I'll just leave this here....Family in Desperate Need (Anchorage: how much, home)

[Haolejohn]

Originally Posted by pittsflyer

Even construction up here in the summer is getting slim, general contractors are pricing themselves right out of the market. Because there is no competition things are just not getting done as much, it will get worse with oil prices where they are. Even when oil prices go back up I hope people stay wised up to the fact that a mechanic should not be getting 80/hr, learn to do it yourself or just dont get it done.

Why not? Many mechanics have college degrees and certifications. Why should they not be compensated? $80/hr is what you could pay down south as well for a good mechanic that is up to date on certifications.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

We ran into someone in the Arctic Bar in Ketchikan who was fresh off the ferry and looking for a commercial fishing job. This was in November.

Sounds like too much cable tv and not enough brains.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Haolejohn

Why not? Many mechanics have college degrees and certifications. Why should they not be compensated? $80/hr is what you could pay down south as well for a good mechanic that is up to date on certifications.

You beat me to this response. A good mechanic is worth his weight in gold and I do not one single bit mind paying for good work by someone I trust. I rely on my trucks, I take good care of them, and in return they take good care of me. Top tier fluids, OEM parts,... I'm not going to hose it up by chintzing out on what mechanic I go to.

I used to only work on my Tacoma because I didn't trust anyone else to touch it and it was simple. The fact is that I am not smart enough to work on my Chevy... I don't understand the electrical system or the "brain." I still do normal stuff like changing the oil and whatever, but if I need anything else done or looked at, I have an old timer who I take it to in town. He has never bs-ed me and he won't do work that doesn't need to be done.

[riceme]

Also, standard billing from a dealership is $200/hr, most of which the dealership pockets, not the guy who paid for his degree and certs and who did the work on your truck.

$80/hr doesn't hurt my feelings one bit.

[Metlakatla]

I completely agree ^^^ A good mechanic is well worth the money.

[riceme]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I completely agree ^^^ A good mechanic is well worth the money.

Eventually a person will pay for cutting corners on their vehicle, particularly in Alaska, but it is never a good idea.

There are a lot of things I do differently than others that save me money, and probably a lot of it. But I would have to be in a pretty bad place to not take proper care of my vehicle.

[Metlakatla]

My fish truck broke down on the road on one of the few warm days in SE a couple of years ago and not a good mechanic for hundreds of miles. There I was with thousands of dollars (more than a new truck would have been worth) of salmon getting all screwed up because of the heat. The Trident lear jet buzzed me taking off from the local airport, and when I looked up, a raven crapped right in my eye.

[riceme]

Jiminy Christmas, that sounds about right.

In 2011 my cousin Alie and her husband flew up to buy a 2010 Cummins from our cousin who lives in NP. They stayed up here and visited for a week or so until fire season started and cousin in NP had to go back to work, then farted around Alaska for a couple weeks, then started heading home.

They got into the middle of BFE, Canada and that brand new truck went TU. To begin with they had to get towed several hundred miles which I'm sure cost them about one million dollars (AAA Plus only covers 100 miles, and I doubt they had AAA Plus). I no longer remember where they ended up, but there was only one mechanic in town and he was not a good one. He misdiagnosed the problem three times and they spent two weeks stuck there flying in the wrong parts until he finally figured out that he had one of the right parts in the boneyard out back.

That misadventure cost them several thousand dollars for a part that they ended up being able to get for free.

The result is that no one in our family is allowed to drive up here during fire season or while cousin is not home, just in case he has to go on a rescue mission.

[Frostnip]

Especially in the parts of the state that have rougher terrain and harsher climates, a good mechanic can literally be a lifesaver.

[pittsflyer]

Why is it automatically cutting corners if you do the work yourself?

Originally Posted by riceme

Eventually a person will pay for cutting corners on their vehicle, particularly in Alaska, but it is never a good idea.

There are a lot of things I do differently than others that save me money, and probably a lot of it. But I would have to be in a pretty bad place to not take proper care of my vehicle.