Warning to Toledo-Area Lawn Cutters

[statman]

I have a Scag Super Z that is about 4-5 years old. I was mowing last week and a piece of plastic got on one of the hydraulic pumps, tore up the seal, and dumped all of the fluid. I was near Crosby Equipment, so I took it there. The mechanic called and said he had to replace the whole pump... $800.

I was seriously thinking of not getting it fixed, and either buying a new mower or downsizing my business. I picked it up ($60 to clean and look at it) and took it to Small Engine Repair. Three days and $185.40 later, it was up and running fine.

Bottom line: don't go to Crosby Equipment. Small Engine Repair is honest and reasonably priced!

[P&J Lawncare]

Did Hoops at small engine repair take care of you, I went to crosby's once and that is once to many. Where in northwest ohio are you, I am in oregon and if I can be any help to you then give me a call at 419-343-6660 (ask for P.J.). I can probably speed up your ssz for you.

[geogunn]

Originally posted by statman
Bottom line: don't go to Crosby Equipment. Small Engine Repair is honest and reasonably priced!

statman--I have a problem with your wording.

are you saying Crosby was dishonest in the estimate?

was he going to replace the pump for the higher price versus the other guy rebuilding the pump for a lower price?

it is not unusual for a business to say we stand by out repairs because we used new parts as compared to simply rebuilding the old part with a kit.

and for that, you would expect to pay more money.

now what would be dishonest is for him to estimate a new pump and then only put a kit in it and charge new pump price.:eek:

anyway. glad you didn't get taken.

GEO

[statman]

geo,

If you took a mower in for an engine problem and the shop put in a whole new engine when it only needed a spark plug, wouldn't you feel you had just been taken?

I didn't say Crosby was dishonest. I DID say Small Engine was honest. You can call it what you want...

[Runner]

Hypothetically, what would a new pump installed at a different place cost?

[P&J Lawncare]

Small Engine Repair would charge less than $450 for the ssz pump because they charge $450 for a turf tiger pump installed and I beleive that the ssz pump is cheaper than the turf tiger pump. I once went to crosby's and got a bill for $650 for changing all my fluids and replacing the plugs on two of my mowers. They had 10.5 hours in labor for changing the plugs and replacing the hydro oil and motor oil on 2 mowers, thats more than 5 hours per mower (it takes me less than 2 hours for both mowers). I disagreed with the bill and asked them to break down the labor hours for me, needless to say when it was all done they couldn't even come up with 4 hours so they had to adjust the bill -$300. I always do my own maintenance but they were doing some recall work on my scags so I said while it's here go ahead and change the fluids and plugs because it was the first time that I used them (scag had a falling out with Small Engine and took their mowers from him and set crosby up as the scag dealer in town). That was the only time that I went to crosby's and I won't be back.

[awm]

theres a place like that in every area. i dont see how they stay in buisiness.
the ones here in the albemarle area,
most everybody knows about. heck the
good dealers are high enough,but they got to be, to show a good bottum line.
i dont mind that ,cause i got to do the same.

[MoritzLandscapeLLC]

I have a Scag Super Z that is about 4-5 years old. I was mowing last week and a piece of plastic got on one of the hydraulic pumps, tore up the seal, and dumped all of the fluid. I was near Crosby Equipment, so I took it there. The mechanic called and said he had to replace the whole pump... $800.

I was seriously thinking of not getting it fixed, and either buying a new mower or downsizing my business. I picked it up ($60 to clean and look at it) and took it to Small Engine Repair. Three days and $185.40 later, it was up and running fine.

Bottom line: don't go to Crosby Equipment. Small Engine Repair is honest and reasonably priced!

What small engine repair did you take it to? I haven't found a dealer in Toledo that i really like yet but i have been going to cobra equipment down the street and they seem to have been doing alright

[topsites]

Let me tell you guys my experience...

Lets say COST on a job is $25 and that cost is invariable, now what a business charges above and beyond is profit.
Lets say most guys out there do the job for between $27 and $30 and they ALL make between $2 and $5 on that job.

But I come around and do the same job for $40.
And I rake in $15 per job.

Does that make me dishonest?

[Hawkshot99]

Let me tell you guys my experience...

Lets say COST on a job is $25 and that cost is invariable, now what a business charges above and beyond is profit.
Lets say most guys out there do the job for between $27 and $30 and they ALL make between $2 and $5 on that job.

But I come around and do the same job for $40.
And I rake in $15 per job.

Does that make me dishonest?

This is not about how much they charge for the repair compared to another place on the same repair. This is about the place telling him that he needs a new pump instead of a seal. That is dishonest.

[Zak's Pro. Lawn Care]

What small engine repair did you take it to? I haven't found a dealer in Toledo that i really like yet but i have been going to cobra equipment down the street and they seem to have been doing alright

what part of toledo are you? i go to D&R Power Equipment on ford st. in maumee...they are good there. i haven't needed any engine rebuild or anything yet but with everything else they seem fair and are quick to get my equipment fixed when it is down.

[Clark Griswold]

[QUOTE=statman;301054]I was mowing last week and a piece of plastic got on one of the hydraulic pumps, tore up the seal, and dumped all of the fluid./QUOTE]

A piece of plastic got on one of your pumps?

[DA Quality Lawn & YS]

Dishonest....OR they just didn't look at the problem very well in diagnosing it.

[MoritzLandscapeLLC]

what part of toledo are you? i go to D&R Power Equipment on ford st. in maumee...they are good there. i haven't needed any engine rebuild or anything yet but with everything else they seem fair and are quick to get my equipment fixed when it is down.

I am in the Toledo, Sylvania, and Ottawa Hills area. I sent one of my guys there once before but I have never been there personally. What ztrs do they sell?

[oldclawn]

post #1 line one " I have a Scag Super Z that is 4 to 5 years old""--this is 2010 so I can assure you this machine is quite a bit older than that! What other "facts" need to be reviewed??

[Lazer_Z]

post #1 line one " I have a Scag Super Z that is 4 to 5 years old""--this is 2010 so I can assure you this machine is quite a bit older than that! What other "facts" need to be reviewed??This thread is from 2002.