That kinda hurts!
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,098
Likes: 136
SDS, the problem is if you want to save money you do it yourself. You're at the mercy of whomever should you choose not to, period. People comparing what they pay doing it themselves vs what they got charged by having someone else do it is completely irrelevant. Do it yourselfer's often fail to see the value of their and others talents. My brother in law paid someone about $100 to put their baby's crib together. It takes about 4 bolts and maybe 15 minutes of your time. He has no clue how to do it so he pays mucho for things like this.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 1,800
Likes: 52
From: Southern Colorado
I have had my 16 year old daughter replace 2 timing belts in two vehicles of mine. She may never do it in the future, but she'll have an inkling of what's involved when they quote $xxx. We're now going to swap a v6 Camry engine and that should fill out her gearhead resume. I'm going to sell that car and let her keep the proceeds - the reward for the effort.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 1,144
Likes: 1
From: ALPHA ,NJ
Where are you's getting a 800 dollar parts bill for front roots and a set of front pads? My local Ford dealer is high an the front pads are $118 and front rotor is $160 I believe..... And I'm no Ford tech ( that training is a joke by the way) but I can install front rotors and pads completely degrease the front knuckles, clean an grease the slid pins, spray backing plate glue on the pads put it back together the proper way everything torqued to spec in my garage using two three ton Floor jacks in about 60-70 minutes
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 1,313
Likes: 19
From: Louisiana
If all of that stuff takes 15 hours then somebody is doing something wrong, I have done all of the above on my Ranger to the tune of about 7 hours. I could have done it faster if I had a lift, shop, air tools etc. I have to assume the shop has done all of the previous items before.
$1500 is a lot of money to be "saving" if you did it yourself, which to me says the shop charged you a little bit too much.
$1500 is a lot of money to be "saving" if you did it yourself, which to me says the shop charged you a little bit too much.
Cargo Master
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 2,272
Likes: 208
From: Cincy area
Some of my customers (residential remodeling) do business with me this way.
My recommendation to you is to get an estimate before the work is completed in the future. Maybe the next visit you could politely mention it. If the guy gave you an itemized receipt as a practice he's likely a professional and doesn't gouge where you can't see.
Its obvious you have been pleased with the work before so switching mechanics over something like this would be stupid. A worse mechanic can cost much more let alone aggravation.
Always get a number, even a rough number, no matter how comfortable you get working with a guy no matter what your dealing with, even home remodeling.
My recommendation to you is to get an estimate before the work is completed in the future. Maybe the next visit you could politely mention it. If the guy gave you an itemized receipt as a practice he's likely a professional and doesn't gouge where you can't see.
Its obvious you have been pleased with the work before so switching mechanics over something like this would be stupid. A worse mechanic can cost much more let alone aggravation.
Always get a number, even a rough number, no matter how comfortable you get working with a guy no matter what your dealing with, even home remodeling.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 110
Likes: 0
I took my itemized bill in, and quietly told the manager it was more expensive than I had expected. She was very good about explaining the bill. Moog parts were used on several things that I had used the more budget minded part for reference. They have had problems with some of the lessor priced parts failing, and having to redo the work. I am glad I took the time to ask, and I think showing an interest will pay long term dividends in the future. I am also interested in the Micro lock type e brake upgrade. I put some on a utility tractor in the 90's. It had two manual shifters, and a hydraulic clutch that would hold for about 30 seconds after the tractor was shut off before it would free wheel down the hill. The micro lock product worked well. Thanks to all of you who took the time to share!
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
If all of that stuff takes 15 hours then somebody is doing something wrong, I have done all of the above on my Ranger to the tune of about 7 hours. I could have done it faster if I had a lift, shop, air tools etc. I have to assume the shop has done all of the previous items before.
$1500 is a lot of money to be "saving" if you did it yourself, which to me says the shop charged you a little bit too much.
$1500 is a lot of money to be "saving" if you did it yourself, which to me says the shop charged you a little bit too much.
I could do all that stuff on my civic in 45 minutes because it isn't a superduty either.
A lift, shop air, shop, and whatnot is all overhead and isn't free stuff. That stuff is being used and wearing out and doesn't pay for itself.
Also sure a guy that has done a job 25 times can get it done faster but that doesn't mean his knowledge and the work done isn't worth the 15 hours anymore because it only took him 6 hours to do.
It takes many mechanics less than an hour to lift a cab off a 6.0 but they still all charge 5 hours or whatever book time says.
Plain and simple any shop that is worth a damn is gonna charge what book time says for the job unless you are friends with the owner. Even still he might charge you full choke. lol
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Lead Driver
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 8,449
Likes: 70
From: South Jersey
Crazy prices here, and why put new pins in when you do a brake job? My dad's 2000 F350 diesel has 170k on original calipers and pins, my 2004 118k original calipers and pins. Once a year I clean and grease the pins on both our trucks and usually ever three years I do a complete brake fluid flush. And grease???? I bought a can of full synthetic brake pin grease six years ago and I still have half the tub full and that's doing at least seven vehicles brakes plus friends of mine.....
