Annual Maintenance $$

[AZBoatDreamer]

Ok its time to get my boat annual maintenance done. I have owned it for a year so I didn't know what to Expect. I was quoted $450 for the following.

Engine Oil Change and Filter "Assuming It would be synthentic"
Gear Oil change and Lubed.
Impeller change.
Linkages Lubed. "Not sure what LInkages he is talking about"
General Inspection of the Boat.

I assume most of you do your own annuals.

I thought the Price was fair.

What is your thoughts.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

Sounds like a rip to me for stuff you could easily do yourself. That's like an hour or less of work for the mechanic with nothing in part but bulk lubricants.

 

[7lazy77]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I just had the oil changed on my lower end & new plugs at my local boat guy for $35.

 

[ziggy]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

yep, maybe a c note in parts.

do it yourself. then you'll have more knowledge of your boat and what it needs. use your oem service manual as a guide.

or the winterization or summerization threads in the adults only will likely cover what ya need to do too.

 

[JoLin]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

Don't be too quick to judge. It's always cheaper to do it yourself... unless you don't have a place to work on it, or own much in the way of tools, or have mechanical ability, or (like me) have physical limitations that prevent you from doing your own work.

Believe me, it kills me to hire out all the mechanical stuff I was able to do just last year. But that's just the way it is.

That said, if the price includes removing the drive to inspect and lube everything behind it, the price seems reasonable.

My .02

 

[robert graham]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

Easier, cheaper, better to learn and do the basic preventive maintenance yourself. I would do it just to keep from having to drag my boat over to the dealer, wait 2 weeks or more, then go drag it back home, hoping the meatball mechanic did it right, or even did it at all. Most of these procedures are dead easy and simple after you get the right tools and materials, and you do it once. I worried for years about pulling my lower unit to replace my water pump, but did it a few months ago, and I'm thinking, "what's so hard about this?" Now if you're like JoLin and can't do it, then by all means pay somebody to do it. $450 seems like a lot to me! Good Luck!

 

[possum2082]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

oil and filter for engine: $25 and .5 hours
oil pump out tool: $20
oil for outdrive: $20 and .5 hours
impeller change: $35 and .5 hours (keep your old one if the splines look good for a spare when you're in the middle of the lake)
grease for the different zerks (sic?): $5 and .25 hours
manual: $25

so, for a bit over $100 and a bit over an hour of labor...YOU CAN DO IT!

 

[emilsr]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

If it's a mechanic you trust and you're willing to pay their price, it's fair.

Yes, in theory you can save some money by doing your own work but at what cost? My time is limited; do I want to stand on my head in the bilge on my day off? Heck no; I'd rather relax...preferably on the boat. The other piece of this is I like knowing that my mechanic is familiar with my boat....sortof like your family doctor. Could I save a few bucks by doing it myself? You bet, but when I NEED a mechanic they're Johnny on the spot as I'm a paying customer already. I want to help keep people like that in business; WalParts can't help me when I need advice, my Mercruiser mechanic can. To me that's more important than a little bit of beer money. Besides, they do this for a living and can do it faster....and frankly I'm much more likely to screw it up than they are. They work on boats every day so they're current with the proper techniques and tools. Just because I have a big box of tools and a shop manual does NOT make me a competent marine mechanic. This is just me of course but I'd bet more people fall into this category than not.

I figure if I pay myself nothing to work on the boat I'll get exactly what I pay for. I do simple things like oil/drive lube changes, but anything other than that I take it to a pro.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I think it was unfair for me to point out that this is work you could do yourself. Even if you could, you may not want to and would rather hire that work out. No biggie. However, I really do think $450 for an hour of work is way steep.

 

[madurodave]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

goodness I need to open up shop! $100.00 max and we are ready to drop in the water. And that includes a buff and wax!

 

[boat1010]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I think that it is a little too much to do what you listed. But again if it is a place that you trust and he checks all your boat to make sure it is all in good order then, Maybe. But if it is just someone that is going to change the oil and lube the linkage then no. And don't assume that it is going to be synthetic oil unless they say it is. Like others have said, if you are able to do this stuff it will make you a little more familiar with your boat and there is nothing wrong with that. If you are in the middle of the lake and something happens it is hard to get a service call. We all would like it if someone else that we can trust would do the "dirty" work for us, but there are time I just enjoy some night after I get home from work to go out and give my boat a little TLC... Enjoy!!

