Hi guys!
New to the forum, and looks like a great place to hang out at. Do any of you guys have this same problem???
Here is my story:
After losing everything I own with 15ft of water for almost month in Arabi, La. after hurricane Katrina, I relocated to higher ground on the Northshore of New Orleans in the early part of 2006. With that said, I bought a house with 3 acres of land, thus needing a riding lawnmower. After a couple months of researching in many forums I decided on a small commercial ztr machine, and felt that a Gravely 44Z was a nice unit within my budget. I sought out units online, which were about $400 cheaper, with free shipping, and no sales tax, then the closest Gravely dealer in my area. (which is by the way is 16 miles away). The dealer however, offered free trailer rental to customers who bought from him. Since I did not have trailer, and should I need repairs in the future he would be there for me. So, I decided to go ahead and buy it from the dealer. Here is my story of why I say I am at the mercy of my Gravely dealer:
For the past 7 years I have done my own maintenance, like blade replacement, oil filter, oil changes, air filter, fuel filter changes, and replaced my solenoid and battery. Well a couple of weeks ago my Hydro V-belt broke, so instead of me dealing with it I decided for the first time to utilize the dealers free trailer rental, and let the dealer change the belt. I was told on the phone by one of the counter people that it would be 45 minute labor at $70.00 an hour, and $22 bucks for the belt. So I would be looking at around $85 with tax and shop fees. Since I never changed any belts before, and it would require the removal of two of the other belts, I felt that was a fair price. Before I left I told them that the belt was the only work I wanted them to do. Well a couple days later I got a call from the owner, telling me the bill came to $234.00. Needless to say, I asked why and was not happy! He said that I needed a Hydro oil and filter service change, and new blades too. I told him, well I have a new set of blades at home, and was planning on putting them on after picking up the mower from him. I told him that I only authorized a belt change replacement to the guy behind the counter, at the price he quoted me on the phone. I am out of work, and coming up with an extra $150 bucks would not be easy to do. I said you should have called me first, before doing work you were not authorize to do. Then the owner told me that they do the work that their customers need all the time like that, and that is just how it is. I told him if he went to his mechanic shop to have his shocks replaced and they replace his tires along with his shocks, saying well your threads were low so we replaced your tires, would you be happy with that? He then got mad, and said he would take the blades off, but that it is to late for the Hydro service. (I might add that in my Kawasaki manual has this hydro service being done at 500 hours, not at the 163 hours that I have on my Z44) So with him taking off the new blades off that he replaced, my bill was reduced to $193 bucks including a solenoid I purchase when I picked it up.
Here is where the big problem starts. First I want to say that it was ready on Friday and I was schedule to pick it up using their trailer on Saturday morning. But on Friday evening I got a call back from the owner telling me that their trailer had an axle problem, and it would not be available until Tuesday. He also said then, that he put my old blades back on for me. When I got there on Tuesday there were a total of 4trailers available to use, so since he was not there Tuesday, I figured I was pushed back to Tuesday because he was working on Saturday and did not want to face me. (I figured pushing me to Tuesday was his way of getting back at me for getting him mad with my shock/tires illustration.) When I got home I changed the solenoid with no problem, but none of my 15/16 bolts on my blades would budge, even with my impact gun. The first time I replaced them from the factory install, I removed them with my small 1/2 ratchet with no problems, and the last time I replaced these blades I tighten them back up with my 1/2 ratchet to the torq of 115ft lbs as recommended in the manual. It is funny how he left my old belt and filter on my mower when I picked up, but yet he reinstalled my old blades back on my Z44, knowing I would be replacing them when I got home. In my heart I believe that the reason he went though the trouble of reinstalling my old blades, is because he wanted to use "locktite" to make sure I could not get them off when I got home.
I am in the process of taking my mower to a car mechanic friend that said he has an impact that should get it off, because it removes bolts up to 1,000 ft lbs.
What do you guys think of this, and what actions would you take if any?
P.S. The next nearest Gravely dealer is 26 miles away.
