GC parts price comparison

[ScottW]

Recently I bought some stuff at the dealer for my GC2410 after considering prices at Jack's Small Engines (per ray66v's suggestion), and what I had paid for the same items at the dealer when I bought our tractor in May 2010. Here's the comparison:

Transmission/hydraulic filter: dealer $35.53; Jack's $28.13; dealer 5/10 $24.84.
Air filter: dealer 38.96; Jack's $30.85; dealer 5/10 $31.81
Permatran (gal): dealer $22.87; dealer 5/10, $15.19
Engine oil 15W40 (qt): dealer $5.72; dealer 5/10 $3.80

So either MF part prices have gone up dramatically in 1.5 years or the dealer treated me as a different class of customer when I bought parts this time around. I probably would have gone with Jack's had I known the dealer prices would be so much higher now.

I did finally get that transmission suction filter removed and cleaned (at 119 hours after doing everything else at 50 hours), though after the fact it seems like a waste. There were just a few slivers of metal stuck to it, covering a very tiny percentage of the screen area. It was otherwise clean and clear. However, the screen had a couple of small tears in it, affecting perhaps 1% of the screen area . I was fairly careful in removing the filter. I don't know if I caused those tears or they were already there. In any case, I judged them to be not significant and put the filter back in. Feel free to comment . . .

On the brighter side, I changed out the factory (green) antifreeze with the NAPA heavy-duty diesel-rated product (red) without any trouble, as well as topping off engine oil, greasing, and checking. BH and FEL are off, snowthrower is on. We are well into winter here, with temps in the teens and 20s and an 8" snowpack already. Driveway is packed with first snow and with more snowfall today I will use the thrower for the first time this season. It will be a training session for my wife as well.

MF power!

 

[mguitas]

Scottw, you mean your using a diesel antifreese made by napa. Because i bin using regular prestone, i wonder if i should change. Like to hear some imput.

 

[ray66v]

In fairness, Jack's does not have the overhead the dealer has. Jack's shop is nice, but an average modern dealership has probably double the monthly expense.

It is likely that the parts agreement calls for them to be fair traded, so technically they may not even be allowed to discount them. If that is the case, we could be letting the cat out of the bag talking about this.

I buy from Jack's because my dealer doesn't stock anything. Why should I drive there twice, and pay shipping anyway, when I can order it online, and have it delivered to my door?

 

[ray66v]

Scottw, you mean your using a diesel antifreese made by napa. Because i bin using regular prestone, i wonder if i should change. Like to hear some imput.

If you change it annually, the book just says ethylene glycol, (regular antifreeze), 50/50.

If you don't change it annually, we can only speculate that it would be better to use diesel rated antifreeze. Since it can't hurt, and I am not going to change it annually, that's what I am using.

 

[mguitas]

If you change it annually, the book just says ethylene glycol, (regular antifreeze), 50/50.

If you don't change it annually, we can only speculate that it would be better to use diesel rated antifreeze. Since it can't hurt, and I am not going to change it annually, that's what I am using.

Thanks ray66v, i will look for diesel rated.

 

[Wacky]

Thanks ray66v, i will look for diesel rated.

Also check TSC they have Fleet Charge....its purple and what I am using, was cheaper than napa, and has the additive in it.

 

[Wacky]

I did finally get that transmission suction filter removed and cleaned (at 119 hours after doing everything else at 50 hours), though after the fact it seems like a waste. There were just a few slivers of metal stuck to it, covering a very tiny percentage of the screen area. It was otherwise clean and clear. However, the screen had a couple of small tears in it, affecting perhaps 1% of the screen area . I was fairly careful in removing the filter. I don't know if I caused those tears or they were already there. In any case, I judged them to be not significant and put the filter back in. Feel free to comment . . .

MF power!

I would replace it, you can get it at Jack's I think. I would hate to see anything major happen because of a tear in a filter, IMHO.

 

[ray66v]

Also check TSC they have Fleet Charge....its purple and what I am using, was cheaper than napa, and has the additive in it.

This is also what I use.

 

[ScottW]

Regarding the antifreeze, I too plan to change it less frequently than annually. I figured I might as well change out the factory stuff, not really knowing how good it is, and it was two years old. The diesel-rated stuff claims to be good for 5000 (or was it more?) hours, which would be decades in calendar time for me. So I think an interval of 3 years should be fine.

 

[ScottW]

Regarding retailers, I didn't even know what TSC stood for, so I looked it up. Looks like a staple for much of the country, but there is not a single store in the Pacific Northwest states.