Why do your own maintenance & repair work?

[rScotty]

I was just sort of kicking some ideas around the other day and it occurred to me that although I know why I do it, I don't really know why other people do their own maintenance and repair work.
It could be for completely different reasons & now I'm curious..

So.... so you work on your own machinery? Why? Any exceptions?
rScotty

 

[M5farms]

I want it done right and I want it done On my schedule. And It saves me time and money. Idk why anyone with equipment would have someone else do it. There are exceptions on major overhauls.

 

[mopardude318]

I do it to save money. Never had to pay a mechanic for anything. I somewhat enjoy it. I like to have my daughter next to me and teach her too.

Yes exceptions would be a major overhaul, or something complicated in the hydraulic system. Lol.

I had to pay $1700 to have the Dana 70 rebuilt in my Dodge truck because I don稚 know or have the tools to check gear pattern, backlash and set the case clearances. Stuff like that has to go to a specialty shop.

 

[1010]

Ha it's a no brainer, I want it done right and saving a good bit of money on labor. Plus It helps to understand how the machine works.

 

[MossRoad]

I do it because I enjoy it. Just that simple. It's one of the reasons I bought factory direct. No dealers. Just me. :thumbsup:

 

[WranglerX]

I do it because I can and it saves me money and if it goes wrong its on me....

Case in point, took my SCUT of for 50 hour service last Thursday (to keep warranty procures happy just in case) and they had to remove left rear wheel to access HST strainer screen... Got tractor home and was inspecting the work late Friday evening and noticed one lug bolt out about 3-4 threads ... I tighten it up and checked the others with torque wrench... Non to spec.... Not sure service manager was very happy this morning when he opened his e-mail messages...

Dale

 

[Looking4new]

When I do my own maintenance I save a 200 mile round trip at $4.oo/mile and I get the stuff done when I want it done.

 

[mikester]

Why? Because I can!

If I send it out it’s because it’s a job I cant/dont want to do with the tools I have or its a warranty repair. I dont like having to wait for the work to get done by someone else and I dont like paying shop rates for stuff I can do myself. And its an excuse to buy more shop tools...

 

[Diggin It]

Combination of the above. Learning, understanding. Mainly time and cost. Not many mechanics of any flavor nearby, so if I can do it, I try to. If I can learn to do, I try to. There are a lot of things I can't do or learn. In those cases, I have to seek other methods.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Fortunately, I have a good Mechanic for my vehicles. I have zero faith in most establishments that do repair work of almost any kind. If it was FREE, that would already be bad enough, but to actually charge good money for total incompetence, is something I am not interested in.

 

[Doofy]

I do my own repairs because I enjoy doing so and because it saves money and I know the work is actually being done. The "Jiffy Lubes" of the world soured me on Trust.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Years ago, a friend told me how they would screw over customers at some fast lube place. Mostly, just a big joke. Just dab the grease nipple with some grease on your finger. Beats doing the real job.

 

[Citydude]

I couldn't look at myself in the mirror having someone do something I am capable of doing. On the other hand if I didn't have the time or skills, I would have someone do it.

The wife wants a new concrete patio. It will bother me watching someone do it as I have the experience to do it. I've finally came to the hard reality that I can't do things like that anymore. Servicing my own machinery and cars will someday, come to an end.

 

[mcfarmall]

1. I'm a machine repairman by trade so I have the skillset.
2. I refuse to pay shop rates for things I can do.
3. I don't trust the morons that work in most garages nowdays.
4. No one does meticulous work like I do.

That's why.

 

[Wagtail]

I simply do it for the experience... that and the prohibitive distance that I am from my dealership.

 

[oosik]

I do all the routine stuff. I don't have the skills nor equipment for anything major. I live 30 miles from the dealer and don't have the proper trailer. I enjoy doing what I can - it saves money - it's done right. Thirty eight years - two tractors - proper & timely service. Never had to take either back to the dealer for service.

 

[Jstpssng]

The reasons given by some of you above are why you like older tractors while I prefer something newer which doesn't require much major work. I usually do the minor things, but anything above that I can usually screw up. It took me a month working nights and weekends last year just to figure out that my fuel tank was plugged because of contaminated fuel and microbes; which put me that far behind schedule on everything so I didn't get all of my fall projects done before it started snowing in October.

I took my ATV in to have the starter replaced and asked them to change the oil at the same time; I could have done both things myself but that small engine shop is where I go for free advice on everything, so I give him business when I can. I dropped it off on Sunday and picked it up on Tuesday; if I had done it myself it would have been the following weekend instead of planting the fruit trees which needed to get in the ground.

 

[SmallChange]

I do mine because I *like* the machine and spending time tinkering with it, and it's so much easier to work on than a car. Besides, having somebody else do it is expensive and hard to schedule. But I only go so far. Oil changes, battery replacements, broken alternator bracket and belt replacement, sure. When the water pump died, I did replace it, though I thought about having the dealer do it, and would have if it got too difficult. When the shifter lever broke off at the base, I thought I could do it, and got things partly dismantled, but got to the point that it appeared the 3pt lift cylinder and control and the ROPS would all have to come off, I gave up and they sent somebody out to do the job on site. Wish I could have been there, as I would like to have seen how they did it without removing all that stuff, or see if removing it was as hard as I figured. The stripped clutch splines, I never even tried.

 

[dieselcrawler]

1. I'm a machine repairman by trade so I have the skillset.
2. I refuse to pay shop rates for things I can do.
3. I don't trust the morons that work in most garages nowdays.
4. No one does meticulous work like I do.

That's why.

My thoughts exactly.

I've done all my own vehicle maintenance since I got burned, paid garage rates to have my company truck repaired, they did a poor job, and I had to re-do what they did on my own time, on the side of the road. Never again. Few exceptions may be the wife's Kia SUV, due to OBD-II type complexity of the electrical system, but I'll be d@mned if I pay them to put on the lower control arms that I am able to do myself. But my trucks, farm equipment, atv's, I'll be turning thoes wrenches, and trying to share the experience with my kids if at all possible.

 

[Shaneard]

I do mine because my dad taught me how, to save money, and I don't trust other people. There are a couple of exceptions, I don't work on automatic transmissions or air conditioning systems, unless it's something simple.