Gettin' It Fixed in Eastern TN

[pdub]

You folks here are all motorheads, can build something and make it run, I envy that. I just didn't take that path to where I am, ended up the hapless and helpless consumer for the most part.

A small engine, I can gap and change a spark plug, change the fuel filter, clean the air filter and if it still doesn't crank, it's time to call somebody.

Our pressure washer. Wanted to spiff up Weeville for the BS party, started way enough ahead of time. Gonna wash the back of the house, use the brand-new flying saucer looking flat-area cleaning thing on the driveway, all of that stuff.

Well, it wouldn't crank at the start of the season. Call the guy with the raggedy rattling trailer to come get it and find out why it won't crank, I sure don't know. That was May 1st.

Two and a half weeks later, Unit called and they laughed at her - "We're over three weeks behind!"

Okay. And again later, after the party, "We've had to order parts for it. It needs a coil."

A coil? Well, whatever.

I called him yesterday, "I'm asking about our pressure washer you've had in for repair for two and a half months."

He was appalled - "TWO AND A HALF MONTHS??!!!"

Well, yeah, it was the first of May and...

"OHHHHH the one with the Kohler engine.....we had to order some parts......they came in last week......I'll get it out to you tomorrow."

Well, today is tomorrow and....this is actually getting funny. I'll call him in another two weeks and say, "I'm calling about our pressure washer you've had for three months."

[Big Dave]

Service.......what ever happened to it!

[Deaf Bob]

Service.......what ever happened to it!

Non-existant...

Youngsters have NO idea what they're missing...

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

when you have to wait till the boat from china shows up with the part on it, it takes awhile.

[Beagle]

When I worked in a lawn equipment shop, if you had bought that from us, at three weeks, I'd pull parts off a new one to get you going. If you bought it from Walmart and then brought it to me for warranty repair, you'll wait. And wait. And wait. There's also the commercial guys that keep bumping your Walmart purchase to the back of the "to do" list. The commercial guys keep the shop working over the winter.

Where did this power washer come from? BTW, feel "served" if they are doing deliveries. I wouldn't touch a delivery on anything but new equipment. The homeowners are never happy, never have a checkbook, want you to mow the yard for free. Negative.

Sorry - it's the shop mentality coming out in me... just sharing a few secrets. I'm not the only one who thought or operated that way.

You seem to be a good guy pdub... I don't think they are doing it on purpose.

[STINEY]

Wow........Beags nailed it for sure.

We sell to the "lawn & Garden" crowd as well - its unreal how the parent companies (who undercut the dealerships by going to the big box store) hang the dealers out to dry on warranty work on the cheap crap they peddle.

Make no mistake, there are 2 or 3 grades of product from all these companies. The disposable crap gets peddled at the box stores, and there is no warranty work on them, cost exceeds value and they get tossed and a new piece of crap issued - AFTER the dealer gets soaked for his time diagnosing the problem.

If you want a halfway decent product, buy from the dealer. Tell him you aren't after a throwaway product, and be prepared to spent a little more. Its worth it in the long run.

Unless you just like going back to the big box store for more crap. The crap was designed with that in mind you know, just to get you back through the doors to buy more crap.

Can you tell I think that stuff is crap?

Anyways, good luck Pdub! We'd help you out but the pickup-n-delivery is gonna be a little on the high side....

[pdub]

Bumping this thread with a critical update - of course we still don't have the pressure washer back yet. I'll call him in a few weeks and ask him about it again. I wish I could record that call, like one of those prank calls they play on the radio.

No big deal, the pressure washer is auxiliary equipment. Went years without one. To me it's funny.

The real story I'm trying to relate just got some backfill: The pace of life here in eastern Tennessee.

When we got the house dug up and jacked up and supported, there was a lot going on. We had to get the gas company to come out and disconnect the line. They took the meter away with them and when we were done, we had to call them and get them to come back and reconnect the line and put the meter back in.

