Is it time to get in, or time to get out?

[Justsaws]

I'm somewhat surprised that I haven't had any votes for business taking off (besides switching to electronic saw repair). I know there are going to be those who hate change and want to keep their gas saws running forever but is there going to be enough to keep a support a business?

There is barely enough business to keep them busy now. Most “saw shops” have branched out to full yard care/ other equipment shops to keep the doors open.

 

[Tobystihl]

Main dealer Repair shops are just not interested in repairing the mtronic or autotune saws anymore, I believe whereas they used to send staff on training update courses, this is no longer the case and they are pushing the electronic versions of machines, I have had experience of autotune and mtronic saws that came to me after the owner took them to the main dealers for repair and was turned away as being not cost affective to fix , to find they both just needed plugs!!! It really is shocking state of affairs, its as if they really don't want to know !

 

[stihl86]

When I went to the Stihl dealer rollout for the battery line, it started sinking in that I am becoming obsolete.
I asked the suit about impact on gas powered and he said they don’t feel there will be.
I realized then I was talking to a fool. He was a big sales executive now, but I wonder if he knew
he was expendable. Don’t need some dipchit, with the madison ave sales pitch, when you will
just buy them online.
I always admired Elon Musk. But he and Tesla Battery Co, WHEN they make that breakthrough battery,
will be the final nail in the coffin of the gas powered OPE industry. Glad I’m almost done.
Can’t stop the train that’s coming. And we’re on the tracks.

 

[sean donato]

The technology is here, just not marketable at a reasonable cost. Super capacitors, graphene technology all exist now. It's just too expensive for the masses at the moment. Just as lipo batteries replaced nimh and nicd batteries these newer technologies will replace the old. Just a matter of time. I'll always keep my old 2 strokes going as long ad I can get parts, but also see the feasibility of one day owning smaller battery powered equipment as well. And truth be told, stuff ain't made like it once was. By the time both batteries are shot in your cordless drill, the drill is about spanked as well. I only made the mistake of getting a new battery once, and shortly after the drill conked out. I dont forsee people getting motors and speed controllers replaced in electric equipment, batteries wont get rebuilt, and it wont be worth the cost of replacement to buy a new battery.
I also largely believe a lot of shops have done this to themselves. They dont want to fix saws, or other o,pe. Heck some of them dont even want to do warranty work. I've fixed plenty of equipment for the locals that live near me all with the same story. Took it to the dealer, they said just best to buy a new one. Let me go get the salesman. At work weve sent equipment to dealers to repair (for lack of time for me to do it) to get it back "fixed" and doesnt run any better than before the dealer touched it. It's a sad state of affairs however you choose to look at it.

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

What does California expect new vehicles to run on?
Lithium batteries? The environmentalists don't want lithium mines.
Are there even enough resources to makes batteries for 100s of millions of cars, trucks, OPE, phones, etc a year?

Their electric grid can't handle it now, no way it will with a huge increase in loads. Not without more power plants... again which environmentalists don't want.

The technology isn't ready yet, and I don't think in just 15 years it will be ready.

Until battery vehicles can do 500 miles on a charge, even at -50*, and a recharge take just a few mins, it's not replacing engines in cars.

 

[HarleyT]

""Is it time to get in, or time to get out?""

If you live in California,
it is time to get out.....

 

[Skeans]

The days of “large scale” employment in those fields is coming to an end. Just like the days of the 60” bar. The downside will be the cost of the equipment for the few still doing the work. I would expect to see new 90cc saws easily hitting the over $2000.00 range in the next tens years in the US, with regulations in place to eliminate the old crusties from the commercial work site.

There will always be a need for the professional, however what they do and how they do will be different.

I would say the days of a faller are numbered to small patches, oversized say 4.5’ +, and the nastiest ground they can’t tether cut which honestly isn’t much.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[MooneyPilot]

Very

What does California expect new vehicles to run on?
Lithium batteries? The environmentalists don't want lithium mines.
Are there even enough resources to makes batteries for 100s of millions of cars, trucks, ***, phones, etc a year?

Their electric grid can't handle it now, no way it will with a huge increase in loads. Not without more power plants... again which environmentalists don't want.

The technology isn't ready yet, and I don't think in just 15 years it will be ready.

Until battery vehicles can do 500 miles on a charge, even at -50*, and a recharge take just a few mins, it's not replacing engines in cars.

That is indeed the rub. Most of the folks who think electric vehicles and equipment is the solution have no idea about what happens upstream of that receptacle. Most of them think of the wall socket as free energy. They also have never stopped to think about the pollution and resource depletion at the power plant. Basically most of them can’t see past the end of their nose.

