The Daily Yardman Thread

[BlazNT]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

Watching the news last night, a report on the progress of the rebuilding of all the destruction in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama,Florida, and California, from the hurricanes and fires, they said almost ALL the rebuilding is going VERY slow, due to the fact that there are fewer and fewer construction tradesmen, for every 5, retiring ( lots of "Baby-Boomers" ) only 1 person enters into the trades, even with some really high pay-scales there's a deficiency. In Texas a contractor started his own school teaching the trades and he also has a HUGE overstock of building materials knowing there is a related downfall in the supply of the available building materials. (could it be people got used to NOT working, living on welfare ??) he even recruits men and women from other low paying jobs to re-train them !! Some of the tradesmen are now making close to 6 figures because of the demand for skilled labor, and many of the tradesmen go elsewhere to "follow the dollar" leaving many contractors to push back their projected completion dates. seems everybody wants a "white-collar" job and don't want to use their hands or do physical labor, ... who in the hell is going to build ALL those "safe-spaces" and make all those crayons and coloring books, not to mention the Play-Doh and teddy-bears ..?? HMMmmmmmm ??

View attachment 34539

I know the trade. I can and have built houses. I can do both metel and wood framing. This is not the problem. The problem is they pay like crap. I can not with all my experiance get a job that pays over $20,000.00 a year. This is the problem more than anything. Why go work outside and labor hard when you can go to McDonnalds and make a little less and hardly have to work.

 

[NorthBama]

Re: DC Variable Speed motors

NOBAMA,

Yup, variable speed motors are the cats-arse for flexibility and economy. They can be programmed to ramp up slowly (thereby decreasing the start-up current, which many power companies dock (charge) you for with large motor loads). Or like in your case, programmed to operate at different speeds. Their down side are the electronics that control them, as like all electronics they are susceptible to power surges, lightning strikes and just plain burning up! We always said that electronics are great, as long as you don't let the smoke out of them! Once you have done that, they are 'toast'!!

So, that's the trick... Just don't let the smoke out and they will last as long as any standard motor.

I hope this helps....:wink::wink:

Roger

Thanks for the reply. The control module came in yesterday and i installed it. Seems to be running ok this morning. 129 dollars beats the heck out of 325 the repair company wanted to come out. What a rip off.

You all have a good day

 

[Roger B]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

Watching the news last night, a report on the progress of the rebuilding of all the destruction in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama,Florida, and California, from the hurricanes and fires, they said almost ALL the rebuilding is going VERY slow, due to the fact that there are fewer and fewer construction tradesmen, for every 5, retiring ( lots of "Baby-Boomers" ) only 1 person enters into the trades, even with some really high pay-scales there's a deficiency. In Texas a contractor started his own school teaching the trades and he also has a HUGE overstock of building materials knowing there is a related downfall in the supply of the available building materials. (could it be people got used to NOT working, living on welfare ??) he even recruits men and women from other low paying jobs to re-train them !! Some of the tradesmen are now making close to 6 figures because of the demand for skilled labor, and many of the tradesmen go elsewhere to "follow the dollar" leaving many contractors to push back their projected completion dates. seems everybody wants a "white-collar" job and don't want to use their hands or do physical labor, ... who in the hell is going to build ALL those "safe-spaces" and make all those crayons and coloring books, not to mention the Play-Doh and teddy-bears ..?? HMMmmmmmm ??

View attachment 34539

You are dead on Boo,

Currently in my neck of the woods school systems can't find enough bus drivers. One of the districts close to us took out TV ads promising to train prospective drivers and pay them $20/hour once they were hired!!

Of course today's children are such misbehaved little bast@rd$ that I can understand why no one would want the job. That coupled with all the P/C rules governing what drivers can and can't do with the little darling in their charge has lead to a dearth of people willing to work under those conditions.

Rog

 

[Roger B]

Re: DC Variable Speed motors

Thanks for the reply. The control module came in yesterday and i installed it. Seems to be running ok this morning. 129 dollars beats the heck out of 325 the repair company wanted to come out. What a rip off.

You all have a good day

NOBAMA,

The cost of your motor replacement by a servicing dealer, indicates exactly what is being said on the current subject of "Blue Collar" work. I do not know what is going on in Chuck's world, but most laborers are doing fairly well, because nobody today knows how to build or fix anything, so they can (and do) charge whatever the public will bear.

You paid $129 for the part. A service company would have to make at least 50% on that, so there's $193.50. Then there a "trip" charge to come to your home, lets call that $31.50 for a nice round figure and assume they are charging $100/hour for their "tech" and there is your $325 estimate for the work.

If I was Chuck, I'd move to a larger city and maybe even join a union (I have a strong dislike for unions, but that's another story) and go to work and make a killing. Be damned if I'd flip burgers for a living.. You have to use your abilities in life, if only to satisfy yourself. Work makes you feel useful and feeling useful makes you happy and happiness is what living is all about..

Rog

 

[Boobala]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

You are dead on Boo,

Currently in my neck of the woods school systems can't find enough bus drivers. One of the districts close to us took out TV ads promising to train prospective drivers and pay them $20/hour once they were hired!!

Of course today's children are such misbehaved little bast@rd$ that I can understand why no one would want the job. That coupled with all the P/C rules governing what drivers can and can't do with the little darling in their charge has lead to a dearth of people willing to work under those conditions.

