldest daughter and grandson,I like you am close to retirement,I dont miss the shop, I work for Walmart now in management,After taxes I make more in my pocket now than I did working for myself without the headaches and I have very affordable ,Very good health insurance.I have paid time off and paid sick time off and I work a 8 hour day 5 days a week...... I actually enjoy going to work.I miss bringing the dead mowers and such but only the old stuff but I dont miss the work load or the customers or the shop at all .I do some repairs where I live now for fun and a couple extra$$. That started because I fixed my neighbors mower and is trying to steam roll into another repair shop,I am not allowing that,I have bigger and better things ahead of me like MY Own time and MY own toys!!
Yes, there comes a time when stepping back from the hustle and bustle of daily grind is needed. Time for some "ME" time. One thing I think would be really interesting would be for you to do a segment on building a garden tractor PULLER for retired enthusiasts as a hobby.
You have to get with the times, like when I go to the doctor for a physical and ask about a skin rash and she tells me I need to schedule another appointment.
Great Video, .... kinda sad but true in this throwaway world. I fix my own and keep patching it up forever. I have several riding lawn mowers, only one if which I have working currently. The one I use is an old 50+ year old 5hp .... Simplicity Wonder Boy. When I garbage picked it years ago. It had a hole in the block from throwing a connecting rod through the block. I took it all apart, reshaped the block and made a heavy steel plate the same shape of the side of the engine, made a rubber gasket and drilled a mulitude of holes to secure this large plate and gasket to repair large hole in block. New Rod, piston and rings and this thing still cuts grass rather well after fixing 20+ years ago. It also climbs my hill usually rather well too. Got to add oil each time I use it, but it does the job well. It Ain't much to look at, but I like showing the patch on the block that fixed an other wise junk Brakes and Scrapum Engine. Most people .... don't understand, they buy new and throw away the old.
I’m so glad I am STILL using a 1966 Simplicity Broadmoor which was repowered with an 8hp Tecumseh iron cylinder engine. I have occasionally had to use eBay to find used parts for various things. If it breaks I use a self propelled mower until I repair the simplicity. You couldn’t GIVE me one of the new cheap riding mowers
I feel your pain. It's the same story in the auto industry. It seems the manufacturers don't support their products more than a few years and the aftermarket is junk. We have a saying - just because it's new doesn't mean it works. At least a quarter of the aftermarket parts we buy are bad, and an equal number are wrong. I'm your age and we have seen the decline of American industry through the years and it's quite disturbing. Good luck in your new path, I'll be watching.
Totally feel your pain, working on vehicles same pain, same frustration, working harder and harder and continuously buying more tools to keep up with changing fasteners and components, nobody wants to pay and always mad, all the fun gets squeezed right out of the work.
Our shop had ungodly fone & window traffic. We usually had 2-3 mechanics but we had to monitor the window & fone traffic also. There were times when I never got anything done due to the traffic. Now all of that would push the repair time back + we also had a manager that would put his buddies in line ahead of the others already in line. Yes, we had a lot of problems that could've been fixed had we had the power to do it but we didn't. We had good people that were always not appreciated so we had a fair turnover.
My buddy has a sole survivor tooth that he wore to introduce himself to the GC on a construction job. The guy smiles back with the real thing. That is a joke gone wrong! Congratulations on retirement. I really appreciate all the helpful content over the years.
I respect you Taryl, you have much more patience than I do, I'm 61 and been into mowers and motorcycles etc all of my life, going behind another goofball is my worst nightmare, keep rocking brother
Thanks Taryl and your gonna love that retirement thing but you will always be busy which isn't all bad . now I'm learning more about what ever I'm working on and loving it. We both come from the same generation I'm 64 I get it I'll take the old days back anytime have fun with your retirement
It's the same thing here in thee automotive sector as well. Trucks only 10 years old need simple parts and either not available or long back order. For simple common parts.
Retired ( sort of) 13 years ago. I now run a consereige mower and motor service. Just like a Dr's office, I only take the customers / patients I want. And to put it bluntly, I selected the top 25 riches people I knew to get things rolling. As time went on I added more rich people to the client list. ( getting the picture?) and soon I found just the right number of clients to make it fun again. No business cards, no business phone, operating on the down low. I check the cell phone 3 or 4 times a day only. I answer when it's appropriate. On a related note, as soon as Our Gubment gets back some sanity we might see some relief! Gawd a mean tweet would feel goid again Flyin' low in Ft. Worth. The city with a fence around it. Never ever retire in anger, your new customers will never know your pain. Don't show them any. Just take their money. A lot of it.
I had the same problem with my rider mower. When it stops running I remove the gas cap to relieve any vacuum in the fuel tank and sometimes it will start.
Absolutely hit that nail on the head Taryl. This is my life too. Frustrated and overworked on what should be a great industry in small engine repair. Very tough on all angles.. thank you for this video. I know now I'm not alone in this.
Back in 2017, when I was in need of another riding lawnmower, I went with a Troy Bilt TB 30 R, one of the 30 inch small rear engine riding mowers with a single cylinder 13 HP Breaks and Scrap'em. It was all of $900 back then. Why did I buy the smallest, cheapest, simplest, and arguably not the most reliable mower? Because it was all I needed. It's small and light enough, that the times something has went wrong with it, I can easily move it around by myself, without having to call in another 2 men, a small boy, and an elephant to help. And being 65 years old now, heavy physical stuff ain't getting any easier. It's simple enough that I can literally disassemble it down to the frame with nothing but hand tools. And having spent 45 years being a mechanic in one form or another (20 years in the Navy back in the engine room, and another 22 years building Class 8 semi trucks), I've got the tools and the expertise to work on it myself - provided I can get ahold of the parts - but being retired now, I've got the time to chase down the parts. I didn't need a huge 50 inch cut 20 HP riding mower with headlights, a hydrostatic transmission, a cup holder, a cell phone holder, an armchair with a back massager, and that cost more than my first new car, to impress the neighbors or drive cross-country on. I just needing something that would fulfill 3 basic requirements - I could sit on it, it would move under it's own power - and it would CUT THE BLOODY GRASS. Or as you would say, I didn't need a Space Shuttle, I just needed a lawnmower.
I know what you mean. I see so many of the old snapper rer for sale cheap cause they want something real big with all the bells and whistles. But that old snapper will out last that new mower ten times over. So simple to repair and not much breaks on them.
I’m a home mechanic. Went to vocational college for it. For me to keep up on these newer cars ya gotta have a scanner and know how to use one. Lots to learn but knowledge is in short supply like parts are. I wonder where it all went south? Seems like right around the time of the plandemic. Oh well folks stick together and help each other out. It’s the only way to get through the whole debacle.
Im a trucker..single drive axle city tractor, 48 foot trailer. I regularly pull into several local lawn mower shops. I can see how excited the owners are when new stuff finally comes in. Usually 2 or 3 months late. Wasnt like this in 2007. China is in an economic depression because their work force is tooo old. The one child policy killed their workforce
@@lrich8181Just refreshed my old 1986 1133 rear engine l had for 30yrs for my son's new house. New paint and valve job and new rings, he loves it. One of the best mowers once you understand their quirky but simple design. What a shame 😂
I feel your pain, my friend. I couldn't imagine doing this full-time in a repair shop setting. It's bad enough in a home hobby shop setting. Nothing but the truth in this video!
