Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

Just picked up a new Honda 1132 TAS and I am having a problem with the carb/engine. It seems as though there is only a slight defference between the slow throttle setting and the fast setting. I took the carb cover off and the throttle linkage is moving fine although it will not stay in the upper most fast setting unless I hold it there with the throttle lever so I adjusted(tightened) the locknut on the throttle lever and that seemed to help alot to hold it at fast idle BUT the locknut will keep loosening up as you use the throttle from slow to fast...Also the fast idle surges up and down and as I mentioned the slow and fast difference is not that great, example: As I move the throttle lever slowly from slow to fast there is no noticeable difference(no variable speed of the engine) until I get to fast and even that seems just a bit more than slow, I think possibly the slow idle setting is set too high..This is too bad especially on a new HONDA 3000.00 machine. Anyone have any thoughts?.. I also should mention that I still own my HS828 tracked Honda and the throttle control on that works like a charm from really low to high and anywhere in between.

aa335 wrote:

Dealerships gouge big time when it comes to parts.  That's where the gold is.   Mark up is out of this world.  Five hundred to 1000 percent is not uncommon.   For instance, that nylock nut can be bought for as cheaply as ten to fifteen cents.    They sell if for $4.50.   At ten cents, that reflects a mark up of four thousand five hundred percent (4500%).   That's nuts!     I refuse to buy parts from a dealership that can be obtained somewhere else.  It's like throwing money out the window.  Even belts are unnecessarily expensive at a dealer.  I take my old belt to a bearing supply outlet, tell them what the belt is used for and they sell me a replacement for one fourth the cost at a dealership.  I thoroughly understand that a dealer has to make a buck, but $4.50 for a single lock nut?  Please...  It's examples like that which dealerships should be embarrassed to try to pull off.  It's gouging at it's extreme.  I had to buy three 5 mm stainless steel screws for one of my bikes the other day.  I went to my usual Fastenal dealer and they just gave them to me.  No charge.  They do that every time I go in for one or two fasteners.  As much as I appreciate their generosity. I leave them a buck for the screws just the same.   Mark up on parts is hideous at a dealership. 

mech12 wrote:

I could understand (maybe) your charging him for the carb assembly repair.  However, if you determined that the machine was a-ok in all repects after that, voiding his warranty is not called for.Is your business so successful that you can treat customers this way?

The guy would have gotten better treatment at Sears!

Marc

borat wrote:

I understand they have to make a buck or two to stay in business, but this is not making money, it's robbery.   The other day, I went in the dealership to purchase skid shoes.  After being passed on from the snowblower sales guy to the parts sales guy, I was quoted $50 for a pair of skid shoes.  I asked "That much for skid shoes???"  He said yes with a straight face.  Then I asked, " Does that include sales tax?".  He said "No, with tax it comes out to $55."  I politely thanked him for his time looking up the parts but I I will pass.  After minute tooling behind the computer, he comes back and said "That also includes all the hardware" as if he was giving me the deal of the century.  I guess it would be a bargain if he had charged me $6 for each one of those 8mm bolts and washers.  Again, I politely thanked him but declined. 

Just a week before going to the dealership, I called this same dealership and asked about the same part for price and availability, I was quoted $43.  I found online for $39 but have to pay for shipping.  So with tax buying locally, it was about the a buck or two difference.  Somehow a week later and showing up in person to pick it up, the price jumped $7 from $43 to $50.  Amazing!  I felt like the guy behind the parts counter was making up any price and if I was willing to pay, it is good for him.

This sort of things is probably why we are such a disposable society.  It costs to much to go to dealership to find parts and service things ourselves.  Just buy a new one every few years and not deal with the headaches of looking for parts and getting ripped off.

I'm all for supporting my local business and the sales tax goes to my town, but when have to hand them my shirt to keep them in business, I go elsewhere.

mml4 wrote:

The customer was not  treated fairly.  He got a lesson by paying through the nose and left a bitter taste in his mouth.  I doubt this would bring repeated business. 

Here's a tip to save money on skids. 

Go to a scrap yard and buy 14" of  1" x 1/4" flat bar.  The harder the better.  Cut it in half and bend the ends up slightly.  Take the shaped pieces of flat bar and the skids off of your snow thrower and go to a welding shop.  Have them weld the flat bar to the bottom of the skid just shy of being flush with the mounting side.  Clean them up and paint them if you want then attach to your machine.  You should be set for at least twenty years depending on hardness of the steel plate.    Welding might cost you $30.00 at a shop if you're paying for it. 

