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Shop Labor Rates

5K views 27 replies 13 participants last post by  orangputeh 
#1 ·
went to get my truck smogged yesterday and the shop labor rate was $140 an hour!!!!!

have I been asleep for 20 years???? $140 an hour! I saw an ad for mechanics for this shop and they will pay $30-40 an hour depending on experience.

is that average?

The Honda dealer charges $85 an hour and I thought that was high. I don't know what they pay their mechanics.

I know some members here have their own shops or work for shops. Do you have hourly labor rates or do you just charge by that particular job????

I help people from time to time and get paid in beer. I must be nuts.
 
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#2 ·
YEPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 140 Per hour is now the Gold standard of shop labor. but in most shops the mechanics work off of commission. there is this place here in town that if you just take your car/truck in for an oil change. you will walk out of there with a laundry list of things that really do not need to be done. they just want to make money for themselves. case in point you but a new air filter in yourself before you take it up there. and they will pull it out with the dirty paws and run there finger over the paper element. and tell you it needs to be replaced. or your engine can be clean as MR CLEAN Himself and they will try and tell/sell you a engine steam cleaning. BUNCH OF BLOODY FREAKING MORONS THERE!!!!!!!!!!! :icon_cussing_black::icon_cussing_black:
 
#5 ·
That happened to my naive daughter in law. she took the car to Jiffy Lube for a $29.95 oil change and walked out with a $700 bill.

I told her she should have talked to me first or at least take it to Wally World.
 
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#6 ·
Like I said , our local Honda dealer charges $85 an hour . I have refixed some of their "work" . stuff not done on a service that they charged $250 for. One guy came to me with all his receipts on a HS828 going back 20 years.

Yes, that's right . He brought it back for a service EVERY year almost. The dealer changed the scraper bar EVERY year. They would "change" the belts and impeller bearing every 2-3 years.

UNFREAKINBELIEVABLE !

This is the Honda dealer. They are under new management now but I don't see any changes. They told me they don't do carb cleanouts anymore. Just replace the carb. They don't weld up anything like a height adjustment pedal for an example. Just replace it for another $300.

Insane. If I were not a seasoned citizen collecting Social Security and 40 years younger , I would open up my own shop. It would be a goldmine.
 
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#8 ·
It's been 2 years since I started this thread and things have gotten worse. Many owners bring their machines to me even more now as they can not trust the local shops.

slow turnaround time and very high service charges. too many parts being changed when there is very little need to. I take the previous shop sticker off their machine . I see a LOT of work that wasnt done. And I dont tell them to bring the machine in annually like the shops do.

I recommend the same thing Honda corporate does. A service every hundred hours BUT I do emphasis some common sense about lubrication , oil checks and/or changes , fall inspections, tightening up stuff and checking adjustments.

The main thing I emphasize is to address small issues before they become bigger. If someone brings a machine to me for a service I charge the same as dealer and make sure the machine is ready . If they bring it back to me in 2-3-4 years I charge about half that price because not much has to be done other than an oil change, a general inspection, and maybe some adjustments. It takes half the time usually.
 
#9 ·
auto and SORE dealers around me av $140.00 for cars unless it's a upper class import than it jumps to near $175.00
sore dealers are $95.00 to 105.00
what hurts is what it costs to run a shop, we have to start with insurance, liability, building,health, workers comp. than add utility's gas and electric, add in what has to be paid to get a good tech, plus a lot more, just costs take up close to 75% of whats being charged
 
#10 ·
auto and SORE dealers around me av $140.00 for cars unless it's a upper class import than it jumps to near $175.00
sore dealers are $95.00 to 105.00
what hurts is what it costs to run a shop, we have to start with insurance, liability, building,health, workers comp. than add utility's gas and electric, add in what has to be paid to get a good tech, plus a lot more, just costs take up close to 75% of whats being charged
I understand that but unnecessary repairs may be a problem in some areas. Maybe the pressures of staying in business affect some owners of shops. I have turned down 4 large commercial accounts in the last several months. Don't want the headaches. After 43 years of work just wanna do what I wanna do when I wanna do it.
 
