Lack of maintenance always amazes me.

If you can't cut it with the torch or sting it with the stinger, it ain't worth messin with???

 

I think maintenance is easier to remember after you've torn a machine apart and gained some understanding of how it works. Without that understanding, a maintenance checklist reads like pointless busywork. Repairing machines, for me, generates a feeling not unlike sympathy.

Anyhow if it weren't for others' poor maintenance I wouldn't have acquired so many saws. so it's not all bad.

 

I've got a set in the garage in the exact same condition from the GF's car that I replaced a few months after we met.
She said it was making a "grinding noise"

 

The last pair I replaced on my bronco were run pretty low, but that's cause I was a broke high schooler. There was at least a little rotor left though

 

I as coming home from work one night and was approaching a stop sign. I was driving my current wood hauler(89 Chevy 4x4) before it was a dedicated wood hauler. Hit the brakes and BOOM! Truck was shaking and making a terrible racket. Seems the front rotor had rusted to the point of shearing off. The outer ring where the pads clamp broke away from the center section. that was an interesting one. Rotor was still withing spec with no grooves too. Gotta love Ohio road salting!

 

I have two different sets of lawn care/tree service guys that come in every six months or so with the same complaint "right now the saws won't start"! My usual smart azz answer is "they won't start or you can't start them". Each time the choke is closed and the saw is so badly flooded that fuel will run out the muffler. I go through the saw, which there is never anything wrong with, if they can't start it, it is pretty hard to break anything. They come back and I show them how to close the choke, listen for the pop, disengage the choke, and start the saw. I have done this more times than I can count. Some folks will just never get it, and probably should not own a saw.

 

what is maintenance? We live in a throw-it- away society

 

Good point, to my earlier comment, if you cannot make it run you don't have to do any PM.

 

That's one reason I don't borrow things. You never know what kind of maintenance was done if any. Than if it breaks in my hands its on me to fix/replace. Would just rather buy it outright and fix my own screw ups.

 

Thats crazy!!

I use to work in a parts store in college. You would not believe the amount of rotors people brought in worn to the fins on one side. Not that uncommon really.

 

Another thing that has entered into this is some dealers feel the need to make all customers pay off the cost of their multimillion dollar showroom and costs when it comes to repairs. The cost off getting something repaired ends up close to the cost of just buying a new product. Not by accident either. Here is the one that broke the camels back for me.

I had bough a Stihl 192C and MS660 Magnum from a local dealer over the course of 2 years. Normally do all my own repairs and such but I was rushed for time and admittly lazy on this one. My 192's oiler stopped working. Did the backward air blow on the sprocket but it didn't work. Been working so much overtime I decided to take the "easy" way out as I wanted to cut in a few days.

Took it in without the bar and cover and explained the problem.My sprocket drum had a little wear and took a new one Probably still had at least 2/3 life left as it had just very small wear marks. I had and said if they take the old on off put the new one back on. I then told her I wanted the old one back as it wasn't that bad. She then said they would have to have the bar, chain, and cover. I asked why and she said to ensure it all worked properly. I said that's a new one on me be she insisted and said that was their policy so I ran home and got a new bar and new chain as I'd just start fresh with everything. I told her to mark on the ticket that the bar, sprocket and chain were owner supplied so I wouldn't have that to go through.

Went to pick it up and they said they fixed it and the charge was #130.00 No parts bought and there was a $25.00 to install the bar and chain! Now I see why they "needed" those parts as it's a pretty tough thing to do as we all know. I then asked her for my sprocket and she said Oh yeah I forgot that. She called the mechanic and he went back. He then came back and said they threw it away and the scrap guy had just come and they don't have it. I asked them why they did that as it normally standard practice, for me anyway, to offer the old parts. She said they quit doing that years ago. I asked for the manager and she admitted I said I wanted it back to him. I asked if he could take half the cost of a new sprocket drumfrom labor or sell me another to replace and he said no. He said there was nothing he could do at this point That's about as crappy as a dealer could possibly be to me.

Never have and NEVER will set foot back in that place and if you are in southwestern Ohio PM me and I'll give you the name if you want to know who these guys are. They have NO idea how many sales they have lost from this. A persons/business reputation is everything and this attitude some dealers have anymore for short term greed will eventually catch up with them.

No excuse to me to treat customers this way when you drop the ball.

Hard lesson learned on my part and all I can do is to make sure it doesn't happen again.

 

And the parts store is also where I learned that some call an ECU a "brains box" and a "heggie box"?????

I still laugh at that!

 

Kevin your story is why I avoid most dealers and shops in general!!! Unless I know a person at them I hate going to them. Cause they b think by our like every other sheep thats walks through the door and dont know a thing except to expect a giant bill in return.

 

I had a car dealership do warranty work on a truck I owned. They called and said my battery was dead. I replied worked fine before so you guys must've left something one. Long story short I told them if the truck did not start I would put it in the middle of the showroom. Needless to say it started fine. And I don't think I replaced the battery for at least 2 years.

 

I went to a dealership for my work truck...one I dont own. It was under warrenty. It was a vibrating heat shield. It took them 3 times to fix it after they told me it was ready. I will never go back to them again.

 

I always return replaced parts to the customer, he/she gets to dispose of them.

I also have a 'fixed' labor schedule
50$ flat if I do not have to split the case, $150 if I do. That is it plus parts @ 5% over cost+ shipping.

 

Pet peeve of mine but I can't stand it when people use change oil in their saws. I adopted the policy that I tell them once not to do it anymore or they can find someone else to fix it. A few called my bluff and they went away mad, saw in hand. Dumbest part of it is a gallon of $7.00 bar oil would probably last them several years. I figure there is no reason to enable someone to make the same moronic decision over and over again with little consequence. Let the dealer deal with it.

 

Im probably an over maint. guy...but its better that not enough i guess LOL
But i have gotten some sweet deals over the years from people who lack maint. skills !!!!

 

Surprises me how much people neglect their equipment. I sharpen my saw everyday before and after working with it and always clean the air filter every 3 days.