To Tim S

[Tech 7]

If you don't want to post this I understand; If I read things right you run your own shop. What,as a % is your door rate as compared to nearby dealer run shops? Again I understand if you would rather not dicuss this here, Thanks, Bob

 

[tim s]

I usualy quote a price per job, If it goes well good for me, if not bad for me, the customer knows about where the price will be up front. The two dealers near me,one 25 miles to the east, the other 25 miles to the west have a $85 shop rate, and they take their good old time on a job, I use a $60 dollar rate,but I have a "much" lower over head than they do. On some thing like a 4020 steer valve I charge $250 to pull/rebuild, that's about 4 hours labor, if it goes well I do one of those in 2 or 3 hours. The one dealer will have a $900 bill for one of those (this is good advertisment for me).. When I'm fighting an ornery problem that seems to take longer than it should to sort out I almost always knock some time off to keep the bill in what I consider a "fair" cost for the job. I get along with the mechanics at the local dealers, we don't compete, the owners would rather not run older stuff through their shop,,There are not any independants like me working on Deeres in my area, I have a 60 mile radius that I call local work, any farther out the pick up and deliver starts to get out of hand. I pick up and deliver about 40% of the jobs, the rest find their own way here.

 

[Tech 7]

Thanks for the info....that overhead is always a big factor.We have an independant shop nearby fixing primarily IH no one really doing much Deere. Just thinking........ Bob

 

[Jake Winn]

This sounds all to familliar. I work at a Deere dealer here in Oregon. Spent 12 years as a service tech and am now in the parts department. My father in law retired from the same dealer after 15 years of turning wrenches, after moving here from Minnesota. Since hes retired, hes been doing work for some local farmers on their older equipment. A lot of utility tractors, 1020s-2550s, along with 10, 20, and 30 series row crops. He charges $60 per hour, as compared to $85 at our dealer. He stays pretty busy for a part time guy. Most of the time hes doing work for one farm that has about 40-50 tractors. They are very diverse with their crops and need a wide variety of machines (grass seed, mint, corn, beans, blueberries, wheat, hazelnuts). They maintain their machines well, and dont usually question the repairs unless its very serious. But as you say, there are times that he charges a flat rate, say as for a clutch or hydraulic pump. Sometimes it works in his favor, sometimes he eats some time, but thats no different than a dealer that treats their customers fair.

With the way the economy has been in this area, and the large amount of older machines, it has been tempting to step out on my own and work with him as well. I know I could stay busy as well, along with my 2 cylinder parts buisness. But there are some good benifits to being at the dealer as well. So for now im going to hang in there.

 

[thesmoothedeere]

I was wondering Tim how many two cylinders you have . What type you have and if you show them which shows you go too . I already see your an expert on the later stuff . Thanks for sharing your knowledge here on this site . Brandon

 

[tim s]

I'm fond of "60's" since I grew up with them, I have one fixed up "real" nice, I have shown it around here close, I have a second 60 that I'm re-doing this winter, I just got a set of .125 over M&W pistons for it. I have plans to take them both to Rantul this summer, I have a 41 H that needs re-done again, I fixed it up back in the 80's for my son, my nephew has a nice 50.I don't work on many 2 cyl's, when I worked at Deere years ago we had another guy that did all the work on them, I worked on new Gen stuff, though I have a 630 comming in this week for engine oil in the trans.

 

[Hogleg]

What part of the country do you live in, Tim?

John

 

[tim s]

I live 12 miles east of Lancaster Ohio, 40 miles south east of Columbus Ohio near the center of the state, a lot of farming around here,,

 

[tim s]

I live 12 miles east of Lancaster Ohio, 40 miles south east of Columbus Ohio near the center of the state, a lot of farming around here,,

 

[JD Man 65]

$250 to pull and rebuild a steering valve is a good price. I have 2 mechanics near my house, both good people, one charges $35 an hour the other $40 an hour. My steering valve starting leaking a year or two ago and had to get it fixed quick. Took it to the guy that charges 40 an hour and he charged $160.00 to just rebuild and I pulled it out and put it back in. I would have paid him $90 extra to take it out and put it back. That things pretty ornery.

 

[tim s]

They can be ornery, I've got one to take out of a 2510 tomorrow.Practice makes perfect.