OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums General Discussion Forum Lawn Care & Maintenance Kikuyu

I had to cut the grass along the side of a friends place yesterday that had not been cut for several years, kikuyu about 2 feet high. She only has a small mower to maintain the lawn area and the side of the house got ignored for a while and then got too far out of control for her little mower. My wife picked up an old PT off the side of the road the other day so I thought I would give it a go on it. I modified the carby, sharpened the blades and I could not believe how easily it ripped into the kikuyu and had it cleaned up in a few minutes. A great mower that somebody had had float needle problems and had given up on it, sure the mower is an old PT but still has years of life left in it with a bit of maintenance, but unless you can do it yourself they are cost prohibitive to have somebody repair it for you. It is why we have become a throwaway world

Sadly it's the repair industry that's simply outpriced itself. Everyone wants to become a millionaire over night at some else's expense.

I've yet to see a mower shop that doesn't constantly do the dirty on it's customers and ream their pockets out.

I'm sure if there were more folk like your good self Norm the world would be a much better place and certainly less wasteful.

Cheers,
BB.

yep anyone that has met Norm will walk away impressed he's a gem,trueblue fair dinkum

Ok lets not get too carried away I just do what needs to be done, and if I can help someone I will

That's the way Norm, sharpen the blades from the top razor sharp..... tie the flap up a bit , cut it dry, set height a bit up.
I did one a couple of day ago with my big 19 in Statesman PT with 4 blades.
I sold my orange PT which I used to call my mad chainsaw PT.........................
speedy

[quote=Bonnar_Bloke]Sadly it's the repair industry that's simply outpriced itself. Everyone wants to become a millionaire over night at some else's expense.

I've yet to see a mower shop that doesn't constantly do the dirty on it's customers and ream their pockets out.

I'm sure if there were more folk like your good self Norm the world would be a much better place and certainly less wasteful.

Cheers,
BB.[/quote]
Well Bonner yes there is a lot out there but there is still a few of us small shops still here.

Now take the following with a grain of salt from someone that has been in repair business for 40 yrs and need to point this out. There is a lot of hidden costs that customers never sees or care to see.

Here I charge $40 per for labor and I am having to raise it to $45 this year due to inflation. Constantly needing new specialized tools. Fighting with vendors trying to cheat the repair shops. And still try to squeak out a living from what repairs I do. Most of the shops around here are charging the customers $75 plus per for labor and yes do take advantage of most of their customers but I have never operated that way nor I plan to.

One dealer here went to $100 minimum charge for repairs even on handhelds. They are a Stihl dealer but now even Stihl corporate got involved by forcing us independent shops into having to pay all our Stihl parts from the dealer. Carburetor kits that I was paying $6-$7 apiece for from Zama are now from $17-$24 from Stihl. What worst is that dealer don't stock these kits and wants a $20 shipping charge too. About the only way a customer can get their low end Stihl chainsaws and trimmers repaired is to do it themselves or just purchase a new unit.

Mentioning vendors trying cheat. I just got in to it with one of my vendors yesterday. I ordered an OEM Zama carburetor and they tried sneaking in a clone at the same OEM price. I had too many problems with clones to accept this beside if I wanted a clone I could have gotten for a third of what I was charged.

There are many times I forgo full labor charges that could and should be charge as simply the equipment replacement simply can not justify the charges. Just yesterday I spent 1-1/2 hours just changing a clutch cable on a Honda self propelled walk behind mower. I had to fully unbolt the transmission just to get to a clip to remove the cable. Since I also have welded the deck back to where it not trying to fold up, done preventative maintenance I will charging about 2 hours labor but that is because I have over 4 hours of time in the actual repairs. Even most handhelds are under charged based on the time actually put into them vs what I actually charge.

The only time I come close to actual times is on larger ZTRs and ATVs. Even then if it a new procedure I still allow time for my learning curve.

Tools are expensive even with buying a lot cheaper Chinese tools but if wasn't for them I would need to be charging more. I just look at a required tester that is just use to set the TPS on a Polaris ATV and it is over $1100. No way I can buy it just to do one job.

Then there is the insurance for the shop and shop parts inventory that I must have on hand just to operate. This is just the tip of the iceberg. This why many DIYers never get anywhere when they start out as they try to do their too cheap. My brother was one that wanted to charge only $10 per hour plus a couple extra dollars on the parts cost. He lost $6K the very first and claimed I stole his money as I was his bookkeeper. Since he quit the business and I knew how to operate the business at a profit I continue it even though he quit and claimed I stole the business from him. You can't steal a business that some else quits.

On top of this is the customers that try to cheat even shops like mine so the back stabbing can go both ways. Most tried the partial payments and get their equipment then don't even finish paying the bill. This has stop here I will not let the equipment leave without being fully paid.

