nobody wants to earn their money anymore

[brh]

I had some minor maintenance needed on my Honda 50 recently. (Oil/filter change, spark-plug replacement, impeller replacement, and gear lubrication). I was quoted about $350 parts and labor by my local marina shop. (Labor was based on a rate of $89/hr., and the mechanic said it would take about 3 hours. This mechanic has been working on Hondas for 19 years. There is no way this job could take him 3 hours. Long story short, I never touched a boat motor before in my life, but did the job in a morning all for a grand total of $31 in parts. (Thanks Navigator)<br /><br />I also had some damage to my bimini top in a recent storm. I had a couple of shops look at it and both wanted me to spend $1100.00 on a whole new frame and top. I found a local boat cover shop to restitch the canvas for around $30, and I picked up some scrap aluminum square tubing at a local metals shop for $3.00. Quite a savings from 1100.00 wouldn't you say?<br /><br />Nobody wants to earn an honest dollar anymore. Guess I'll be a do-it-yourselfer for a little while longer.

 

[yater]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

Why would they work for their money when idiots will continue to flood their businesses with mistreated boats? Good work gettin' her done yourself. Those *******s will NEVER get a penny from me

 

[MajBach]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

Get a new dealer. Mine did the same jobs for $155 parts included on a 90hp.

 

[Navigator]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

Green Gringo,<br />Glad to hear you were successful doing it yourself!<br /><br />A lot of times the labor numbers for a job come straight out of a standardized book, just like the auto industry. <br /><br />Find a mechanic who charges by the hour and not based off of some book.<br /><br />Nav

 

[rodbolt]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

I am with the rest. I do nothing on flat rate. its all time and materiels. if I break of ten bolts and it takes 10 hours to drill,helicoil cuss and bleed thats just what it takes. if it all comes apart and I am done in 47 min ya get billed 47 min. here ion the salt pond corrosion does funny things. fasteners that look ok break and ones you look at and think aint no way will back out with minor persuasion. after 3 years in salt its a roll of the dice and hope for 7's or 11's. the pump kit should have cost more than 31 dollars. unless you went the half fix way with just an impeller. in your area that may be ok, in mine the sand cuts up the inserts and wear plates. the oil is at least 1.25 a qt and the filter is 5 or so. a set of plugs will be 8 or 9 and a fuel filter is 7 or so and last honda t-stat I bought was close to 30. but in the fresh pond they may live a bit longer. in the salt pond they tend to fail. but I am glad ya got her going. if more people would do more maint I would not give so many people so much bad news . so good job and keep us posted

 

[BF130]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

My dealer charges $100/hour, but there is a lot that goes unbilled. I've delt with him twice and on both occasions he has spent a lot of time on the phone with me to see if my issues were simple and fixable by me prior to taking the rig in. So the time he spends actually working on the motor is lessend and he really didn't ever bill for the phone calls. Guess each dealer is different. I do all my own regular maintenance.

 

[JB]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

Try investing $100,000-$200,000 is setting up and equipping a shop. Then hire a few qualified wrenches at $25-$30/hr, plus SS, Unemployment tax, medical insurance, sick pay, vacations, etc. Then insure your business.<br /><br />What would you have to charge per hour to meet expenses and make a bit of profit?<br /><br />Guys like Rodbolt, OBJ, Paul, Joe, et al are a rare breed, not just because they come here and give their great expertise away. Sometimes I think they are independently wealthy and wrench outboards for fun.

 

[vikingham]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

This was the thing that surprised me most when we got our boat five or six years ago....a lot of the books and magazine articles about starting up in boating talk about the "decision to DIY or hire someone." In my experience, there's no decision involved - you either DIY or you don't go boating! <br /><br />Heck, I'd gladly pay someone $100 an hour if I knew they were going to show up and get the job done right - I've had three different shops do work that was just plain WRONG...stuff like mounting seat pedestals with wood screws, installing float switches pointing the wrong direction, cutting holes in wood and not sealing the exposed edges, etc. etc.<br /><br /><end of rant><br /><br />The upside is that I know a whole lot more about boats now than I did then - and that I've found online communities like this one, that are an incredibly powerful resource. Thanks to all of you for your help, past and future!

 

[rodbolt]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

JB<br /> yep your kinda right. <br /> I am working on my second million, I gave up on the first. <br /> but I do wrench for fun. it also happens to pay for my cats and the horse and a few other toys.<br /> I post here cause I try to give back a little of what comes naturally to me. I replaced the first connecting rod in a mini-bike I bought in the 3rd grade. my dad gave me a tool kit and a chiltons manual when I bought a mini bike with a blown 3.5 HP techumse. still have both. <br /> this is just someting I have always done. along the way I also have had training in programming and setting up CNC lathes and mills, some conventional machining and 6 yrs in the USN's advanced electronics field. the best training I got was with my Grandfather. he trained me that the only way to live was by giving 100%, always be honest and never quit learning.<br /> but I too see to many places overcharging with poor equipment, semi-trained techs and lousy service. its kind of a hit or miss trouble shooting technique. I work with people daily that try to troubleshoot todays high tech stuff and cant use nor interpet a basic DVM. much less when they have to shift to an analog meter. <br /> I also try to get the DIY guys to actually DO the maint. not half do it then when it all goes to pot they whine. in my area the average life span of a V6 outboard is about 6 years. it can be stretched some if the PREVENTATIVE maint is done. this includes removing and reinstalling certain bolts periodically just cause. just cause sooner or later you will have to remove them. preventative maint is not what you do when it breaks. if you think your going to keep your motor for 10-15 years then every 3 years remove each water jacket bolt, grease it and retorque it. same as powerhead mounting bolts. otherwise 8 years into it when they have to come off they wont without a lot of aggevation and drilling. its a quick way to turn an hour job into a 2 day olympic event. my pet peeve is stern drives<br /> if peple would actually maintain them they will last a long time. but that means regular bellows and shift cables and manifold/riser changes long BEFORE they just quit.<br /> wish I had a 50 dollar bill for every drive I have rebuilt due to a bad bellows causing a yoke seal failure or a shift cable that caused a clutch failure. I would have my second million . or for every customer that tells me their 10 year old water pump suddenly failed. I tell them no it was not sudden it took 9 years.<br /> or for everyone that tells me the motor is 5 years old but only has 75 hours on it and they cannot understand why it blew up cause its had 0 maint cause it only has 75 hours on it.<br /> end of rant for now I guess. <br />hope I can help <br /> yall have fun now ya heah

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

When ya sick of wrenching you could do stand up........<br /><br /><br />2nd million - LOL

 

[rodbolt]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

well I think I will be retiring this year so I guess Ill be starting on my 3rd .<br /> its all about being positive

 

[dobers]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

i started with nothing and i still have most of it left

 

[rodbolt]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

we must have gone to the same econoics class

 

[Realgun]

Re: nobody wants to earn their money anymore

RodBolt thankyou for the help. Whatever it may be!<br /><br />Now if I can just get these darn bolts out the whatjacket?