#13 ·
I bought a nice Ariens Platinum 30 SHO last summer from a gentleman who was moving south. One of his selling points was a receipt from the local dealer for a "snow blower tune up" a couple of months earlier. They charged $75 / hour as the shop rate and his total ticket was approximately $240 (not including their transportation charges). There was a lot of vague wording about "diagnostics and adjustments" but it appears they simply replaced one broken and stuck shear pin and greased the auger! I began with my usual checklist and discovered:
  • Oil had certainly not been changed
  • Uneven tire air pressure; rims never removed and axles greased
  • Chute deflector was completely out of adjustment (barely moved at all)
  • Traction control and auger cables were loose and out of adjustment
  • I'm certain I was the first person to ever crack open the belly pan and lubricate anything
  • Scraper bar and skid shoes were borderline; you'd think the shop would have at least flipped the shoes to the unused side

I can't remember the last time I sold a snowblower to somebody who didn't plead with me to fix something they already owned- weed eater, leaf blower, chainsaw, mower, tiller, etc.
 
#17 ·
I bought a nice Ariens Platinum 30 SHO last summer from a gentleman who was moving south. One of his selling points was a receipt from the local dealer for a "snow blower tune up" a couple of months earlier. They charged $75 / hour as the shop rate and his total ticket was approximately $240 (not including their transportation charges). There was a lot of vague wording about "diagnostics and adjustments" but it appears they simply replaced one broken and stuck shear pin and greased the auger! I began with my usual checklist and discovered:
  • Oil had certainly not been changed
  • Uneven tire air pressure; rims never removed and axles greased
  • Chute deflector was completely out of adjustment (barely moved at all)
  • Traction control and auger cables were loose and out of adjustment
  • I'm certain I was the first person to ever crack open the belly pan and lubricate anything
  • Scraper bar and skid shoes were borderline; you'd think the shop would have at least flipped the shoes to the unused side
I can't remember the last time I sold a snowblower to somebody who didn't plead with me to fix something they already owned- weed eater, leaf blower, chainsaw, mower, tiller, etc.
Have seen this also. Mentioned before about the Honda that the dealer told the owner to bring it in every year for an annual service. He brought me the receipts going back 20 years.

Every other year the scraper bar and skid shoes were replaced. Every year the plug was replaced. Every year there were parts supposedly replaced that I saw NO evidence of.

Have worked on a couple dozen machines that were last serviced by this dealer and seen some of the same non evidence of work done but charged for. Bart may be on to something.

I don't say anything bad about the dealer in front of people. Just do the service and they wonder why I didnt change this part or that part like the dealer did. I just say it didnt need it.

Now I have people that will wait for me to service/repair their machine instead of the dealer . I think they figured it out on their own. I use the dealer quite a bit for parts and advice from their head mechanic and need to keep a good relationship with them. They know what I do and I do send many people to them to buy the new machines.
 
#14 ·
I hate to say this but with all these shady practices by the dealer, sometimes it is better to just throw away the machine and buy a new one.

I've learned to fix these small equipment so I haven't had to junk any pieces yet.

Several years ago, I neglected to check the oil level on my lawnmower engine. The motor seized and stopped running. I thought it was the end of it and I would put it to the curb. I decided to let it cool off, change the engine oil, and at least tried to revive it. Fortunately the engine started and there was no change in power or sound. I still have the same mower today. It had the B&S side valve engine. I was never crazy about the engine, finicky to restart when warm, noisy and vibrate too much, and I felt it could use a bit more power for being 190cc. Aside from that, it was trouble free, probably runs forever as long as it has oil in it. It was old technology but it just works
 
#15 ·
I hate to say this but with all these shady practices by the dealer, sometimes it is better to just throw away the machine and buy a new one.
or sometimes it is cheaper to replace it than repair. i know that is how it is most of the time with mowers. most of the time if you need a cable it is $50+ for the cable plus labor to install it. i was recently given a mower someone wanted me to service. probably would have been about $70 on a mower that would be about $500 new for the service he initially wanted. then he mentioned it needed a cable which is $70. i told him it may be worth considering replacing the mower. would have been about $150. just parts alone would have been about $100-$110. i would have no problem doing the work if they want it but $150 is a pretty big dent towards a new machine. you could even find a nice used machine for $100-150 range.
 
