Do many use main dealers for repairs?

mengele

All the independent mechanics around here are after either retiring, not talking on new work or else up to there eyes in work meaning it could take a month or two before you see your machinery back. Beginning to think I'm going to have to use the main dealer for all repairs now. Are the less likely to take you for a ride like the car main dealers do? I'm just afraid of what a bill could be after the main dealers? Would they just keep throwing new parts at something until it starts working again?

Grueller

mengele wrote: »

All the independent mechanics around here are after either retiring, not talking on new work or else up to there eyes in work meaning it could take a month or two before you see your machinery back. Beginning to think I'm going to have to use the main dealer for all repairs now. Are the less likely to take you for a ride like the car main dealers do? I'm just afraid of what a bill could be after the main dealers? Would they just keep throwing new parts at something until it starts working again?

Local one here has only one mechanic worth his salt. Charges €85+vat/hour. If you get the main man its not too bad but get another one and it is ridiculous.

Pidae.m

The same down here, the hardest person to get is a tractor mechanic.
As for lorry mechanics, the RSA shut down a few here. Lads who'd just a shed out the back of their dwelling house.

_Brian

Mechanic from main dealer who works at home.
But only for stuff we can’t tackle.

We’ve done clutches brakes servicing etc ourselves.

Muckit

I use independent mechanic but my tractor has no electrics.

t'll be going a lot like the cars. More and more electronics, sensors etc being introduced making most jobs a dealer only job.

Buford T. Justice XIX

Muckit wrote: »

I use independent mechanic but my tractor has no electrics.

t'll be going a lot like the cars. More and more electronics, sensors etc being introduced making most jobs a dealer only job.

+1


I had a fault light show up Friday evening and rang the dealer Saturday morning. He came out, sat up in the tractor and plugged in the laptop. Now, it turns out the outlet filter from the engine, to stop any oil entering the environment, was totally blocked up (I didn't even know there was one there).


I could have got the local mechanic to come out but he wouldn't have had a clue without a laptop and access to the correct software. We'd still be faffing around looking for what was causing the fault.



With newer tractors, you're more or less limited to main dealer mechanics to sort out any problems and that's not going to get any better in future

Waffletraktor

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

+1


I had a fault light show up Friday evening and rang the dealer Saturday morning. He came out, sat up in the tractor and plugged in the laptop. Now, it turns out the outlet filter from the engine, to stop any oil entering the environment, was totally blocked up (I didn't even know there was one there).


I could have got the local mechanic to come out but he wouldn't have had a clue without a laptop and access to the correct software. We'd still be faffing around looking for what was causing the fault.



With newer tractors, you're more or less limited to main dealer mechanics to sort out any problems and that's not going to get any better in future

Crank case blowby filter iirc? And it's a bastid to get at .

Buford T. Justice XIX

Waffletraktor wrote: »

Crank case blowby filter iirc? And it's a bastid to get at .

No idea, tbh.


He did a temp repair so she stops shouting at me every 2 minutes and is coming tomorrow to sort it out with a new filter. It was awkward enough to get at alright.

mengele

My problem is just trying to get anyone to fix even older stuff. Lets say the lift went in the Mf 135. I don't have enough knowledge to fix it. Independent mechanics are almost impossible to get so I am beginning think I will have to start using main dealers for jobs as simple as this.

_Brian

mengele wrote: »

My problem is just trying to get anyone to fix even older stuff. Lets say the lift went in the Mf 135. I don't have enough knowledge to fix it. Independent mechanics are almost impossible to get so I am beginning think I will have to start using main dealers for jobs as simple as this.

You get loads of support in online groups for jobs like that. Facebook groups for all makes and models. Brilliant resources, I’ve used the David Brown amd IH groups to great success.

blue5000

I think there's a good reason older (1990s ish) non electronic tractors have practically doubled in value in the past 5 years, they're easier to fix yourself.
We sent the fiat in for a 'service' and a bit of a tidy up with electrics etc. to a nearby main dealer, let's just say it'll be the last time it'll ever be going anywhere like that again, it was an expensive lesson.

mengele

blue5000 wrote: »

I think there's a good reason older (1990s ish) non electronic tractors have practically doubled in value in the past 5 years, they're easier to fix yourself.
We sent the fiat in for a 'service' and a bit of a tidy up with electrics etc. to a nearby main dealer, let's just say it'll be the last time it'll ever be going anywhere like that again, it was an expensive lesson.

Was it the labour or parts that made the bill so expensive?

Waffletraktor

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

No idea, tbh.


He did a temp repair so she stops shouting at me every 2 minutes and is coming tomorrow to sort it out with a new filter. It was awkward enough to get at alright.

Had something like that filter name before. On 'passengers' side half hidden by emmisions gubbins.

kevthegaff

mengele wrote: »

Was it the labour or parts that made the bill so expensive?

I'd imagine labour, fiat parts are cheap

kevthegaff

Im lucky I have a contractor and neighbour who advise me on how to fix anything do I haven't made a trip to a mechanic in 4 or 5 years

blue5000

mengele wrote: »

Was it the labour or parts that made the bill so expensive?

kevthegaff wrote: »

I'd imagine labour, fiat parts are cheap

Ya labour was charged at 55 an hour +vat. There was a power steering ram as well that the eye was nearly worn through on, that was 300 quid. We would just normally have welded a new lump on the end and drive on, asked them to show us the old one and it couldn't be found.

mengele

blue5000 wrote: »

Ya labour was charged at 55 an hour +vat. There was a power steering ram as well that the eye was nearly worn through on, that was 300 quid. We would just normally have welded a new lump on the end and drive on, asked them to show us the old one and it couldn't be found.

55 plus vat an hour wouldn't be too bad for a main dealer if they weren't throwing parts into it willy nilly.

farawaygrass

A mechanic that serviced ours for years was 50 plus vat and hour, and 55 last year so that might be normal enough

Suckler

mengele wrote: »

My problem is just trying to get anyone to fix even older stuff. Lets say the lift went in the Mf 135. I don't have enough knowledge to fix it. Independent mechanics are almost impossible to get so I am beginning think I will have to start using main dealers for jobs as simple as this.

Problem is people won't pay. I've never come across a group like Irish farmers (generally) who have no heed on evaluating peoples time. I used to do work on tractors and 4x4's as a sideline/hobby but it's not worth the hassle dealing with people like this. Common ones were -
- telling you how long it should have taken
- turning up with a machine caked in sh1te
- I know a guy who knows a guy who told him he paid way less for parts
- Hours spent diagnosing aren't billable
- Undoing their work bodge isn't billable
- Consumables cost money. Tape/joiners/clips/wrap etc.

roosterman71

Suckler wrote: »

Problem is people won't pay. I've never come across a group like Irish farmers (generally) who have no heed on evaluating peoples time.

The main problem there is that they have no concept of value on their own time either

Suckler

roosterman71 wrote: »

The main problem there is that they have no concept of value on their own time either

100% Spot on there.

Willfarman

Suckler wrote: »

Problem is people won't pay. I've never come across a group like Irish farmers (generally) who have no heed on evaluating peoples time. I used to do work on tractors and 4x4's as a sideline/hobby but it's not worth the hassle dealing with people like this. Common ones were -
- telling you how long it should have taken
- turning up with a machine caked in sh1te
- I know a guy who knows a guy who told him he paid way less for parts
- Hours spent diagnosing aren't billable
- Undoing their work bodge isn't billable
- Consumables cost money. Tape/joiners/clips/wrap etc.

I would have to concur here. I think anyone that’s dealing with farmers ends up very grummoch after a while.