You're doing the right thing Taryl, as long as you keep your sense of humour and continue making videos your subscribers will continue to grow. I only feel sorry for some of your regular longtime good customers who rely on you to keep them going but I'm sure you will continue to give them good advice. Without experienced, knowledgeable and , above all, practical people like you I would never have had the confidence to tackle my own small engine repairs and complete a job siccessfully. All the best from a Kiwi subscriber.
Wow, Taryl! How exciting! Last time I stopped by for a visit you told me about your plans stop taking in retail work and only produce videos. And now you are moving forward with those plans. I'm so happy for you and the gang. You've come a long way and now a new chapter in your business is starting to unfold. I look forward to see it all come to fruition. Best of luck to you.
Dear Taryl, the reason you are backed up with repairs is because of one thing. Shoddy work coming from the manufacturers. The personnel producing the parts no longer has pride in their work. So junk goes in and junk comes out. exasperated by the even worse garbage coming out of China and other asian countries. So don't feel bad because this is happening not only to lawn equipment but to every other industry. We are all feeling your pain. But I am not sure we have had enough pain yet to ban together and change our futures. Good luck going forward, as long as you make instructive videos I will watch them and learn. Thank you.
Also, the end-user is now way more clueless and inept. No understanding of how and why things work and his responsibility in the process of reliability.
It's not the workers not taking pride. It's the heads and investors who own the company who don't take any pride in their product and pay their workers peanuts and look for the cheapest garbage material they can get away with and bank on replace over repair. Stop blaming workers, it's not them, it's the ownership class
I see it where i work as well. I have same fellow employees I've worked with for years. Now we're under a new foreign ownership and the company started getting some of the parts from cheaper vendors and also outsourcing some of the work. We still take pride in our work, but corporate has made it nearly impossible for us to continue putting out the quality we once did. Our former company's ceo would be turning over in his grave if he knew what it has become. Sadly, the only thing that remains the same in our product is in name only. Welcome to globalization.
Wow I was worried, so glad you will still be making videos I sure learned a lot from you over the years so much so when I retired from EMS as a Paramedic for 30 years I opened my own repair shop and your exactly correct parts are harder to get they are more expensive and they are usually made in china, thanks Taryl and enjoy your retirement !
Great video Taryl. So I have a 78 Yazoo Master mower it has 76 inch cut I have a k582 Kohler engine. my fuel pump did the same thing that happened to that customer that you mentioned.the aftermarket was cheaper so I went that route. the new one from Kohler was close to 400 Canadian I only got 3 months out of that aftermarket one that I got from fleabay so I ended up getting a 2 PSI electric fuel pump and it seems to be working great after 2 years of having it. Thanks again for the wonderful content that you bring to us.take care and God bless
I forgot to mention you can't get blades for it anymore so I ended up buying blades that fit a Dixie Chopper mower the only thing I had to do was put a keyway in the blades so they would fit on the hubs on my machine
Ref my comment its a global issue. I work for a garden machinery dealer in the UK as parts department guy and I am starting to find getting parts more and more stressful and domestic homeowner customers are becoming less intelligent every year. Its when they ask me can you obtain the part on back order from the USA quicker and at some point I am going to say if you pay me money for a plane ticket to and from to the USA I will quite happily get your part. I doubt they will want to pay the ticket carriage charge.
@@bentullett6068we dont make anything anymore china etc make it all, and now we have the crap with iran influencing shipping times and costs. for atleast 35 years our idiot western leaders enabled our own corporations to abandon us . a country that does not manufacture its own goods is doomed.
@@bentullett6068 ...blame the intelligence of customers on computers. Our parents and grandparents that were knowledgeable about the outdoors, the value of hard work, the value of time, and the value of fairness has been replaced by Karens and scammers...🤣........Time to go make me a electric lawnmower out of $300 worth of other people's trash...✌😊❤
I run mostly Kohler engines. When I need to replace a carburetor I keep the old jets and needles and use them if I can. They seem to work better than the new ones from across the pond.
Im glad you will be around. I have a craftsman dlt 25h its a gem and it will start only if while i engage the starter i choke it just for a second and she pops right over. Cant leave it on choke long at all. But then i can get it to run more smoothly if i tweak the choke a little. I have had this mower for 7 years used put together by a guy like you. Thing runs beautifully, and engine was rebuilt he was proud about putting 2 together to make it run burns no oil no oil on plugs at all. I just cleaned all contact's and was going to check the gaps on valves. But no sputter no backfire. And after ur rant on how hard it is to get parts i was thinking of getting new coils and do that soon. Great stuff
I cut and sprayed commercially for 25 years. My Gravely and Stihl dealer was my go to guy for most of that time. I trusted him. He was honest, sincere and his shop took care of all of my needs. He was just thinking and planning for retirement when his cancer returned. He had been cancer free since the 70’s. I’ll never forget the empty feeling that I had the day he told me that he was closing. You will never fully know the impact that you have on many of your customers. He helped guide me through many of my purchases and repairs and, the best way to properly maintain my equipment. 28 years later while not in business anymore I still have and use most of my commercial tools. Make no mistake, your customers think more of you than you may realize. As you too wind down, I wish you much happiness. I enjoy your videos!
Unless, you mock them disrespectfully.
Well said
Yea well said.
I feel you Bo...Owned and operated my shop for 38+ years...Still get phone calls from old customers 5 years later. My folks getting old and passing away...Had to deal with all that so I decided to retire because of too many headaches.
It’s called planned obsolescence! I worked on a 2015 Honda Civic in Feb 2023 and the seat belt assembly and air bag module were no longer available! 😢I was forced to send them off to a reconditioned company.
Retired 24 years ago got fed up with the repair business ( semi trucks and large equipment ) after 30 years. A independent truck owner operator feeds his family with his truck.If I could not get parts fast enough to get his semi back on the road his family suffers.I am better off now not having huge head aches.I some times miss working with my hands.Good luck Taryl .I turned 83 years in may and I don't like what I see happening in this country.
You paid your dues for sure and so True what is happening to the once...best Manufacturing...U.S.A.....Now China ownes us and there is NO pride in people like your age group had for certain! Happy 83rd B-Day.
@AlexJonesWasRight1776 I agree with what you say!
Start voting out all democrats beginning with Joe Biden and his incompetent administration
It's sad my neighbor got a brand new Troy-Bilt few years back and it was throwing belts the first day.
Omg will miss you
Glad to hear you're not stopping the channel .
When are you closing. The queer world has taken over THE LAWN MOWER WORLD
maybe picking up one mower from hell from time to time to make a video about it.
Why it's all about the MONEY SON and there's your dang DINNER 😂😂😂🎉😢😢😢😢😢😡😡🥵🥵🥵🤕🤕🤕
You don't know how many times you helped me 2 years you're the best brother God bless you and your family
Gotta tell ya Taryl I broke my back three years ago and was forced to retire.(thank god) I had spent my professional life as a GM then a Mercedes-Benz tech and team leader. What a nightmare!! Warranty was daily life and Customer pay dwindled away. Enjoy your time doing what you like the way you want. Thanks for the videos.
