charge for reel service

[phishxxii]

I`m sure this question has been brought up before,but what is a fair price to charge for the service(cleaning/lubing)of a $150-$200 fishing reel?

[Hardy Boy]

I dont go by the value of the reel but by the size and complexity, I charge:

- simple moochers - 20
- bearing moochers - 22
- level winds/ small levers - 25
- large levers - 30

Parts are extra and if its a really big job needing drilling, extra soaking ect then there is an up charge.

Granted this is Canadian and I do it as a hobby (beer money). I see shops with overhead charge more, sometimes much more. I don't have folks complain about the cost (one guy once years ago) in fact lots of guys round up and some even tip.

Just my thoughts.

Cheers:


Todd

[Dominick]

I dont go by the value of the reel but by the size and complexity, I charge:

- simple moochers - 20
- bearing moochers - 22
- level winds/ small levers - 25
- large levers - 30

Parts are extra and if its a really big job needing drilling, extra soaking ect then there is an up charge.

Granted this is Canadian and I do it as a hobby (beer money). I see shops with overhead charge more, sometimes much more. I don't have folks complain about the cost (one guy once years ago) in fact lots of guys round up and some even tip.

Just my thoughts.

Cheers:


Todd

Will you do a reel for a six pack?  Dominick

[alantani]

figure out what your goal is - $20, $40 or $60 an hour.  if it's $40 an hour, then most star drag reels will be $20 to $40 for service.  most lever drag reels will be $40-60, rarely $80, for service.  then add the cost of parts and return shipping. 

one trap that i've found my self in - the more i learn about reels, the more work i find myself doing because i've realized how many different ways they can fail. i try to prevent these problems ahead of time.  it's work that never gets noticed and is rarely appreciated or understood.  for that reason, i have started sending text messages to the owners.  i document the tear down and rebuild, sending photos of the reels in steps, showing the problems, the corrosion, the clean up and the replacement parts as i go.  i find that it helps when they get a bill that is up to $100 per reel for these larger lever drags. 

[Hardy Boy]

Will you do a reel for a six pack?  Dominick
[/quote]

Depends on the brand of beer !!

and the person !


Cheers:

Todd

[thorhammer]

figure out what your goal is - $20, $40 or $60 an hour.  if it's $40 an hour, then most star drag reels will be $20 to $40 for service.  most lever drag reels will be $40-60, rarely $80, for service.  then add the cost of parts and return shipping. 

one trap that i've found my self in - the more i learn about reels, the more work i find myself doing because i've realized how many different ways they can fail. i try to prevent these problems ahead of time.  it's work that never gets noticed and is rarely appreciated or understood.  for that reason, i have started sending text messages to the owners.  i document the tear down and rebuild, sending photos of the reels in steps, showing the problems, the corrosion, the clean up and the replacement parts as i go.  i find that it helps when they get a bill that is up to $100 per reel for these larger lever drags. 

YEP.....that little zippy bag with three small, hard to find International parts indeed cost 80 bucks, sir...but do you want this Gen II 50SW to keep working ten more years, or do you want to shell out 700 bucks for a new 50VISX?

[foakes]

For me, I just charge what I can get by with and continue my work — it is not a business — just a hobby.

However, I take it seriously in both organization and needing it to hopefully pay for itself — and maybe a little extra for other hobbies.

There are a few folks that have made a good living in the repair & service of fishing reels.

Fortunately, I am not one of them.

Generally, $30 + parts for an average reel. 

Whether it takes me 45 minutes or 4 hours — it is the same.

However, the key here is experience and results that the average angler never sees.

For example, would you rather have a guy over-haul your transmission who is pretty good at only changing oil and spark plugs?

Or, a guy who has done over 10,000 transmissions — and has the knowledge, tools, and techniques down capably?

Same goes for Heart Surgeons, Attorneys, Accountants, Truck Drivers, and Pilots.

Then...what is the reel techs definition of a complete service?  Full disassemble, partial, squirt some oil and squeeze grease, finish off with WD-40 on the exterior — or a full disassemble, cleaning, evaluation, reassemble, tune, and cosmetics?

Just because a guy hangs out a sign or has a license to practice their vocation — doesn't mean they know what they are doing — regardless of how little or how much they charge a client.

So I think results, satisfied clients, repeat & referral, along with charging a fair price for a excellent outcome — are important.

Most of the guys on Alan's site will do things properly — so no worries here.

The other one thing that drives costs, particularly nowadays — is the rising cost of the cleaning products we use.  In some cases — my cost for service materials has risen 75% over the last year.  Hard to pass this along to clients — but at some point, unless we are a charity — it needs to reflect the real world we live in.

Just my opinion — others will have different opinions and styles.

Best, Fred

[akfish]

Before I closed my shop last year, I was charging $26 for most single speed reels and $36 for most two speed reels. There were surcharges for corrosion. I charged MSRP for parts -- which meant I made a little on parts because I bought them at dealer discount. I also talked to the owners for every reel that came in and explained why some reels would be more expensive. As long as I was up front on what the owner could expect to pay, things went smoothly.