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Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,098
Likes: 136
I could do all that stuff on my civic in 45 minutes because it isn't a superduty either.
A lift, shop air, shop, and whatnot is all overhead and isn't free stuff. That stuff is being used and wearing out and doesn't pay for itself.
Also sure a guy that has done a job 25 times can get it done faster but that doesn't mean his knowledge and the work done isn't worth the 15 hours anymore because it only took him 6 hours to do.
It takes many mechanics less than an hour to lift a cab off a 6.0 but they still all charge 5 hours or whatever book time says.
Plain and simple any shop that is worth a damn is gonna charge what book time says for the job unless you are friends with the owner. Even still he might charge you full choke. lol
A lift, shop air, shop, and whatnot is all overhead and isn't free stuff. That stuff is being used and wearing out and doesn't pay for itself.
Also sure a guy that has done a job 25 times can get it done faster but that doesn't mean his knowledge and the work done isn't worth the 15 hours anymore because it only took him 6 hours to do.
It takes many mechanics less than an hour to lift a cab off a 6.0 but they still all charge 5 hours or whatever book time says.
Plain and simple any shop that is worth a damn is gonna charge what book time says for the job unless you are friends with the owner. Even still he might charge you full choke. lol
For sure!
The key to making money in any business venture is efficiency. The book says to bill this much for that amount of time. Hard to argue that. So any normal business owner will realize the more efficient they become the more money they can make on each job and complete more jobs in a given time frame. God forbid someone makes a buck, small or big. Like stated above running a business costs money.
Yes you CAN buy and do anything cheaper yourself than having someone else do your work. That's why people do it. You CAN find an unknown cheaper mechanic. You CAN get varied results by trying that. It's funny that it seems all the people gawking at that price
A.) Are do it yourself people
B.) May not own their own business. (total assumption but probably)
Not doing something yourself = high costs. Plain and simple. You're NOT doing the work!!!
Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 144
Likes: 9
From: Central Oregon
The book says to bill this much for that amount of time. So any normal business owner will realize the more efficient they become the more money they can make on each job and complete more jobs in a given time frame.
Yes you CAN buy and do anything cheaper yourself than having someone else do your work. That's why people do it. You CAN find an unknown cheaper mechanic. You CAN get varied results by trying that. It's funny that it seems all the people gawking at that price
Yes you CAN buy and do anything cheaper yourself than having someone else do your work. That's why people do it. You CAN find an unknown cheaper mechanic. You CAN get varied results by trying that. It's funny that it seems all the people gawking at that price
Hotshot
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 13,484
Likes: 42
From: Stevens Point, WI
This is the part I personally have a problem with. In my world I charge what I earn, not what some book says I should earn. And yes I understand it works both ways - if I cant do a job in at least the time in the book I damn well better get better at my job. But to charge more than the time I took to do the job to me is just wrong.
The work is still the same weather you are a lazy sob and take 10 hours or an efficient well experienced soul who can get it done right in 3 hours. The guy that can get it done in 3 hours shouldn't be short changed because he put in the time to learn how to get the job done right and faster while lazy *** in the next stall makes more then double because he is slow and doesn't know what he is doing.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 5,406
Likes: 229
From: Pa
Took my '06 F350 to a local shop to get brake repairs done. It needed front and rear pads and discs, rear calipers, rear brake backer plates, emergency brake cable, upper and lower ball joints, front axle outer seals, and alignment. The total came to just over $3000. The labor alone was $900. I was surprised. I just wanted your opinions as to if this was a bit high or not? The truck has 53,000 miles on it, and I do intend to keep it for a few more years.
Each Backing plate replacement is 2 hrs, than an hr a wheel for brake work done there, than 4-5 hrs for ball joint's, if everything went well, 1hr for each "outer" axle seal.
$3,000 sound's pretty close to me. Sound's like they used Quality part's too.
It seems to me that it would have taken them darn near 16 hrs of man power.
My numbers are "Close" as I just did all of this. Note I DID NOT say exact.
Cargo Master
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,098
Likes: 136
This is the part I personally have a problem with. In my world I charge what I earn, not what some book says I should earn. And yes I understand it works both ways - if I cant do a job in at least the time in the book I damn well better get better at my job. But to charge more than the time I took to do the job to me is just wrong.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 833
Likes: 0
The book time can be a double edged sword. I used to work at a stealership and was always looking for the most efficient way of doing things to obviously make more money charging more hours than hours actually worked. However if you run into problems that are not included in book time (some procedures have allowances in the form of added time for complications common to the work being done)the mechanic looses money. Not to mention any factory warranty work was half book time. But the book time is just an estimate of what the average person should be able to do the work. Some people are faster than others. Some need all the time and some loose time. Depends on the tech.