Won't get fooled again

[YotaBota]

Need to blow off some steam....I took my BX25 in for its 50 hour service-change the engine oil, hyd oil, 2 filters, inspect the air and fuel filter?, grease the joints, clean the transmission strainer, test the antifreeze. $351.00
Pardon me? This is the second time this dealer has (in my opinion) handed it to me. The other time, they charged me for a service call, when a timer had to be replaced that wasn't under warranty as it was crushed by the 3 point hitch, because the timer under the seat was not in it proper secured place. (20 minute drive for them) That was at under 30 hours, and this service was at 60. Anyhow, just wondering what the prevailing hourly shop rate might be. $90 an hour for an oil change is just too much!

 

[Oleozz]

Don't feel bad, I had the local IH dealer spend 15 min at our farm, used a screw driver to put the shifter back in place, charged me $108. You can be sure I learned how to do that little procedure real quick.

 

[Max2310]

Man..., all I can say is that I understand your feelings. I bought a shop manual to reduce those visits as much as possible.

The bright side of this is you'll quickly learn how to do your own maintenance

 

[Dave5264]

Here's my dealer experience (on the bright side). I had the dealer come and collect my machine for a few very minor warranty items Id had over the summer, and had him do the 50 hr / pre winter service at the same time , plus get me my new box blade.

when I got the bill, there was only the charge for the new box blade I asked him to order for me.

I called him the next day (Wasnt home when he dropped it off) and told him he forgot to charge me for the service.

his reply " no, i didnt forget, you had to put up with a few minor irritations over the summer, its the least I can do"

now Thats Service !!

 

[bp fick]

Dealers must survive. There's lots of overhead and everyone had to get paid out of your pocket. Service manager, owner down to the kid who did the service, and I don't mean to put down those typically younger guys who get these assignments. Plus, approx 1/2 of the cost was the retail value of the products used.
The SUDT fluid alone was $120.

You could have done it yourself for around $150.

On Messick's website at messicks.com they have a step by step, illustrated photo lesson on how to do this service, when it comes up again. Frankly, your HST won't need fluid again for a few years, but I would certainly clean the screen and spin on a new filter. You only lose a pint of fluid.

Kubota oil is $4 a quart. Those filters are very, very expensive.

Live and learn. It's expensive, but you can do it yourself and save a ton.

 

[MDM]

A monkey could do a 50hr service. It's a <1hr job. I'd say lesson learned, do it yourself next time.

 

[brin]

A monkey could do a 50hr service. It's a <1hr job. I'd say lesson learned, do it yourself next time.

You have to do it yourself...where I am the dealer wants $200 just to pick up and deliver the tractor from folks...any of the service is a snap and with a shop manual you may be able to tackle anything other than routine maintenance and don't forget to ask around about independent diesel mechanics out there that are looking for work ...if you are out of warranty I would leave the dealer out of the picture unless you know up front what the charge will be.

 

[MessickFarmEqu]

I'd have to say $350 for a 50hr service on a compact is about the going rate.

 

[YotaBota]

Hey they only charged me $88 for the parts, I'm not complaining at all. It's the labor. It's 3 times what I make an hour. I understand overhead-own a business. But the top guy was not on the job (better not have been!). At least with our companies, if we send out a grunt to do a quickie paint job, the price is according to the guy on the job. Thanks for letting me blow off some steam. Glad Messicks chimmed in. Figured you would back the dealer. I know where I stand now...better brush up on my mechanic skills again. Now where is that tool box with the left handed fizzle dapper?

 

[Bird]

When you get as old as I am, everything seems terribly expensive, but in this case, I'm afraid Messick is right; $350 is not at all unusual; sounds about normal. I think many of us are accustomed to thinking of oil & filter changes in relation to cars and pickups and those prices. So while I don't think your dealer charged too much, I do think dealers should realize that you're going to be surprised (shocked?) and should give you at least an estimate up front before doing the job.

 

[brin]

When you get as old as I am, everything seems terribly expensive, but in this case, I'm afraid Messick is right; $350 is not at all unusual; sounds about normal. I think many of us are accustomed to thinking of oil & filter changes in relation to cars and pickups and those prices. So while I don't think your dealer charged too much, I do think dealers should realize that you're going to be surprised (shocked?) and should give you at least an estimate up front before doing the job.

