Mechanics worth $80+/hr?

[LowVp]

i don't think its worth it when half the bolts come back loose

 

[Sabbath']

I have to agree with mpower, so often I have seen mechanics, especially at dealers, with no idea where to start. That and their bosses telling them to just swap something out with a second hand part from the wreck at the back, this I have literally seen for myself.

I got onto a good mechanic about 15 years ago now. His bills were unbelievably low and often he would take the time to fix little things that weren't brought to his attention, but he fixed them anyway and the bill was still way under what was expected just for the primary job it went in for.

He is still my mechanic, but now also a good mate who I recommend to everybody, not that he needs the work, poor bugger has such a good rep that he is constantly snowed under with work. Nobody asks for a quote, you just ask for it to be fixed, as you know 100% before you start he will not rip you off and he will be way cheaper than anybody else.

Since when was this a "lets all burn our bras and bitch about what mechanics charge" thread?

Or commenting about how a job on your car was done by a mechanic?

It isnt. It was the OP asking if paying $80 an hour was too much, to get somebody to do a job he isnt capable of.

Love how everybody jumps at the chance to bash mechanics down for doing "**** jobs" yet they're taking their car somewhere because they dont have a clue how to do it themselves and become armchair critics over pricing.

Bunch of sooks.

 

[Zeussy]

Their prob useless cause everyone looks for the cheapest one. There are some very good knowledgable mechanics out there.

Think of their over heads...that's why the charge.

Quoted for truth..! :rofl2:

It seems so simple, yet no one seems to understand.

If you go to a half shonky, $25p/hr labour rate workshop, chances are you'll have either a kid/apprentice working on your car or some bushy mechanic that's under that much pressure to finish the job on time or early, that things get overlooked.
Not knocking apprentices - We all had to start somewhere, just as a tradie I know sometimes I just don't have the time to check over everything they do. Luckily all the things we work on are for internal customers/operators.


And a simple yet comparable example, changing a power point in your home, think of the rates/amount you'd get charged by a licensed electrician. Call out fee/travel allowance, supplying of components required to complete the job, labour it takes to do the job, GST etc.. It adds up quickly. Considering any monkey with a screw driver can swap out a power point. Whether or not it's done safely, or to regulatory standards is a completely different matter. (again, not dissing electricians, I know they have overheads insurances etc and it's not always as simple as unscrewing a power point and screwing another one on)...


How many people whinge about the quality of work done by these extreme 'custom' fabricators, or engine builders, or a decent panel beater spray painter, all who charge crazy hourly rates, for numerous employees working on the car at one time. Sure, the customer might pay more initially, but it's usually worth it - you get what you pay for.

Seriously though, that's the sole reason I did a Mechanical apprenticeship, I saw my parents get ripped off numerous times and swore it wouldn't happen to me. Turns out I just haven't figured out what I want to do, and this pays alright so.. :whistling:

If any of you guys are sick of these rip off mechanic's that don't know what they're doing, either pay a bit more and get some one decent working on your pride and joy, not a dealership, or do a pre-trade course, that will give you more than enough skills to be able to tackle any minor repair or service item safely; Then you can see how much it really does cost.

/EndOfRant

 

[Loaded Dice]

No Sabbath, it is giving reason why people do or do NOT believe that $80 per hour is a reasonable charge. Simply saying that they are worth it is not answering the OP's question. The thread title asks if mechanics are worth $80 p/h, not how much do mechanics charge.

You quote my thread and imply I am burning mechanics, did you read my post, my mechanic is great, I have no problem at all with what he charges or the quality of work he provides.

It was the OP asking if paying $80 an hour was too much, to get somebody to do a job he isnt capable of.

I think what people are trying to say is that not even a lot of the so called mechanics out there are capable of doing the job they are paid to do. So many times has my car come back with damage or another problem it didnt go in with. So many times have I been told something needed to be replaced, like brake pads, when they didn't.

So for Sabbaths sake I will just answer the OP's question in one sentence: Yes, mechanics are worth $80p/h, so long as they do the job properly in a reasonable time frame and don't cause any other damage to the car while they do it.

 

[mpower]

Yes, mechanics are worth $80p/h, so long as they do the job properly in a reasonable time frame and don't cause any other damage to the car while they do it.

Couldn't agree more. Also worth looking for a JC recommendation or sponsor.

Did we push a button Sabbath? You need to read and comprehend what's being said - good mechanics are probably worth twice what you'll pay - but they are few and far between.

The mechanic that the OP is going to is charging the industry rates, but what's the quality of their work?

