Testing The Auto Parts Stores....

Dachshund · May 1, 2014

Well - today the brakes went out on the Wheel loader at the sawmill. It's an older Ford A66, so parts are a bit "iffy" to find. As it turns out, this part (parking brake caliper) doesn't exist anymore, so is EXTREMELY hard to find. I priced a used one at $550, so we were a BIT bummed....

I managed to get ahold of the guy who used to own the thing. He said the guy before HIM had replaced the caliper and holder with one off a Chevy pickup (no wonder it is "ill" fitting). I was GLAD to hear that, because it was less than $50 for an all new caliper and pads.

Now for the "test" part.....

I took the old caliper and disc pads into the local O'Reilly store. I told them I did not know what year or what vehicle it came from. Two of them got together for 10 minutes, scratched thier heads (and azzes), flipped through the computer, and then told me there was NO WAY they could help me without knowing what it came off of. I acted miffed, said goodbye, and headed for the REAL parts store.

CarQuest - the only other parts store in the area....

I walked in the door, told the guys behind the counter that I had a challenge for them, and removed the rag from my pile of dead parts. Within FIVE SECONDS, one said "Chevy, 3/4 ton, 1979". The other said "1977". They looked up the stock number on the computer, grabbed it from the shelf, and handed me a new caliper and pads.

Needless to say, they passed with flying colors....

O"Reilly crashed and burned....MISERABLY

MarkB_MI · May 1, 2014

I would have been flabbergasted had you been able to get your part at O'Reilly. They are consistently helpless.

onefarmer · May 1, 2014

I have no trouble getting parts at Oreilly's. I look up the part I need and take it to the store. Tell the kid I want this number. He gets it, I double check the part and out the door I go. But of course he should get half pay since I did half his job for him.......

Dachshund · May 1, 2014

Ours wouldn't be able to find it if you told them where on the shelf it was, and lead them by the hand to it.....

Anonymous-0 · May 1, 2014

Yeah, we have some parts stores round here that couldn't find a trud in a chit house.

the tractor vet · May 1, 2014

Well sometimes you have to TRAIN them . We have and Auto Zone , we have a NAPA , we have and Advance and we just got and O Riley's You can for get the Zone as if they don't know the year make and model they don't have it won't try so don't ask.Our Napa they have and attitude and they too don't like off the wall stuff . Advance is a little better . Now O Riley's they will atleast try . Sofar they have got me Glow plugs for the New holland skid steer at greatly reduced price over New Holland and they got the wiper blade for it and a few other things that the rest will not do. I like buying my small light bulbs in BOXES of 10 no blister packs of 2 Zone don't have will not order . Napa will sell you ten bulbs at LIST price Advance can get some but not all????? can't figure that one out O Riley's will get me what i want at my cost So for now O Riley's has my vote. Oh and FYI they also can get from Hershel's Yes they have the books.

Billy Shafer · May 1, 2014

Not all of them are useless. I was in one getting some parts I needed for a large generator repair. Guy ask me if I needed any thing else.I told him 5 inch stick hose would be nice. He went to the back and came out with four sticks. I just about passed out. No one in the country carries the stuff. Unless you are in a large town. Even then it can be hard to find

Dachshund · May 1, 2014

Ours sure don't! We have another store in town that carries some Herchel items, and can order the rest.

farmallstrong · May 1, 2014

We now have a Advance Auto Parts. I went in to get 4 autolite plugs #3116. First question they ask , What are they in? I tell them it doesn't matter. They say they need to know to put it in the computer. I say 1941 Farmall BN. They say they can't find them. I live go to my truck call them , get manager on phone tell him what I want. He said they have them. I go back in and get them from him. The other 2 A$$holes just stood there. On another note Advance Auto bought Car Quest auto.

Gambles · May 1, 2014

It all depends on the store...and the manager.
My O'Reilly store can get pistons, piston rings and sleeves for the Buda 4G153 engine, the same engine found in Cockshutt 30 and Coop E3 engines.
My NAPA store was clueless.

Dachshund · May 1, 2014

Yeah - Advance is the worst parts house on earth...
O'Reilly is a close second.
Hopefully, they won't drag CarQuest down into the Abyss with them.

AG in IN · May 1, 2014

(quoted from post at 02:38:53 05/02/14) Yeah - Advance is the worst parts house on earth...
O'Reilly is a close second.

