Why do your own maintenance & repair work?

[Ken]

rScotty The reason I repair my equipment is 125 per hour X2 employees to do anything at dealership.
Only warranty go to shop.
Last time called to get appt. for warranty work to save hauling bill carried to the shop and was told 4 days top fix the problem '
Consisting of replaced a carberator on engine because could not stop from flooding and blowing smoke.
waited a week and they had not started work .at 10 days called and they checked and ordered part. 2 weeks and the parts ordered had not fixed the carberator problem. Told shop Forman was coming to pick up the tractor and that with in hour would be there.
IN that hour engine problem was fixed and ready to load onto my trailer.
Now if had not been in warranty how many hours could of been put on the repair sheet.

My 4520 tractor need to be split to fix problem of locked into 4 Whl drive. estimate 2 men 2 days @8 hours each and 125 per hour.
the needed part cost 50 bucks and was identical to Gravely shipper shaft selector of 60 years ago. a piece of metal 3/4 inch by 1/2 inch with hole drilled middle to hold part to shaft. Reason I know the part had to be replaced because improper installation .
mechanics come and go there messed up repair costs the owner.
ken .

 

[webguydave]

Pretty much the same as all the responses above: I can do most all that I have the tools and tech manuals for ( or can get my hands on). It's time and $$ - if a machine / truck breaks, I generally need it asap, not when the shop can get to it.

And then there's the general competence level that I see...case in point: my 2010 f150 4.6L (210k miles) started misfiring, the local mech yanked out the spark plugs to find one helicoiled. He put in a new helicoil and in 1k miles, it blew out. (Misfire originally was caused by a bad coil pack). Digging around on the internet, I find that on the 4.6, the spark plug threads on the head only go 4.5(!) turns!!! If not properly torqued ( Fords specs are woefully low) they may well blow out. Installed a Calvan stainless insert ( requires simple in-place reaming and threading of the hole) and now the plug screws in 3/4"!

The garage mech simply didn't have the interest to research the problem - his solution was to screw in yet another helicoil, which fails to grip because of the conical shape of the chamber...btw, the same guy told me to quit using Costco gas, because "there was water coming out the tailpipe"...water, by the way, is a principle byproduct of the catalytic converter. I could understand if cats had just come into use, but 30 some years later?
So yep, whenever possible, I turn my own wrenches....

 

[BubbaJr]

I do my own to save time, and because I am still able. At 70 years old the gravity at my place is getting stronger every year making it harder to get up from the floor. So I'll keep doing it as long as I can. :laughing:

 

[fried1765]

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.

$800 for a tractor repair trip?
Now I am duly reminded why I own a $4400 14K equipment trailer.
5-1/2 trips equals the price of my new trailer, and the trailer can likely be sold for nearly what I paid,...... making the 5-1/2 trips essentially free!
Plus...... A 20' 14K equipment trailer can haul all sorts of other things too.

 

[fried1765]

I do my own to save time, and because I am still able. At 70 years old the gravity at my place is getting stronger every year making it harder to get up from the floor. So I'll keep doing it as long as I can. :laughing:

I am 8 years beyond you, but I still keep on doing.

 

[ericm979]

Water is a product of combustion.

OBD2 is wonderful for the home mechanic. Use a good code reader and it'll tell you what or where the problem is. I've used it to figure out some really unusual problems that would be difficult to debug using old fashioned methods. Of course those basic debugging skills are still useful. OBD2 is an addition to them not a replacement. It's too bad that Tier IV for tractors did not also require OBD2 ports and standard data protocols. The OBD2 computers and software are dirt cheap to manufacturers now so it would not add significantly to the cost of new tractors- probably less than a proprietary system. There are some that do it but others use proprietary systems so you have to go to the dealer to get the codes read.

I do a lot of my own work, including rebuilding and modifying motorcycle engines. I started because in high school and college I could not afford to take my motorcycles to a mechanic. But it also saves me time vs going into town. If I don't have the special tools or it's something that's unpleasant I'll take it in but I do it most of the time.

 

[Oaktree]

I used to do most of my own maintenance & repairs when I was younger for many of the same reasons others have mentioned. The older I get (pushing 70) the less "fun" it is to lay on my back under something getting rust in my face trying to get a frozen bolt loose. I am fortunate in having a decent mechanic nearby whose rates are very reasonable, more and more it's just not worth the hassle to DIY.
Still do most of my own maintenance (brakes, fluid changes, etc.).