Remember when you had a Sears Craftsman tool or lawn equipment that was over 25 years old and you could get every single replacement part??
My pops bought a Sears Craftsman mower in 2003. He still uses it every weekend. Great mower. He has changed the deck belt 3 times in 21 years.
I have an Ariens snowblower I bought new in 2002 and I can still get every part for it.
@@Darjan_Spasojevic I have one with a 20HP Briggs opposed. It runs great, almost no issues. I can live with scuffs and scratches. I was in lowes and some customer was fighting with them about some 3K mower that threw a rod after 30 days. It lost all the oil when it blew and they said its not warrantied because he didn't check the oil.
@@alb12345672 what a joke. Blame the customer.
@@alb12345672 any excuse to cover their ass.
I passed on your videos for the longest time, I found your shtick a little silly at first. Then I actually started watching, and listening to what you had to teach. Now I regret not subscribing sooner, for some odd reason you guys feel like family. Thanks for everything Taryl, I hope you continue making awesome videos.👍
Shtick
@@andyburk4825 Such a Shtickler!
@@andyburk4825 Thanks for the correction, much appreciated.👍
@@oxyfee6486 Came to watch Taryl, stayed for the english lesson.
@@jjock3239 😂🤣 Class dismissed!😂
Can't blame you for wanting to retire but so glad you will still be making videos. Always look forward to Sunday morning video.
Teryl will work for yotube sponsors... cha ching
you know those dam stupid commervials that interupt and annoy us with crap we hate. Anyone notice that they are more frequent, longer, and over played over and over?
@@umajunkcollector yes 283k subscriptions 🤔he's making a bigger wallet
Follow the money 💰 ,losing the headache. But customers will miss you. But I understand. 😊
North California, have my own small engine shop. I completely agree with this Man. California makes it very hard to complete a paying job. Most people are ignorant to what we have to do. Sleep with the shop on the brain, no rest. Very tuff in 2024. Taryl is a good Mechanic. My ears are open , like my eyes. Thank you young man for your video's.
Best thing you could do is leave Commiefornia for Georgia, particularly close to the rural areas away from the liberal filth in the big cities that moved from Commiefornia.
Selling your home and shop in Cali will give you more than enough money to buy a good bit of land and a 1000 sqft shop with concrete flooring built out of sheet metal costs about $45k
and land here goes for $300-$1300 and acre in most places.
You will have reduced business for a while until your name gets out there, but the reduced expenses and operating costs will take care of that.
Plus we have a healthy population of landscapers here, particularly near the medium sized cities, so if you set up 2-8 miles outside of one of those cities you would more than likely have steady customers almost immediately from just the landscapers and more from homeowners that DIY their landscaping in the rural areas.
What does the state you're in have to do with fixing power equipment? CARB cimpliance?
@lciummo1 the CA government banned small gas lawn equipment and generator engines.
I feel for you man. I'm still using my old Ransomes 4 ft wide walk behind, self propelled, with kawasaki fb460 engine. I bought it used in 93 and just take basic care of it like you do. I dread having to ever buy any new piece of crap made nowadays. I'm 63 also . Good luck and don't stroke out!
This episode really resonated with me. I was in this business for almost 40 years. I saw the decline in service and support happening 20 plus years ago. I retired from it in 2013. I see that it has gotten worse (parts quality, availability, and timely support) from the factories. I loved being in the industry in the 70’s and 80’s, but damn glad I’m not in it today.
Taryl, I hope you don’t leave us entirely. 😢. We still need our “Taryl fix” on Sunday mornings.
I feel you there I've watched this man for years and learnt a lot from him. I repair stuff myself fix mowers up and sell them. It would be nice if he would continue all of his. Taryl fixes all skits.😊
63? I guessed mid 50s. I just turned 66. My body thinks it's 85-90. Staying busy helps keep you alive Taryl.
Taryl is the type that won't be sitting in a condo in Florida doing nothing. Hes going to switch gears from obligation to passion
I thought he was a lot younger too.
Some of us fat people found Carnivore diet you may wanna join us for awhile
@@alexjonessellsvitimins I'm not fat. Never was fat. I do like meat of course.
@@Tommyr Ok if you research Carnivore its helping people we should help people find it.
I’m a parts manager at a dealership that carry’s scag, exmark, cub cadet, hustler, & stihl. Brother I know your pain and can relate. Who would ever think a lawn mower could be so stressful. And the world that we live in were scamazon has introduced us to the “I can have it tomorrow and it’s cheaper”. All I say is that’s fine. In my mind i’m saying have fun replacing it, your going to get good at it cause you’ll do it multiple times buying that junk. I can honestly say too I have been “factory trained” and I have learned more watching your videos over the years. Keep up the good work and I hope you can hang it up sooner than later and enjoy doing what you wanna do.
So True man.
I can tell you that I have bought from amazon and have had parts put on from parts supply vendors. This one part we bought to do ourselves and never go around to doing it and was at the shop and he said he could install it for next to nothing. He called and got the part dropped off. It was in the same package, same box and same everything as the one sitting in the trunk. This is from Napa auto parts store, the part I bought was from amazon.
Nearly all the parts sold are from the same vendors, sure there are some really cheap parts out there yet not all OEM or parts supply vendors are better or worse.
I've been doing small gas engine repairs on and off for 45 years, and I still learn things from your videos. Thank you for helping educate me through the years. Enjoy your time..
Thank You, Millions!!
Well...God bless you Taryl. I wish you well.
As long as Taryl continues to fix all I'm on board. I learn a lot about small engine repair from this channel.
Your welcome here is rats love getting greasy
I love you teryl, those extra characters voices all ways makes me laugh
This is why I have learned to work on my own equipment thanks to channels like yours Taryl. Mostly push mowers with old briggs on them but also a John Deere GX85 and a few smaller riders. Parts is still such a headache. Fortunately i have a spare mower in case things go wrong.
Same here. I bought a mower for the engine so I could pull mine and re-ring it, it’s a great bagger and I need it for fall leaf cleanup.
Because of all this spare parts controversy I’m going to keep the old engine for a spare instead of putting it back on the older mower and selling it.
I still maintain my 2005 MTD "Yardman" 46" rider. Thankfully, parts are STILL available. Although, so far I have only needed the "wear and tear" items, like belts and an occasional bearing or two. The 20yr+ old "breaks & scrap-um" mill STILL runs near-new. I still haven't changed the plugs and it drinks about a tablespoon of Dinosaur Neckter in a season! The engine MUST have been built on a Wednesday! LOL
Small push mowers r king. Run em for ten years or so and buy another for $300-$400
I retired from large toro dealer ship many years ago ,people started dropping off equipment at my house ,I told everyone no but I would leave the house ,come home and there would be a dam lawn mower with a note on it won't start ,sometimes I would not even know who dropped it off, i still get calls in spring ,I got all kinds of job offers from dealers wanting me to work for them but I had my fill of it .I just putz with my own stuff now ,and you are sure right on with parts availability its tuff ,the manufactures started shiting on the dealers years ago....glad you will still do videos ,
Thanks!
God bless you mister Taryl! They still need you out there so stick around for another 10 years at least!
I love being retired, and you will too. I really appreciate your channel and I've fixed my mowers several times with your help. Good luck and since you're not a woman, I can tell you to CALM DOWN......
