[AT] Question OT

Thu Sep 27 07:58:54 PDT 2007

Lots of luck, Richard.  I haven't been able to find parts for that vintage 
of Echo for years.  They did strange things like redesign the whole ignition 
system and none of the parts carried through to the later design.

Someone mentioned a PB200 yesterday.  I have one of those and found limited 
availability on parts about five years ago.  Some were available, but for 
other parts I had to make the old ones do or else build some things from 
scratch.  One of the things I ended up having to rebuild without new parts 
was the recoil starter.

The experience I've had with a number of pieces of this type of equipment 
has made me change my whole philosophy.  I used to "go for quality" with the 
idea of keeping the equipment around forever, but now I buy the cheapest 
thing I can find with the idea of replacing it in a few years.  The man who 
helped me change my mind is a professional ceramic tile setter.  He uses 
angle grinders as cutoff saws for contouring edges around construction 
obstructions, etc, and I noticed that he had several of the El Cheapo models 
that he used.  I asked about how long they lasted?  He kind of laughed and 
said he used to buy the expensive models from Makita, etc, but found that 
regardless of how much he spent on them they only last about three months 
because of internal damage to the motor caused by the ceramic dust.  He now 
buys the cheapest models he can find because they last the same length of 
time.

I know that "buying cheap" is counter to what we're trying to do in 
restoring tractors, but for some things I've started doing that with the 
idea of NOT trying to keep the equipment running beyond the product life 
anticipated by the company.  Customers bring me old equipment for repair all 
the time.  I'm now to the point of telling the owners, "Can I repair it? 
Probably.  Do you want to pay for the repair, have more invested than what a 
new product would cost, and still have an old piece of equipment?  Probably 
not."

There are always exceptions, though.  When I was working for a Case/IH 
dealership, I rebuilt a vintage Cub Cadet for a customer.  He transported it 
in a trailer without tying it down and when he turned a corner he flipped it 
sideways right over the side rail and into a ditch.  The bill for rebuilding 
it was around $5000, but the owner "had to have it" because it had been his 
father's.

Larry

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Fink Sr" <nancydick at pennswoods.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 27, 2007 8:15 AM
Subject: Re: [AT] Question OT

> Larry the saws i have are about 30 years old. I am sure there are
> parts out there some where just need to find them.
> R Fink
>
>
> At 10:41 AM 9/26/2007 -0600, you wrote:
>>Humm.  I just checked with an Echo dealership where I used to work.
>>According to the inventory man at that location, there has been no change 
>>at
>>Echo.  The availability of parts is dependent on the age of the machine.
>>
>>The problem with the John Deere dealerships probably stems from corporate
>>decisions made there with products that they used to be able to sell and
>>service but which have been discontinued corporate-wide because of 
>>decisions
>>both inside and outside the company.  John Deere has a tendency to keep a
>>tight rein on dealerships.  A local dealer was told he had "too urban" of 
>>a
>>ZIP code and he had to move even though he had a profitable and nicely
>>located dealership.  As a result, there are no longer any John Deere
>>dealerships in this county.  They also used to handle Exmark, Troy-Bilt, 
>>and
>>some other product lines, but now there is nothing available from them
>>except current John Deere products. JM2CW.
>>
>>Larry
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Richard Fink Sr" <nancydick at pennswoods.net>
>>To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" 
>><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>>Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 7:54 AM
>>Subject: Re: [AT] Question OT
>>
>>
>> > You are right on that John. The Echo dealers only have there old
>> > stock no new stuff.
>> > Good things don't last.
>> > I have managed to buy two older JD saws for parts and still looking
>> > for more. Maybe get an other 20 years out of them worst parts is the
>> > rubber mounts for vibration.
>> > R Fink
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > At 09:19 PM 9/25/2007 -0400, you wrote:
>> >>Don't know about the newer stuff but Deere can no longer supply parts 
>> >>for
>> >>the older stuff made by Echo--or at least that is what I was told when 
>> >>I
>> >>needed an air filter for my blower.
>> >>
>> >>John
>> >>
>> >>----- Original Message -----
>> >>From: "Richard Fink Sr" <nancydick at pennswoods.net>
>> >>To: "antique tractor email discussion group"
>> >><at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
>> >>Sent: Tuesday, September 25, 2007 9:52 AM
>> >>Subject: [AT] Question OT
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> > To those in the know. John Deere chain saws built for years by Echo
>> >> > then Homelite. Now who builds them they look like a new one i see on
>> >> > the market Efco. Thanks
>> >> > R Fink
>> >> >
>> >> > _______________________________________________
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