Cat Dealers

I’ve noticed a few posters complain about the service and and exorbitant pricing they receive from their dealers but I’ld like to tell you about a recent experience with ours.
Hastings Deering covers two states here, plus Papua New Guinea and a few other island nations, so a large dealership, even by world standards.
We are an hour and a half from our nearest town, where HD have a mobile mechanic based, and which is another two hours away from the actual dealership branch.
Their callout fee incudes a generous amount of travel with the balance charged at a reasonable rate with no labour charge.
Despite this, when our 140H developed a park brake issue, (blowing air from the transmission) I floated the grader to town to get things happening quicker, because we urgently needed the machine.
Within 24 hours of the breakdown they had parts sent out and the repair mostly completed.
As the mechanic was reinstalling the driveshaft, one uni joint literally fell apart in his hands.
The company immediately sent someone from the dealership to meet the him half way with parts.
When you live in the bush, you always assume that unexpected breakdowns are going to take a lot longer to deal with, so when a big company goes out of their way to help a small customer, it makes a big impression.

I don't have any big stories to tell but our Cat dealer here (Holt of Ca.) has been the most responsive by far of all the dealers I have to deal with.

I seem to talk with ONE GUY at the parts counter, he answers my calls or emails immediately, and they have been able to get strange and esoteric parts quickly. It is too bad they do not make much product that I can use (very small power generation)

The other big C used to be my favorite but it has gotten so bad, I literally was having a dream last night about going into their parts department and finding it abandoned. (I feel like having to have that dream was like working most of a day and not getting paid)

Local dealer has been really good on some things. Having service guys stop by, getting parts and helping with our repairs. Thing I don't like is how much gets jobbed out. I go to Cat and pay Cat prices for Cat work not some jobber up the road.

I don't think they are what they were 30 years ago but that seems to be everywhere, if they can't plug a computer in and fix it they are lost.

Ct Farmer said:

I don't think they are what they were 30 years ago but that seems to be everywhere, if they can't plug a computer in and fix it they are lost.

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Sadly, that is the case with all brands of machinery. Computers have there place, but at times a mechanic is still needed instead of a technician.

There are several factors that are causing poor experiences with service any where you go. First mechanics and I mean real mechanics (not a parts changer) are a dying breed. Dealerships won’t pay for experience anymore. They rather hire kids right out of tech school for a much lower wage. Because after all they have all the resources why pay for experience when we have computers with all the information. Then these kids then leave and go to private companies because they will pay a little bit more. But they haven’t learned anything. So now private companies start paying less because there are so many techs out there costing everyone money and longer down times. Which makes it hard on the experienced guys. It’s hard for them to get a decent wage and they are getting burned out because everyone gives them all the work because they know what they are doing. It’s a viscous cycle.

So when did mechanics become “techs”? Is there a difference in pay? I cringe when someone tells me they are sending a tech to fix a machine.

Paul Council said:

There are several factors that are causing poor experiences with service any where you go. First mechanics and I mean real mechanics (not a parts changer) are a dying breed. Dealerships won’t pay for experience anymore. They rather hire kids right out of tech school for a much lower wage. Because after all they have all the resources why pay for experience when we have computers with all the information. Then these kids then leave and go to private companies because they will pay a little bit more. But they haven’t learned anything. So now private companies start paying less because there are so many techs out there costing everyone money and longer down times. Which makes it hard on the experienced guys. It’s hard for them to get a decent wage and they are getting burned out because everyone gives them all the work because they know what they are doing. It’s a viscous cycle.

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Got a local truck dealer with 7 "techs", 2 years back a GMC Brigadier with a slobbering 6V92 came in the door, It was spewing oil from the airbox drains... Not a single one of the kids had ever seen a 2-stroke Detroit and it had no diagnostic plug. It ended up on my doorstep 40 miles away. At least the service manager knew where to send it.
Turned out the owner was running 15/40 engine oil and had a leaking fuel tube under the rocker cover on the right hand side. I didn't need a laptop to find that.
It also amazes me these kids cant find air problems or even troubleshoot a 7 wire trailer.

I had one yesterday. Fault codes for SCR Operator Inducement and Turbo Pressure Sensor. Didn't even need to throw the laptop on it to hear I had a boost leak. Fixed the leak and checked the SCR codes. Found they were related to the boost sensor fault, cleared faults and put it back to work. Less than an hour.

Techs or mechanics I really don’t think there is a difference. I think it’s a play on words. Like custodian vs janitor. Somewhere the world decided to jazz things up to make things seem more important than it really is. I’m not knocking anyone’s profession. Just making a point. But personally I like bad techs or mechanics whichever you prefer. It gets me lots of business and makes people really appreciate what I can do.

John C. said:

So when did mechanics become “techs”? Is there a difference in pay?

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About the same time 'secretaries became executive assistants'! HR departments over spec requirements for employee hires, college education to make coffee, sharpen pencils and do businesses' housework.
Mechanics, understanding of the field of mechanics! Technicians; understanding the field of integrated electronics to control mechanical devises. If you need a computer to read and trouble shoot fault codes, that is IMO...mechanic-technician.
Same pay; part of the job.

If there is a difference between "mechanic" and "tech" it shouldn't matter because you have to be both to be effective these days.