When you close it, you'll miss it. While you have it open, people are a pain. You can't win for losing!!
Gratitude.. we could all use a little more of it
Taryl your sharing of your expertise is much appreciated, I'm 66 and retired and on a budget. I've been considering a small riding mower, but after seeing this video I'm going to pass. My all wheel push behind still works and I never had a problem with it and it lives all winter long outdoors under a tarp. It has a Kohler engine. But when a shop owner can't get parts, that's enough for me to change my mind about a purchase. Thanks again for all your honesty. Belts & blades sound like a low key way to slide into retirement. Good luck with your new path.🍀
Teral...we will miss you. You remind me of my uncle. Funny to beat hell. You are a good person. Always clean humor and a living repair encyclopedia. Unfortunately, it has become a throw-away society. Remember when your TV tube went bad, went to the local store and there was a display that had an assortment of tubes, stuck it in and fixed. Nowadays when your TV craps out, you throw it out. Yeah...I'm old.
I retired in 2018 from fixing mowers except for close relatives and myself. I was working at a shop in town. I had everything in the shop fixed, along came Thanksgiving, and I told them that I thought I was just done. I was getting my social security check by then, and like you said, didn't need all the hassles and stress associated with the job. It was almost as good a feeling as when you played hooky from school and went fishin...But in a way it was better because I wasn't going to get into trouble for skipping. Most of the stuff they are making now is garbage anyway. I don't miss it any. 😅
I feel the same as you. I was FORCED into "retirement" at 64. I worked as an Electronic Tech for a small "Electronic Power Equipment" manufacturer in Minnesota. The company (Mom & Pop) was bought out by "Sensata". Sensata decided that they did not want to REPAIR old equipment, instead wanted to sell ONLY NEW units. I had to start collecting SS early, but things are working out okay. I live in Clark County, Wisconsin now where OLD people can live CHEAP. Public Housing is only $602/Mo (30% of GROSS income). We have a 2-bedroom house with garage and NO maintenance EXCEPT lawn maintenance and snow removal, hence the NEED for a lawn tractor and snow thrower! Healthcare is VERY AFFORDABLE too! We live in Thorp, a one horse town where they "roll up the sidewalks at 9PM (even Friday), BUT there is ABSOLUTELY NO CRIME to worry about, you hardly ever see the ONE cop car that the city owns. I believe "Officer Bob" only works part-time! I think they should rename the city "Pleasantville", it is STILL in B&W, but hopefully go to "color" one of these days! LOL
You are looking good for 63 and are the salt of the earth.Continue to ramble on.
For a Dactyl, dinosaur, lol.
You're right on the money on Availability. I'm having the same issues. Breaks and Scrapem has been bad, as has Schtenz. When I order from Schtenz, half my order is on back order, no more free shipping over x dollar amount, and they've promised to send their rep to my new shop multiple times and she's never showed.
Angry customers are a huge issue with waiting on parts. Plus, most of the shop owners I know are Taryl's age (Taryl and my dad are the same age, learned the trade in my dad's shop. They're all hanging it up and retiring. I have been 3-4 weeks out all spring, even with hiring a full time and part time mechanic. It's crazy times for everyone still in it, I think.
and now Honda crap... Honda, prices go up, quality goes down. I see many Honda clones on the curb, including mine, and I don't bother with them. What happened to Tecumseh?
This man is the best of the best. Always right on with his instructions and first rate videos. Makes repairs & trouble shooting appear simple and shows the easiest methods of carrying out those repairs. Having the correct tools is always essential and Taryl lets you know where you can get them. Hope to see you in your future videos. Five stars always and thank you for sharing your expertise.
Thanks, Taryl. Always look forward to your videos. Hope everything goes well. 🇨🇦
I understand. Back in the 80s, I was a general mechanic at a small two man shop. I saw the writing on the wall and the future of the auto industry, making electronics take control of everything. I enjoyed working on mechanical things but electronic diagnostics wasn't my thing. Ultimately I ended up as a sheet metal fabricator and did a little welding and such. I have now retired being just one year older than you and I'll tell you, the stress of customer problems that seem to grow once you get involved is OVER!! 😊😊😊😊😊 Happy retirement!!
I'll tell you this even the ATV's these days have an ignition control module but with small engines or car or semi, you need air fuel mix and spark or for diesels you need fuel flow oil pressure and the ficm to be operational to fire the engines but yes if there is something electronically wrong that doesn't turn the fuel pump on which now on gm' s and fords there is a solid state relay either in the passenger compartment fuse panel or the engine compartment one and these eventually go bad so then you have to bypass it and install an external relay temporarily or you just put the fuel pump on a switch like I did with my excursion. The fuel actually has 2 relays due to the inertia switch but the main fuel pump relay is the solid state one inside the fuse panel, very bad idea on gm and Ford not a good thing to do they should just have made the fuse panel with a relay you can just plug into the panel, because these panels new are like $300+ and used ones can be $150, if a mechanic has time there is always one add on slot for relays but would have open up the fuse panel and take the 4 wires from the solid state one and get oem relay connectors and plug them into the open relay slot holes for the permanent fix, ford and gm did this for all there suv's and trucks, but with the excursion 2000 to 2002 had external fuel pump relays then in 03 it was changed to the solid state one and for the power stroke engine as well the only difference is you have one fuse for the ficm and the other fuse is for the fuel pump and they are in different slots but the fuse panels are exactly the same
It's not just mower parts. I'm an electrical contractor & many basic electrical parts are on backorder.
100%
Thanks Biden& Dem's !!
True. Go WOKE, Go BROKE.
Plumber Same thing. Parts are at least 50% higher than just a few years ago. I can't afford to do my own Plumbing Work. Something has to Give Soon.
It's by design ppl.
I was shocked when I read the title about the shop closing. I was sure it was the end of our friend Taryl. Thankfully I watched the entire video all the way to the end and was relieved he is here to stay. Keep the videos coming.
Dearest Taryldactl, i cant help but feel a little sentimental and sad now but im glad to hear that youll still be making videos. Im probably the best small engine mechanic in the history of mankind 😉 but there have been many times over the past years that ive needed a little help and who was there for me??........ YOU were. And for that i say THANK YOU.
I’m better.
63 years old is a very full working life. But yes, it does take a toll on you, even if you love what you do. So if you do retire, have a great time, and enjoy things for you. And thanks for making the videos you made, and helping people keep their stuff running because of it. Sharing knowledge is a great thing, so thanks……
Thought he said 53 years old.
We sold our shop in 2020 and it was the BEST thing I ever did! There are way easier ways to make money nowadays. Now, I work half as hard and make twice as much money, with less headaches!
Name the ways thats easier to make money nowadays please.
@@endsina1270 Something that doesn't require inventory or physical labor... INSURANCE!
@@WeSRT4 LOL, you think selling insurance is a viable career?
@@Guillotines_For_Globalists I know so 😂
As an owner and mechanic of a small engine shop,I am extremely busy, make a good living but it comes at a price.Alot of bs in terms of cheap parts, unreasonable customers but luckily small percentage and you work yourself into the ground in order to make a go of it.I laugh out loud when people say to me you are lucky you love your job,I have grown to hate mechanical work and advise anyone to stay away from this industry.
