I went with a friend of mine to the tractor shop at Dycusburg Ky. to pick up his 560 Farmall he had overhauled there. My friend and I had a nice discussion with the older gentleman that owns the shop about tractor and equipment repair and what it cost today. My friend paid his bill and we loaded and left for home. I thought as we drove and I told my friend that I thought something was wrong with the bill it was just to cheap! I took out the folder the old gentleman gave us on the job and started looking thru the labor and parts list. It was then that I noticed that the man sold my friend all parts at cost and only charged $ 22.50 per hour labor. One part that really caught my eye was a set of Seal Power Std main bearings were only $ 60.00 My Father in law had his 560 overhauled at another shop and they charged him $ 118.00 for a set bearings. I guess it just goes to show their are still some small shops that believe in treating the public fair!
- Thread starter DHenry
- Start date
Wheat Farmer
Well-known Member
Some how you people back there need to keep track of that Gentleman and take care of him how ever when ever.
dr sportster
Well-known Member
The Federal-Mogul are double some of the other brands. I always figured if they were too cheap to use somebody would have told you or you would have heard about it. The manufacturing is probably similar to all of them.
teddy52food
Well-known Member
I am disabled & only charge $15 an hour. But I only work on small stuff anymore, like starters, generators, alternators, mags & light heads.
It is "nice" of the old Mechanic to work for next to nothing. I hope that you fellows that are taking stuff to him are going to take care of him when he is broke from working for nothing on your equipment.
You are kind of taking advantage of the old fellow.
My Great Grand Father ran a black smith/repair shop. He still charged 1920 prices in the 1950s. When he died my Great Grand Mother had nothing to live on as he never made enough to save anything. She also only got $66 in SS each month too. He never made enough to pay much into the system.
You can not work for $22.50 an hour and pay for the cost of a shop an have much left over. Also is he charging for the time and cost of getting the parts he is selling at "cost" ???
You are kind of taking advantage of the old fellow.
My Great Grand Father ran a black smith/repair shop. He still charged 1920 prices in the 1950s. When he died my Great Grand Mother had nothing to live on as he never made enough to save anything. She also only got $66 in SS each month too. He never made enough to pay much into the system.
You can not work for $22.50 an hour and pay for the cost of a shop an have much left over. Also is he charging for the time and cost of getting the parts he is selling at "cost" ???
farmer boy
Well-known Member
That just goes too far. There is nothing fair about it. This guy is damn near running himself out of business. He should be charging at least 30.00 and marking up parts enough to cover his handling costs. He wouldn't lose any business at all. At 22.50, I would gladly pay somebody to fix my crap, rather than doing it myself.
I work for $20 an hour. Do not have a shop so work in customers shop. Carry my tools in the pickup. More money than I ever made working by the hour for a dealer for over 40 years. Hey, when you get old you work slow. Might take two hours to get an hours work done. Don't knock the guy. He most likely sleeps very well at night and will take the same amount to his grave as anyone else, plus, people will say how good a man he was. Priceless.
The guy charging 22.50 an hour has a shop to maintain, pay taxes on and utilities. Plus insurance if he has any. You are using the customers building and electricity. All you are paying for is wear and tear, maintenance, gas/diesel and auto insurance. Bet the customer supplies the parts too. The other guy isn't paying everything on that 2.50 an hour difference.
Rick
Didn't say I had as much expense as he did. My point was that a whole lot of people tell me I do not charge enough which is what a whole lot of people are saying about this guy. OK. I don't keep very good track of my actual hours either and don't charge for driving to the job or coffee time.
MARK ROBKE
Well-known Member
I'll bet it costs that man to work. He's probably better off than sitting in the chair all day, but it takes time to order and obtain parts. Maintaining tools, air compressor, welder, etc., and building costs money, but I guess he's happy. Like any hobby farmer: do it for fun and relaxation, not for profit ! Mark
waltdavies
Member
Dam I never charge anything for labor an let the guy by his own parts or order them at cost for him.
Think I might go out of business soon. Hope not I really enjoy the work at my age the money just isn't worth the bother.
Walt
Think I might go out of business soon. Hope not I really enjoy the work at my age the money just isn't worth the bother.
Walt
Robert Major
Well-known Member
Hi
I would not doubt that price.
I bet those are common high demand jobber bearings, made in a foreign factory for cents on the dollar.
when I buy bearings for Fordson Majors thats about the jobber price I pay with my motor guy. Everybody will say they are junk at that price. I"ve never had a problem, with any $800 motor kits I have fitted in these old Fordson tractors.
Most of these old tractors aren"t worth putting high dollar OEM motor kits in ,even if they are available, the rest will be junk before the motors worn out if done right even with cheaper parts.
Regards Robert
I would not doubt that price.
I bet those are common high demand jobber bearings, made in a foreign factory for cents on the dollar.
when I buy bearings for Fordson Majors thats about the jobber price I pay with my motor guy. Everybody will say they are junk at that price. I"ve never had a problem, with any $800 motor kits I have fitted in these old Fordson tractors.