That cost $300 for that part of it. I handed the gas guy a check for that on June 11. That check cleared the bank yesterday.

[pdub]

I said I was going to do it, so I'm doing it, and I did it.

Called the repair guy again today - I said I'm asking about the pressure washer you've had in for repair for three months now - just asking.

He was humble. He said he can't fix it. He can't make the spark plug spark. He said, "This one has me puzzled. I can't fix it."

The Koeler engine. He can't fix it. He did say that he hired a new guy he'll let have a shot at it tomorrow, but if or if not the new guy can't fix it, he'll bring it home to us tomorrow. So he said (again). And we'll put it by the curb for the dumpster divers.

I've got my eye on a better one at Tony Depot, with a Honda engine. The one I shoulda ought to bought start with.

[NewEnglandRaceFan]

I want a diesel heated one.. those are nice

[1badmonkey]

yes, make mine a Hotsy....


of course, i cant afforn one yet, but some day....
r

oh, PDUB, good look with the new pressure washer.

[Beagle]

I said I was going to do it, so I'm doing it, and I did it.

Called the repair guy again today - I said I'm asking about the pressure washer you've had in for repair for three months now - just asking.

He was humble. He said he can't fix it. He can't make the spark plug spark. He said, "This one has me puzzled. I can't fix it."

The Koeler engine. He can't fix it. He did say that he hired a new guy he'll let have a shot at it tomorrow, but if or if not the new guy can't fix it, he'll bring it home to us tomorrow. So he said (again). And we'll put it by the curb for the dumpster divers.

I've got my eye on a better one at Tony Depot, with a Honda engine. The one I shoulda ought to bought start with.

Good lord, the kill wire is shorted somewhere. There should be two wires coming off the coil. One of them grounds it, the other one is the spark plug wire. Take the kill wire OFF... when it starts, use a pair of *insulate* pliers to pull the spark plug wire off the spark plug to kill it.

Does it have a low oil sensor? Try putting oil in it.

[Dan Barlow]

Your not getting new junk just cause you can afford it. We'll help you past that luxury. LOL . Sick - em Beags.

[pdub]

Your not getting new junk just cause you can afford it. We'll help you past that luxury. LOL . Sick - em Beags.

Whatever dire condition it's in, it happened sitting under the house for the winter. It was running like a top when I put it up, ran the tank dry the last time I used it, as to not gunk up the carb. It's always the carb. But not this time, this time it's the fire.

By now (today) the old guy has forgotten about me again. I'll call him again in another month. After I've brought home another pressure washer. Then I'll have two - one that won't crank and one that works.

Until the dumpster divers get the one that doesn't work.

[Beagle]

Pdub, go pick it up. Take it home. Put it on the garage floor. Pretend like it is Red and it needs brakes, and fix the damn thing.

I'll send you a picture later of what my dumpster mower cuts. Zachary and I tore that mill all the way down. Not one thing was left on the block. We cleaned everything, gave it a valve job and put it back together. He was 11 or 12 I think and did all the work. I was just there for questions... okay, I may have cut the valve seats and we had a good time discussing three angle valve jobs as a flow improver on lawnmower engines (they only come with one angle).

post pics if you get hung up on something. The *worst* thing that will happen is your dumpster diver will get a box of parts. Or maybe Sue Unit won't jump on your testosterone laden house appliance fixing sexiness cuz she doesn't like the smell of gas.


So hey, my tail of woe today is because I won't spend 25.00 for a WMA-> MP3 converter. I could fix the pressure washer probably, but this software stuff is not receptive to a HAMMER which is what I think I'm going to try next. Microsoft is the devil. I tried to post to a "WTF - Help Me!" forum they sponsor and they refused my post. Probably because I called SteveB the antichrist and a money grubbing capitalist who didn't give two shits about me because he already had my money. My mistake for paying for music. lol.

Go get the sprayer, we can fix it.

[68scott385]

I have to go with the "go get it" crowd. I prefer small businesses to fix what I can't, someone that knows the value of a return customer.