Need good mechanic

[th64]

I have a hard time trusting mechanics-I have 2 places I bring my car one is a shop and one is a shade tree guy. The shade tree guy is a retired mechanic that is honest, smart and will always try to save you money, I've asked and he will not work on my motor. So I have 2 trusted places for my car and I am lucky that way but no such place for my boat motor.

What I would like to hear from someone on the forum is you brought your motor in and you thought it was something spendy but it turned out to be minor and they told you! Sometimes they are honest but it would be easier for them to just replace everything  they can 'till it is fixed. So smart and honest. Don't just tell me the shop tell me the person you worked with. I can PM anyone the name of my shop but my shade tree guy is not taking new clients ( the shop is busy enough w/o me posting their name)

Thanks

[ClownColor]

Most people tend to be good people. Go into a shop and explain to them your financial situation. Explain to them you are on a fixed income and you know that the motor is used and don't expect a new motor once they are done.  That's been my experience anyway. Most shops want to turn your used motor/vehicle into a new one.  When explained, most are very accommodating and will get just what needs to be fixed, fixed.  That said and live in the S. Metro, try great American marine in Bloomington, mn

[th64]

Ever see those shows where they disconnect a spark plug and the mechanic tells them they need a new engine or something? They usually find one or two that is honest and/or smart enough to tell them...Anyway thanks for the tip about American, also got a good tip about a place up in Forest Lake.

[ozzie]

I have had great experiences with H20 in Big Lake.  They have had my boat a couple times and fix only what needs fixing and I sent a buddy in there and they gave him the information he was looking for without saying he NEEDED to have something repaired.  They told him to watch the issue and told him he could get by for another couple years if he didn't have the cash to fix at that time.  Can't get more honest than that!

[th64]

They sound great thanks Ozzie.

[ANYFISH2]

Th64, are you in motley area?

I have a guy in Little Falls that does good work, I used work with him at Larson boats.  He was our motor and certification guy there.

Pm me and I will give you contact info.

[BobT]

On 4/27/2016 at 7:35 PM, th64 said:

I have a hard time trusting mechanics-I have 2 places I bring my car one is a shop and one is a shade tree guy. The shade tree guy is a retired mechanic that is honest, smart and will always try to save you money, I've asked and he will not work on my motor. So I have 2 trusted places for my car and I am lucky that way but no such place for my boat motor.

What I would like to hear from someone on the forum is you brought your motor in and you thought it was something spendy but it turned out to be minor and they told you! Sometimes they are honest but it would be easier for them to just replace everything  they can 'till it is fixed. So smart and honest. Don't just tell me the shop tell me the person you worked with. I can PM anyone the name of my shop but my shade tree guy is not taking new clients ( the shop is busy enough w/o me posting their name)

Thanks

No matter what, you are still the one with the checkbook. Ask them to explain what they think needs to be done and why before they do it. Then you decide what part of their explanation will actually be done. Bear in mind, your choice may affect how much they will be able to stand behind the work. For example, if you choose not to do a certain part of the work, it would seem reasonable they would not warrant anything that may result from your decision. 

For example, last fall I took my truck in to my dealer for some routine service work to be done. While working on that they discovered a seal leak on the final drive and my battery load test showed only about 55% capacity. They invited me back to the shop to show me the seal and let me watch as they retested my battery. I was told the seal was bad enough they had concerns about driving it too much. It was also noted that it was estimated to be about a quart low so it was leaking pretty good. They also told me about other internal parts that usually need to be replaced and asked if they should do it even if the parts don't look too bad. I told them to replace them if they are showing any signs of wear. For the battery I was told if it was springtime they would suggest leaving it go until fall but because it was in the fall and winter on its way, they recommended replacing the battery. I took their advice.

The reason they go through all that trouble to show me what's wrong is because I insist on it. In my mind, if they weren't willing to show me what they find then they aren't worth my business.

There has been more than one occasion where I've taken something in for service and told the mechanic that I'm not hiring him to just replace parts until he finds the problem. I can do that myself. I'm hiring him for his expertise and training and I expect him to use those skills to troubleshoot the problem.

[Moon Lake Refuge]

Big thing I have seen is dont tell them what you think is broken.  Give them symptoms and let them figure it out.  They don't know what you do or do not know so if you tell them something that costs a grand is broken, you can bet they will find the same thing when it could something much more minor.

[th64]

Lots of great advice, thanks guys. Will probably take it up to Countryview in Forest Lake. Have to wait till after opener, but i was able to use it yesterday. Might just be a bad gas line from the tank to the motor-really had to pump it a ton to get it hard and then had to pump several times after that. ran well though which is good because i was probably 1.5 miles down wind of the ramp at one point!