Happiness is.........

bertsmobile1

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Took an old mower in for repairs, and right from the git go, the guy was having trouble coming up with parts money. I've learned that customers who are going to have a lot of parts, don't mind dishing out the parts money upfront. So for like a month I've had this guys mower and he's stalled and stalled with coming up with the money. So, I finally started making plans for him to come pick it up. I've had it for like a month. Moving it out of the way was getting old.
So I mentioned to him that since I had time and labor into this, that after 30 days, it becomes mine. Low n behold, in about 2 days, he shows up and pays for the parts and most of the labor.

A lot of people have problems with money ( don't we all ) but are too embarrassed to admit they are a bit short.
I like to set deadlines if they start to umm & err about parts.
The usual tack is I order the parts but do not fit them till paid for.
So I call the customer and let them know I have the bits waiting to be fitted when they come up with the cash but in 30 days they will have to go back because my refund options run out the ( that is a lie ) .
If they offer to pay a dit now a bit more latter on then I know they are short so do the work .
After the commercial customers , the ones who can not afford to bu a new mower right now would make up the bulk of my income so I don't want to scare them off into a bu it now pay latter new mower which I will not see for 3 or more years .
 

tom3

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And in reality the guy probably has a pretty good sized bank account. Just tighter than a banjo string.
 

7394

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And in reality the guy probably has a pretty good sized bank account. Just tighter than a banjo string.

My thought as well.. LOL
 

jp1961

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I dunno,,,usually the folks that live in wealthy suburbs, throw out mowers that just have gunked up carbs and buy new. It's a throwaway society.
 

PTmowerMech

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And in reality the guy probably has a pretty good sized bank account. Just tighter than a banjo string.

I think the before was no income tax check. The after was with the income tax check cashed.
 

PTmowerMech

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Getting so mch business (for the first time) that you have to start tagging their equipment, so you can remember which is which.

Also, so I picked up this supposedly junk Stihl trimmer. Thought I could use a part off it. After cleaning it up & out, and finally getting the piston unstuck, all the water out of it and a bunch of other crap, I was able to get a compression test. about 150. The cylinder was virtually spotless.
Anywho, I'm all excited about this old thing, for some reason. After cleaning up the coil and putting it back on, the head of the bolt broke off.
I had like 1.5hrs on this so far. So, to the junk pile it went.
Today, I dug it back out and worked on that bolt for like 30 minutes, then suddenly, what was just barely sticking out, turned. Then turned some more.
I'm hollering like some lunatic when this bolt got loose enough to unscrew with my finger.
Now all I gotta do is replace the flywheel, rebuild the carburetor, probably a coil... And well... just about everything, really.

Had the bolt not broken off, it would've went to junk pile and stayed til I needed a part off it. (simply because of all that needs to be replaced) But for some stupid reason, It's now my personal project.
 

bertsmobile1

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If it has been full of water do not even thnk of using / selling it unless you change the bearings & seals.
The tiniest amouth of rusr, usually in the cage will cause it to fall apart and at 13,000 rpm it is not funny
 

PTmowerMech

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If it has been full of water do not even thnk of using / selling it unless you change the bearings & seals.
The tiniest amouth of rusr, usually in the cage will cause it to fall apart and at 13,000 rpm it is not funny

I'm going to use this as my learning project. The weed eater brand blowers, were projects as well. New rings that I got from the website you posted. Stihl should be more interesting.

There's probably no place on this engine that water hasn't touched. . But from what I can see down the plug hole, the cylinder is spotless, from the rings up. Looking inside the exhaust port, that's a different story.

My luck with getting broken bolts out is not so good. So my excitement when it moved backwards, was a little dramatic. lol
 

mikehouse

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yesterday i couldn't find my 1/2 in socket, so i had to go to pep boys ( don't know if you've heard of it ) and i had to use their "loan a tool system" its where you borrow a tool and you have to give it back or you pay for it.

so i got the socket, went back to my house, went to put it on the wrench............and guess where MY 1/2 in was?
IT WAS ON THE WRENCH
so i wasted about half an hour looking for it

eye yi yi........ face palm
Llollooolloll
 
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