Most of these old tractors aren"t worth putting high dollar OEM motor kits in ,even if they are available, the rest will be junk before the motors worn out if done right even with cheaper parts.
Regards Robert
Isnt that the truth!!I rutinely have costomers try to 'jew' me down AFTER the work is done.They seemto think just because I am a small guy and use older equipment that I should work cheap (or free) and give them a 'deal'.They never draem of 'jewing' Walmart,the big shops....Why should I be anny different?I'm already cheaper!!
Yep, and the funny part is that the guys with the high-dollar jobs are typically the WORST.
NO way would they negotiate $$$ on something THEY are involved in, but figure it's OK to try that crap with the little guy. Doesn't take too long to figure out who appreciates you/is willing to pay a fair price for what you've done vs. those that can go somewhere else next time!
NO way would they negotiate $$$ on something THEY are involved in, but figure it's OK to try that crap with the little guy. Doesn't take too long to figure out who appreciates you/is willing to pay a fair price for what you've done vs. those that can go somewhere else next time!
Not always true. I did a couple of food plot preps for a guy last spring. I told him 50 bucks. He insisted that what I had done was worth more. He sent me a good check for 200. Guy and his wife own several medical clinics in the Twin Cities and bought some recreation land on my south side property line.
Rick
I have a few customers like that.Brought a load of fire wood to a friend and found the check was 40 bucks more than I had asked.I have my TV shop in the yard and never had a problem with taxes and insurance.The shop was assessed at 250 bucks for years and isnt even on the tax list now.Always had insurance on the shop.I figured 12 bucks a month for electric and no cost for the shop phone.There are shops that have a 30.00 minimum bench charge.Never got rich but always had some income and didnt have to drive 25 miles to a job.So if the fellow who charges 22.50 an hour is ok with it thats his business , nobody elses.These high shop rates are the reason every thing gets junked instead of being repaired .
Hobo,NC
Well-known Member
- Location
- Sanford, NC
Delta the best way to respond to those folks is to tell them everyone is priced the same are pays the same and walk away from them....
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
I don't know the guys story, but my guess is that he is getting ss and happy to work on peoples equipment to help them out, it gives both satisfaction, him something to do and the owner a little more left in his pocket to pay other bills to stay in business! Just a guess. Tom
NoNewParts
Member
I don't farm much work out, but in that situation,
I would pay my bill, get my receipt, then hand him a tip in cash for HIM, not his business.
Now that I'm retired, I charge by the job.
If I analyse a difficult one, I'm probably working for less than that. Don't care, keeps me busy, and it puts some cash in my 'next tractor fund'
that isn't earmarked for bills.
I do it mostly to help out people that just can't afford
a 'real' shop repair.
Word gets around though, When I get asked to fix stuff by the 'soft hands, lots of money' crowd. I just say no. Experience has taught me they are more trouble than it is worth, at any price.
I would pay my bill, get my receipt, then hand him a tip in cash for HIM, not his business.
Now that I'm retired, I charge by the job.
If I analyse a difficult one, I'm probably working for less than that. Don't care, keeps me busy, and it puts some cash in my 'next tractor fund'
that isn't earmarked for bills.
I do it mostly to help out people that just can't afford
a 'real' shop repair.
Word gets around though, When I get asked to fix stuff by the 'soft hands, lots of money' crowd. I just say no. Experience has taught me they are more trouble than it is worth, at any price.
He's charging what he thinks is "fair". Why is everyone getting mad about this?
I used to do handyman work for a woman who owns a horse farm. She paid me by taking it off my horse's board bill. Way less than the $22.50/hr this guy charges. I also got reimbursed (at cost, no markup) for stuff I bought. Sometimes I used my own material or lost a bill for small parts. I also didn't charge for the time I spent at home making up a list or figuring out how to build/fix something. My wife says I should charge more but it's a win/win situation. I did it to stay off the couch and away from the TV. My job now is a 1 hr commute and I routinely work 10-11 hr days so I don't do much for her anymore. My cell phone IS posted for any "emergencies" and I've run over there at 9 at night to fix something in a pinch.
My point is that people do things for different reasons and if it's not affecting you, why grouse about the guy undercharging?
I used to do handyman work for a woman who owns a horse farm. She paid me by taking it off my horse's board bill. Way less than the $22.50/hr this guy charges. I also got reimbursed (at cost, no markup) for stuff I bought. Sometimes I used my own material or lost a bill for small parts. I also didn't charge for the time I spent at home making up a list or figuring out how to build/fix something. My wife says I should charge more but it's a win/win situation. I did it to stay off the couch and away from the TV. My job now is a 1 hr commute and I routinely work 10-11 hr days so I don't do much for her anymore. My cell phone IS posted for any "emergencies" and I've run over there at 9 at night to fix something in a pinch.
My point is that people do things for different reasons and if it's not affecting you, why grouse about the guy undercharging?
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