Couldn't agree more. Some of the duds that didn't make the cut as counter people at the local NAPA's had no trouble finding work at Advance Auto. They are still duds.

AG

T.R.K. · May 1, 2014

Ok.

Now were either of the guys who scratched their you-know-whats even born when that thing was made?

504 · May 1, 2014

Call and ask or the commercial desk, that guy or gal will be the best they have in that store.

Dachshund · May 1, 2014

Well - the MANAGER is 19 - if that tells you anything.......

AG in IN · May 1, 2014

(quoted from post at 00:37:26 05/02/14) Oh and FYI they also can get from Hershel's Yes they have the books.

O'Reillys handles Herschel parts? Makes me think less of H-A if anything. Sometime when I have an hour or four to kill I'm going to try and order some landsides, a mower sickle, and some anhydrous knives at O'Reillys.

Ask for D-21 spark plugs at O'Reillys sometime. When they ask you what year your Citroen is you're headache begins. Tell them you're talking about Champion spark plugs and they'll ask you what year you're Studebaker is. Too bad they don't stock asprin. It would expire before they could find it anyway.

AG

dbNga · May 1, 2014

Took my alt to Zone the other day to get tested. The counterpartswoman couldn't get machine to play....was machine's fault. Went to Oreilly's the 19-20 something counterpartsman looked at my alt w/a fan and was amazed an alt had a fan on it. "All the alts I've ever seen didn't have a fan on". What is the oldest alt you've ever seen?, I ask. "89 Honda" he says. He was able to spin my alt and his machine said passed. I guess we are all dinosaurs.

Dan T in MO · May 1, 2014

Around here, NAPA is the only place I go to. I see down below, a few folks badmouth NAPA. Well, Eddy Miller's is the best auto parts house in the county and just happens to have a NAPA sign out front. The folks behind the counter know which book to grab. And if it ain't in the book, they know how to use a micrometer.

Scott_S · May 2, 2014

I try to use the locally-owned Car Quest and Bumper to Bumper when I can. Old parts folks that know what it is and how to find it. It might not be on the shelf but they can have it first thing in the morning.
I used to go to Orielley's if it was late or on the weekends. The last time I was there, I had an interesting conversation with the counter man and the manager. I was simply getting a set of brake pads. The salesman said I had to buy brake grease at the same time I got the pads if I wanted the warranty to be valid. I opened the box and showed him the installation instructions that explicitly said do not use grease. He called the manager. Manager said they have to have grease for the warranty and if brought back must have evidence of grease being used. He went on to say that this was a new company policy. He said it applied to other related items too. If you buy a water pump, must buy coolant, buy a fuel pump, must get a filter, etc.
I walked out. Not going back.
Scott

jennifer408 · May 2, 2014

(quoted from post at 17:27:40 05/01/14) Not all of them are useless. I was in one getting some parts I needed for a large generator repair. Guy ask me if I needed any thing else.I told him 5 inch stick hose would be nice. He went to the back and came out with four sticks. I just about passed out. No one in the country carries the stuff. Unless you are in a large town. Even then it can be hard to find

what is "5 inch stick hose" ?

Dachshund · May 2, 2014

I USED to go to NAPA where we used to live. NEVER had the part, NEVER got the right one in. Been to several others - if they DID have the right part, you had to sell the car to afford the part.....

NNP · May 2, 2014

needed a radiator hose for a tractor once when only A-Z was open.
Knew it would be trouble.....
walked casually around the store looking down the racks behind the counter until I saw the hoses.
Went to the counter and asked....'no way we have it'
pointed at the hoses, asked him to bring me the first 6 I saw that looked close.
Got out my tape and measured em up.
This one will work, I'll take it.
Saved the headache.

hint: walking into a 'clean hands' type parts store,
look out back where the workers park. Ignore all the new imports, etc.
When you walk in, ask 'whose nice old Camaro-Mustang-truck-etc out back.'
When one of them says mine, talk to him/her.

hint: browse the store first keeping an eye on the counter people. Master mechanics and Master parts people usually consider the public as annoying insects.
When you see him, put on your thick skin and deal with him. He will usually know his stuff.

mkirsch · May 2, 2014

(quoted from post at 19:21:35 05/01/14) Well - the MANAGER is 19 - if that tells you anything.......

