Dear Editor,
I am proud to be born and raised in Baxley and to have served our country. I am also honored to read my name and the other family members on the Memorial Wall at the Courthouse. I have always thought of Baxley as a small community, where everyone was friends and people did not do other people wrong. Unfortunately, I now know that this is not true.
Questions business practices
When I went home for Thanksgiving, I was appalled that my grandfather had been charged in excess of $700 for having his tractor repaired. Keep in mind now that this is not a fancy new tractor with computers; it is a 1973 Deutz 4006. The price would not have been a problem, if the tractor was actually repaired. The fact is, however, that the tractor still had the same problem with the hydraulic lift that it did when it was taken for repairs. After attempting to talk with the irrational people, it was clear that they would not do any additional work without more money, although the tractor was not fixed.
While talking to the individuals where the repairs were proclaimed to be done, I asked to speak to the mechanic (he was not there), and after repeatedly asking for it, I was finally told the mechanic’s name. I then asked to see his credentials or certification and was met with additional attitude. Apparently, the mechanic is not trained or certified as a diesel mechanic. I am not sure how things in Baxley work, but in most cases, the mechanic must be certified, especially if the people are going to charge the labor prices of a certified mechanic.
I, however, am a certified diesel technician and as the person I talked to pointed out, I should have fixed my grandfather’s tractor. They are right; I should fix the tractor, since they obviously cannot. Please forgive me for not fixing it beforehand; I was just a bit busy ensuring that you had the right to take advantage of my grandfather. It is a bit hard to maintain equipment in Baxley when you are in Iraq. Yes, I am being sarcastic intentionally. I am sure the people will understand why.
Since these people will not repair the tractor, even though they charged around $700 for not repairing the tractor, I worked on it. An initial inspection showed that several hoses were loose and leaking, the hydraulic pump was loose, and the fluid in the tractor was foamy. Once the pump and hoses were tightened, the lift did a bit better but not what it should. Since the tractor was filled with hydraulic oil instead of 30W non-detergent, we had to completely drain and flush the hydraulic system. The oil contained metal shavings, o-rings, and sludge. These are odd findings for freshly changed oil. Further inspection showed that the metal shavings were from the hydraulic pump, most likely due to the combination of the pump being loose and the wrong oil.
Due to this incident, the 1973 Deutz 4006 will be completely serviced and repaired to ensure that no additional problems are found. The people that were supposed to initially make the repairs would have made a lot of money in parts alone, if only they had not taken the actions that they did. While I am there, I will ensure that his other tractors and equipment are serviced as well. Now think about it, was a $700 bill for an unfixed tractor really worth all the money the people will lose in the loss of future business?
SFC (RET) Amanda Kersey
While talking to the individuals where the repairs were proclaimed to be done, I asked to speak to the mechanic (he was not there), and after repeatedly asking for it, I was finally told the mechanic’s name. I then asked to see his credentials or certification and was met with additional attitude. Apparently, the mechanic is not trained or certified as a diesel mechanic. I am not sure how things in Baxley work, but in most cases, the mechanic must be certified, especially if the people are going to charge the labor prices of a certified mechanic.
I, however, am a certified diesel technician and as the person I talked to pointed out, I should have fixed my grandfather’s tractor. They are right; I should fix the tractor, since they obviously cannot. Please forgive me for not fixing it beforehand; I was just a bit busy ensuring that you had the right to take advantage of my grandfather. It is a bit hard to maintain equipment in Baxley when you are in Iraq. Yes, I am being sarcastic intentionally. I am sure the people will understand why.
Since these people will not repair the tractor, even though they charged around $700 for not repairing the tractor, I worked on it. An initial inspection showed that several hoses were loose and leaking, the hydraulic pump was loose, and the fluid in the tractor was foamy. Once the pump and hoses were tightened, the lift did a bit better but not what it should. Since the tractor was filled with hydraulic oil instead of 30W non-detergent, we had to completely drain and flush the hydraulic system. The oil contained metal shavings, o-rings, and sludge. These are odd findings for freshly changed oil. Further inspection showed that the metal shavings were from the hydraulic pump, most likely due to the combination of the pump being loose and the wrong oil.
Due to this incident, the 1973 Deutz 4006 will be completely serviced and repaired to ensure that no additional problems are found. The people that were supposed to initially make the repairs would have made a lot of money in parts alone, if only they had not taken the actions that they did. While I am there, I will ensure that his other tractors and equipment are serviced as well. Now think about it, was a $700 bill for an unfixed tractor really worth all the money the people will lose in the loss of future business?
SFC (RET) Amanda Kersey
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