Just think of the $20K I billed years I got to keep $5K before income taxes and reinvestment in the company. No way that is a living. If wasn't for second hand clothing stores I would be in rags for clothes. I be so glad to finally get to draw a retirement check in a few years so I can just quit this nightmare or at least stop begging for work.

I done ranting...I think..
:crazy:

AVB, I can't see how anybody could make a living out of this sort of repair work when you can buy a cheap replacement for half the cost of labor to repair a secondhand machine. As you said fitting a replacement cable to a Honda self propelled, I refuse to work on those now you just waste so much time trying to work on them and they are just too big and heavy to deal with. ATV's and that sort of stuff can make some money but then again they are so jammed up tight, the simplest thing turns into a major time waster, and I believe most are designed to be too difficult to repair

Engineers against mechanics these days, especially European makers like VW and Stihl.
You just have to examine a Volvo or Scania truck and look at all the intricate plastics used for the engine intakes to see what they're about. Forcing you to purchase their extortionate over engineered parts that only they can make.
Iveco trucks Australia built in Melbourne combine ready made American sourced components like Cummins engines, Allison transmissions and Rockwell axles which means easy to source compatible parts used by other truck makers as well.
Stihl are not what they used to be anyway. The consumer grade stuff isn't made in Deutschland. Haven't been for a long time.

I think everything today is so compact with all the gadgets it is a major undertaking at times just to get a carburetor. Most consumers don't even an idea what is involved the repairs. Oh I remember when you could easily get everything in an auto engine compartment without taking half of what is in there today. I have Honda Accords where to just replace the alternator you got to an engine crane just move the engine enough to your hand tools in there. Or they have a bolt like the Chevy S10 cylinder head that got to pull engine forward at 3" just the bolt out and in. The S10 is actually why I brought my engine crane that I have now that pressed in service of lawn equipment. I am no longer able to man handle the engines while getting attachments all aligned as they go back in place. Yes it looks like over kill using a 2 ton crane but it works but I think I might get the gantry crane later as the roll about crane legs do get in the way at times.

Assembly in a factory setting is just that. I don't think there is any thought to repair ability given.

I recently needed to put a fuel line on a hand held leaf blower. Customer said was very simple problem and was complaining about my quoted hour to replace the line. I ask if he had the time to wait for me to do it. I ended up having nearly fully disassemble it just get to fuel line routing. After I got it back together the customer handed me an extra $20 just for my trouble. He said now he know why repairs are so expensive and that he would never it back together.

And yes Norm that why many shops will not even touch to low end consumer stuff. Even I take a pass on a lot of it sticking with professional grade units.

Assembly in a factory setting is just that. I don't think there is any thought to repair ability given.


AVB I think you are wrong there, I am sure the factory is well aware of the difficulty to repair, that is their whole motive, make it too hard to repair and the customer will have to buy a new one

I worked for a Fortune 500 Company out of Dayton, OH where I was instructed to no longer repair equipment if it was over 5 five years just so they could sell new equipment and that equipment was designed to easily repaired.

Oh some equipment is quite repairable but these companies jack the part prices so high vs the equipment replacement cost it becomes unrepairable. Again I worked for a dealer for another major manufacture company where we needed to do warranty work at the dealer. We had machines that sold $99 and if the printer went out the manufacture wanted $300 for one. We could buy new machines and part them out cheaper then buying the repair parts. Or in the case of Chinese equipment can't even get the parts most times as they don't intend for us to repair those items.

Maybe this just an American manufacture operating style. It doesn't make any sense to drive your customers away by being greedy but just look how messed our national government is currently with a hard headed business man running it in to the ground. He has it shutdown and won't give saying he keep shut down for months if not years until he gets his way. Apparently Congress is afraid of him as they can override his veto if they wanted to.

Sorry don't mean to get political here as I not taking sides but I would like to see things getting done smoothly. I am plain ashamed of what is going on.

You are absolutely spot on again Norm.

The engineering behind everything today is about ease of Production / Assembly and not about servicing, that's up to the customer to deal with and as you say if it's too expensive then toss it out and buy another one and if you think going to a competitors product is going to be any different, then you'll soon find out that they are up to the same scam themselves.

BTW AVB, I'm not having a go at you, it's just the nature of the business in itself. They are all working their way out of business, well they are here in Australia that's for sure.

Cheers,
BB.