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

Last October I paid $325 fow witnerization which inluded:
Oil, filter
Lower Drive gear lube
Stabil
Fog
drain engine block and put in anti freeze
Pull outdrive and grease u-joints and gimbal
I also had mechanic change the impeller at a cost of $200

Total cost last year $525. Ouch!

After reading a gizzilion posts on winterizing and impeller change, I'm ready to have at tis fall. My only fear is draining engine block correctly.

 

[emilsr]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I just went back and looked at the receipt for oil, oil filter and drive lube for one change; total bill was $106.35 plus shipping. That's for all synthetic (9 quarts of oil, 3 quarts of drive lube) and a good quality oil filter. Nobody ever said boating was cheap.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I don't work on my own vehicles for a bunch of reasons, the most basic being that I want some recourse if something isn't fixed correctly. My time is important to me and I don't want to spend it trying to fix anything that is more than just very basic stuff.

 

[infideltarget]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

That price in my area would be WAY steep. I would be one of the ones doing it myself...but as I am 8,000 miles away, I am having to pay someone to do the work on mine this time. It KILLS me to pay for it! Not that I cant afford it, but just that I would rather do it. There are many people out there, as evidenced by the replies here, that would rather not mess with it or would rather have someone (else) to blame for any issues. At the very least, IMO, you should do it once yourself. Preferably in the company of someone experienced in the process, so that you know what actually is involved with each service. If you do take it to someone, request the old parts to be returned to you when you pick it up. That is one good way to ensure the job was actually done. It is WAY too easy for a dishonest mechanic to not do the work, or to half-***** it, and collect the money for a full repair. Then when it breaks, he is johnny-on-the-spot with knowledge of how to fix it...and charge you $$$$$$...because his hack job ensured that it would come back, and you would not be able to tell what actually happened. I have seen it many many many many times in the automotive repair industry. One more reason to get an OEM manual and do it yourself. Those are the same manuals a repair shop SHOULD be using, and at least if you do it, you know how it was done. All that said...physical limitations aside...you could do it for MUCH less, and have that extra cash for gas & beer.

 

[Don S]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I really do think $450 for an hour of work is way steep.

Engine Oil Change and Filter "Assuming It would be synthentic"
Gear Oil change and Lubed.
Impeller change.
Linkages Lubed. "Not sure what LInkages he is talking about"
General Inspection of the Boat.

If you can do all that in one hour, and do it right, which includes getting all the parts together, test run the engine on muffs to make sure everything is working, and leave the boat as clean as when it came into your shop. Then by gawd, I will kiss your butt on the big screen in NYC on New Years Eve, and I will also pay all air fare and expenses for both of us. You loose, and you pay and kiss.


How's that for a deal????

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

How's that for a deal????

Clearly you know nothing about boats. Man I'll tell you these armchair mechanics really get on my nerves.

Don, in all seriousness, how long would it take a competent professional mechanic to do this?

 

[DaNinja]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

Seems a bit steep, but I don't know how involved the last two are at this shop.
My shop did the first three, at least, for half that last year.

Engine Oil Change and Filter "Assuming It would be synthentic"
Gear Oil change and Lubed.
Impeller change.
Linkages Lubed. "Not sure what LInkages he is talking about"
General Inspection of the Boat.

 

[Fireman431]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

The price seems a bit high. I would assume around $250-$300...but I don't know how the mechanics in your area are and what their going rate is.

Any place you can get quality work (warranteed is the key) usually charges a little more, but are worth it. Nonetheless, still seems high. But as was stated, if you can't do it yourself, or just don't want to, then it's worth whatever you're willing to pay for it. If you have to pay it now, I would certainly spend a little time throughout the year either learning to do a little more yourself or at least getting rates from competitive shops. Talk to the other boaters in your area. See where they go and what they pay.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Annual Maintenance $$

I look at it this way. Yes I can do it myself, and I do as much as I can when I have time. But time is the issue, and as a Superintendent, I don't have much to spare. I have no problem paying for a professional doing work for me that delivers quality work. I rely on that all day long in my job and their experience for our completed work. I can but don't wire my house, I can but don't pour my own concrete, etc. There's value in hiring competent help that does these tasks on a daily basis rather than me thinking I know it all. There's value in having a job done correctly RIGHT NOW, not when I think I'll get to it, and me thinking I've properly adressed everything at hand. Find a competent shop that you can trust, realize the value of your time and the value of having it done right. Go boating. It's never been free, but when you need the help, fall of your wallet and get some.