  

    if customers would read the owners manual, it clearly states only authorized dealers can do repairs.  if all these people can fix stuff why is my industry always looking for mechanics. if you had a problem with your new car and started tinkering with it and brought a bag into the dealership with sensors and maybe a throttle plate would they say thanks for the help  we wont charge you.   NO WAY..  the warranty clearly states a defect in manufacturing or workmanship.  i have had some tecumseh carbs come thur leaking gas,  the rubber seat was in upside down.  warranty covered this.  lets use this as an example.. he brings this carb in to me all dissassembled... from looking at stuff in bag would i be able to determine this.. no

mech12 wrote:

Is there a factory representative standing over your shoulder every time you do a repair?  A lot the decision is at your discretion.  If you know there is a problem with a carb and a guy is in a hard place, tries to fix it and can't, there's no way you could just put the carb back together for him, put it through as warranty work and leave it at that?  After all, bringing it to you in parts saved you the time to take it off and dis-assemble it right?  Cut your work in half.  You put it through as warranty work and you're money ahead.   Voiding the guy's warranty, particularly if there's a known problem that he tried to fix is a cheap shot.   One of the many reasons I love to deal with dealerships.    

mech12 wrote:

I see you point.  However, not many people read manuals these days.  It's littered with "cautions" and "warnings" in multiple locations to appease the lawyers.  I struggle sometimes what is a caution and what is warning.  Yes, it is clearly stated in black and white (or red) not to mess around with your snowblower or your warranty will be voided.  After reading a page or two full of bold text and red and white, I stopped reading those repeated warnings and cautions and scan for the smaller text.  That's what's important to me, it has useful information and it has not been repeated 20 pages before it.   Having said that, I still believe in "RTFM" (Read The Fantastic Manual) before operating any piece of equipment.

I agree that it is not possible or easy to troubleshoot what failed when a customer bring you a bag of parts.   It's not like bringing a disassembled automatic transmission.  Those stuff in the little bag can be put back together like a jigsaw puzzle and you can then file the warranty claim, I suggests.  It is at your discretion whether the customer disassembly of parts constitutes more or less time to fix it properly.  Now if you don't like your customer and like to stick the legalese warranty policy to him, that's at your discretion too.  However, that customer also have brother, sisters, uncles, aunts, ect.. that may need/want to buy or service equipment.  Wouldn't you want your customer base to expand?

  borat,  where do you draw the line? we are an authorized dealer for honda, toro lawnboy, murray, tec, briggs,robin subaru, kohler, dr.products, strikemaster,homelite,poulan, ryobi, mtd, swisher,bluebird, ryan, maxim,  kawasaki,      sure there are many scenarios.we service14 stores all service work is done thru this facility. we have 2 trucks able to do pickups and deliveries.  if the shop he purchasedthe unit from was reputable in anyway the would drive the 100 milesto pick the unit up.   with toro, the will cover all expenses incurred to get there equipment up and running and back to the customer.  what is your response to bringing your vehicle in with parts in a bag.  same exact thing.  too many people think that a small is just a toy and anyone can fix them.   not so.  i have customers call me in person and i will try and talk them thru different possiblities.  maybe this is what should have been done. and yes being they talked with me i would cover if needed.

mech12 wrote:
Comparing a snow thrower to a modern automobile is like comparing scratching your a$$ and tearing it.    Automobiles are so complicated now that the average mechanic can't do anything with it if he's not  in direct access to a computer.  I'm not aware of too many snow throwers that have a computer port to plug into to diagnose a problem.  So flogging that excuse is pretty lame.  Many people are capable of dealing with  minor maintenance issues.  Cleaning a brand new carb with manufacturing debris in it for example isn't rocket science.  However, if that same carburetor has a known factory defect, the customer tries a fix and it fails, he pulls it apart again to look for more possible causes and doesn't bother to re-assemble the it, you throw the book at him when he brings it in to you?  You must have a very busy operation with lots of customers to chose to alienate individuals for petty stuff like that.    Don't you think a discussion with the individual and a bit of guidance to deal with potential  future issues would have been sufficient?