I think this episode was a therapy session for Tarryl 😂
Yea he was venting here lol
He's telling the truth even if it is venting.
It’s a good therapy session and a good lesson on the state of the industry.
Looking at reality in the face!
That John Deere mower is a homeowner grade mower, that owner(borrower) used like a bush hog. It’s not designed for that kind of use(or abuse)
Good reputation and pride is hard to come by these days.
You make a great consultant no doubt.
My dad had a small engine repair shop for 37 years. He closed up due to health issues. Je said the same thing about the parts. It was great while it lasted.
This was a timely video for me. I have a Cub dealer where I bight all my equipment and he's done all the service that I cannot do. I trust him and he's honest. I always hear "go to this guy. He'll pick up your mower for free, etc." but I will stick with my mechanic of whom I trust and pay that damn 60$ fee to pick up my Garden tractor. He knows his stuff.
Good luck with that retirement. My father is 76, owns his own business, and still in the process of “scaling down” and being more selective of work. His health issues are the only thing that’s going to bring everything to a grinding halt.
who will replace us boomers? there will be a huge shortage of coloege egekated kids, they just want to play station all day in gramma's basement.
I worked in the Appliance Industry for numerous years. We found that products manufactured by China, offered very few parts when needed to allow timely service repairs. I seldom purchase anything that is made in China now. The quality of China Manufactured product (of any type), just isn't there. As the Ole valued saying goes, "You get what you pay for".
@@jameswordenjr.7628 True but not so fast. Times, as they say are changing, (again). I've found recently that some, but only just some like a small minority of some things made in China that fortunately or unfortunately are pretty good quality. On the flip side, esp post Covid, I'm starting to find some things that claim "Made in USA" are like poor quality, or at least poor quality control (Boeing), sloppily made, or just like the fit/finish is off. It seems to me to be like a repeat of the 1970's era, like with the automotive industry. In the USA, car makers got lazy, made horrible shitty products, the EPA didn't help, but Japanese cars were just as bad if not worse in some cases. Also in the 1970's: Very high mortgage interest rates, high unemployment, and very high inflation, coupled with a couple of useless presidents. Ford and Carter were both a joke. Sound familiar? By the 1980's, Japanese cars and especially Japanese audio equipment quickly became top quality, and USA stuff fell way behind. If we keep sitting here like we are now, you're going to see less and less high end stuff made in USA, the only things left will be things that are simple to make, high profit margin or able to be made by robots etc. Just look at the 1980's Hi-Fi equipment, you can't go wrong with old brands like Sansui, Technics, Marantz, Pioneer laser disc players or today's Toyota, Honda etc, compare a good Toyota with any late model GMCrap. Ha. Made in USA doesn't mean "the best of the best' anymore. In fact, it hardly ever was except for brief periods of the 1940's, 50's and 60's (maybe). In the 1950's my parents and grandparents told me stories of how they made fun of "Made in Japan" on cheap imported junk just like today we complain about seeing "Made in China" on a lot of stickers on stuff sold at Wal-Mart. Well in my parents generation, those things were sold at five and dimes, some of which were started by Sam Walton. My dad's father told me once about the only good thing that said Made in Japan on the bottom in the early 1950's was ash trays. And now look today, or at least from 1980-2010, Made in Japan became top quality, and if we just sit here and complain, history will repeat itself.
The problems with USA is not limited to: Hard to find dependable employees, high cost of doing business, lots of regulations that are only selectively enforced (unlevel playing field), supply chain issues, and just general lack of pride in their work. You can look at even a cheaper Japanese car, and see all the panel gaps, and door gaps are like accurate to the last 1/10,000th of an inch, but I have a 2023 Ford Van built with "UAW" pride in Kansas, it's pretty good, but I can see a difference in the panel gap on one side of the hood to the other. Does it affect the performance of it? Of course not, it's just cosmetic, it's not that bad, I've seen worse, but it just shows the "I don't GAF, I'm just here to collect a paycheck" attitude of whoever was on the assembly line that day when it rolled down the line. Workers in China for the most part (there are always a lot of exceptions to any 'rule'), tend or at least used to tend to be more conscientious and take more pride in their work and take their job seriously, and try to not show up late or hung over etc. The reason for that is, at a lot of industrial factories in China before all the Covid nonsense hit at least, was there was always 1000-2000 people outside the factory gates every morning that everyone that worked there had to walk or drive past up to the guard shack every day to go clock in. It served as a stark reminder to anyone lucky enough to have a job there that, if they didn't like their job, or came in and slacked off, that there was 1000's of people waiting outside, just waiting for that one chance that maybe you would make that one last mistake, or show up to work 2 min late, and gone. Today however, workers have caught on to the fact that they're being treated as slaves and now the current thing in China is just refusing to work, and they call it "laying down". It was kind of a silent protest against the latest horrible 996 initiative introduced by Xi, the "Work is 9am to 9pm 6 days a week". How productive would people be, if they were forced to work 72 hours a week. In Germany and France, they proved that people can actually get more total work done in a given year by limiting hours to 35 hours a week, and taking a minimum of 4 weeks of vacation per year. Yes they have to work a little faster and harder (and SMARTER) to get the work done, but they can do it and not feel as burned out as someone working 72 hours a week, but they're working 3 times as slow as a well rested well paid worker in Germany because they're just tired as hell.
TL'DR: "Crappy things only happen when good men do nothing"; ie. keep failing to learn from history and you'll be stuck in a sicko version of the GroundHog day movie, enduring the same mess over and over again.
@@jameswordenjr.7628 The problem is...........hardly anything you buy is NOT made in China! Even OEM (not OEM replacement) parts are Chineseum! To find "American Made" products, just walk down the "paper products" isle. You will find GENUINE American made TOILET PAPER!
Briggs and stratton is owned by KPS Capital Partners which basically is a golf club and cruise line company. Not a equipment company..
Hedge funds
They are starting to build equipment that fails and the only option is to buy a brand new piece of equipment. The company wants to save money because it is more money to maintain a vehicle then it is to sell a new.
Yeah and KPS is probably owned by Blackrock.
That makes sense. Boeing is run by "financial bean counters" instead of engineers! How did that turn out? LOL
Most of these corporations are run by crooks looking to boost short term gains at any cost.
You just gotta set the right expectations Tayrl.. When you tell them that you have to use scamZon parts.. Just make it clear that you can't warranty them....... When you get basket cases from the other shop-- just make it clear to the customer that the price may snowball and talk them out of it that way. If they still insist and don't care about the price-- then you can take on the job without stress, because they already know that it's coming. Setting expectations is the key to keeping this stuff stress free. As far as getting too much work-- you could hire another guy or two. :) ... but otherwise, it's a good problem to have.
for basket case jobs get at least 50% up front, non-refundable
Thank you for all the great videos Taryl . I'm not a mechanic but try to fix things my self and you guys are so much help. I'm 68 and a semi retired truck driver. Go ahead and retire and do things you enjoy. Good luck to you and all the crew. I will still be watching, God bless ❤ There's your dinner 😄😄😄
Hey brother,man can I feel your pain I rarely ever leave comments maybe this is the third one but I just want to let you know I appreciate the pride and honesty that you put in your work we are a dying breed I've had a custom cabinet shop for over 25 years some people don't understand you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear keep up the good work my Southern American brother
(Peppers)
due to things beyond my control. I was forced into retirement in 2018, I was 63, after 50 years in Automotive, Im tickled to have gotten out of that,, now after retirement,, I started flipping old lawn equipment,,,, did it for 2 years,, finally gave up, as you stated, PARTS!!!, its just not worth it anymore..
