Mechanics Hourly Labour Rates

Submitted: Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:26
ThreadID: 14384 Views:16622 Replies:10 FollowUps:23
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Just curious as to how much your mechanic (should there be one) charges as an hourly rate for labour.
Mine slugged me $80 plus GST the other day and that's way too high - even for the PIlbara.
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Reply By: mr diamond - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:42

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:42
gday coops.
we at work charge $65 an hour +gst for servicing ect.
but on big jobs like an engine rebuild/swap we charge $55 +
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Follow Up By: GOB & denny vic member - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 16:56

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 16:56
goodday mr d

they didnt say who won the comparo yet have to watch again next sat if i remember

steve
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Reply By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:48

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:48
plumbers charge that much....as do white goods service co's
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Follow Up By: mr diamond - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 11:19

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 11:19
i know a plastic surgeon that might help you for $80+ an hour.
why so cheap for a plastic surgeon you may ask.
well he will have a lot of work on you hahahahaha
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:44

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:44
not as much work as fixing that disease you've got...you know the one...ducks disease!
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Follow Up By: mr diamond - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 15:23

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 15:23
i know an optomitrist as well who might be able to help with your eyes.
your eyes you might ask whats wrong with them.
i cant see no duck lol
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 16:36

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 16:36
hey! i didnt hatch out of an egg like someone I know hahaha they threw the mould away when they fabricated an ugly duck like you lol

nothing wrong with my eyes...well almost nothing....just cos I'm blind in one and p%ssed in the other a blind man would love to see my beautiful big eyes
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Reply By: Rosscoe - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:53

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 10:53
Wollongong - $58.00 + GST and the best mechanic I have found.
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Reply By: Well 55 - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 11:11

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 11:11
In UK (London) they charge up to 180pd st. thats around $450 an hour to work on BMW's and toyr wingeing.
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Reply By: steve - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 11:23

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 11:23
The place I worked for last year charged $45.00 + GST and were at the lower end of the scale, so always had plenty of work. Most of the dealers I know charge from $60.00 to $80.00 + GST. Bear in mind this is charged on how long the times guide says it should take, not actual time taken (sometimes nearly half), so you may be in fact paying $150 + per hour.

Steve.
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Reply By: Willem - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 12:29

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 12:29
Peterborough $55 ph +gst

Birdsville Auto on a Sunday quoted a bloke $130ph

I fix 'em meself..too stingy to take it to a mechanic.....hahahaha
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Follow Up By: Des Lexic - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 13:10

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 13:10
I thought you may have already gone but have a good time in the bush for the next few weeks
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie SA- Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:39

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:39
G'day Des and Willie....

Yeh Willie, hurry up and be on your way so I can post more of my CRAP without having to worry about ducking from your missiles!! LOL

Have a good trip mate....

Hey Al...how's your front diff going?? Run over any pebbles lately? lol
That was bad about the accident on saturday, eh?

Cya blokes.

(ps: sorry to hijack the post).
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Follow Up By: Des Lexic - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 22:16

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 22:16
G'ay Bill, Diff's going fine Thanks.
Yes very tragicabout the prang on Sat. Haven't heard much apart from what's been on the news. Car was certainly a mess. Finished up about 50 metres off the road with the B double on top of it.
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Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 10:26

Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 10:26
Des 'n Roachie

Rest assured I am gone on Thursday so you two chickens can get cackling again. But do not be too complacent as I still have internet access whilst out in the sticks and will be lurking...........hahahahahahaha
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie SA- Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 10:47

Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 10:47
G'day Willie,

It's gunna cost you a fortune to hook your laptop and satphone together and troll the forum from woop-woop......

How's your gerry can collection going?? LOLOLOL

cya
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Follow Up By: Willem - Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 10:56

Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 10:56
G'day Roachie,

Yes I know!!! But I have just procured a never ending loan facility from my bank. Which Bank? No no that one...the one which lost a bit of money recently...hahahahaha. So if you see my name come up on the defaulters list just pretend you don't know me...OK?

I now have 8 new steel jerry cans, plus 5 good steel jerrycans, plus 1 old steel jerry can, plus 2 new plastic jerry cans. This should give me enough fuel capacity to get to Adelaide...hahahahahah
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Follow Up By: Member - Roachie SA- Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 11:03

Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 11:03
Okay, It's official..........................I don't know you. LOL
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Reply By: Andrew - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 13:24

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 13:24
interesting to see every body talking cost and not quality.

As a qualified mechanic (that means I actually did an apprenticeship and have recognised trade qualifications) I am always fascinated by how much people will pay for plumbers, electricians, call outs to fix washing machines etc but then they will bitch like crazy when they want their car/truck vehicle of choice, worked on.

Forget the fact that it can kill you if some one puts it together wrong or uses shoddy parts, just the sheer annoyance of unnecesary breakdowns cuased by the above should cause you to find someone who knows what they are doing and stick with them.

Perhaps the problem is that every one thinks they can fix their own car but they would never think of wiring a house or plumbing in a gas heater, yet all the skills required for that are part of a mech's training.

Have you ever checked that the person you are paying your hard earned to is actually qualified?

One of the reasons that mecahincs are hard to find is that they are undercut by non qualified people so they head off truck driving instead.

You get what you pay for.

Sorry about this it's just my beef fro the day.

