Anyone mechanic for Cub Cadet dealer?

Riverslim

Member
I have a LT1045 about seven years old. I replaced the deck belt early this season. The main drive belt wore out and I am recovering from surgery, so took it to dealer. First off, I have the poor boy mentality - don't take it to a dealer except for warranty work. Secondly, foolish enough to take partsman's prediction for the labor bill. He said maybe one hour ($70) plus cost of belt, which was about $35. I picked it up and told them to mail the bill. Well, it's here: total $240 -labor was $189 plus belt and a spring. Sounds much too much to me, but - oh well.
 
That would be my first time and my last time to do business with them. I am not a mechanic, but that is about a 30 min. job at the most. You need to find a local independent mechanic. last year on my Cub Cadet, my local small engine mechanic replaced the seal in the fromt of the motor, replaced carb float, cleaned and adjusted, new plugs, new air filter, changed oil, and furnished everything for $135.
 
I am a mechanic. I also have no idea how much work it takes to get the belt off and back on that particular lawnmower. That being said, shops count time starting with writing up the ticket to getting the mower into the service bay. I always said we don't even open the door for 100 bucks any more when I worked at the dealership. I am retired and work at my own convenience. Charge 20 bucks an hour and charge only for the time I think it should have taken if I knew what the heck I was doing and it all went well. Wife says if I ran a business I would go broke. I think she is right.
 
Looks like you might have paid someone s bill plus your own . I wouldn t ever do anything with them again , plus I wouldn t give them out for other people to use.


John in AZ.
 
It sounds high just for replacing the belt and a spring but did they do anything else???

I just put a belt on a friend's mower. I worked all afternoon getting the belt tighteners, linkage and idlers to work correctly. He is a big pressure washer guy. His stuff always looks like a million dollars but his maintenance is lacking. He will wash and wax but would not dream of oiling a pivot bushing. So things stick and don't work after awhile. If I had been charging him full shop rate he could easily had a few hundred dollars in getting just a belt replaced. I also had to fix what made the belt go fail.

I would ask the dealership for a itemized work order. Then asked them what all was done and at what cost. You picked up the mower and did not ask what all had been done. Now your condemning the dealer just based off a MAILED bill.

I like the guys that are all dumping on the dealer on this. Telling him to never go back and all types of things. Any of you guys ever heard of COMMUNICATION!!!! Call the dealer and asked why the bill is what it is. THEN if the dealer just says "well we just replaced the belt and that is all." you can dump on him.

If they took the deck clear off the tractor. Cleaned it all up and sharpen the blades. Reinstalled the deck with a new belt. Adjusted the belt tension and leveled the deck they could have easily had an hour or two involved.

So find out what was actually done. Asking some Cub mechanic on a forum to tell you what the bill should be is kind of not the way to resolve this issue.
 
when you say the main drive belt, is it for the traction drive or the drive belt for the mower deck?

When I was the assistant service managed at a local dealer, flat rate was around 2 to 2.5 hrs for replacing the traction drive belt. At $70 bucks an hr, the labor sounds about right.

Jared
 
My "resolution" is to simply pay the bill. Merely asking a few opinions - that is what the forum is all about?
 

Yes, take each and every opinion with respect and formulate your own conclusion. However, if your conclusion is predetermined, no need to ask.
 
The beef I would have is that replacing a drive belt should be a common often done job at an active shop. He should have been able to give you an accurate estimate when you dropped it off. There was no diagnostic work, and if a problem with a pulley, bearing or what ever popped up, he should have called for authorization.
 
(quoted from post at 11:59:20 06/30/13) My "resolution" is to simply pay the bill. Merely asking a few opinions - that is what the forum is all about?

I can understand needing more information but is a forum with fellows that have never seen your mower the place to ask first????

Would not the repair shop/dealer that actually did the work maybe a better place to ask???