I've been watching and learning from Taryl for a long time, he's got me through a bunch of mower, whacker and trimmer ordeals. When I get 'em fixed I say: "and there's your dinner" 😅 The Led Zeppelin reference just reinforced I'm hanging out on the right channel.
👍 🌾🐀
I quit working on other people's Mowers because of the same issues you mentioned. The industry has gone to crap. As always, great video.
It’s the whole parts industry. Parts quality is garbage. I bought a set of batteries for my F250 in 2020. 4yrs later one of the batteries is still working. I had a set from advance that took a dump only 1.5yrs in, & resorted to the ones I took out cuz I didn’t want to drop $300 on batteries again. The 4yr old battery is from Walmart.
I used to be an auto tech, & we had defective parts except OEM left, & right.
Duralast batteries are the worst. We’ve had several that were less than a year old, & it got replaced.
We had bad power steering pumps, steering racks, & defective alternators out of the box.
The advance auto parts we had failed when we replaced them last. We then ordered the only one in our city I drove nearly an hour one way to go get it.
Ever since then we always go to the dealer. If it’s back ordered we tell the customer, & if they ok the aftermarket parts then we do the go ahead but we can’t warranty it as long.
Just a home owner here,. I know I speak for many.... Hate to see you go but, I am really happy that you are going to keep your videos going. You are my goto guy when ever I have a problem with equipment.Thank You, for all you do. Good Luck with your retirement.
Been watching you for years, worked in a mower shop when I was a kid, your stuff reminds me so much of the jokes and good times with the ol guy that owned the shop back then.
I'm so grateful for your channel here.
We are having the same issues with the auto industry 😕 you need a lawn mower junk yard ... Cause that's going to be gold❤
Your right , I have become friends with a lawnmower repair shop outside of Lagrange , Texas and he has a lawnmower salvage yard and it's mind-boggling . He had a old roper garden scratcher on Craigslist I need parts for mind and when I pulled up to his shop I could belt what I saw out in the cow pasture .
Elkskins is sittin' on a GOLD MINE !!!!!
I agree, snatch up as many old ones as you can stack up because there is going to be demand for ones that can be given a good once over and last for 10 years instead of replacing every other year.
That is what fine Ms. Chickanic said!
I understand. I spent 28 years as a marine mechanic, factory certified Mercruser tech. ( I do know shit). Had my own shop for 17 years. The people that pissed me off the most were ones that came into the shop,picked you ear for a half an hour, asking the same stupid questions, and don't spend a dime with you. Glad to be out of it. I'm almost as old as you, now I have a part time job at one the largest auto parts chains (66K stores). And even THEY have trouble getting parts, and I swear half of them come back for warranty replacement.
Soon there will be no repair facilities for anything. Remember the TV repair man? That was my dad. He and his loyal men also fixed all the appliances and the stereos too. He even financed used appliances for poor people, allowing payments of a few bucks a month on a handshake. What happened to society in my lifetime?
Yes, I'm 78 and have seen plenty and actually glad I am about push up Daisies but feel sorry for my grand-kids~!!
@@RickaramaTrama-lc1ys Notice the numbers, and how banned I am for speaking wrong speak.
The tv tech went beyond test tubes to computer chips that produce realistic images. Mass production has brought down the price of a TV so cheap that its made with a single board and several wires. Nearly all tv fails require parts that are not sold to the general public because no on repairs tvs anymore. The cost of the parts and labor would exceed the value of a brand new tv.
The same applies to fixing mowers and the likes. Its cheaper to swap a engine on something older than it is to fix it.
I will use an example that my neighbor did. He said that his wood splitter was no longer running. Not sure what was wrong with it. I told him to just order a new motor and swap it. I told him to pick one up at Harbor Freight for 150 bucks. He was like nah I will just take it to the small repair guy and he will fix it. I told him that he is going to spend about 200 dollars or so for the repair guy to fix it. Which requires loading your splitter on a trailer and taking it to him. He took it too him and his bill came out to be 225 dollars and all the guy did was add in a fuel filter and clean out a nasty tank of fuel.
My neighbor is pissed because he could have got a brand new machine that was a big more power than the original one. He even tried to barter with the guy as well. The kicker is he had the splitter for nearly a month before he got around to it. Some of the fee was yard storage till he got to it. FFS I was going to town a few days later and could have picked one up and installed it the next day for free or 20 bucks. Would have been back up and running so fast. He would have not had to pay the fuel to pick it up since I was going that direction. He did the same thing with a mower. I told him that he needed to replace a couple of those plastic guard things on the mower as it was throwing the belt. Google told me this. He spent something like 250 at one place and another 250 at the guy he now goes to only to find out that I was still right. Keep in mind he gave someone 300 bucks for the mower. I had told him to just buy another one or fix the one he has. I think the parts cost 30 dollars.
Everything is made disposable today. I'm surprised they even sell parts anymore for anything.
@@kameljoe21As an ex laser & inkjet printer technician, I know exactly what you are talking about. You sound like you have golden advise, but your neighbours character is 'stubborn as a mule'. Don't ever feel guilty because they won't listen to you, it's just the way they are made. But people who want to do it their way, pay a dollar price for their satisfaction. At the end of the day, just walk away happy you offered help.
I don't blame you one bit. The way this world has gotten, burn out happens quick. Im there myself.
I'm 55 and run a shop very like yours and I can't wait to retire but I'm sure I'll still have to get out there and keep working on things till I die , its just in my blood!
Needed a fuel pump for my 2003 Ford Focus last year Ebay had Bosch fuel pumps for $38. I called Bosch, they looked up the item, confirmed it was a FAKE BOSCH PACKAGE. The really crappy fuel pump came with a 1 year warranty. I paid $115 for the part at a local auto store, it has a lifetime warranty.
I can't blame you a bit for wanting to get out of it and I'm glad you will be still doing your videos . Good luck on your retirement and thank you for making all of your videos
i agree with you, i was n the outdoor power equipment repair industry for 48 years, just gave it up december 2023 and retired, because you could no longer get decent parts and all the issues with aftermarket parts and OEM parts thet were no good, you just cant make money at this anymore ! and a zillion other things just not worth it anymore !
Great videos! I have a jd L110 that's 20years old has the older kholer command, it's been a workhorse and is still going strong never had any issues with it other than new blades belt tires and regular maintenance 😊
I worked to I was 70 years old. Had all the same problems,a yard full of machines waiting for parts makes no money and no where to put fresh work to keep the wheels turning over, I am retired a number of years and I don’t miss it,no longer pushed to breaking point over the summer and wondering where my next meal is coming from in the winter, Taryl I enjoy your videos understand your problems and wish you a happy retirement.
Thanks Taryl for THIS video and for all the others!! Good luck on your new path. You deserve a break. Youve taught many of us "grass rats" how to keep stuff running. We will forever appreciate you humor and your archives. Blessings to you as you go forward
I use aftermarket parts primarily, and have few availability or quality issues. Set the expectations clearly and up front with the customer. Be as selective as you need to be. Be transparent, honest, and keep communication lines open, and fewer problems will result. There is plenty of good business out there, no need to chase bad repairs or customers.