Regards

A
AnswerID: 66520

Follow Up By: mr diamond - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 13:39

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 13:39
well said andrew.
in bendigo every second person is a back yard mechanic.
i think a fair bit of my work is fixing other peoples stuff ups.
i have a ford spectron in at work at the moment that the guys mate decided to fit a new timing belt.if your familiar with the fe motor you will know that the cam gear has 3 timing marks.his mate the mechanic(no papers)must have picked the wrong one.
result bent valves in 1 and 2 cylinder so the little money he saved by getting his mate to do has now cost him big bucks.
we have our papers on the front bench for people to see(if there interested)lol.
2 weeks ago we went and picked up an old skyline.the owner said it just stopped going.checked the timing on crank and cam way out.once again bent valves.turns out her friend had been playing with it.
as you said with plumbers ect its illegal in vic for me to fit a brocken down pipe(if i get caught)but any man and there dog can repair a car.
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Follow Up By: steve - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:47

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:47
I also agree. I was a mechanic in Maryborough Vic. for 9 years, and have seen hundreds of accidents just waiting to happen because of DIY repairers. You can't legaly change a light globe or tap washer, but any moron can fit new brakes, suspension or whatever to their car........AND THEY DO!
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:49

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 14:49
geez who do you know who could fix the stuff up your carrying around (or should I say draging?) with you?...what stuff up?, you may ask...that bum of yours which is too close to the ground
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Follow Up By: Nino & Kerry (VIC) - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:17

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:17
G'day Andrew,
I totally agree with everything you said.
I was in the trade for 17 years (both here and in England ) and it never fails to make me mad when people bitch and moan about hourly rates.
We all expect a fully qualified mechanic to work on our cars, but they are leaving the trade quicker than thay can be replaced. Fact.
When I left the trade 4 years ago I was one the higher paid mechanics, getting only 35k per year, and I worked roughtly 9 hours of overtime to achieve that. In my experience, the people that complain most about the hourly rate, were the ones with the big flash expensive cars, who would be earning double that per year. Nobody wants to go to a crap looking workshop, we all want the big, nice Toyota/Nissan signs with the smart layouts, but that has to be paid for somewhere. It all comes down to choice, if you don't want to pay the hourly rates that Nissan/Toyota etc., charge, don't buy the vehicle. You have to expect that vehicles like these will cost a minimum of $2000 +++ a year, just to maintain the services through the dealership.
One business practice that's becoming more apparent in the UK now, and is sure to come to Australia at some stage, is the use of non skilled labour in the workshop with a highly skilled technician as a diagnostician, who then tells his 2 or 3 lackeys what to do.
Would you be happy to pay for that? I doubt it.
Cheers
Nino
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Follow Up By: mr diamond - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:38

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:38
$35000 per year.
i wish
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:55

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:55
you wish what? a plastic surgoeon capable of performing a ducktukbottomy and only wants 35k a year...ya got to be joking...i would touch a ducks bum for all the quids in china

a good fridgie can get up to 60k in adelaide.
an average type can get 35-45k
a tradesman just a yr out of time 32k
me, well i only get what i'm worth... and SWMBO tells me what that is!
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:56

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:56
re phrase
i would'nt touch a ducks bum for all the quids in china
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Follow Up By: mr diamond - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 21:01

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 21:01
a good fridgie can get up to 60k in adelaide.
an average type can get 35-45k
a tradesman just a yr out of time 32k
me, well i only get what i'm worth... not a bloody lot.
and who is this duck you seem to be in love with lol

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Follow Up By: Coops (Pilbara) - Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 09:17

Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 09:17
Andrew (and others)
Unfortunately I do not have too much control over quality as we're a bit isolated up here and limited with options with regards to competition, so it's only the major work where I don't have the knowledge and confidence to complete the task myself that gets assigned to the shop.
I refuse to pay a proprietor $88 an hour to change my oil & filters etc when any reasonably articulate & intelligent person can do that for themselves, they only palm it off to the apprentice anyway and I'll stand for PM if he gets that hourly rate.
Geez man if I were earning $88 an hour I could afford to pay someone to do all my oil changes I reckon. As it is I have to work 12 hour shifts, day & night, 6 days a week to try & get ahead. IF I were earning that rate my salary would be somewhere in the vicinity of $205K plus OT and I'm not worth that - yet !!!
My plumber & Electrician were $70 an hour last time I used them and that's too high also.

I wasn't having a dig at anyone but thought that this rate was way too excessive, hence the question to ascertain what others pay. I actually like my mechanic, he's a pretty good bloke, I just wish it was him working on my car and not whoever drifts into town this winter.
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Reply By: Puddin & Gumnut (Sydney) - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 16:33

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 16:33
The workshop that looks after our trucks & cars & has for 18 yrs charges $60 week day & $65 for saturdays, but it's really competitive in Sydney
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Reply By: Quartzy - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 17:06

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 17:06
Coops,
What area in the Pilbara? Myself in Port Hedland. $80 + GST at local toyota/nissan dealership. May even be $85 +gst.
Rgds
Matt
AnswerID: 66548

Follow Up By: Coops (Pilbara) - Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 08:59

Tuesday, Jul 06, 2004 at 08:59
Yep Port Hedland.

I remember when GST came in the going rate here was $60 which then became $66 (obviously). Now, not that much later, it's $88 an hour.
I sure wish my wage had gone up by that much in 2-3 years.
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Reply By: Member Eric - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 17:39

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 17:39
$60 hr
$80 hr if you want to look .

$100 hr if you want to help

$150 hr , if have worked on it before me lol
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Follow Up By: Nudenut - Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:58

Monday, Jul 05, 2004 at 20:58
well said hahaha
must try and use that in advertising somewhere somehow
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