Yeah, "parts man" is no longer a career. It's a "burger flipper" job for teenagers, or chronic entitlement abusers who need to hold a job for 26 weeks to reset their benefits.

These companies have decided to save money by using computers and minimum wage employees who are in and out revolving-door style.

The employees are never around long enough to learn anything. Slackers get fired within a few weeks. Smart ones quickly move on to bigger and better and more pay.

Reality is, it's NOT THAT BAD in general. Most of the "box store" auto parts places will *TRY* to help you out, and usually can.

My worst experience was at a NAPA with an "old timer." All I wanted were some seals for 3500lb trailer axle hubs. Common part. I even brought the seal with me. It had a number on it. Old timer took one look at it and said, "What's it off of?" I told him. He scowled and muttered something foul under his breath. He tried crossing the seal on the computer. No dice. "If ya ain't got a good number I can't help ya."

Went to a different NAPA, and another grumpy old man gave me the same song and dance. The KID stepped up with a calipers and their seal catalog, and found the right seal. They had a dozen in stock.

JRSutton · May 2, 2014

I usually lean towards carquest.

Napa seems to have more oddball parts IF you can find them in the system. (not sure if that's true or not -just my experience).

But every time I go to a carquest, the guys there are definitely more knowledgeable than most. Might just be luck of the draw, I don't know.

And speaking of luck, there's a huge carquest warehouse about 3 miles away.

Any time the store doesn't have something in stock - they can call it into the warehouse and I can go pick it up.

Just lucky that it's so close, no reflection on the company either way - but keeps me going to them for parts. I HATE waiting a day or two for parts.

Donald Lehman · May 2, 2014

We have 2 NAPA's, Fisher Auto, and an Advanced Auto store in this area. Both NAPA stores in the area go out of their way to supply agricultural parts. They are pretty good with older stuff, too. The Fisher Auto chain doesn't do as much with farm stuff but the guys will go out of their way to try to match something up. Even if they are stumped, they will still try to help you out. That includes sending you to NAPA if they can't help out. In our area, the Advanced Auto guys are the last choice and to be avoided at all costs. The Ad A folks are good enough people, but they are young and inexperianced. They wouldn't know a what a 4020 or a "Corn Binder" was it it bit em on the southern exposure.

GVSII · May 2, 2014

We have Car Quest and NAPA in my area along with Advance and Auto Zone.NAPA used to be excellent and thats where I always went.Car Quest was just as good.NAPA went down hill with an ownership change so it's Car Quest for me now.

MSS3020 · May 2, 2014

For me its about who's behind the counter.. I go to Oreillys for most parts. If it was cheers they would call me Norm in this perticular branch.. Most know my face.. BUT one guy knows my face, my name, and my company.. THats who I go to.. He will work his assests off for me includding the cross parts for case, J.D. and lawn tractors..that being said I other than this guy.. Id rather go to the smaller town country guys parts store than the larger city parts store..no matter what the name..

biggerred · May 2, 2014

My thoughts

Anonymous-0 · May 2, 2014

stick hose - straight section of radiator hose usually 3ft

Stubborn Dutchman · May 2, 2014

I'm loving this thread! I worked at AZ for several years. I'm just a shade tree mechanic. Did a few engine rebuilds but mostly parts swaps, that kind of thing. On a scale of one to ten, on a good day I'd consider my self a six knowledge wise.

Sad to say but I was probably one of the most knowledgeable guys there. They would hire most anybody who claimed to have at least changed a spark plug or two. The computer was our life line. They kept staffing to a minimum at all times so taking time with catalogs was frowned upon. Just blow the customer off and move on to the next customer in line.

Pretty sad way to run a business if you ask me.

morgan in ar · May 2, 2014

Our NAPA is dang good. Old time parts guy owns the place, and his son is the other employee. At least they know what a tractor is, can match bearings and seals, and know how to use the catalogs. Our O'Reilly's is pretty good too, if you get the manager or assistant. They just ordered me a carb kit for a ford 2000 from Herschel, after spending quite a bit of time looking through their holley catalogs. NAPA actually couldn't get that kit. At Auto-Zone or Advance, they may not even speak english.

Testing The Auto Parts Stores....

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