Hibernation is about over.
- Thread starter PTmowerMech
- Start date
My newest project just arrived today. A Cub Cadet Tank that customer claimed just quit while mowing. Hasn't been run in three years, and parts are missing, The HD air cleaner housing is loose from the engine, Blower housing bolts loose or missing, and extra wires added to the wiring system that either go to no where or just dangling to get wrapped into things and short out the system. The wire bolt on the starter has a crack in the plastic isolator at the starter housing which most likely means that they have twisted the brush connector.
7394
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Gotta love it.. Just quit while mowing.. Forgot to tell you the year...
Hammermechanicman
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Just remember, everyone lies to their doctor and their mechanic.
You. "Looks like between $1500 and $2000."
Cust. "You're kidding, right."
You "NO"
You. "Looks like between $1500 and $2000."
Cust. "You're kidding, right."
You "NO"
Story was that it quit while mowing, and then left it were it died, and went an purchased a new mower and have been mowing around it since. It looks like the disassembly and cobbling occurred prior to it quitting. It works really well when they take a wire run it from the terminal for the B+ off of the regulator on the Kawasaki engine and then is dangling down through the frame with a 3 inch bare end wrapped around the axle.
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24 units and counting. Boy the equipment is coming out of the wood works now. Several awaiting parts now. So far only the Ariens is at a stopping point due destroyed engine. Never ran it without oil. BS as there lots damage including hole in the side of the block.
And these just the pending jobs and not counting the ones already completed, invoiced, and delivered.
Most of the engine work is Kawasaki engines this year so far. Just got my first two Briggs for this year. The Stihl FS94 I just got informed Friday that the gasket it kit is no longer available so it looks like I got to find out which oil seals are used and use Motoseal for gaskets. Jobs 1605 and 1606 parts arrived Friday. Job 1612 will completed today after I get a grade 5 5/8-11 x 2.25 bolt. I got lucky as I manage to get the broken one out of the spindle. Job 1616 is completed to usable stage so the customer picked it up while I order non priority parts, will bill out and start a new job for it. He had to one of his two ZTRs working as he is a commercial customer and his other went down too. I only got 7 units that I haven't gotten to yet to see what parts are needed.
If I had the parts when I needed I would only be a couple weeks behind. Oh it is nice to be needed but boy it can get a little much. I never had a Spring startup like this one. Every time I turn around its raining.
It would help it the customers would give an idea of what all is wrong at times. Some just expect us to be mind readers and everything so far this year has been major projects with unreported problems.
Well it is Sunday and I taking the day off to try to find my sanity. Lots of running around today for personal business.
And these just the pending jobs and not counting the ones already completed, invoiced, and delivered.
Most of the engine work is Kawasaki engines this year so far. Just got my first two Briggs for this year. The Stihl FS94 I just got informed Friday that the gasket it kit is no longer available so it looks like I got to find out which oil seals are used and use Motoseal for gaskets. Jobs 1605 and 1606 parts arrived Friday. Job 1612 will completed today after I get a grade 5 5/8-11 x 2.25 bolt. I got lucky as I manage to get the broken one out of the spindle. Job 1616 is completed to usable stage so the customer picked it up while I order non priority parts, will bill out and start a new job for it. He had to one of his two ZTRs working as he is a commercial customer and his other went down too. I only got 7 units that I haven't gotten to yet to see what parts are needed.
If I had the parts when I needed I would only be a couple weeks behind. Oh it is nice to be needed but boy it can get a little much. I never had a Spring startup like this one. Every time I turn around its raining.
It would help it the customers would give an idea of what all is wrong at times. Some just expect us to be mind readers and everything so far this year has been major projects with unreported problems.
Well it is Sunday and I taking the day off to try to find my sanity. Lots of running around today for personal business.
I feel your pain @StarTech seems like the projects are coming out of the woodwork this year, and I have the same issue with rain. I have the option of working in the rain, shoving everything out in the rain to have room to work in the shop, and the next piece to come in to be worked on is now dripping wet. That Polaris Ranger with the complete engine rebuild complete with crankshaft replacement, and the Yamaha Rhino with the stripped drain plug threads, had to install a time-sert drain plug kit, and now this Kawasaki on a CC with a put it together to find out what is wrong to I can take it back apart repair. Oh I forgot the Husqvarna no start rider, that just happen to come with two push mowers and a weed trimmer that I wasn't expecting when I picked up the rider.
And my normal 8-12 Saturday was a 7 am to 5 pm yesterday.
And my normal 8-12 Saturday was a 7 am to 5 pm yesterday.
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IL don't you just like having to undo all the makeshift repairs just to get to the real problems? It enough to make me scream at times. With some of my vendors problems I have have scream at the loudest I could.
I just can't stand a vendor when they intentionally lie to me. One I had to put a 6 month no purchase time out. Well that has costed them dearly as I had a couple vendors to take up their slack and I even gotten on a better pricing plan for after market parts from Stens. The same lying A&I is now threatening to completely cut me off if I don't buy $2000 in parts by September. Well unless I get in a ton of Briggs work So far it been cheaper just to pay near retail for the Briggs parts as the alternate vendor has a better shipping cost. A&I just gotten ridiculous on shipping charges.
Gardner about screwed themselves up too with me. They took 7 months to switch me over to bank drafts so they were put on a purchase hold too. Now that I finally gotten that straighten out the purchases are still low as RBI beats them on the MTD parts and has Oregon parts. But things can change overnight, depends on what comes in.
OH just had I a new customer asking what I charge to put back together a Kawasaki Bayou yesterday. I don't really want think about it too much as some else disassembled the engine so no idea what in the heck was wrong to start with. I just told I couldn't give him a price as I don't know what was involved in getting back to operating condition.; just be charging an hourly rate.
I just can't stand a vendor when they intentionally lie to me. One I had to put a 6 month no purchase time out. Well that has costed them dearly as I had a couple vendors to take up their slack and I even gotten on a better pricing plan for after market parts from Stens. The same lying A&I is now threatening to completely cut me off if I don't buy $2000 in parts by September. Well unless I get in a ton of Briggs work So far it been cheaper just to pay near retail for the Briggs parts as the alternate vendor has a better shipping cost. A&I just gotten ridiculous on shipping charges.
Gardner about screwed themselves up too with me. They took 7 months to switch me over to bank drafts so they were put on a purchase hold too. Now that I finally gotten that straighten out the purchases are still low as RBI beats them on the MTD parts and has Oregon parts. But things can change overnight, depends on what comes in.
OH just had I a new customer asking what I charge to put back together a Kawasaki Bayou yesterday. I don't really want think about it too much as some else disassembled the engine so no idea what in the heck was wrong to start with. I just told I couldn't give him a price as I don't know what was involved in getting back to operating condition.; just be charging an hourly rate.
Hammermechanicman
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I have been lucky, last week i got a lot of stuff finished and out the door or waiting for pickup. Only have a few things in the shop. The fun one is the 80's Power King with a bunch of electrical problems and someone cobbled up the mule drive to the deck. I can't seem to find much info on the Economy/Power King mowers on the web.