I completely disagree with you - When I do my 50 hr or 100 hr.. etc.service myself it is as the other poster said about a 1 hr. job and we don't do this for a living and by doing it myself I know the fluids and filters were actually changed and what was supposed to be greased actually got greased. There have been posters who posted here that fluids were not changed as prescribed and when they questioned the dealer he said they never do that...so there is much to be said in favor of doing it for yourself and then you know..regardless of what a dealer says..our saving money it important to us too.

 

[bp fick]

Gonna take an unpopular stance here, but that cost was just about right. Shop time is charged. Likely $120 an hour. Shop time is not the same as what a singular guy, even a high priced tech charges. Shop time includes all the overhead and such. That 50 hour service is very likely "booked" at 2 shop hours and no, shop hours don't always match the real world clock precisely.

A guy has to have a job and a job that pays good enough to survive on. That's what we say. So think of your contribution to the economy!!!

The lesson learned is very simple. What I can do for myself does indeed save an awful lot of money. What I have to pay someone else to do? Well, I gotta pay the going rate.

The more of these one can do for oneself, that's money in one's pocket. Of course, our time isn't really free either. We don't fix our wives stoves, or maintain our own tractors for our main living. It's our overtime work, and unlike a shop, we make less when we work overtime.

 

[Bird]

I completely disagree with you

Bob, you're certainly welcome to disagree with me. But I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with. I think if you ask dealers in my part of the country, you'll find I was about right. Now you talk about doing it yourself, when I was talking about a dealer doing it. I did all of mine myself, too, on both of my tractors (and on my cars and pickups, too, for that matter), so of course, we didn't spend anywhere near that $350, but if you ask a dealer to do it, that's another matter.

 

[6thgpSF]

thats why I try to learn to do as much as I can.What I can't do then I bite the bullet.Oil change and such is a snap,more specialized things maybe ,maybe not.I will say reading the forums on this site has upped my IQ factor by many points. russ

 

[dodge man]

I did mine myself and I think it took me over an hour to do it. 2 hours sounds about right.

 

[Mudfarmer]

I have my two tractors to do tractor work which I love and almost don't hae enough time to do. I hate mechanics work and avoid it. I'd rather pay $250 a year to the Kubota dealer to service my B7100HST and know it was done right. The local JD dealer will pick up and deliver my new JD 3005 during the winter for free for service - one of the reasons i bought it.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

I think my last case of oil alone was over $50, and my kubota dealer sold me New Holland Oil. I asked why they didn't have kubota oil, which I always got before, they said it was twice the price, so they quit carrying it.

 

[Cami]

I'm afraid to say that if you call in a pro, you have to pay his rate. You're not paying the mechanic for fiddling with a screwdriver for a couple minutes, you're paying for his knowing what needs to be done.

I think that charging for diagnostic work is fair since it does take time.

As for minimum charges, I have mixed feelings. I have a couple colleagues who won't uncoil their welding cables for less than $150 and start billing from when the phone rings while I'll charge a 1 hour minimum if I'm not already set up.

I don't know if tractor dealers use estimating books or not. I've only worked for independent repair companies and they all charged by the hour, and that was that. A friend who is an auto mechanic bills everything by Mitchell's estimating books. If Mitchell's says your repair is four hours, then that's what you pay, irrespective of how long he actually takes.

How about this thought on DIY: Being self-sufficient is antisocial and is a threat to society, which derives its strength, in part, from our interdependence. I make the beer, you make the cheese; we need each other.

Oops...I ran out of commas.

 

[buck12]

I worked for a independent auto shop when I was in college. I was the general flunky. The mechanics made many times what I did, as they should. When I did work such as changing oil the customer was billed the shop rate regardless of who did the work. Not saying this was/is wrong. As a matter of fact 20 years later this shop still does the out of warranty work on my autos. I would suspect many tractor dealers do the same thing by having a low paid flunky that does service work and bills the customer the shop rate. Nothing wrong with the dealer making a buck as long as the customer knows up front the cost.

 

[DC3]

I'm new here and shopping for a compact or sub-compact. When you go to buy a tractor, can you negotiate the 50 hour service or the materials to do it (Oil, filters, etc.), as part of the deal?