Simonizer
Addicted to ArboristSite
We pay that as a wage. 2080 hrs per year.
Who can earn a living fixing chainsaws?
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Fish
Tree Freak
Really, down here it really sucks. I can go back into the tractor/trailer
mechanic jobs. Entry level there would be a raise over small engine work.
I don't think I can handle the week and a half long summers in Canada though......................................
mechanic jobs. Entry level there would be a raise over small engine work.
I don't think I can handle the week and a half long summers in Canada though......................................
Simonizer
Addicted to ArboristSite
Where I live, we often get years without snow. Had a green Christmas last year.
Hard Knocks
ArboristSite Operative
We have not had a white Christmas in about 4 years. I was out cutting wood in the beginning of January in a T shirt. Last winter I think that I only plowed our lot 4 times. Still not as warm as Kentucky though!
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
One of the problems here is the inconsistant amount of work. We'd be happy to pay a guy $20+ per hour if we knew that he could bill out at least 30 hours per week all year long. ($60 shop rate) But we wouldn't even get close to that for several months of the year, even if we took in every piece of junk that showed up at the door. When the seasons change, the work can disappear. And it's not like you can lay someone off and tell him, "see ya next spring". The guy needs to take care of his family all year, not just when the store is busy. But you can't carry a guy through the winter at more than $20 if there isn't enough work.
All of the things that have been posted in this thread lead up to the old saying: Small engines, small profits. Especially in the repair end. That's why Lowes and Depot don't mess with the repairs. Do you think if there was decent money in repairs, that those stores would leave it sitting on the table?
Again, for us, it's the big ticket items that pay the bills, and the shop exists to support those sales. It takes 3 or 4 days of wrenching in the shop to make what I can on one Exmark Lazer.
Saw sales can add up if you move a bunch of them. But the secret to the saw biz is that there is a very good accessory business that goes with it. Most of it consumables such as bars, chain, oils and such.
In either case, we want to stay focused on the pro market. Guys that run their saws and mowers all day long wear them out and buy more of them. They buy huge amounts of those accessories. We can sell a couple thousand mower blades a season to landscapers. A homeowner might get 10 years out of a blade if he doesn't bend it hitting rocks. Pros buy bar oil by the case. Homeowners ask "Do you have it in quarts?"
You can make money in this business, but a little ole small engine repair shop isn't really the way to do it. And the main thing is that you actually have to work. Dudes that want to be a business "owner" and call on the cell phone from the golf course to see how things are going won't be in business for very long.
All of the things that have been posted in this thread lead up to the old saying: Small engines, small profits. Especially in the repair end. That's why Lowes and Depot don't mess with the repairs. Do you think if there was decent money in repairs, that those stores would leave it sitting on the table?
Again, for us, it's the big ticket items that pay the bills, and the shop exists to support those sales. It takes 3 or 4 days of wrenching in the shop to make what I can on one Exmark Lazer.
Saw sales can add up if you move a bunch of them. But the secret to the saw biz is that there is a very good accessory business that goes with it. Most of it consumables such as bars, chain, oils and such.
In either case, we want to stay focused on the pro market. Guys that run their saws and mowers all day long wear them out and buy more of them. They buy huge amounts of those accessories. We can sell a couple thousand mower blades a season to landscapers. A homeowner might get 10 years out of a blade if he doesn't bend it hitting rocks. Pros buy bar oil by the case. Homeowners ask "Do you have it in quarts?"
You can make money in this business, but a little ole small engine repair shop isn't really the way to do it. And the main thing is that you actually have to work. Dudes that want to be a business "owner" and call on the cell phone from the golf course to see how things are going won't be in business for very long.
Al Smith
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well for heavens sake,when did you resurface.It's been a long time.Things still neat and tidy?
Say now,did you determine yet that a piece of printer paper is not 5 thou thick?
Oh,before I forget,the internet population has oft times remarked that between you and "Joe" ,it's a toss up of whom was most amusing.
sawinredneck
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well for heavens sake,when did you resurface.It's been a long time.Things still neat and tidy?
Say now,did you determine yet that a piece of printer paper is not 5 thou thick?
Oh,before I forget,the internet population has oft times remarked that between you and "Joe" ,it's a toss up of whom was most amusing.
OK, going for the "kinder, gentler" Andy. I hoped to have Simon resurface. Let us all try and play nice. PLEASE???????
andrethegiant70
Addicted to ArboristSite
In my neck of the woods, it is clear that the shop owner does ok.. drives a nice truck, has kids, owns a house in an expensive town. I think they were telling me that there was a few months this year that nearly killed 'em (March apparently was AWFUL.) They don't just fix saws, they fix EVERYTHING
The techs are young guys who do a nice job (even considering the variety of equipment they fix) and they make living, but I don't think they make enough to keep them satisfied for the long haul. If they ever want to own homes, have kids, and buy decent vehicles they are going to have to do something else..... or open their own shops. This place is just too expensive to live.
The techs are young guys who do a nice job (even considering the variety of equipment they fix) and they make living, but I don't think they make enough to keep them satisfied for the long haul. If they ever want to own homes, have kids, and buy decent vehicles they are going to have to do something else..... or open their own shops. This place is just too expensive to live.
Hard Knocks
ArboristSite Operative
Spike, do you have a winter storage and service program?
We fill a 6000 square foot building with tractors and push mowers for the winter. We offer free storage and a capped labor rate. Last winter it was $120 + parts for a tractor (2 Hours) and $60 + parts for a push(1 Hour). Come spring the customer gets their unit back fully serviced and cleaned just in time for the mowing season. With the capped labor rate you loose your shirt on hours on a few machines, but for the most part the people who participate in the program have got newer units that only require routine maintenance. We need to front the cash for parts and wages until spring but it keeps the guys very busy all year long. They start on the storage units right after Christmas and usually finish just in time for the spring rush in late march. We also take advantage in parts bookings from the OEM'S which usually gives us June terms. Last year we filled every foot of our building and had to turn away some work, this year I have got to find some more space!
spike60
Addicted to ArboristSite
That's a great way to go, Hard Knocks. And if we had the building, that's what we would be doing! But that option isn't open for us. There is another dealer I've known for years and they run pretty much the same program as you. Not only does it keep the guys productive, but it lessens that huge burst of activity when the season hits.
Al Smith
Addicted to ArboristSite
Well,to tell the truth,I kinda missed the old boy myself . As it turned out,I missed the "super saw " by about a week as it visited the other side of the state of Ohio a couple years back ,too bad .
Now ,where in the world Joe is hidding remains a mystery until this very day.It was rumored he might have been in the Yukon territories ,or maybe that was someone else.
