SERVICE PRICE

powerstroke2000 · Nov 17, 2003

What would you guy expect to pay labor wise to have your tractor serviced? I know the filter and oil will vary so I was just won't a labor price to change engine oil, filter and hydraulic filter then check the oil level in the front axle and finals clean radiator and air filter.

Inspector507 · Nov 17, 2003

I was charged 2 hours labor at $72/hour
Included a pressure wash /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

cowboydoc · Nov 17, 2003

Any of the shops will charge $50-100/hour anymore. Most of them have a set price to do what you say. Hard to get away for less than a couple hundred for $25 worth of oil and filters. No thanks. For my 4600 the hydraulic fluid and oil change was $250! On my 6415 they just sent me a coupon to have it all done $300! That's why I do all of my own maintenance. That way I know it's done right and you're not paying somebody $200/hr. Heck the time it takes to load the tractor up and take it in for service a guy can have done yourself.

BillyP · Nov 17, 2003

I had the hydraulic oil and filters changed, in my JD 4610 (I did the engine oil and filter myself). I was charged 1 hour labor @ $40 an hour + the cost of filters and hydro oil = $184.94.

Egon · Nov 17, 2003

When getting oil and fluids changed at a shop the person doing the work may not know any more about it than you do. Only advantage is disposal of old fluids and clean hands balanced off by cost and time taking tractor in.
Egon

Inspector507 · Nov 17, 2003

I was "originally" charged 2 hours. I need to explain though. I had asked at the time of purchase, what a 50 hr service cost. I was told "approx $150". When I picked it back up the girl typing in the invoice Nextels the service manager and asked how many hours to charge. His reply was 1½-2 hours. She charged me for 2. I complained and they knocked an hour off. Bill went from $231 down to $154. No problem, I paid it. For now on, I will do my own fliud and filter changes, for about $60 in parts not including hydraulic fluid.

powerstroke2000 · Nov 17, 2003

the reason I asked I charged a guy a total of $143 to do the above metioned he supplied the motor oil it took a gallon of hyd oil but the price included pick up and delivery which took two trips because it wouldn't fit on the first trailer since he widened the tires out and he complained that $60 labor was to much. I though it was a fairly reasonable price

OkeeDon · Nov 17, 2003

Was it $60 total labor, or per hour?

Do you have a professional shop, or where you dong it on the side? If you have a shop, with licenses and insurance and overhead and salary expenses and taxes and a reserve to cover the cost of come-backs, then $60/hour is a reasonable price. It it's on the side, then $25/hour or so would be more in line.

powerstroke2000 · Nov 17, 2003

that was $30 a hour and Factory authorized shop we still have a low overhead

OkeeDon · Nov 17, 2003

That was cheap at twice the price, then. You'll never satisfy everyone.

theonlybull · Nov 18, 2003

my father and i run a machine/welding shop, and do alot of industrial maintance. our base price for labour, is $45/hr, for machine work, and general labour. $50 for welding. $60 for alum welding, and for our mobile truck, or truck and 5th wheel float.

these are all canadian prices. the two of us, are the only ones who work at the shop, and we have a reputation for quality work that we will stand behind...

someone mentioned insurance... our liabilty insurance went from $3300 to $13,500 this year. we haven't had a single claim.... ever.. in 30 years....

OkeeDon · Nov 18, 2003

<font color="blue"> our liabilty insurance went from $3300 to $13,500 this year. we haven't had a single claim.... ever.. in 30 years.... </font>

No, but you're paying for all the sloppy practices of everyone else. Since you can't afford to have a quality shop and still pay for the insurance, your only choice is to start being sloppy yourselves, and let someone else pay for it.

Of course, that's somewhat tongue-in-cheek... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

theonlybull · Nov 18, 2003

actually, we will continue to give good non-sloppy service, just without liabilty insurance... we are a limited company, so all they can get is company assets, and we'll be out a job we love.

cowboydoc · Nov 18, 2003

Don't feel bad. I've never had a claim even filed against me and mine is $50,000 a year.

OkeeDon · Nov 18, 2003

That's one of the factors I considered when I closed my business about 1-1/2 years ago. Part of my business was refilling portable propane cylinders. The law requires me to have $1 Million minimum liability insurance. Because I also made an occasional gas hookup (on the order of 2 or 3 times a month), I had to have a higher LP Gas license than just a dispenser. The insurance company noted my license level, and charged me as if I was a full-fledged gas company with servicemen making hookups all day long. They claimed they had no category for limited exposure. The insurance climbed to alost $4,000 just for that part of the business; It was not my primary income, so I wasn't making enough money at it to cover the insurance. Back when insurance costs were reasonable, it was a profitable part of the business.

For that and many similar reasons, most having to do with regulations, codes, insurance, licensing, taxation and paperwork, I decided to hang it up.

Junkman · Nov 18, 2003

That was the same problem that I had when I was a doctor... now as a plumber, electrician, carpenter, or any other occupation, I make more money and pay less for insurance..... Some one has to pay for those high salaries of the Insurance Company executives and for the lawyers that advertise on daytime television..... "were you harmed by a doctor".... "does you child suffer from Cerebral Palsy???? You might be entitled to a lifetime of payments for his/her care." I have yet to understand why we blame the doctors for everything that goes wrong with our bodies. After all, our bodies had problems in the first place and that is why we went to the doctor. Possibly we should just hold our parents financially responsible....... after all, it is their defective genes that have caused all the problems that we have with our defectively manufactured bodies that they created /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!!!! LOL......

lamarbur · Nov 19, 2003

Junkman
I wanted to be a doctor once and found out, I have no patience.. Would have been a dentist, but not enough pull.

Soundguy · Nov 19, 2003

For what its worth.. I once roaded my old ford down the .5 miles to the penziol quick lube place.. I got a real strange look, but they did the rear diff and crankcase oil change for the price of a car service. My NAA is already converted to a spin on filter.. a napa 1515.. ( standard filter for many fords )so they had one in stock. I just had to show them where the fill and drain was on the diffy.

I htink I got the chassey greased in that base price for the oil change..too.( not alot..but they do a few zirks for free )

I don't think a smaller tractor would have stradled the service bay though.. My naa is set wide...

That was a while ago.. now I just do it myself...

soundguy