We're getting hosed

[sailingdog]

Umm... some things are worth getting the marine versions of...others not so much. For instance, marine fuel hose is fire resistant.... standard automotive fuel hose isn't.

Much the same thing happens in many other industries... in the IT field, Mac owners are often screwed over.... if you price the same peripheral, like an external hard drive, in the Mac section of a computer store, it will often be a bit more expensive than the non-Mac equivalent.

[bestfriend]

Originally Posted by CapnHand

Here's an example. I was thinking of getting a new starter for my Universal 5411 engine. The Universal 5411 is a marinized Kubota Z500.

Universal Starter $1,143.69 (Torresen Marine)
API Aftermarket Starter $261.80 (Torresen Marine)
Kubota Starter $99.95

Capn, how did you find that out? I have a universal M3-20 and would love to find its tractor equivalent.

[CapnHand]

Gimme a minute

[pegasus1457]

Originally Posted by bestfriend

Capn, how did you find that out? I have a universal M3-20 and would love to find its tractor equivalent.

Ditto for the Universal M4-30

[CapnHand]

BF, Pegasus

M15/5411 Z-500
M18 Z-600
M25 D-850
M25XP D-950
M3-20 D640
M30 D-1101
Kubota parts online: http://www.tractorsmart.com

[bestfriend]

Thats awesome Capn, I hope I can repay the favor someday. I admire your internet skills, I have been searching too.
Best

sorry to get off topic Hoffa.

[CapnHand]

Here's the rest along with some engine specs.

MODEL		CUBIC INCH	HP	#CYLINDERS	WEIGHT	BLOCK MODEL	YEARS	QTY. SOLD
5411 (M15)		31	11	2	245	Z-500	77-82	2900
5416 (M20)		45	16	2	365	Z-751	76-82	1000
5421 (M25)		52	21	3	285	D-850	78-81	1000
5424 (M30)		68	24	3	425	D-1101	77-83	1050
5432 (M40)		91	32	4	490	V-1501	78-82	650
5444 (M50)		115	44	4	545	V-1902	80-82	280
M-12		24.4	10	2	175	Z-400	83-88	1200
M2-12		26	11	2	175	Z-430	87-90	320
M-15		31	11	2	245	Z-500	82-83	370
M-18		34.8	14	2	255	Z-600	83-88	2400
M-20		45	16	2	365	Z-751	82-83	230
M3-20(A)		38.9	18	3	235	D-640	88-	525
M-25		52	21	3	285	D-850	81-86	3650
M-25XP(A)		57	23	3	285	D-950	86-	3100
M-30		68	24	3	425	D-1101&1102	83-87	400
M4-30(A)		52	24	4	270	Y-850	88-	470
M-35		75.5	30	4	335	V-1200	87-	280
M-40		91	32	4	545	V-1502	82-	360
M-50(A)		115	44	4	545	V-1902	82-	520
M3-20B		43.8	20	3	241
M-25XPB		61.2	26	3	295		Information
M-35B		81.47	35	4	352		Not
M-40B		91.41	37.5	4	356		Complete
M-50B		113.32	42	4	529

[sailaway21]

If you do not know your product you takes what you's get's!

For instance: Once upon a time I needed a relatively rare Mercedes-Benz piston for a M-B that had a production run of only 7000, very few of which made it to the US. The US version had a lower compression rating and I had a European model to boot. The friendly people had the M-B warehouse, there's one on each coast, informed me that while they did not stock such pistons they would be happy to order me one on their regular stocking order, and I would have it in hand in ten months for the nominal sum of $1100 at current exchange rates. Desiring to drive to Michigan from New York on eight cylinders versus seven, and further desiring to make the trip within the next two weeks, this was decidely inconvenient. Not to mention that the cost was approximately ten percent of what I'd paid for the whole car, and for that sum I could have a full set custom cast out of my material of choice!

