Broken HST/ No Reverse= HUGE $ to Fix!

[brain55]

Many dealers don't want to do that kind of job at all, so a high price is a way of
pushing the customer to a new unit as you say. The dealer that took my broken B21 in on
a trade is a big Kubota dealer and they just sent the broken unit off to auction.

I also lean toward what Brian said, so I would also gamble on bad control
components over bad HST pump/motor.

"three pump/motors"? In the HST?

I just don't understand the too big of a job thought process. The two Kubota dealers I worked in there was no such thing as too big of a job.

Brian

 

[Baby Grand]

I just don't understand the too big of a job thought process. The two Kubota dealers I worked in there was no such thing as too big of a job.

Brian

If you don't have faith in your lead mechanic, then you don't want to take on any complex job that can go wrong in many ways.
Or, if you think you mechanics are going to be working flat out putting new machines together to fill orders, a prolonged tear-down, hoping you got the diagnosis right if it's not obvious, and then waiting for parts could put a real crimp in your ability to deliver new tractor sales at a busy time of year.
Either way, I agree - not a real confidence builder in that dealership.

 

[brain55]

I guess I can understand that. I'm so grateful for the first dealer I worked at for instilling that confidence in me. The second dealer needed a bit of training. He treated the shop as a necessary evil instead of a profit center. The service managers standard phone response was that it would be 3 weeks before we could get to a machine. Sometimes I thought the owner would be happier if we spent our time keeping the shop clean. I'd like to think I helped change that. Before I started there the shop had never gotten letters of thanks from customers, or made a profit. I would typically have 5 bays going with equipment in different stages of repair. I practically ordered all of my parts next day air to keep things moving, most customers didn't mind a little extra freight to get their machine a week earlier. Now that I think about it before I got there, there is a very good chance they were turning work away. Anyway the last year the owner was in business was the first year the shop ever made a profit due to me and another mechanic running it, the service manger had moved on and they didn't replace him.

Brian

 

[rbargeron]

"three pump/motors"? In the HST?

I'm counting the charge pump (a gear pump) and the two chambers of the swash plate system (master pump and slave motor). The power steering pump plays a role too but I wasn't counting that. I think it supplies the suction side of the charge pump.

 

[rbargeron]

...........the last year the owner was in business was the first year the shop ever made a profit due to me and another mechanic running it, the service manger had moved on and they didn't replace him.....Brian

If more shops were run by people who know their stuff it would be a better world - fixed machines matter, not "performance indicator" hogwash.

BTW, do you still have a '55 ? My first love was a black BelAire 2d hardtop, red interior, 265, 3-speed. Later got a '59 Impala convert - put in a balanced 327 & BW aluminum T10 4spd. Those were the days!!

 

[brain55]

If more shops were run by people who know their stuff it would be a better world - fixted machines matter, not green performance indicator trends.

BTW, do you still have a '55 ? My first love was a black BelAire 2d hardtop, red interior, 265, 3-speed. Later got a '59 Impala convert - put in a balanced 327 & BW aluminum T10 4spd. Those were the days!!

Yeah, I have a '55 Chevy 210 2 door Del-Ray coupe. It's the one tattooed on my arm. It's pretty hotrodded. 350, Muncie, posi, it makes about 425 hp. It's a kick to drive. It has been torn apart for a few years, I was in an accident with it and family responsibilities have kept me from getting it put back together.

Brian

 

[rbargeron]

Very cool - A friend has a '56 he's worked off and on between "families" - Keep all them parts - you'll get back to it !! If you're looking for anything particular he has a lot of vintage stove bolt stuff.

 

[dfkrug]

The second dealer needed a bit of training. He treated the shop as a
necessary evil instead of a profit center.

I guess that would make the difference as to whether that dealer was going to be around
for a while. If you saw the tiny profit to be made on the sale of a tractor, you would see
why service is so important. And good service requires good mechanics. Your insider
perspective is valuable, Brian.

Note that one way to say 'no' to big service jobs is just to price it really high. If a
customer says yes to a very high estimate, then even a dealer who sees service
as a necessary evil will take notice.

 

[rbargeron]

Brief update - the L48 investigation and repair is on hold a few days - now 3 daily-driver jobs that are hot. Stay tuned.

 

[brain55]

I guess that would make the difference as to whether that dealer was going to be around
for a while. If you saw the tiny profit to be made on the sale of a tractor, you would see
why service is so important. And good service requires good mechanics. Your insider
perspective is valuable, Brian.

Note that one way to say 'no' to big service jobs is just to price it really high. If a
customer says yes to a very high estimate, then even a dealer who sees service
as a necessary evil will take notice.

There was a time a dealer could make 20%+ on a sale, when I left that dealer they were lucky to make 7%. You have to sell a lot of machines to make it on 7%. Whereas a good mechanic can easily do 80-100%.

Brian