Info on stens shipping

[Hammermechanicman]

Did you report the failure to Stens as they normal stand behind their products. But now of course I am a Stens dealer too.

Also verify the belt length as Stens might sent the wrong belt.

The lasted a couple hours

 

[bertsmobile1]

View attachment 68772
The lasted a couple hours

Have a polite chat to your rep
I had some do a similar thing a long while ago & Stens replaced the pulleys and a belt .
Now there is a bit of a trick here a well
If Stens list the pulley as a replacement for the OEM one in there catalogue then they will replace them
But if you have just found a pulley that is the same dimensions as the OEM one but they do not say it is a direct replacement then they will not replace it .
I had 2 plastic V Tensioner pulleys split along the casting line when I fitted them to a JD Z445 .
Now the Stens pulley was exactly the same size, but thinner than the JD one which apparently is why they do not list it as a replacement .
I usually buy a plain pulley if possible & swap the stand off bosses so I can come to grief some times but when I can swap a $ 95 Husqvarna idler for a $ 25 Stens pulley and 2 minutes press work well worth it because the customer thinks I am really good when I charge out at $ 60 .
You have to make up profits where you can
I did go the the effort of turning up 8 tubes to support the inner race but now it is literally 2 minutes on the hand arbour press .

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

I am still $40 / hr. but I am going to $50.

To replace two deck pulleys and a belt should be about 1&1/2 hours of labor book time. Your labor rate of $40/hour, and increased to $50/hour is way too inexpensive, unless you are newer and just getting started. At $75/hour you would have charged $115 versus the $50 in labor you charged. Most shops around here are $100/hour and up.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

To replace two deck pulleys and a belt should be about 1&1/2 hours of labor book time. Your labor rate of $40/hour, and increased to $50/hour is way too inexpensive, unless you are newer and just getting started. At $75/hour you would have charged $115 versus the $50 in labor you charged. Most shops around here are $100/hour and up.

On this mower I can change the mule drive deck belt and idlers in 10 minutes.
"Newer and just getting started"

 

[Tiger Small Engine]

If you want to be about half the cost of average labor rate of many shops, nobody is stopping you. I don’t know how long you have been working on small engines is why I added the “newer” part.

If you can do all that in only ten minutes, then you should have charged about $5 bucks. See how that works?

 

[StarTech]

I would definitely get with the rep. As both the 280-386 and 280-645 are listed as heavy duty and by oem supplier. But if you brought them through a third party like an Amazon source then that might be the problem as they probably subbed them. I had those Amazon supplier to pull that trick on me before.

I have since got with Stens and now buy from them direct just like I buy Rotary parts from Rotary instead of a third party

BTW Rotary does offer a slightly smaller pulley as a replacement for 956-3045 under PN 12275. It is only a sixteen smaller diameter. Not riveted but is spot welded. This the CC 02005079 commercial pulley.

 

[StarTech]

And just think my want to charge only $10 per hour when he started this business. I had to have a serious talk with him about that rate.