New to the forum, and looks like a great place to hang out at. Do any of you guys have this same problem???
Here is my story:
After losing everything I own with 15ft of water for almost month in Arabi, La. after hurricane Katrina, I relocated to higher ground on the Northshore of New Orleans in the early part of 2006. With that said, I bought a house with 3 acres of land, thus needing a riding lawnmower. After a couple months of researching in many forums I decided on a small commercial ztr machine, and felt that a Gravely 44Z was a nice unit within my budget. I sought out units online, which were about $400 cheaper, with free shipping, and no sales tax, then the closest Gravely dealer in my area. (which is by the way is 16 miles away). The dealer however, offered free trailer rental to customers who bought from him. Since I did not have trailer, and should I need repairs in the future he would be there for me. So, I decided to go ahead and buy it from the dealer. Here is my story of why I say I am at the mercy of my Gravely dealer:
For the past 7 years I have done my own maintenance, like blade replacement, oil filter, oil changes, air filter, fuel filter changes, and replaced my solenoid and battery. Well a couple of weeks ago my Hydro V-belt broke, so instead of me dealing with it I decided for the first time to utilize the dealers free trailer rental, and let the dealer change the belt. I was told on the phone by one of the counter people that it would be 45 minute labor at $70.00 an hour, and $22 bucks for the belt. So I would be looking at around $85 with tax and shop fees. Since I never changed any belts before, and it would require the removal of two of the other belts, I felt that was a fair price. Before I left I told them that the belt was the only work I wanted them to do. Well a couple days later I got a call from the owner, telling me the bill came to $234.00. Needless to say, I asked why and was not happy! He said that I needed a Hydro oil and filter service change, and new blades too. I told him, well I have a new set of blades at home, and was planning on putting them on after picking up the mower from him. I told him that I only authorized a belt change replacement to the guy behind the counter, at the price he quoted me on the phone. I am out of work, and coming up with an extra $150 bucks would not be easy to do. I said you should have called me first, before doing work you were not authorize to do. Then the owner told me that they do the work that their customers need all the time like that, and that is just how it is. I told him if he went to his mechanic shop to have his shocks replaced and they replace his tires along with his shocks, saying well your threads were low so we replaced your tires, would you be happy with that? He then got mad, and said he would take the blades off, but that it is to late for the Hydro service. (I might add that in my Kawasaki manual has this hydro service being done at 500 hours, not at the 163 hours that I have on my Z44) So with him taking off the new blades off that he replaced, my bill was reduced to $193 bucks including a solenoid I purchase when I picked it up.
Here is where the big problem starts. First I want to say that it was ready on Friday and I was schedule to pick it up using their trailer on Saturday morning. But on Friday evening I got a call back from the owner telling me that their trailer had an axle problem, and it would not be available until Tuesday. He also said then, that he put my old blades back on for me. When I got there on Tuesday there were a total of 4trailers available to use, so since he was not there Tuesday, I figured I was pushed back to Tuesday because he was working on Saturday and did not want to face me. (I figured pushing me to Tuesday was his way of getting back at me for getting him mad with my shock/tires illustration.) When I got home I changed the solenoid with no problem, but none of my 15/16 bolts on my blades would budge, even with my impact gun. The first time I replaced them from the factory install, I removed them with my small 1/2 ratchet with no problems, and the last time I replaced these blades I tighten them back up with my 1/2 ratchet to the torq of 115ft lbs as recommended in the manual. It is funny how he left my old belt and filter on my mower when I picked up, but yet he reinstalled my old blades back on my Z44, knowing I would be replacing them when I got home. In my heart I believe that the reason he went though the trouble of reinstalling my old blades, is because he wanted to use "locktite" to make sure I could not get them off when I got home.
I am in the process of taking my mower to a car mechanic friend that said he has an impact that should get it off, because it removes bolts up to 1,000 ft lbs.
What do you guys think of this, and what actions would you take if any?
P.S. The next nearest Gravely dealer is 26 miles away.
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