 

[383 hatch]

Well, we charge $88p/hr. We've got plenty of work, so i think we must be doing something right. Not all mechanics are shonky/rip off merchants, but just like any trade there are the ones that give the rest of us a bad name. I disagree that the majority are shonky, i think it's actually more of a minority. It's just that bad news travels faster than good news, hardly anyone will share a good mechanic story, but they're only too happy to share their bad experience.

 

[Demonica]

The mechanics I use charges about $90 an hour. Been using them for about 10 years now. Most honest mob I have ever come across and are one of the few that if you don't understand what is wrong they will take you out to your car, show you and explain everything in laymans terms (which they tend to have to do a lot with the seniors).

So hell yes, some mechanics are worth paying that kind of money. Best to shop around though and maybe do some googling to see if anyone has come across any issues with which ever shop you have chosen before diving in and spending big $$$

 

[Zeussy]

when they are competent dear I'm happy to pay the big bucks but so many of them break stuff, don't actually know what the issue is so they play swapsies (just give us a blank chequebook to play with eh?) until they find it etc, etc. It's not what they charge that bothers me, it's that they haven't got a clue - and clueless ones are the majority not the minority.

Tradespeople who don't know what the f*ck they are doing - DO NOT deserve to make a living breaking and mis-diagnosing sh*t.

You see, you are making very broad statements, statements that could be interpreted a number of ways.

Because you seem to have had a bit of bad luck in the past, be it for what ever reason, the mechanic just got off the phone to find out his wife is in hospital or she just got the sack and he's the sole supporter of the family, or the fact he is in a lot of debt and threatened with being sacked if he doesn't hurry up, or his kid has been diagnosed with a debilitating disease and he just found out, or his boss is a complete fcktard and doesn't provide the adequate training for the task at hand, or you piss the mechanic off when you made that 'sigh' noise and rolled your eye's when the Mechanic told you how much a certain part was - which was actually the trade price - what he pays for it... What ever the fck the reason was that on that particular day, on that particular job, sub-standard work was carried out, resulting in one of the items that got over looked, or failed that you mentioned above does not give you the right to make such harsh broad statements that affect numerous people in many ways; If only to encourage the stigma that "mechanics are rip off idiots.." You are effectively tarnishing all Mechanics with the same brush.

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a job; Besides creating the world and every living being in it, God??? - (Apparently he is the only being in existence that doesn't make mistakes, although he made you with a pretty fcked up attitude). Not that I am a religious person or anything, (completely the opposite actually).

I got onto a good mechanic about 15 years ago now. His bills were unbelievably low and often he would take the time to fix little things that weren't brought to his attention, but he fixed them anyway and the bill was still way under what was expected just for the primary job it went in for.

He is still my mechanic, but now also a good mate who I recommend to everybody, not that he needs the work, poor bugger has such a good rep that he is constantly snowed under with work. Nobody asks for a quote, you just ask for it to be fixed, as you know 100% before you start he will not rip you off and he will be way cheaper than anybody else.

^^ This is why. Just because you happen to have picked a couple of different (or the same? lol) workshop/s that failed to complete a job satisfactorily doesn't mean most/all/a lot of mechanics are, it just mean those few you tried have failed you (the customer) of their responsibilities. (still talking to mpower, just using the example above).

 

[383 hatch]

I'd love to sit here all day and eat popcorn, but i've got a Torana to finish lol. As you were....

 

[Sabbath']

No Sabbath, it is giving reason why people do or do NOT believe that $80 per hour is a reasonable charge. Simply saying that they are worth it is not answering the OP's question. The thread title asks if mechanics are worth $80 p/h, not how much do mechanics charge.

If you cant do the job, and you've asked a professional to do the job then you should be prepared to pay what they quote, or find somebody else. Without making the extra comment about the pricing of it.

You quote my thread and imply I am burning mechanics, did you read my post, my mechanic is great, I have no problem at all with what he charges or the quality of work he provides.

I quoted your post, and commented on what you had to say. And then, went on to comment on the general trend of the thread. Dont be so precious.

I think what people are trying to say is that not even a lot of the so called mechanics out there are capable of doing the job they are paid to do. So many times has my car come back with damage or another problem it didnt go in with. So many times have I been told something needed to be replaced, like brake pads, when they didn't.

Sounds like you take your car to the cheapest place possible.

So for Sabbaths sake I will just answer the OP's question in one sentence: Yes, mechanics are worth $80p/h, so long as they do the job properly in a reasonable time frame and don't cause any other damage to the car while they do it.

And my comment did answer the question. In the way that it should have gotten the OP thinking about the price you pay for a Mechanics service, the task they are doing for you (one that he obviously doesnt have the skill to perform himself) and then thinking about what you pay for the other professions i listed.

If you cant do a job yourself, and you need to get it done then it's worth the price it costs. Whether that's $80/hour or $800/hour.