I just got in from a call with a unit "throwing codes and shutting down." It had come from a very experienced mechanic whom I very much respect. But he doesn't know much computer stuff. This was a unit I have never seen before.

I got the service manual (free if you know where to look) and found the code was engine mechanical fault, i.e. stopping when the computer didn't want it to. A little troubleshooting, eventually found the fuel line was pinched.

The old guy should have been able to fix that in 10 minutes but the computer code threw him off his game.

You shouldn’t ever get to old to learn something new. I cringe when I hear an old mechanic cursing these computer controlled machines. When I started pulling wrenches that stuff was in its infancy, but I chose to learn because that’s the direction things were going. 99% of the time I can find the problem with out a laptop. The basics are still the same. Engines still need air fuel and fire or compression, electrical hasn’t changed and hydraulics haven’t changed. I use a laptop mainly to change settings, turn on functions and upload fuel trim codes. The rest of the time I troubleshoot from the knowledge and experience that I have. Stop learning and growing and you will find yourself being needed less and less.

Birken Vogt said:

The old guy should have been able to fix that in 10 minutes but the computer code threw him off his game.

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The 'computer' and codes threw him off. Instead of even just listening to the engine's exhaust under load; miss firing from fuel starvation he was psyched out. Younger tech-mechs jump out their service trucks with laptop in hand, some want (and instructed to) hook up the laptop for the $100.00 or more invoice charge.

I didn’t mean to disparage the guy I was just making a general statement. But I know what you mean about the techs/mechanics these days. I once worked with a guy who couldn’t even put air in a tire without using his laptop. Drove me nuts. I once asked the guy if he pulled that thing out to make Love to his old lady. The same guy that once had me replacing a hydraulic pump because the computer said it was bad. Luckily for me I tested the sensor that caused the code and alarm first. I believe out of laziness it is the reason I became a great mechanic and troubleshooter. Because I don’t like doing work that I didn’t have to and I only want to do the work once.

Paul Council said:

You shouldn’t ever get to old to learn something new. I cringe when I hear an old mechanic cursing these computer controlled machines.

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Totally TRUE. I hear 'new junk' all the time from older mechanics with none-to-limited experience ( like 'I don't do email or texts) with computer diagnostic software. Simple, learn or retire. Electronics are 'guaranteed income'!

Paul Council said:

Techs or mechanics I really don’t think there is a difference. I think it’s a play on words. Like custodian vs janitor. Somewhere the world decided to jazz things up to make things seem more important than it really is. I’m not knocking anyone’s profession. Just making a point. But personally I like bad techs or mechanics whichever you prefer. It gets me lots of business and makes people really appreciate what I can do.

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It is my experience that a tech has high skills but in a certain specialty. A mechanic is well rounded in all components. Our local dealer has transmission guys, generator guys, engine folks, driveline experts, but hardly any mechanics. If you need certain things you wait until the expert in that discipline frees up or you get a guesser. Then its a crap shoot on how your repair turns out. Its getting that way in all trades. Car dealers have been this way for years. Complication of machines certainly have a lot to do with it. My old knob certainly does not have the capacity to know all about these new machines.

If its a warranty job they wanted us to take a Product Status Report before clearing codes and one after repairing the problem and testing the unit. No PSRs or Media Numbers cited on the work order and (they said) CAT won't pay out the warranty claim. A laptop is definitely a must-have tool when dealing with modern machines. They get you pointed in the right direction but critical thinking and troubleshoot skills get the machine fixed properly.

StanRUS said:

Totally TRUE. I hear 'new junk' all the time from older mechanics with none-to-limited experience ( like 'I don't do email or texts) with computer diagnostic software. Simple, learn or retire. Electronics are 'guaranteed income'!

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I have no problem with computer backed diagnostics if somebody will pay the bill for my limited use. Not going to pay a grand for this or $850 for that if I don't use it up before the next subscription is due.

92U 3406 said:

A laptop is definitely a must-have tool when dealing with modern machines. They get you pointed in the right direction but critical thinking and troubleshoot skills get the machine fixed properly.

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Well, YA!

RZucker said:

I have no problem with computer backed diagnostics if somebody will pay the bill for my limited use. Not going to pay a grand for this or $850 for that if I don't use it up before the next subscription is due.

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For a independents' LIMITED USE on CAT equipment you'd be ahead of the game purchasing a laptop loaded with SIS_ET_CBT with a bootlegged forever license. Upgrade SIS once per year or every couple of years for $100.00. No logging onto Cat, no passcode issues. You can't use Service Adviser, but that info is available from friendly Cat dealer service techs.

I have a problem with people changing the name of something in order classify something that isn't true. A mechanic is a repair and maintenance person. End of story. The connotation of a technician seems to me to designate someone who is less which actually is starting to be the case as described above in many responses. I don't know how many times I have been on sites where a tech has showed up and would do nothing because the computer didn't indicate what the problem was or designate the proper repair procedure. The job I did in Hawaii was a perfect example of this phenomena. A tech went out to replace a shotgunned travel motor, tore the machine apart, tweeked all the adjustment screws and then walked away from the job. Left the machine dead with a huge repair bill and then quit the dealership. It would appear at that point that "The Tech" was less than a repair person and shouldn't be paid the same as he couldn't perform the work required. If that is what a "Tech" is defined as, then I'll stay being a "mechanic".