Charging for labor

[av8or3]

I’ve come up with a different way to charge for labor and so far it’s working. I’ve begun telling people my MINIMUM charge for labor is $125 per saw, whether they have one or twenty.
For that they get a thorough cleaning of the cooling system and the clutch/oil pump cavity and any repairs required except those that require splitting the case. I also have a flat rate on carb kits $25.
I’m really not certain I can keep my head above water doing this but it’s resulted in more $ for the amount of work I’m doing.
They will pay for all the parts and anything extra they might request.
On some I’m bound to lose some money, but on others that require only a cleaning and a tune, I do real well. Maybe it will all shake out ok.
I try and rationalize the loss’s by saying it’s a ‘hobby’.

 

[huskyboy]

The problem is that some homeowners saws aren’t even worth 125$. I’d have a hard time charging someone more than there saw is worth for just a cleaning and a carb kit.

 

[Nutball]

I think you are doing pretty good @ $125/saw plus parts. I generally charge $20hr plus parts as a side gig. I usually don't spend more than 2-3hrs on a saw, but I just do minor repairs, at least so far: metering lever adjustment, carb clean, fuel line, oil line, pump & handle/tank replacement. If it takes 5min I may still charge an hour minimum. I've never cleaned a saw with 20yo sawdust gum caked on all over.

 

[Mkinslow]

The problem is that some homeowners saws aren’t even worth 125$. I’d have a hard time charging someone more than there saw is worth for just a cleaning and a carb kit.

In my opinion and experience with this, if you tell a person what you need to do is more expensive than what a new saw in the same class costs and they still persist on you fixing it, then that's on them and not the repair man.

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[Larry B]

I run a small mower shop since i retired. I charge $40/hr on whatever i am working on. When they bring in the cheap chainsaws i pull the rope and check for good compression. If not good i won't look at it. Otherwise i tell them minimum $50 to look at it. I have cleaned carbs and new fuel lines on a few dozen cheapo saws and charge around $75. Don't under price yourself. Local stihl dealer is $98/hr labor. They are always busy and won't work on the big box store saws. If you have the skillset to fix something properly what is your time worth? They are paying for your knowledge, experience and tools. My ex brother in law went broke doing welding jobs too cheap. He always bid too low to get jobs. Be careful quoting a flat fee for repairs. I never give a flat price. Too many variables with parts prices and labor time.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I used to charge a hundred bucks to disassemble and clean your saw with caked on crap. Just the cleaning and it must be scheduled in advance. That includes setting your coil gap, a new sparky plug and starter rebuild. Cutting your limiters is also included.

One twenty-five would be a minimum these days to go over any saw as stated above, clean it out good, clean the tanks, air filter and make a few test to tune cuts. Filing your short bar chain adds fifteen bucks. Dressing up your bar adds another fifteen to twenty.

Parts are extra. You show up with the cheap big box store junk and it will get fixed on your dime not mine.

No one with a bad crank has ever wanted to fix their tool but once. One got a full rebuild a few years back. Most bottom end smoked smoked stuff gets traded in for parts or taken away as it was. Thirty five smackers can have it gone over well if you had good compression coming in the door. After that we start a parts list and then you decide how far down the rabbit hole you'd like to go.

Guys and gals looking for a special deal get no love from me anymore. You don't pay my bills, rake the lawn or take out the trash so be gone with your cheap ass!

 

[huskyboy]

In my opinion and experience with this, if you tell a person what you need to do is more expensive than what a new saw in the same class costs and they still persist on you fixing it, then that's on them and not the repair man.

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Yup, I just tell them I don’t work on homeowners disposable saws and explain to them why. I don’t even get involved with falling down that rabbit hole anymore.

 

[president]

Same with weedeaters! Never!

 

[Mastermind]

I hate chainsaws.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I hate chainsaws.

Hater

 

[Mastermind]

Hater

*f-wordin_Aye

 

[mark_kershner]

As long as the customer is willing to pay, I’ll have at it for $50 an hour. I’ll give a high estimate to check their willingness to support the project. I ran across a few Stihl ms180 and ms 180c saws that took more time than expected. If I gave an estimate and what I did did not resolve the issue and it exceeds the value of the saw, I wish the customer well and don’t charge anything an give them them non running equipment back. Yes it is an ego hit but I recover.


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[Lightning Performance]

As long as the customer is willing to pay, I’ll have at it for $50 an hour. I’ll give a high estimate to check their willingness to support the project. I ran across a few Stihl ms180 and ms 180c saws that took more time than expected. If I gave an estimate and what I did did not resolve the issue and it exceeds the value of the saw, I wish the customer well and don’t charge anything an give them them non running equipment back. Yes it is an ego hit but I recover.


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Here's a pro tip.

Next time go buy used but not burnt 017-180 for cheap maybe $30-50 and fix up a saw to give back to your customer. If you don't want the extra parts sell them off or dump the lot cheap. Either way your better off starting with a not so smoked or beat to death saw.

I don't generally fix those saws if they got cooked or lost a bearing. Just like 290's unless you have a pile of them laying around or found a cheap pile of parts from a hoard of someone else's chit.

No body ever *b-worded when they came to get a running saw vs their burnt junk. Some take them back and buy more. Others leave the bunk, replace it with a runner and leave smiling. The small majority *b-word, moan and cry. Those ones you just say no charge, hand over the bunk and send them packing.

You will get repeat business and better customers. Working guys will come to you for good running tools or ask you to find them one and get it ready for work.

Most good repair people always have work waiting even if your extremely part time. Service work even more so in any industry.

 

[Czed]

I've warned everyone If anyone leaves a saw anymore that's not Worth fixing
Especially if I told them I will not fix it.
And they won't pick it up
I take the bar and chain and bar nuts
And give the saw to a metal scrapper
I have lots of extra bar's now.

 

[trooney]

I always start with $50 just to look at it. And start from there. Only work on the big 3. Occasionally take something else but if they bought it from a box store, down the road. I certainly aint gettung rich doing this, more like a little bit of extra money.

 

[Larry B]

I have found if you treat people right and you do good work people will want to throw money at you. I retired a few years ago and now i run a mower shop and i have all the work i want and i have people calling for me all the time to do other work for them. I turn down lots and some folks tell me " what will it take to get you to do it?" They like the quality of my work. I have people and small businesses wanting me to do IT work for them. I charge almost $100/hr and i turn down most of it because i don't have the time. If you treat people right and you do good work they will be happy to throw money at you.

 

[CrystalRiver1]

Same with weedeaters! Never!

What is the problem with weedeaters, as to why so many shops turn them down for repair??

 

[Lightning Performance]

What is the problem with weedeaaters as to why so many shops turn them down for repair??

Many can not fix those tiny carbs is my best guess. A replacement can be had for cheap most times.

 

[huskihl]

What is the problem with weedeaaters as to why so many shops turn them down for repair??

Can buy a new one for $79 if it’s a cheapie.

 

[Lightning Performance]

.

Can buy a new one for $79 if it’s a cheapie.

Oh no... not those. They sell for 35 used.
How many you want?

I was referring to gear drive straight shafts with pro pedigree.
Found a few had a bad pto seal and a purple clutch assembly with whooped springs. User error imo. The rest usually need the fuel system gone through and/or a carb. Very few were burnt I bought for five or ten bucks or possibly trash picked Never paid more than thirty for one myself.
My current runner was five bucks at the scrap yard. Broken intake, plastic, and chain rash on the motor housing. Amazon had a used intake and bolts for fourteen bucks, shipped. Still under a Jackson.
Echo SRM-225

Stihl, Husky and RedMaxx are good for... for sellin'