I have not replaced the hydro dive belt on a CUB Cadet but I have done a lot of them on JD lawn mowers. You have to remove the mower deck, the rear fender deck, on some models the electric deck clutch ( drive belt above it and belt threaded through the clutch mounting bracket), Then you have to remove one of the tightener idlers to thread the belt through the tightener, then loosen the belt guides around the hydro drive pulley. Then you reverse the whole thing. So if everything went perfect it would take and 1-1 1/2 hours. Any trouble doing any of the other stuff and it could easily take longer.

All I am saying give the benefit of doubt to the fellow that actually did the work. YOUR tone in the post makes it CLEAR you think the dealer over charged you. So it would seem you would rather be mad about it rather than asked and find out what work was done.

Also think about what it costs to keep the doors open on a business. Many on here complain about the cost of dealership repairs and parts but then in the next post complain about there not being many dealers left so they can buy their parts locally. To be blunt. Even if the dealer made a $100 profit on your repair he would be hard pressed to keep his doors open repairing lawn tractors only. The only guy that can do it cheaper ,and still stay in business, is a one man shop that is semi retired and just looking for pocket money.
 
I worked on my father-in-law's a couple of weeks ago. Took me just over a hour to replace the drive belt. Had to remove deck and then used an impact wrench to remove the electric clutch. Not sure if it can be removed without one as the crankshaft turns. They must have sharpened the blades and replaced the mower deck belts while they had the deck off.
 
I have worked on several of them.Takes just over an hour to change the main belt. That is if the wheels don't go flat. Best thing to do. Park it by the street and hope someone steels it.
 
I am not mad. I had asked in my subject line for any Cub Cadet mechanics to reply because though they haven't seen my machine, they may have seen not hundreds perhaps, but certainly dozens. It is an ongoing model, Home Depot has them on the floor. From that experience they may be able to make a general statement, having seen some that have had no care or respect, to some machines that have been babied and well maintained. Any mechanics, JD, Kubota, or otherwise are of course welcome also to respond, And JD Seller I do value your opinion and you made good valid points. My mind was and is not set in concrete when an opinion is formed. I well may be dead wrong.
 
(quoted from post at 14:52:35 06/30/13) No, didn't sharpen blades or replace deck belt. I had done both those jobs early this season.

Just because you had the blades sharpened last spring doesn't mean they didn't need to be sharpened.
 
(quoted from post at 07:10:25 06/30/13)
(quoted from post at 11:59:20 06/30/13) My "resolution" is to simply pay the bill. Merely asking a few opinions - that is what the forum is all about?

I can understand needing more information but is a forum with fellows that have never seen your mower the place to ask first????

Would not the repair shop/dealer that actually did the work maybe a better place to ask???

I have not replaced the hydro dive belt on a CUB Cadet but I have done a lot of them on JD lawn mowers. You have to remove the mower deck, the rear fender deck, on some models the electric deck clutch ( drive belt above it and belt threaded through the clutch mounting bracket), Then you have to remove one of the tightener idlers to thread the belt through the tightener, then loosen the belt guides around the hydro drive pulley. Then you reverse the whole thing. So if everything went perfect it would take and 1-1 1/2 hours. Any trouble doing any of the other stuff and it could easily take longer.

All I am saying give the benefit of doubt to the fellow that actually did the work. YOUR tone in the post makes it CLEAR you think the dealer over charged you. So it would seem you would rather be mad about it rather than asked and find out what work was done.

Also think about what it costs to keep the doors open on a business. Many on here complain about the cost of dealership repairs and parts but then in the next post complain about there not being many dealers left so they can buy their parts locally. To be blunt. Even if the dealer made a $100 profit on your repair he would be hard pressed to keep his doors open repairing lawn tractors only. The only guy that can do it cheaper ,and still stay in business, is a one man shop that is semi retired and just looking for pocket money.

It's a dealer! If he'll screw the customer on the bill, I have no reason to doubt he lie to him on the questions.

Might as well ask here, if he asks at a dealer the the thieves will just charge him for the answers.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top