I closed my shop last july.Had a huge auction and sold out all inventory and most of the tools.I sold because we moved out of state to be closer to my oldest daughter and grandson,I like you am close to retirement,I dont miss the shop, I work for Walmart now in management,After taxes I make more in my pocket now than I did working for myself without the headaches and I have very affordable ,Very good health insurance.I have paid time off and paid sick time off and I work a 8 hour day 5 days a week...... I actually enjoy going to work.I miss bringing the dead mowers and such but only the old stuff but I dont miss the work load or the customers or the shop at all .I do some repairs where I live now for fun and a couple extra$$. That started because I fixed my neighbors mower and is trying to steam roll into another repair shop,I am not allowing that,I have bigger and better things ahead of me like MY Own time and MY own toys!!
Yes, there comes a time when stepping back from the hustle and bustle of daily grind is needed. Time for some "ME" time. One thing I think would be really interesting would be for you to do a segment on building a garden tractor PULLER for retired enthusiasts as a hobby.
So happy you’re not going to stop videos, thank you so much for all you do to help us Taryl!
you need a hug Taryl!
You have to get with the times, like when I go to the doctor for a physical and ask about a skin rash and she tells me I need to schedule another appointment.
She didn't offer you a free "Vaccination"?
Or ask if your wife knows.lol@@oldmanwinter3597
Or go the hospital and being handed an iPad to triage/diagnose yourself….
@@oldmanwinter3597that’s got nothing to do with this, leave your politics out of here, no one wants to hear it.
Get a better doctor. My doctor went the opposite way and prescribed me stuff for a skin condition I wasn’t there for.
one door closes another one opens may god bless taryl and friends
That is what it is like to fly on a new Boeing aircraft.
Great Video, .... kinda sad but true in this throwaway world.
I fix my own and keep patching it up forever.
I have several riding lawn mowers, only one if which I have working currently.
The one I use is an old 50+ year old 5hp .... Simplicity Wonder Boy.
When I garbage picked it years ago. It had a hole in the block from throwing a connecting rod through the block.
I took it all apart, reshaped the block and made a heavy steel plate the same shape of the side of the engine, made a rubber gasket and drilled a mulitude of holes to secure this large plate and gasket to repair large hole in block.
New Rod, piston and rings and this thing still cuts grass rather well after fixing 20+ years ago. It also climbs my hill usually rather well too.
Got to add oil each time I use it, but it does the job well.
It Ain't much to look at, but I like showing the patch on the block that fixed an other wise junk Brakes and Scrapum Engine.
Most people .... don't understand, they buy new and throw away the old.
I’m so glad I am STILL using a 1966 Simplicity Broadmoor which was repowered with an 8hp Tecumseh iron cylinder engine. I have occasionally had to use eBay to find used parts for various things. If it breaks I use a self propelled mower until I repair the simplicity.
You couldn’t GIVE me one of the new cheap riding mowers
Congratulations Early. I'm 63 retired. I just play in the woodshop and with my old cars. Oh and work on my time cutter mower.
I feel your pain. It's the same story in the auto industry. It seems the manufacturers don't support their products more than a few years and the aftermarket is junk. We have a saying - just because it's new doesn't mean it works. At least a quarter of the aftermarket parts we buy are bad, and an equal number are wrong. I'm your age and we have seen the decline of American industry through the years and it's quite disturbing.
Good luck in your new path, I'll be watching.
Totally feel your pain, working on vehicles same pain, same frustration, working harder and harder and continuously buying more tools to keep up with changing fasteners and components, nobody wants to pay and always mad, all the fun gets squeezed right out of the work.
Our shop had ungodly fone & window traffic. We usually had 2-3 mechanics but we had to monitor the window & fone traffic also. There were times when I never got anything done due to the traffic. Now all of that would push the repair time back + we also had a manager that would put his buddies in line ahead of the others already in line. Yes, we had a lot of problems that could've been fixed had we had the power to do it but we didn't. We had good people that were always not appreciated so we had a fair turnover.
Man I dont blame you for retiring. , Loved the stories. I just retired at 61. 48 years of hvac business. Stress level dropped in half.
Yep , same for auto parts . I especially on mid model year after part changes .
I'm very happy to hear you guys will still be making content, maybe some new 'Taryl's Toys" projects videos are coming.
Pal-o-min-o!
Pal-o-min-o!
Pal-o-min-o!
Pal-o-min-o!
Pal-o-min-o!
lol
Pal-o-min-o!
My buddy has a sole survivor tooth that he wore to introduce himself to the GC on a construction job. The guy smiles back with the real thing. That is a joke gone wrong! Congratulations on retirement. I really appreciate all the helpful content over the years.
I respect you Taryl, you have much more patience than I do, I'm 61 and been into mowers and motorcycles etc all of my life, going behind another goofball is my worst nightmare, keep rocking brother
Thanks Taryl and your gonna love that retirement thing but you will always be busy which isn't all bad . now I'm learning more about what ever I'm working on and loving it. We both come from the same generation I'm 64 I get it I'll take the old days back anytime have fun with your retirement
It's the same thing here in thee automotive sector as well. Trucks only 10 years old need simple parts and either not available or long back order. For simple common parts.
Retired ( sort of) 13 years ago. I now run a consereige mower and motor service.
Just like a Dr's office, I only take the customers / patients I want.
And to put it bluntly, I selected the top 25 riches people I knew to get things rolling. As time went on I added more rich people to the client list. ( getting the picture?) and soon I found just the right number of clients to make it fun again.
No business cards, no business phone, operating on the down low.
I check the cell phone 3 or 4 times a day only. I answer when it's appropriate.
On a related note, as soon as Our Gubment gets back some sanity we might see some relief!
Gawd a mean tweet would feel goid again
Flyin' low in Ft. Worth.
The city with a fence around it.
Never ever retire in anger, your new customers will never know your pain. Don't show them any.
Just take their money. A lot of it.
I don't follow - what relief do you need from government to fix power equipment?
I love grumpy Taryl! I hope you don't calm down in retirement.
Maybe you can get your teeth fixed !!!
I had the same problem with my rider mower. When it stops running I remove the gas cap to relieve any vacuum in the fuel tank and sometimes it will start.
Absolutely hit that nail on the head Taryl. This is my life too. Frustrated and overworked on what should be a great industry in small engine repair. Very tough on all angles.. thank you for this video. I know now I'm not alone in this.
Back in 2017, when I was in need of another riding lawnmower, I went with a Troy Bilt TB 30 R, one of the 30 inch small rear engine riding mowers with a single cylinder 13 HP Breaks and Scrap'em. It was all of $900 back then.
Why did I buy the smallest, cheapest, simplest, and arguably not the most reliable mower? Because it was all I needed.
It's small and light enough, that the times something has went wrong with it, I can easily move it around by myself, without having to call in another 2 men, a small boy, and an elephant to help. And being 65 years old now, heavy physical stuff ain't getting any easier.