I still do most non-vehicle work myself, but even then there are things I'll leave to the pros...my roof is way steeper than I feel comfortable working on, for example, new floors too. My creaky knees are grateful.

 

[WranglerX]

Just got my tractor back from first 50 hour maintenance, they had to pull left rear wheel off to check/clean screen for HST.... Guess what, one lug bolt was 3-4 turn from being tight and other 4 were not torqued to spec... Bit the bullet spent $450 for first service to keep warranty valid... Guess what, service manager had a unpleasant e-mail to start his Monday morning off.....Could have probably saved $300 and 80 mile round trip and left wheel lug bolts loose myself....

Dale

 

[4570Man]

Why do your own maintenance & repair work?

Sometimes I don’t want to deal with a PITA part on a vehicle but I do most of my repairs on vehicles and all repairs on equipment and all the maintenance on both. The thought of paying for transport or wasting time hauling for simple work especially a long distance trip baffles me.

 

[California]

I've owned old-school Yanmars since 2003 and they've never seen a mechanic. These were designed to be owner-maintained but are so well built they've needed essentially nothing, replacing injectors (after 30 years) and the third-party loader control were about all, beyond maintenance, that I've done on them.

Then this spring I finally had a project that I considered - briefly - having a pro mechanic do but I wasn't willing to spend that much so I did it myself. I put a writeup in the Yanmar forum here:

Tore the 3-point pin out of the axle housing! $500 repair. Skip down to the photos. Summary - found an axle assembly complete, had it shipped and I installed it.

Yes 3-point backhoes are hard on tractors.

I've had the skills since building a sleeper street rod in HS. Back then I rebuilt (new clutches, bands, seals) a Hydramatic A/T. Bought my first motorcycle (BSA 650) as boxes of parts, for only the cost of paying the shop bill for its rebuilt engine. Luckily nothing was missing and it went together easily.

I always did my own work until years later when I had money but not time. I'm an old fart, FDR was my first President. I hope projects like the axle housing replacement I described above are rare! Maintaining one's own stuff just seems like the right way to do things.

 

[Diggin It]

Same goes for the house. Rural, so codes and inspections aren't an issue. I do everything I can, plumbing, electrical, carpentry, roofing, whatever ....

Few years back I had to put a metal roof on. Did what I could, but found I just could not find a way to do the more severe peaks safely. Had to have somebody come in and do those. Cost me a bunch, but it was less than the hospital bills would have been.

 

[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

Well, that quote above was the original question, and it's said to be careful what you ask....you just might learn something you didn't expect.

And 30 some messages later, what I didn't expect to find out was that the guys who do their own maintenance and repair work all seem to be older guys...sometimes much older.

That sure wasn't the case when I was a kid. Back then, it was the young folks who you found most often fixing things up so they could have something that worked - cars, motorcycles, tractors, boats, tools.
And it was the older folks who as a group were more likely to buy new cars & tractors.

It seems that this thead is saying that things are reversed today.
Now it's the youngsters buying new and if anyone is buying used and doing their own mechanical work it is the oldsters.

I wonder what turned things upside-down?
rScotty

 

[Texasmark]

Reading the replies preceding this reply pretty sums up my reasoning.....and I tackle big jobs too and finally have the tools to work alone and get-r-done.....the 2400 purchase is just one example...That little sucker just does the trick.

Yesterday I was pulling the window air conditioner's out for cleaning. Come out from the outside so I pulled up to the side of the house lifted the bucket, slid them in and away I went to the shop area for cleaning...much better than standing on a ladder trying to balance 50+# ACs and get down off the ladder. On cleaning out mower decks of wet, spring grass, just hook a chain to the front, lift 'em up, clean and done deal, can clean out anywhere in the yard so there is no pile of wet, gooey clippings to deal with......in my shop with the screw type mower lift like before. List just goes on and on.

 

[Shaneard]

Well, that quote above was the original question, and it's said to be careful what you ask....you just might learn something you didn't expect.

And 40 some messages later, what I didn't expect to find out was that the guys who do their own maintenance and repair work all seem to be older guys...sometimes much older.

That sure wasn't the case when I was a kid. Back then, it was the young folks who you found most often fixing things up so they could have something that worked - cars, motorcycles, tractors, boats, tools.
And it was the older folks who as a group were more likely to buy new cars & tractors.