Upon conferring with a few friends in the foreign car market in NY I was advised that perhaps I'd best contact Mahle, the piston manufacturer. Lo and behold I found that Mahle has a corporate office in Chicago and Dieter turned me over to his secretary Hildy who called me back the next morning, a Thursday, to inform me that I had a very expensive piston. Hildy calculated the exchange rate and came up with $102 and found it a seat on the Concorde for an additional $58. Tuesday morning DHL handed the little baby (well, not so little-it had a 4" diameter!) to me at 9:50am and I departed for Michigan Wednesday night.

The lesson learned was to talk with everybody you can. Eventually you will talk with somebody who knows somebody within the company. (btw, Dieter and Hildy did not ask for, but received, a rather nice single malt Scotch for their troubles) That person's phone number is priceless. Five minutes conversation with him results in five minutes conversation with his friend who knows something about what you need. Those conversations do not happen through the official company switchboard.

To do any of this, you have to know your product and the supplier of the component parts of your product. A casual example of this are the Ridgid power tools you see at Home Depot. Ridgid does not make the majority of those tools, they're branded for Ridgid by somebody else. (I suspect Makita is a supplier) Research the company that makes your product. Find out what companies they've bought out (it might have been somebody else's product first) and find out who their suppliers are. Find out what the suppliers business is, you may not obviously know. If you find out that your engine manufacturer has a supplier that does tubing bending you've probably found the source of your engine's intake and exhaust manifolds. You'll probably find a part number that they will recognize on the manifold. When you call and they ask you what kind of engine it's on, you ask them what engines it went on. And that's how you find out that maybe your neighbor's tractor has the same manifold as your boat motor.

Alternators are an easy thing to do this with also. I'm incorrectly convinced that there are really only six alternator's in the whole world, three of which are made by Mitsubishi. Every time I need an alternator I go to this little shop out in the country, they operate out of a glorified shed, and they always have my alternator on the shelf. And every time I find that my alternator goes in a bunch of things I never imagined, like a backhoe or something. Very few companies make an entire product themselves any more, and if you know your product and it's component suppliers you can find things at substantial savings. It does take some time but, by talking to the people you meet along the way, you find out about other components that currently might not interest you-but might later.

Happy hunting!

[RXBOT]

We have to look 4 ways to save money. If U look up kubota engines and go to farm.construction etc. instead of marine U will be surprised at what U can find. Like 20 inch by 20 inch by 15 inch 2 cylinder diesel 15 hp, 140 pounds.Yes we would have to adapt some cooling and exhaust systems but I'm sure we could figure that out. They have 4 example an engine $ 2700 9.5 hp diesel electric start 3600 max rpm air and oil cooled. NO WATER PUMPS,THRU HULLS ETC. We could use it 4 main motor or drive a couple of 90 - 130 amp alternators and have lots of battery charging power and by inverter 120 also. Lots of possibilities we just have to think about what we could do with all this information and equipment that is readily available . We could save alot of money and we are all cheap b----s anyway , right.

[cardiacpaul]

we had a couple of air cooled diesel tractor when I was a kid. Deutz. Great product, worked well. The airflow volume was tremendous! so have to get that worked out. Some Listers were air cooled as well.

I'm about as much of a skin-flint as you can find. Tractor supply houses like central tractor or tractor supply are good for guages, hoses, belts, some ignition parts, wire rope, lights, screws, bolts... ignition switch from moyer? 39.00, from tractor supply, 12.99

oh, all kinds of stuff... and riding crops to keep surly crew members in line too.

Perkins parts? Get friendly with your local Ford/NewHolland farm-industrial dealer. Most Ford farm diesel tractors in the 60's, 70's and 80's had Perkins as powerplants. In a pinch, try a Massey-Ferguson dealer.

Alternator or starter shot? God forbid you go to balmor or API, or someplace nuts like that. Almost every city has a few "auto-electric" repair shops. These guys are men among boys. I don't care if its a motorola, leece-neville, prestolite, delco, or kamakazi, they've got the stuff to fix you up. And it won't cost you a down payment on that condo in Bali either.Starter solenoid from moyer, 53.00, from NAPA, 9.79