Going back to my original post, sure Victa Powertorques are still available new even though they stopped making them over 12 months ago but at $600 they don't seem to be selling out fast. Maybe people got sick of the bases rusting out,float needles causing all manners of grief, so it is little wonder why people have been buying the cheaper Bunnings type mower and they can use it till it plays up and then just dump it and get another one. If you pay $600 for a PT and then it has a float needle problem next year and you take it to be repaired and it costs you $100 to get it fixed, very quickly you realize it is more cost effective to get a cheapie and replace it every couple of years.I don't believe the repair businesses are working their way out of business on purpose, it is just the way the world is moving. Try finding somebody to repair your TV these days, changing technology and cheap TV's forced them out of business

Didn't think so BB.

As for putting themselves out of business I have already out survive several local shops as I treat my customer as I would want to be treated but it is getting hard to do so.

Yelp Norm the tv industry has been gone for quite sometime here as for repairs. That was actually what I trained for back in the late 70's. Surface mount technology pretty well killed it plus going to digital didn't help the repair shops either as everyone had to get new tvs. I went through 3 convertor boxes before giving up and went flat screen myself. Even electronics are beyond repairs now since all of the local electronics parts stores are gone with the wind. It is very frustrating when I know what is wrong but can't get the parts.

And yes Norm I got a SP mower here that sold for over $600 here in the states that I couldn't sell even I tried because of cheap mowers at Walmart.

Norm K, we knew of a guy who repaired my mother's 42" LG plasma TV for $230 recently, because he knew what part was known for failing on that brand, so ordered the suspect part and lo and behold it was a success.
We decided to take the punt as a new one of close to equivalent picture quality was going to far exceed that amount and we were very satisfied with that TV. 6 months later and it's running like a clock so far.

MF so it is obviously a well known built in LG fault, I can assure you that no LG product will ever enter my house My daughter in law bought a new LG washing machine 12 months ago, 3 months later it dumped water all over the floor, she rang the repair man and he told her on the phone that she must have left a coin in a pocket and as soon as they go into spin mode the coin gets flung out and smashes a hole in the outer plastic drum. This is not covered by warranty as it is classed as operator error ( nothing to do with inadequate design) and the cost of replacing the drum was about the same cost as a new machine. 3 month old machine went to the tip. It is buyer beware with LG products

Like our POS Simpson washer - on the spin cycle it sounded like a plane taking off. Overbalanced like mad from new. and one day I was ten metres away and there was this god almighty crash. The next door neighbour ran around to check if everyone was alright. Turned out there are 4 spring prop rods that holds everything (wash barrel, etc) in the middle - and all 4 rods snapped - and of course everything dropped out at a few hundred rpm.

That was in warranty - another 5 broke over then ensuing 2 years (2, then 3 another time extended warranty), the circuit board fried, lid switches froze and wouldn't allow the washer to start (worked out a hard kick on the left side got things going).

6 years old, wouldn't put hot water in, over fill itself, overbalance (presumably more prop rods). And bear in mind this is domestic, regular use.

Eventually, the new one came with the removal of the old washing machine - I swung a axe through each side and through the back - just to ensure no other poor bugger buys it as a cheap washer.

Got 12 years out of the previous washer, still have a 1984 Simpson dryer, 15 yo panasonic TV finally bit the dust in 2016

A friends LG 'front load washer' drain pump went, it beeps that it had finished the load and his wife opens door (not looking) and a bloody ton of water floods out, all over Iron extension lead plug, trips RCD and all over laundry floor is water.

I bought a like new 1974 Alcon fan from the tip shop for $8 last year - everyone said 'you do know Bunnings have new ones for $12.' I questioned if Bunnings ones would still be putting out completely silent air flow after 40 odd years of use - or will last for 40 more haha.

Yes a lot of junk being sold nowadays. It is destroying the customer confident in these companies.

Mentioning fans it is nearly impossible to find here that is quite anymore and actually has a decent amount of air flow. The only ones that are quite now are ceiling mounted fans when on low speed.

Norm just wait if you haven't already seen them washers with plastic inner tubs. So far I have been piecing together others rejects washers. Most usually just have pump failures. I am afraid I will have problems once I have to go to the HE (High Efficiency) washers which are being pushed here heavily. Even some are they are required by codes.

Tyler glad no one got hurt but was very dangerous occurrence.

AVB, it isn't the fact that it has a plastic drum that is the problem, it is the fact that the holes in the inner drum are large enough to allow coins/washers through that are big enough to punch holes in the outer tub. If it had a screen around the inner drum this problem would not happen and I can assure you as long as man uses washers and coins they will get left in trouser pockets and end up in washing machines. About 40 years ago I bought a new Hoover front load washing machine that broke down the very first day and continued to break down for the 12 months we had it before I threw it down the tip. Never bought another Hoover product again. Does this hurt the manufacturer, probably not, but I feel better

Darn that would some large holes here as our smallest coin is about 1/2" in diameter. As for me, I am constantly finding small screws, nuts, and washers in my washer and I know the guilty fellow well. :lol:

That washer would not even make it through the first wash.