Rog

On the shortage of tradespersons ( note I was politically correct to say tradesPERSONS ) ( LOL ) it appears to be a problem but LESS so in certain geographical areas, here in Florida, and in certain areas, we have an abundance of UNemployed immigrant folks who will work for low wages, contractors hire them because it increases THEIR own bottom line figures and many are in a "pinch" ! IMHO it's because for years we stressed the importance of a college degree, we should have also promoted vocational schools, and "blue-collar" workers training, personally I don't give a schitt ! I'm retired and my workin days are done ! I'm so disgusted by the morons coming out of college's these days, ( they learn how to collect welfare and protest the color of your undershorts !!) This up-coming generation is in for a rude awakening, ( you see evidence here on these forums, I think some of these folks buy a mower and then use the owners guides ( if provided) to wipe their arse's !!) As I stated earlier, no-body want's to use their hands ...(unless it leads to holding a foot-ball or basket-ball in them,) just how many (college grads) are living with mommy and daddy or grandparents because they have a degree in hairstyling, or artistry..?? Once the "working generation" dies out, the schitt will hit the fan ! Shame ya need a college degree to be even a "garbage-man" .... oop's excuse me .... SANITATION-WORKER !! :laughing:..:laughing:

 

[bertsmobile1]

Re: MTD Yardman Transaxle Rebuild

We got the the same problem here
Lots of reasons for it but basically it all boils down to greed.
The government business trained the bulk of the tradespeople but to lower taxes ( greed ) all government business were closed down or sold off.
Industry can not afford to train apprentices because managers can not meet ever increasing productivity targets to get their bonuses ( greed) if some labour is diverted into training.
Boards do not want to train apprentences because it lowers profit which lowers their dividends, ( greed) which lowers share prices thus reducing their bonuses ( greed again ).
Instead we bludge on foreign countries to pilfer their tradespeople , again 1st world countries raping & pilaging 3rd world countries and then we complain about the standard of their work.
When you do a good job, people who do not understand how much work goes into it won't pay a reasonable rate ( greed again ).

As for young people not wanting to work.
Well down here the ideal that people who work with their hands are loosers & idiot morons has been very firmly burned into the brains of the young.
A previous prime minister instigated a scheme to make Australia smarter by making kids stay at school till 18.
This was nothing but a ploy to hide the rising unemployment rate prior to an election.

 

[NorthBama]

Re: DC Variable Speed motors

NOBAMA,

The cost of your motor replacement by a servicing dealer, indicates exactly what is being said on the current subject of "Blue Collar" work. I do not know what is going on in Chuck's world, but most laborers are doing fairly well, because nobody today knows how to build or fix anything, so they can (and do) charge whatever the public will bear.

You paid $129 for the part. A service company would have to make at least 50% on that, so there's $193.50. Then there a "trip" charge to come to your home, lets call that $31.50 for a nice round figure and assume they are charging $100/hour for their "tech" and there is your $325 estimate for the work.

If I was Chuck, I'd move to a larger city and maybe even join a union (I have a strong dislike for unions, but that's another story) and go to work and make a killing. Be damned if I'd flip burgers for a living.. You have to use your abilities in life, if only to satisfy yourself. Work makes you feel useful and feeling useful makes you happy and happiness is what living is all about..

Rog

Good morning Guys

We are on a roll this morning and i am loving it.

Thanks Roger for your input. I am not complaining about paying the price of a good Tech. My complaint is the Carrier unit that cost $5k and only last 3 years should be covered for at least 5 years with no cost to the home owner. American companys should stand behind their products they sell.

 

[BlazNT]

Re: DC Variable Speed motors

Good morning Guys

We are on a roll this morning and i am loving it.

Thanks Roger for your input. I am not complaining about paying the price of a good Tech. My complaint is the Carrier unit that cost $5k and only last 3 years should be covered for at least 5 years with no cost to the home owner. American companys should stand behind their products they sell.

They do stand behind it.... Way behind it.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

 

[Boobala]

Re: DC Variable Speed motors

They do stand behind it.... Way behind it.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

You got it right Chuck, quality and dependability went out the door long ago, and that's another reason I switched from buying a domestic car to a rice-burner ! I just can't understand why all these recalls, what the hell is wrong with these people that used to evaluate the items they install on these vehicles these days, just look at the GM ignition switch problem, and the huge fiasco over the air-bag issues among others ! seems you have to pay a fortune for a quality product but then why do they have to gouge you ?? I used to be an aircraft mechanic, we took pride in our parts and our repairs, everything was top quality and was ultra dependable, parts AND labor guaranteed !! but I got out of that trade when the FAA relaxed it's guidelines and foreign companies started doing a major portion of the business, resulting in shoddy parts and workmanship. The older mowers I have, ( even my 2 Murrays about 14 years old ) are easy to fix and even being on the bottom of the price range, seem to hold up better than some of today's brand new equipment being offered. As they used to say ... Go Figure ! ...

:thumbdown:..:mur:..:smiley_aafz:

 

[NorthBama]

Re: DC Variable Speed motors

They do stand behind it.... Way behind it.:laughing::laughing::laughing:

You and Boo are right on lets us keep on.