Repair parts prices...RIPOFF

Yesterday I tried to start my Yard Machines Y28 gas trimmer, the starter rope would not retract. After taking the assembly apart, I discovered the cause was one of the steel tabs on the aluminum flywheel, for some reason the tab, which engages the starter recoil pully, had partly cracked and was wobbling on the boss that is cast in the flywheel. The tabs cannot be replaced, meaning a whole new flywheel had to be installed for the repair. Online, the lowest price is $33, plus $8 shipping.

Since the trimmer is only about 4 years old and I really like it, I'd rather repair than toss away and buy a new one. However, the cracked, wobbling tab also shredded two small plastic retainers that are screwed into the starter housing assembly and hold the recoil pully in place. The retainers are about a half inch across and 1/8 inch thick. Replacements are $4.88 EACH !!!!!!

So, if I choose to repair, it will cost me over $50 for a trimmer that I paid less than $70 for brand new, with a 6% sales tax included.

Does anyone know why replacement parts carry such an inane mark up? To me $33 for a new flywheel is steep, but $5 each for a plastic part that costs maybe 10 cents to manufacture is a huge rip off.

Spending $50 to repair a $70 trimmer is throwing good money after bad. You would be better off applying the $50 to a new trimmer. As far as parts cost, it's profit pure and simple. What really gets me is when online sites try to charge $10 shipping for something that weights an ounce. Go figure!

It also has to do with how popular that part is meaning how often it needs to be replaced. Flywheels are not part that needs replacing very often.

indypower said:

It also has to do with how popular that part is meaning how often it needs to be replaced. Flywheels are not part that needs replacing very often.

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Unfortunately we have become a throw-away society. Buy the new one, it is more cost effective, and keeps your neighbors working.

cottom said:

Unfortunately we have become a throw-away society. Buy the new one, it is more cost effective, and keeps your neighbors working.

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I run a small engine repair business from my home garage. All of the stores and/or shops here charge at or above the suggested retail. I try to charge somewhere near the middle from my cost to the suggested cost. The only reason that I am able to do this is that my overhead is very low. In all fairness to the other shops, the real problem is corporate greed.

The thing that you need to understand is how many times that 50 cent part has been marked up before the dealer sells it to you. From place of manufacture to the consumers is probably in the neighborhood of 200-300 percent. The dealer profit is based on a percentage off of suggested retail, and the manufacturers and the distributors frown on dealers selling parts below list. I have been told by long time dealers that if you are not making 30 percent on parts you are losing money.

ILENGINE said:

The thing that you need to understand is how many times that 50 cent part has been marked up before the dealer sells it to you. From place of manufacture to the consumers is probably in the neighborhood of 200-300 percent. The dealer profit is based on a percentage off of suggested retail, and the manufacturers and the distributors frown on dealers selling parts below list. I have been told by long time dealers that if you are not making 30 percent on parts you are losing money.

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Exactly.
People always complain about replacement parts prices but they really don't know what is involved in getting that part to them.
Every person who handles that little plastic part has to be paid. Plus they take up space on a shelf somewhere and shelf space aint free, or they have to gear up to make a run of them and that requires setup of the injection molding machine. Then ship a small package of them which is way more expensive per piece than shipping a truckload or better yet having a contract to have a trucking company haul a truckload every week.

I think its just frustrating that, legitamate or not, this type of thing does push us towards being throwaway rather than reduce/reuse. Its a shame you couldn't sauter (sp?) the part on yourself.

beesnroses32 said:

I think its just frustrating that, legitamate or not, this type of thing does push us towards being throwaway rather than reduce/reuse. Its a shame you couldn't sauter (sp?) the part on yourself.

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You are 100 percent right about the situation pushing us toward being a throwaway society. I would love to be able to solder or weld the cracked tab back on, but it's impossible to get just that small metal tab itself, and I think trying to solder or weld a new one on would be very hard to do because it rotates on the aluminum boss of the flywheel and any friction would quickly ruin the repair. I could just remove the damaged tab but am not sure if the starter would work, and the imbalance of the flywheel would probably cause extreme vibration.

Yes, I realize that parts get marked up as the chain of distribution goes along...I worked in a warehouse for several years and realize storage and warehousing are not free...rekees noted the situation where you have to pay big bucks for shipping of a one ounce part. That is greed, pure and simple. No excuse for that kind of gouging.

Fot what it is worth, I should tell you guys that I remembered having a ten year old model of the same trimmer, the cutting head was destroyed when I set my tractor loader bucket down on it. I was able to salvage the parts I needed for the flywheel repair of the newer one from that older model. So, for now, I don't have to buy a replacement new trimmer. Thanks to all for your input. :smile:

JDgreen said:

I was able to salvage the parts I needed for the flywheel repair of the newer one from that older model. So, for now, I don't have to buy a replacement new trimmer. :smile:

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There is NOTHING quite as satisfying as recycling your own used parts... :thumbsup:
KennyV