#16 ·
You are right wolfie. Some of these repairs would make me consider a new machine if I took it to the shop. I am a mild hoarder so I have 2 fully functional backups that I can use while I take the time to properly fix the broken machines. Plus, I've taken all these things completely apart and put them back to near mint condition so there is some sentimental value. It is unlikely that I'll throw anything away.
 
#20 · (Edited)
If I recall correctly, when I was 17 I paid a shop to test my car’s alternator. When I was 40 I paid a shop to change a rear pinion seal and fix broken the exhaust manifold studs on my modern truck. Damn that was expensive.

That’s about all I’ve ever paid any shop to repair, any motorized stuff since I was probably 19. Including stuff I’ve owned but not limited to: cars, dirt-bikes, motorcyles, snowblowers, lawn mowers, seadoos, weed whackers, ATVs, snowmobiles. Whatever. I will figure it out and learn to do it myself. I’ve tried my patience and skills on many, many, components. Engine. Tranny. Diff. Electrical. Carbs. Fuel injection. Exhaust. Brakes. Shocks. Driveshafts. Clutches. Whatever... I am too stubborn, and way too cheap to pay professional shop labor rates.

I fear I’ve spoiled my wife and our two older sons. They have a personal mechanic. They can park their car in the garage, get up the next day and magically its all serviced or fixed up again. I am trying to teach my sons some garage skills. Slowly they’re coming around. They sure like the cash savings!
 
#22 ·
Lol. No. The truck was a later model Dodge 1/2 Ton. Hemi V8. I had the studs replaced once under warranty. A couple years later I paid to have them done. 3 rd time I did the studs myself. Cranked them down tight and then sold the truck. I went backwards 20 years and bought a late 90's Dodge Cummins diesel ¾ T truck. No regrets. Tougher, better built truck. A long box extra cab 4x4. A truck that can actually do work and carry building supplies home. Like trucks that were at one time, built to do.
 
#23 ·
keith

i hear you on the exhaust stud issue, it's across the board with every brand , decades back they used a 3/8th bolt or hardened stud we never had exhaust manifolds coming loose, fast forward to about the late 70's they shift to a stinking 8 mm and us techs started having to drill them out and replace them. i did more than my share of that job
i asked if it was a ford as i've been there, 2005 f250 V10 3 times under warranty they did them
 
#24 ·
I have the same experience. I've gotten repeat maintenance customers after selling them a lawn mower or snowblower. I sell maybe 25 used machines a year and many of the buyers tend to have other equipment that needs work that they can't justify bringing to a repair shop and paying 100/hr + 100 dollars for a 15 dollar carb or oil change/lube job. And I totally understand that these shops need to charge enough to stay in business, but its really not worth the cost for many of these older machines when you can go to lowes or home depot and replace it with a brand new machine for not much more than the repair costs. And the newer the machine, generally the crappier its made.
 
#26 ·
what do you do when a person who needs work done on a machine you sold them ? do you do little stuff for free? or maybe a discount on next service? I usually guarantee all cables and belts for the 1st winter. Little stuff is free. And give maybe a 20% discount on next service. Have never had a return for a cable or belt which I knew was slim but it makes the buyer feel better.
The only problem I have encountered ( knock on wood ) is a stuck choke or the auger handle not locking down. Then some funny stuff like no gas in tank or fuel valve closed and engine stalls out or the transmission lever left in released position.

One guy called me up last winter FURIOUS that his blower wasnt blowing snow. He bought the big Honda hs1132 from me for big bucks. He wanted his money back, telling me his wife was crying and all kinds of stuff. I calmly told him to bring it over. When he came over he was still ranting and raving.

I looked in the auger housing and seen the impeller shear pin was missing. replaced the pin, gave him a spare. Couldnt believe how humble he got ( really nice guy but was scared he wasted a ton of money ). I calmly told him the next time it would cost him as I never gave a lifetime guarantee.Did not hear from him again rest of winter.
 
#25 ·
The newer machines are prettier, shinier, lighter, that new smell look, with nifty features; while the older machines are heavier, clunkier, simpler to repair, more parts interchangeability, and best of all, for the price, you can have more of them!
 
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