It seems that this thead is saying that things are reversed today.
Now it's the youngsters buying new and if anyone is buying used and doing their own mechanical work it is the oldsters.

I wonder what turned things upside-down?
rScotty

Computers, technology, games, kids aren't outside as much as they used to be and don't care what dad/grandpa are doing out there.

I went to a farm equipment consignment auction about a month ago and there was more equipment there than I've ever seen, a lot of smaller 3 point and fast hitch items. I was talking to an older farmer friend of mine and he said I tell you why, the dads/granddads and dying and the kids don't care anything about raising a garden. It's to much work, kids these days don't want to do physical work.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, that quote above was the original question, and it's said to be careful what you ask....you just might learn something you didn't expect.

And 40 some messages later, what I didn't expect to find out was that the guys who do their own maintenance and repair work all seem to be older guys...sometimes much older.

That sure wasn't the case when I was a kid. Back then, it was the young folks who you found most often fixing things up so they could have something that worked - cars, motorcycles, tractors, boats, tools.
And it was the older folks who as a group were more likely to buy new cars & tractors.

It seems that this thead is saying that things are reversed today.
Now it's the youngsters buying new and if anyone is buying used and doing their own mechanical work it is the oldsters.

I wonder what turned things upside-down?
rScotty

Really old people have come to the conclusion that it's not worth the hassle of having something not running, trying to figure it out for yourself, back and forth to get parts, tools, etc.... VS they have the financial means to have someone else to repair it in a timely manner.

Current generation of people that work on their own stuff either enjoy it, think they are saving money, or don't yet have the financial means to afford having someone else do the work.

Younger generation coming up doesn't have a computer diagnostic terminal that'll interface with the new stuff, so they're screwed as to ever working on their own stuff.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have been following the conversation with interest. For many years I did all my own mechanical work right from 16 yrs old. Couldn't afford to have it done, and even back then the quality of work done by others was unpredictable. Rebuilding engines, transmissions, differentials, I did not out source anything. And of course I did the routine maintenance myself. I enjoyed doing it too. But for the last 15-20 years (I am an oldster) I get it done at dealerships I trust. Ford, Subaru, and Kubota. I have not bought any other brand of anything for a long time. These have been utterly reliable. With repect to routine maintenance, I have had too many other interesting things to do. After decades of changing filters and oils and brakes etc I guess I have had enough. So the mechanical stuff gets out sourced now.

 

[cat fever]

All minor stuff I do myself because it's done right and saves me the money. Engine work or transmission work I would take in. Although my brother is a heavy equipment mechanic (mining equipment) and I could get his help now that I live closer to him.

 

[WranglerX]

Well, that quote above was the original question, and it's said to be careful what you ask....you just might learn something you didn't expect.

And 30 some messages later, what I didn't expect to find out was that the guys who do their own maintenance and repair work all seem to be older guys...sometimes much older.

That sure wasn't the case when I was a kid. Back then, it was the young folks who you found most often fixing things up so they could have something that worked - cars, motorcycles, tractors, boats, tools.
And it was the older folks who as a group were more likely to buy new cars & tractors.

It seems that this thead is saying that things are reversed today.
Now it's the youngsters buying new and if anyone is buying used and doing their own mechanical work it is the oldsters.

I wonder what turned things upside-down?
rScotty

We have become a disposable society and very few of the young have the vocational skills ...

Dale

 

[Diggin It]

Well, that quote above was the original question, and it's said to be careful what you ask....you just might learn something you didn't expect.

And 30 some messages later, what I didn't expect to find out was that the guys who do their own maintenance and repair work all seem to be older guys...sometimes much older.

That sure wasn't the case when I was a kid. Back then, it was the young folks who you found most often fixing things up so they could have something that worked - cars, motorcycles, tractors, boats, tools.

It seems that this thead is saying that things are reversed today.

I wonder what turned things upside-down?

It's the same people. Those younger do-it-themselfers back then are now us older do-it-ourselfers.

Too many of today's younguns never learned to do those things. That's partially why so many skilled trades are hurting for new talent.

 

[oosik]

That's what I see at the dealership where I bought the Power Wagon. The service manager(s) are young. Good with computers and a whizz when dealing with the public. The mechanics are all older - don't talk much - grunt a lot - fantastic at getting the job done. However - one younger mechanic. He runs the diagnostic equipment. Attaches the printouts to the work orders for the mechanics.

You tore it apart - fixed it - put it back together when you were young. No reason to do otherwise now that you are more "mature".