Ever get emotional about a saw?

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dl5205

dl5205

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...ordered an oil pump at the customer's request...

Even though you properly diagnosed and repaired the problem, the customer wanted a New Oil Pump. I hope you installed it and charged him for it.

He also needed to understand the parts/ labor would not carry a warranty because of his use of burnt motor oil. You cannot be sure he won't continue to do so.

I have a long story about WHY you should've installed the new pump (if you didn't), but I won't get into it here.

Emotional about saws? Not really, except for the contrary ones that have made me Angry. But I have a couple of Dad's old Macs, and a saw that belonged to a deceased friend of mine, that I'm sentimentally going to always keep.
 
opinion

opinion

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You should always charge a flat upfront diagnosis fee and give them an estimate. If people want a la carte service, they can go to a shadetree shop. If you bring your saw into a professional dealership, you need to expect them to do a thorough job. I don't care what the customer thinks should be done to the saw, if you bring it to me, it's going to be done my way, the right way. I'll gladly sell you whatever parts you desire and you can do it yourself or take it to a shadetree tech. When you do it their way and it doesn't correct the problem or just temporarily fixes the issue, they're almost always going to come back and blame you with the "Well you just worked on it", "You're the only one that touched it, why didn't you check this or that".
 
dl5205

dl5205

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...I don't care what the customer thinks should be done to the saw...

So if I brought you a saw that wouldn't start, and asked you to fix the problem, but also requested firmly that you give the carb a cleaning and new kit, as well as a new fuel line and filter, you wouldn't install the kit and new line unless you thought it "needed" it? Let's say the saw is ~8 yrs old.
 
cat-face timber

cat-face timber

Knot Bumper
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There is one saw that will never leave my stable.
It is a shelf queen, and will never be used again.
Stihl 050AV, we milled a lot of Pinyon and Pondersoa Pine with it.
All my other saws are just that, saws.. tools to use.
I love them all, but that old Stihl has a special place in my heart.

:)
 
opinion

opinion

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So if I brought you a saw that wouldn't start, and asked you to fix the problem, but also requested firmly that you give the carb a cleaning and new kit, as well as a new fuel line and filter, you wouldn't install the kit and new line unless you thought it "needed" it? Let's say the saw is ~8 yrs old.

After the unit is repaired and functioning properly and you still want a carb rebuild, no problem. Money for me.
 
dl5205

dl5205

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After the unit is repaired and functioning properly and you still want a carb rebuild, no problem. Money for me.

That's my point. With today's fuel, a properly installed fresh kit and new fuel line is not going to hurt anything. The customer is happy, the mechanic is happy.
 
AKDoug

AKDoug

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Too many posts to quote. He had a top dollar he wanted to pay. Since my guy screwed up and didn't do his due diligence, the guy didn't get the new oil pump. I stock them, we were just out so we ordered it.
 
AKDoug

AKDoug

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My method for cleaning saws would have taken care of that piece of cake job in 5 minutes flat!
I have posted it twice on this AS site. Get a sprayer from Harbor Freight, use kerosene and about 60 lbs air pressure. You'd be surprised have quick these saws clean up, just like new!
Kerosene is over $15 a gallon here in Alaska. When you spray that stuff, where does the waste go? How do you deal with the extreme fire hazard of atomized kerosene? It's not a real solution for any my repair shop. At least with brake clean (non flammable) I can capture it in the garbage can.
 
old-cat

old-cat

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Kerosene is over $15 a gallon here in Alaska. When you spray that stuff, where does the waste go? How do you deal with the extreme fire hazard of atomized kerosene? It's not a real solution for any professional repair shop. At least with brake clean (non flammable) I can capture it in the garbage can.

Kerosene is $4.00 here and I clean my saws outside, what a mess it makes!!
 
1Alpha1

1Alpha1

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Depends on who wants to know, and why.
I don't abuse my OPE. I'm kind of weird when it comes to small engines, but I treat them with respect. I think that came from years and years of riding / working on motorcycles.

I can't stand riding a dirty motorcycle. Same goes with all of my OPE. It almost always gets cleaned the same day it gets used. Once in a great while, it might get cleaned the next day, but no later.

You could literally eat off of my m/c's. Same goes for my OPE. :)
 
Mastermind

Mastermind

Work Saw Specialist
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Yeah.....I do. Very.

I take great pride in my work.......when I get a saw back that was killed by lack of quality oil or fuel, I can get a little testy.

It's only happened a few times, and I think that is because I'm so vocal about my beliefs when it comes to oil, and tune.

Lots of good oil.....and a fat tune. Dammit. :laugh:
 

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