Out of touch with how much things cost or totally ripped off?

I am just in the process of recovering from receiving the bill to service my "new" lawn tractor.

For many many years we had an ancient and I mean ancient Wheelhorse tractor (Betsey) she must be over 40 years old now and unfortunately she got to the stage where we couldn't really find anybody to keep her chugging along so she has sadly been retired, when on the go she rarely cost much to service as long as no out of the ordinary spare parts were needed. Last Spring I bought off Ebay an all but new John Deere tractor which had about 12 hours on the clock (legitimate!).Used it last season and then thought I'd better get it serviced for this season. The tractor was working fine but had fair idea we'd be told, anyway! that we needed new blades (nobody seems to sharpen blades any longer). Person came out to service the tractor and duly said we needed new blades (not surprised!). Mechanic was here about 1 1/2 hours and then left. Got bill today, is everybody sitting down?.....£264.66. The blade , only 1 needed was £39.10 ex vat and some bl...y belt was £46.05 ex vat plus a filter costing £32.47 ex vat. Good god I don't own a belt that cost that. The tractor only had 55 hours on the clock so I'd like to know how it needed a new belt after what I think is a short time. I don't have a lot of choice but to pay the bill but would be interested if others think it seriously excessive or am I completely out of touch? All I do know is the tractor ain't getting anothr service for some considerable time and if the worst come to the worst I'll tether the horse on the lawn and he can eat it down!
On top of this ghastly bill my sprayer packed up after many years of service so popped out to buy another 1..., eyeballs out again as got very little change from £40 as I need a fairly big sprayer due to size of garden SO I'm £300 worse off than I was yesterday and b all to show for it...Off to lie in a darkened room!

 

Get it all off your chest, Silu!

 

Ha ha yes you are right Madahhlia, was purple with rage and needed to let off steam. Post a couple of glasses of plonk feeling slightly better but still spitting over the cost of the service.

 

So parts were £117. so that means he charges close on £100 an hour.

Off to learn how to service lawnmowers.... Oh, hang on a minute, I can and I charged about a tenner for the last one I did.

 

Must admit I dont know much about this kind of thing, are you sure it needed servicing being that it had had such little use?

When someone comes out to service something surely its always going to cost an arm and a leg.
If you bought anything resembling a professional sprayer I'd say you got a good deal.

 

Not too over the top. He came to you, the parts that you listed were £118 (out of £225 exc VAT), no mention of the cost of the oil (which he will have to pay to get rid of along with oil and fuel filters), etc. His investment in tools and diagnostic equipment (I'm in the motor trade and my weekly bill for hand tools is £50 to £75, diagnostics cost me £200 a month, data program another £700 per year) comes out of his labour, along with the running cost of the vehicle.
The blade may have been serviceable, maybe not, likewise the belt (belts do perish with time, so use is not the only factor here), but as I know booger all about tractors I'm not in a position to pass judgement.
If it makes you feel any better, I've just had to replace a shock absorber on a Merc that I've just sold for a customer of ours - the shocker cost £1016+vat before fitting!

 

Only the parts quoted. There should have been a few more on the invoice.

£100/1.5 equals £66 per hour excluding travelling time.

 

I wonder if this is why old farmers are often the best mechanics. Some of the kit some of the old boys keep running is ancient.

 

Sorry silu I don't think you were ripped off, how much would you think was reasonable?? he came to you, so you didn't have to travel anywhere, yep, definitely out of touch!!!!!

Val

 

You were so cross you even hit that button twice! But yes, I feel for you, I hate being ripped off as well.
Have another glass of plonk.

 

Thanks all for your input. Yes longk your addition is very good! didn't bother to mention 2? lots of oil and "consumables" whatever the heck those are.
My biggest gripe is that the lawn tractor is only 2 years old, not been thrashed about, kept in a clean/dry shed, washed after use and has only worked a total of 55 hours, 43 of those we were responsible for in 1 year. Therefore not allowing for any other wear and tear on the tractor we would appear to be looking at new blades, filter and belt every year. As a rough estimate that's £4 per hour cutting in parts alone. All I can say is thank god that as I do a fairly hefty mileage in my car it doesn't cost me anything remotely like that in spare parts. Can see now why people don't bother to have their mowers serviced, run them into the ground and then buy a new 1. Can't even console myself that the company made a special trip to me as I got 10 minutes notice as they were already in the area and it suited them to do the service when they did. I think the BIG mistake I've made is to have bought a John Deere as it would appear you have to have a massive John Deere tool box to be able to even get the deck off and other garden machinery service people aren't keen to deal with them. I'm stuck with this company who I think service St Andrews golf machinery so are obviously used to charging the earth. I might well sell this tractor and get something else come the end of the season as while it does a good job all it actually needs to do is cut grass not win a formula 1 race as well! More plonk taken Madahhlia so feeling a lot happier!!!!

 

Waiting to pay in the filling station the other day and noticed the price of a 'gallon' of engine oil....Jeeeeesus! It's been a long time since I bought oil to top up my own car.In fact I think in those days the service was cheaper than that can of oil...

 

Get the belts off the internet? I keep a complete set for my mower as no telling when they might need replacing ....

Unless they are under a cowling that is hard to remove just tell the mechanic that you have a complete set of spare belts and will fit them when required, but if he could alert you to any that are getting worn so that you can keep an eye on them

JD is a good brand, I think that cost of having it properly maintained is all part of the trouble-free mowing you will get from it ... unless you maintain it yourself? Or find a cheapie mechanic nearby? Putting Zigs up in a local hostelry and paying his mileage sounds cheaper than your local chap

 

Some fancy oils out there though ... the engine oil for our car is very expensive, but it does 20,000 miles before change I think (maybe its less than that, but when-I-were-a-boy it was every 5,000 miles). Of course in an old banger than is using more oil then fuel :( it works out very expensive.