It's simple enough that I can literally disassemble it down to the frame with nothing but hand tools. And having spent 45 years being a mechanic in one form or another (20 years in the Navy back in the engine room, and another 22 years building Class 8 semi trucks), I've got the tools and the expertise to work on it myself - provided I can get ahold of the parts - but being retired now, I've got the time to chase down the parts.
I didn't need a huge 50 inch cut 20 HP riding mower with headlights, a hydrostatic transmission, a cup holder, a cell phone holder, an armchair with a back massager, and that cost more than my first new car, to impress the neighbors or drive cross-country on.
I just needing something that would fulfill 3 basic requirements - I could sit on it, it would move under it's own power - and it would CUT THE BLOODY GRASS.
Or as you would say, I didn't need a Space Shuttle, I just needed a lawnmower.
I know what you mean. I see so many of the old snapper rer for sale cheap cause they want something real big with all the bells and whistles. But that old snapper will out last that new mower ten times over. So simple to repair and not much breaks on them.
I’m a home mechanic. Went to vocational college for it. For me to keep up on these newer cars ya gotta have a scanner and know how to use one. Lots to learn but knowledge is in short supply like parts are. I wonder where it all went south? Seems like right around the time of the plandemic. Oh well folks stick together and help each other out. It’s the only way to get through the whole debacle.
All of the 30 inch riders are now at least $1900. I was worried about quality and didn't get one.
Im a trucker..single drive axle city tractor, 48 foot trailer. I regularly pull into several local lawn mower shops. I can see how excited the owners are when new stuff finally comes in. Usually 2 or 3 months late. Wasnt like this in 2007. China is in an economic depression because their work force is tooo old. The one child policy killed their workforce
I knew the end was near when the Snapper plant closed in McDonough,Ga.I cut my grass with a Snapper rider built there in 1992.
@@lrich8181Just refreshed my old 1986 1133 rear engine l had for 30yrs for my son's new house. New paint and valve job and new rings, he loves it. One of the best mowers once you understand their quirky but simple design. What a shame 😂
I feel your pain, my friend. I couldn't imagine doing this full-time in a repair shop setting. It's bad enough in a home hobby shop setting. Nothing but the truth in this video!
You're doing the right thing Taryl, as long as you keep your sense of humour and continue making videos your subscribers will continue to grow. I only feel sorry for some of your regular longtime good customers who rely on you to keep them going but I'm sure you will continue to give them good advice. Without experienced, knowledgeable and , above all, practical people like you I would never have had the confidence to tackle my own small engine repairs and complete a job siccessfully. All the best from a Kiwi subscriber.
Wow, Taryl! How exciting! Last time I stopped by for a visit you told me about your plans stop taking in retail work and only produce videos. And now you are moving forward with those plans. I'm so happy for you and the gang. You've come a long way and now a new chapter in your business is starting to unfold. I look forward to see it all come to fruition. Best of luck to you.
Thank you Taryl for what you do and what you have done.
Thanks for all your content T ❤ 🙋♂️ your an amazing guy ❤
Dear Taryl, the reason you are backed up with repairs is because of one thing. Shoddy work coming from the manufacturers. The personnel producing the parts no longer has pride in their work. So junk goes in and junk comes out. exasperated by the even worse garbage coming out of China and other asian countries. So don't feel bad because this is happening not only to lawn equipment but to every other industry. We are all feeling your pain. But I am not sure we have had enough pain yet to ban together and change our futures. Good luck going forward, as long as you make instructive videos I will watch them and learn. Thank you.
Also, the end-user is now way more clueless and inept. No understanding of how and why things work and his responsibility in the process of reliability.
⬆️ Bingo, i have been fixing all my neighbors equipment, they don’t have a basic understanding of how things work.
It's not the workers not taking pride. It's the heads and investors who own the company who don't take any pride in their product and pay their workers peanuts and look for the cheapest garbage material they can get away with and bank on replace over repair.
Stop blaming workers, it's not them, it's the ownership class
I see it where i work as well. I have same fellow employees I've worked with for years. Now we're under a new foreign ownership and the company started getting some of the parts from cheaper vendors and also outsourcing some of the work. We still take pride in our work, but corporate has made it nearly impossible for us to continue putting out the quality we once did. Our former company's ceo would be turning over in his grave if he knew what it has become. Sadly, the only thing that remains the same in our product is in name only.
Welcome to globalization.
Wow I was worried, so glad you will still be making videos I sure learned a lot from you over the years so much so when I retired from EMS as a Paramedic for 30 years I opened my own repair shop and your exactly correct parts are harder to get they are more expensive and they are usually made in china, thanks Taryl and enjoy your retirement !
Great video Taryl. So I have a 78 Yazoo Master mower it has 76 inch cut I have a k582 Kohler engine. my fuel pump did the same thing that happened to that customer that you mentioned.the aftermarket was cheaper so I went that route. the new one from Kohler was close to 400 Canadian I only got 3 months out of that aftermarket one that I got from fleabay so I ended up getting a 2 PSI electric fuel pump and it seems to be working great after 2 years of having it. Thanks again for the wonderful content that you bring to us.take care and God bless
I forgot to mention you can't get blades for it anymore so I ended up buying blades that fit a Dixie Chopper mower the only thing I had to do was put a keyway in the blades so they would fit on the hubs on my machine
thanks for all your help taryl, good luck.
Inspired me to service my 12 year rider yesterday myself. Thanks for the videos, you often make me laugh 😊 ❤
The changes are disturbing. I'm considering shutting down, parts are impossible to find on the new equipment. No more shop packs.
Ref my comment its a global issue. I work for a garden machinery dealer in the UK as parts department guy and I am starting to find getting parts more and more stressful and domestic homeowner customers are becoming less intelligent every year. Its when they ask me can you obtain the part on back order from the USA quicker and at some point I am going to say if you pay me money for a plane ticket to and from to the USA I will quite happily get your part. I doubt they will want to pay the ticket carriage charge.
@@bentullett6068we dont make anything anymore china etc make it all, and now we have the crap with iran influencing shipping times and costs.
for atleast 35 years our idiot western leaders enabled our own corporations to abandon us .
a country that does not manufacture its own goods is doomed.
@@bentullett6068 ...blame the intelligence of customers on computers. Our parents and grandparents that were knowledgeable about the outdoors, the value of hard work, the value of time, and the value of fairness has been replaced by Karens and scammers...🤣........Time to go make me a electric lawnmower out of $300 worth of other people's trash...✌😊❤
Still wanna come up and meet y'all and visit y'all up there in Podunk, Indiana.
I run mostly Kohler engines. When I need to replace a carburetor I keep the old jets and needles and use them if I can. They seem to work better than the new ones from across the pond.
Im glad you will be around. I have a craftsman dlt 25h its a gem and it will start only if while i engage the starter i choke it just for a second and she pops right over. Cant leave it on choke long at all. But then i can get it to run more smoothly if i tweak the choke a little. I have had this mower for 7 years used put together by a guy like you. Thing runs beautifully, and engine was rebuilt he was proud about putting 2 together to make it run burns no oil no oil on plugs at all. I just cleaned all contact's and was going to check the gaps on valves. But no sputter no backfire. And after ur rant on how hard it is to get parts i was thinking of getting new coils and do that soon. Great stuff
Good morning 🌄 from Alabama Taryl!