Do you know why people work on their own tractors?

workinallthetime · Jun 27, 2007

MikePA said:
No offense, but then they were not just doing a LOF, they were doing a LOF plus a vehicle inspection and hopefully they were advertising it as such.

i was just pointing out what i have seen over the years, when i was just starting out on the rack i was trained by an old man and we went over the car really well. checked all fluids, tire pressure, checked for any fluid leaks, lubed all door hinges and tailgates, cleaned the windshield, checked for exhaust leaks and did the lof. I am in and out of several dealers and have yet to see one lube guy do what we did on every unit. quality and pride is gone due to customers demand for a 19.99 oil change done in 30 minutes or less.

MikePA · Jun 28, 2007

workinallthetime said:
I am in and out of several dealers and have yet to see one lube guy do what we did on every unit. quality and pride is gone due to customers demand for a 19.99 oil change done in 30 minutes or less.

That's why I think the dealers and the garages should at least offer the X point inspection service that you said used to be done. That's why I go to a dealer/garage and what I go there for. They're supposed to know more about my vehicle than where the oil pan drain plug is, where the filter is and where the oil fill is. They do themselves a disservice by trying to compete with places JiffyLube.

Kendrick · Jun 29, 2007

MikePA said:
They're supposed to know more about my vehicle than where the oil pan drain plug is, where the filter is and where the oil fill is. They do themselves a disservice by trying to compete with places JiffyLube.

you must remember you are in the land of the sheep now.... all they see is cheeeeeppperrrrr more money for toys... and ignore the fact they are spending more in the long run of life by doing it that way.

I have tried a delorship, jiffylub, etc. I refused to go to any place but the home town mechanic. delorship stiffed me 2 quarts one trip and 1 the 2nd trip. jiffy 1 so far i have not had my check oil light go on after the home town mech worked on it. the realy funny part is when they give you that summary that states how much oil came out and how much they put in. the statement "gee you filled it up last time and I only seem to be burning oil when you had atempted to fill it last" comes in handy

i said that in a 15+ full waiting room. that sure turned the manager green in a hurry.

john_bud · Jun 29, 2007

workinallthetime said:
i was just pointing out what i have seen over the years, when i was just starting out on the rack i was trained by an old man and we went over the car really well. checked all fluids, tire pressure, checked for any fluid leaks, lubed all door hinges and tailgates, cleaned the windshield, checked for exhaust leaks and did the lof. I am in and out of several dealers and have yet to see one lube guy do what we did on every unit. quality and pride is gone due to customers demand for a 19.99 oil change done in 30 minutes or less.

It's like that with maintenance parts too. Went to NAPA and got a cap/rotor plugs and wires. Took a look at the cheap china cap and said I wanted the good stuff. Guy took it all back and brought the brass stud cap, good rotor, good wires and platnium plugs. It was about 2x the price - but worth it to me. He was impressed that 1) I cared about quality of the parts more than price and 2) that I could TELL the difference. (He couldn't by looking! kids...)

jb

LoneCowboy · Jun 29, 2007

Kendrick said:
you must remember you are in the land of the sheep now.... all they see is cheeeeeppperrrrr more money for toys... and ignore the fact they are spending more in the long run of life by doing it that way.
.

Absolutely
And maybe people are beginning to come to their senses with all these China food scare and china crappy tires exploding (even made the WSJ, of course it was here on TBN first) that maybe lowest price isn't really all that low.

But i doubt it.

TrippleT · Jun 29, 2007

When I bought my NH, the dealer did not tell me that in a month he would go out of business. I started having trouble with temp gauge and went to one dealer, and he really wasn't to interested.
I finally got in touch with Baltz Equipment, in Tuckerman AR. They have been absolutely SUPER. They replaced the gauge, it went out again, and then they replaced the entire dash unit. The temp went out again and by that time was out of warranty and they came up and took the tractor to their shop and fixed it for free. I did have the conversion on the hydraulic lines done at my expense at the same time.
However, they brought a trailer up here picked it up and took it down there, about forty five miles one way, fixed it, and brought it back for about hundred fifty bucks or a little more and replaced the gauge for free, and on them.
I could not be more pleased with a dealer. And, if I ever buy another tractor (which I doubt) it would sure be from them. A good dealer is one of the best things to look for when buying a tractor.

workinallthetime · Jun 29, 2007

john_bud said:
It's like that with maintenance parts too. Went to NAPA and got a cap/rotor plugs and wires. Took a look at the cheap china cap and said I wanted the good stuff. Guy took it all back and brought the brass stud cap, good rotor, good wires and platnium plugs. It was about 2x the price - but worth it to me. He was impressed that 1) I cared about quality of the parts more than price and 2) that I could TELL the difference. (He couldn't by looking! kids...)

jb

you know what amazes me is that the average joe can go get a set of high performance taylor plug wires for 50 bucks or by the oem wires from the dealer for 110 bucks. its a shame but most people dont know the difference like us.

john_bud · Jul 1, 2007

workinallthetime said:
you know what amazes me is that the average joe can go get a set of high performance taylor plug wires for 50 bucks or by the oem wires from the dealer for 110 bucks. its a shame but most people dont know the difference like us.

If you don't ask....how you gonna know?

Seems too many people only ask about the price and not the quality. It's a shame too, as the real good quality parts are not that much more. Of course, some of the chain stores don't even carry anything except the cheapest stuff in the "shoe scrapings" category. Used to be the parts counter guy was informed enough to explain to the customer differences in quality levels and how that affected the performance or reliability of the vehicle. Now the parts person is a pimple face that can barely find the part, doesn't know where it goes or what it does. There's a few rare ones that do know, but they go on to better pastures pretty quick.

jb

patrick_g · Jul 1, 2007

I went to the FLAPS and ought a life time warranty alternator for only a few bucks more than cheap[er rebuild with short warranty. It died and I replaced it, the replacement died and I replaced it, the replacement's replacement died and I replaced it. When number 4 lifetime warranty alternator died and ruined two good batteries (dos batterias in los diesels) All this carnage in about 18 months with lots of inconvenience including having to take the alternators apart and rotate the case relationship for my application. I bought a one year warranty NAME BRAND US MADE alternator and the alternator is still running over 10 years later according to the friend that bought the truck.

Nearly the same story on lifetime warranty rebuilt master cylinders. The OEM unit died and I replaced it twice and then bought a Borg Warner with only a 30 day warranty (I think it was) but it too is still working fine in that same truck. (1984 Ford F-250 diesel)

You can bet your sweet bippy that I became adverse to buying low quality parts. I was unaware the lifetime warranted stuff was junk (at Chief Autoparts, a Chain in California) but it sure seems that way. I don't know where else they have stores. I would never buy a brand X rebuilt item from them if I cared about the longivity of the repair.

Pat

mjncad · Jul 2, 2007

john_bud said:
Used to be the parts counter guy was informed enough to explain to the customer differences in quality levels and how that affected the performance or reliability of the vehicle. Now the parts person is a pimple face that can barely find the part, doesn't know where it goes or what it does. There's a few rare ones that do know, but they go on to better pastures pretty quick.

jb

I was in Home Despot buying a water heater last week, and the plumbing guy didn't know what a T & P valve is. And to think some people believe those Despot & Doh's TV ads touting how their Despot Dummies & DOHciates are knowledgeable about the Chinese junk they sell. Talk about the blind leading the blind.