 

[HarleyT]

A car burning for 5 days probably pollutes the air a bit...
https://motorspeednews.com/cars/we-have-an-electric-car-fire-problem/

 

[frank_]

battery IS the future
tesla #1 $ car manufacturer now
in the uk we often get below 30% fossil fuelled national grid
i fitted another 6 solar panels to my garage this week

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Mooney I think has it for most part right on this particular issue. Freud has this a little wrong from my two pennies. The question to ask if you want to run your repair business or not. I started repairing two stroke motorcycles when I was eleven and actually made money. That endeavor made money better and better every year until the first gas crunch. At the time of being a young father I thought all was lost. So got involved with the USFS. If one likes to be in the shop most of the time then one can do very well. For me I liked riding and racing motorcycles which created a conflict. It was tough to be in two places at once. As I have gotten older making that happen would be a much easier goal. If some one wants to run a repair business then that is what they should do because service work will never go out of style, but it will change. As an example I know some people who rebuild batteries and are staying quite busy. I also know a guy who rebuilds carburetors at a time when most engines run on fuel injectors. A guy who wants to repair could work twenty hours a day and not keep up. There are batteries to diagnosis and chains to sharpen along with other more conventional repairs. One could have a retail store with bundles for sale to add to other necessary items. There is no limit, but it can take some time to get an enterprise off the ground. Thanks

 

[ChoppyChoppy]

Mooney I think has it for most part right on this particular issue. Freud has this a little wrong from my two pennies. The question to ask if you want to run your repair business or not. I started repairing two stroke motorcycles when I was eleven and actually made money. That endeavor made money better and better every year until the first gas crunch. At the time of being a young father I thought all was lost. So got involved with the USFS. If one likes to be in the shop most of the time then one can do very well. For me I liked riding and racing motorcycles which created a conflict. It was tough to be in two places at once. As I have gotten older making that happen would be a much easier goal. If some one wants to run a repair business then that is what they should do because service work will never go out of style, but it will change. As an example I know some people who rebuild batteries and are staying quite busy. I also know a guy who rebuilds carburetors at a time when most engines run on fuel injectors. A guy who wants to repair could work twenty hours a day and not keep up. There are batteries to diagnosis and chains to sharpen along with other more conventional repairs. One could have a retail store with bundles for sale to add to other necessary items. There is no limit, but it can take some time to get an enterprise off the ground. Thanks

Around here, small engine work is a dying trade.

Sure people want their stuff fixed, but many aren't wanting to pay fair prices... the repair cost often gets too close to the replace cost.

Parts can be expensive, if even available.

Have had people go ballistic over $200 bills on yard tractors even.... spring service that involved filters, oil, plug, blade sharpening or replacement.

 

[sean donato]

I hear that... I used to work on a lot of o,p,e for people. Now it's just a family and friend thing. Well unless it's an old cub, deere, or the like. People still want them to work and normally understand a full rebuilt will yield another 20+ years of service. (If maintained)

 

[Ted Jenkins]

Around here, small engine work is a dying trade. Sure people want their stuff fixed, but many aren't wanting to pay fair prices... the repair cost often gets too close to the replace cost. Parts can be expensive, if even available.
Have had people go ballistic over $200 bills on yard tractors even.... spring service that involved filters, oil, plug, blade sharpening or replacement.

Choppy brings up some very important issues that is becoming quite obvious. In my community which is at least partially a resort area in the mountains there are many opportunities becoming also quite obvious. There is a guy who has a repair shop/pawn/retail operation which is doing quite well as opposed to other businesses that are struggling. This one particular guy went around to yard sales and swap meets to mostly buy tools such as weed eaters and roto hammers. He would take the stuff to his shop clean up make work or use as donner parts to make marketable items to sale. He had some extra space so he would get some types of furniture too to repair or for quick sales. Now he has bundled wood that is moving well. If a do it yourself person wants some thing repaired he has been the man to see. He started out by him self and now has some employees. I would think that he has created a model for many people that want to be in business. When I had a motor cycle repair business I started to learn this, but because of many other factors decided to make changes for the best or not. Thanks

 

[DougMN]

Since you’re not in California, you know you have more than fifteen years. I’m 71 and retired from a career in automation software and controls. I saw the technology change drastically, but when one thing started going away, something always took its place. My crystal ball is not tuned any better than yours, but I believe that if gas saws go awayl there will b a need to keep the electric ones going. If you have the desire to go into this bus8ness, especially part time where you and your family aren’t dependent on it, then you obviously have a skill and an interest so go for it.

what I would suggest is that you make sure that if you don’t already have an understanding of electricity, or better yet some basic electronics knowledge, star learning about it. Take a few courses at the junior college in your area or even learn from something on line. A fundamental electrical knowledge would help you be ready to pick up the electrical work if and when it comes to that.

Best of luck with it. If it’s something you like to do then go for it. My Grandpa told me when I was a kid; “ find a job you love and you’ll never have to work another day of your life.”

Work is work, if it was fun you would pay them.

 

[svk]

I’d say with the continued development of electric equipment the the proliferation of throw away saws/trimmers/mowers it will slowly decrease. But there will always be a need for good mechanics.