Why people don't keep older equipment running

[two_bit_score]

I agree with what you've written, but since we're talking about money, you missed an important item. How much time did you spend repairing it and what is your time worth? Most people neglect the value of their time when it comes to repairs, but employers realize the value of time and pay for time. Only when this is done strictly on a hobby basis, then time doing repairs has no value.

Also, what is the difference in actual value of a 20 year old Gator fixed up and a brand new Gator with latest tech? With some things the older item, fixed up, may be more valuable but how often does that really occur? Not often are they the same.



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[Tractor Seabee]

It has gotten to the point that the repair shops for dealers are their best profit centers. The margins on selling new don't pay the rent. Service labor in all trades is priced double what the book cost is per hour. A mechanic making $40/hr on their check are really costing the shop double that in direct cost plus add overhead and a reasonable profit. That is why my dealer shop rate is $125 for tractor type equipment and $150/hr for large construction type equipment. Heavy mechanics get more in wages and the shop equipment really goes up in cost.

My 10 year old BX has been in the dealer shop once and that was for a KATAC funded casualty repair worth $8k. Yea, ir is starting to look like I defer stuff instead of fixing. Plastic body parts and paint don't make it run. Repairs have been minor actually to keep it running for 1500+ Hrs. Keep up the maintenance, repair minor thins that effect running. Wound up a come along a helper left laying on the ground into the wheel and busted a small hole in the fuel tank. Temp fix with J-B weld is still there after 4 years. Have the new tank but it is 1/2 day project to remove all the stuff needed to even get to the bolts holding the tank down.

As soon as my current landscaping project is done, I will make a DYIer a bargain deal to get rid of it. Getting too old to screw with fixing it up to get top dollar.

Ron

 

[BrokenTrack]

Some things I build, some I buy new, and some I buy used...it all depends.

The ability to weld, put together hydraulics, and understanding electricity all helps, along with overlooking rust, which will really save a person a lot of money in terms of buying used equipment.

I bought my log trailer, not because I could not fabricate a new one, but because it was just easier and faster to have all the development of the machine refined. I knew as a platform, I could instead spend my time building attachments for it that make it far more useful to me. Now that I have it though, there is nothing I cannot fix or repair on it, so it is a lifetime buy. To me, that is well worth it.

But soon I hope to start building a camper for my family. What we want cannot be bought, there is nothing even close, so I will build it instead, and that too will be worth it.

But an excavator? I would never go out and buy a brand new $250,000 excavator, but I would buy a used one, KNOWING I would have to spend $12,000 right out of the gate on new tracks, or main hydraulic pumps.

So, as I said, it depends. But I do feel bad for people that cannot fix things themselves, or just plain lack the confidence so they deduce silly reasons to justify why fixing things is a bad idea. Paralysis by Analysis: I call it.

 

[mikester]

I used to go to the rad guy to get the radiator re-cored, and the alternator guy to get the alternator re-wound. I used to get my drums and rotors turned. There used to be a lot of mom and pop shops providing these kinds of services but they are long gone. Try asking a shop to turn your rotors...you will get dirty looks, mostly because techs dont know how to chuck the lathe.

Its down to everything is disposable now and we are a throw away society. Its not worth spending $300+ on a new controller board to fix my dishwasher when I can throw everything away and buy a brand new machine for $600.

Nobody wants service any more, its the expectations of dollar store or Walmart prices and free amazon delivery.

 

[Hay Dude]

Pick your poison- repair by pro or DIY repair. Either way, you’re paying. All a man has is his time and money.
Repair work done yourself costs you time you could otherwise use to make more money and don’t forget another aspect-it can be dangerous. Seen plenty of former mechanics now working in parts or sales with a missing eye or hand.

 

[Tomtint]

I have a fairly large assortment of things that require non stop maintenance. It gets daunting at times. I get tires of working on something so it can be used. It becomes more time efficient to buy a new one and move on. Last year I had to virtually rebuild my salt spreader. And this thing is always maintained. By the end of it all I was 4K deep into repairs. A new one is like 5500.00, ..This was a bad decision to go ahead and fix... Should have just bought a new one.

 

[5030]

I used to go to the rad guy to get the radiator re-cored, and the alternator guy to get the alternator re-wound. I used to get my drums and rotors turned. There used to be a lot of mom and pop shops providing these kinds of services but they are long gone. Try asking a shop to turn your rotors...you will get dirty looks, mostly because techs dont know how to chuck the lathe.

Its down to everything is disposable now and we are a throw away society. Its not worth spending $300+ on a new controller board to fix my dishwasher when I can throw everything away and buy a brand new machine for $600.

Nobody wants service any more, its the expectations of dollar store or Walmart prices and free amazon delivery.

Besides, we need to keep stuffing landfills with broken stuff... Landfill mounds make good recreational areas when capped with soiul. Good ski resorts here in Michigan too.

 

[5030]

It has gotten to the point that the repair shops for dealers are their best profit centers. The margins on selling new don't pay the rent. Service labor in all trades is priced double what the book cost is per hour. A mechanic making $40/hr on their check are really costing the shop double that in direct cost plus add overhead and a reasonable profit. That is why my dealer shop rate is $125 for tractor type equipment and $150/hr for large construction type equipment. Heavy mechanics get more in wages and the shop equipment really goes up in cost.

My 10 year old BX has been in the dealer shop once and that was for a KATAC funded casualty repair worth $8k. Yea, ir is starting to look like I defer stuff instead of fixing. Plastic body parts and paint don't make it run. Repairs have been minor actually to keep it running for 1500+ Hrs. Keep up the maintenance, repair minor thins that effect running. Wound up a come along a helper left laying on the ground into the wheel and busted a small hole in the fuel tank. Temp fix with J-B weld is still there after 4 years. Have the new tank but it is 1/2 day project to remove all the stuff needed to even get to the bolts holding the tank down.

As soon as my current landscaping project is done, I will make a DYIer a bargain deal to get rid of it. Getting too old to screw with fixing it up to get top dollar.

Ron

I see a ton of what I term 'disposa-mowers' mowing lawns with no hood's anymore. Quite a few box store John Deere's with no plastic hoods actually.

 

[dnw64]

Maybe the title should say: Why did I buy this piece of junk?

:laughing: :laughing: :laughing:

Good one!

By the way, I wasn't complaining. I could have done all the work myself, but I'd rather pay even the JD dealer to fix it than do it myself because I have other things to do that are more important to me.

My point was that probably the PO found out what it was going to cost to fix it and decided it wasn't worth it to them. It's definitely still worth it to me. From all accounts these rigs are nearly indestructible, and the features it has are near perfect for our application.

And, referring to an earlier post, in this case yes - I would rather have $5k in a mechanically sound 20 year old piece of equipment than $15k in a brand new one. However, I would rather have $60k into a brand new truck than $20k in a mechanically sound 20 year old one. All depends on the application.

 

[dnw64]

Good conversation.
Would add that when you have 50 acres or more of hay laying, or footings dug and rains on the way, I will get a tech fixing my baler s with no hesitation while I Ted or have backhoe fixed for me when I have a concrete truck scheduled for next day.
For me, theres a time to DIY and a time to make the call.
On buying new versus used, that depends on how much you rely on equipment to make a living. For hobby or casual farming, I would fix a lot more older used equipment. If it痴 for a living, Id prefer to keep moving ahead than stop and fix, so I would buy newer equipment when possible to increase reliability.

Once my kids were born, I stopped the late night fixing and repairs. No repairs are worth missing my kids grow up and Im very happy I did that.

I agree 100% with each point you made