BX2200: getting hosed on a hose?

huckflynn · Jun 26, 2006

I had a power steering hose rupture on my BX2200 (leaking on top of the mower deck.) I have seen the problem reported here under several threads. I delivered the tractor to the dealer for repair, with the problem identified. After a week of waiting, today I received a voicemail from the dealer that the tractor was ready to be picked up. The price? $409.00

I am trying to imagine how the bill could approach this amount. I can't figure it. Does this seem unreasonable to anyone else. I'd like to get some opinions/information before I go to pick it up tomorrow.

(by the way, the dealer did the 400 hour service which cost me over a $1,000 about 8 tractor hours ago)

Thanks.

Brian

JerryG · Jun 26, 2006

Sounds very very high. Does your dealer have any other customers?

tractorman · Jun 26, 2006

We just performed a similar repair for a customer. There are 4 power steering hoses, two go to the front and feed the steering cylinder, two go to the rear and are the inlet & outlet hoses for the control valve. The two rear hoses are not that easy to change. I recommend doing all 4 if anyone is going to go through the aggravation of doing it themselves, also remove the floor panel for easier access. Depending on what your dealer did, it's possible to justify that cost.

huckflynn · Jun 26, 2006

Thanks for the response.

The thing is, I am not going through the aggravation of changing it myself. I delivered the tractor to my dealer. And I will be picking it up.

And if 1 hose was ruptured, wouldn't a phone call be in order, discussing the issue/costs before they went and replaced all 4 hoses?

Unfortunately, I am dealing in the theoretical of what they did/didn't do. Tomorrow I'll see the detailed bill. But as far as I'm concened, they were instructed to fix the blown hose. Anything else should have been discussed with me prior to performing any work.

Still, I appreciate your insight. If they did replace all 4 hoses, acting proactively would not be near as bad as simply overcharging.

Brian

rdsaustintx · Jun 26, 2006

Dunno about changing all 4 hoses, but my head is still spinning at what they charged for your 400 hour.

My manual says 400 hour is a 100 hour (engine oil, air filter) plus adjustment of the front wheel pivot. Not even an SUDT change. $1000?

Wow.

RDnT

bhyland · Jun 26, 2006

yuor really getting ripped!!!!! theres shops that make up hydraulic hoses for a few bucks. ive learned over the years to stay away from dealer products as thier way to high.

MadReferee · Jun 27, 2006

I'll wager the final invoice says:

1 hose w/fittings @ $25
SUDT @ $25
5 hours labor @ $350

As you can see most of the cost was in the labor to remove the hose and re-install it. I'll guess the hose is in a rather difficult to access place that required some disassembly to get at.

huckflynn · Jun 27, 2006

If you are correct then I bought a very poorly designed tractor. Reading from the manual, every 200 hours the power steering line should be checked and "if hoses are found to be worn or damaged, replace or repair them at once."

If the lines were so difficult to access how could they readily be examined? And if it takes 5 hours to replace something that might need to be replaced as frequently as every 200 hours, then there is a serious design flaw.

And in that the dealer performed both the 200 and 400 hour service on the tractor, apparently the lines went from no wear/damage to rupture in the last 8 hours of use.

Something stinks.

milkman · Jun 27, 2006

I replaced both the power steering hoses that come from the back, took the floor pan up and took the bad hose to the dealer half hour away and had a new one made, they recommended replacing both so I came home took off the other hose and went back and had it made, and put it on and all back together in less than five hours, so I can't see where they would charge five hours for labor unless they did all four hoses.

MadReferee · Jun 27, 2006

Folks, please re-read my above post once again. Those of you who are assuming that it took 5 hours should keep in mind that my post was pure speculation as to the actual invoice line items. Based on what I know of how a dealership's service department works I gave my best guess (as in "I'll wager the") as to how the price breakdown was.

Thank you.