Maine

I agree.
I worked with Chris for years…

 

This is someone you'd be happy to have work on your truck?

No question, my preference is private over dealer. I had Lee Toyota of Topsham 'try' to align my truck twice, second time also not in spec, though they did it for free.... and left vice-grips on the outer passenger tie-rod. That was enough of a taste of dealerships.

 

Spent Thursday morning/early afternoon spraying the belly of the new truck. Embarrassing to say how long it took me to get going but it went very easily once I got everything on the gun squared away. Glad I finally got to it on a "warm" day considering the weather yesterday & today!

 

Shit like that happens dealer or private.
Alignments will change when you drive it off the rack and put it back on.
From place to place is a no win.

I wouldn’t want anyone to work on my truck cause I’m the best And no one is as good as me.
That being said
When you retire, you lose the resources and I have to choose.
There are 2 or 3. Chris is on Warren Ave. Portland

 

Many thanks, Tacoma Mike.
I want to cry once on a job done right, so any suggestion is appreciated.

 

It’s a no win world for a tech now.
Hurry hurry go go go.
Sell sell sell.
There is no chance to be honest and careful anymore.
If you are you don’t make money….
I struggled the latter part of my career with this.
Not because I lowered my standards but, because I was asked many times to step it up.
I never screwed a cust in my life. So I never made the big bucks.
I made the honest bucks..
It’s going to be a crap shoot every time you go in.
I missed the old days. Will never miss the modern era..

 

Good on you Mike, I feel your pain!
I took my truck to Down East to get aligned and I could not believe the rate that those trucks were put through the multiple alingment racks. I thought to myself I'm pretty sure I don't want to work there! Of course my adjusters were seized and to their credit they did not charge me for the alignment that they could not do. But then the full on rape started to replace the lower control arms and the adjusters, just south of 2k, they would not even sell me the parts at anything but full list. Guess they don't know the internet still works. In less than two hours and under $700 in parts, all new Toyota, I was done and actually had fun doing it. If you find a good dealership or good techs like Mike, grab on and hold on tight they are a dieing breed.

 

TY.
I did my best.
I sleep well..

 

Mike enjoys being held.

 

I'm in Lebanon.

 

Not excited to here you retired, but good for you. I always felt good knowing there was at least one good person in the Dealership here. But in the last year I heard about the crap that was going on and if I heard correctly that’s been cleared up and someone got charged.

 

All out of state upper management.
Nothing to do with us.
But the boys are really suffering now..

 

That sucks.

 

I really wanted to like this place. A couple years ago when I had my 1st gen Tacoma I took it to Parry Motors for a couple things, their quote for a wheel bearing and such was reasonable, however the number they threw at me fix an evap leak CEL code was outrageous (like $1400 or $1500). I assumed it was their "we don't want the work that badly" price. Ended up at Waterman's Garage in South Portland and saved a ton of money. Take that for what it's worth, since they didn't perform any work I can't speak to the quality they put out. I was just disappointed that a shop that's supposed to specialize in Toyota's couldn't do the job affordably.

 

It’s like that at every shop.
Always one more expensive or less.
Might have found something to repair at the same time. Dono.
I had customers say many times the price was to high etc etc.
Then they take it someplace else and for some reason they end up back to me and then
I had to fix what others screwed up and then fix the original problem for even more money.
Pissed them off even more.lol
We have our bad days
Sometimes your the windshield, sometimes your the bug.

 

Not sure, I was definitely the bug that day. My expectation wasn't Toyota specialist=cheapest, but they were miles apart on cost. Enough of a difference I probably wouldn't consider them for future work.

Like you said, lots to consider that a customer may not be aware of. On the other hand, there could have been better communication regarding what drove that estimate. Impossible to speculate after the fact ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. I'm glad other folks have had a good experience with them.

 

Absolutely correct.

 

Kelly Edge A/T or Falken Wild Peak A/T3W ?

I know there are about a billion tire threads. I figured I'd ask the Mainers. I do not care how a tire does in Florida, Arizona etc... I want to know how it does in Maine. I am looking for a good 4 season all terrain tire. I like these 2. I am open to suggestions.

 

Ive run BFGs on everything ive owned up here.. grand cherokee, wrangler, scout, taco. Tundra is getting them when the stocks wear out. Even my shit-assed chevy work truck that sees 20-30k miles per year with horrid winter access roads along the pipeline has em. No complaints. Theyre quiet, wear great, stick, but they’re heavy (all mine are/were E-rated).
That said ive never run the ones youre asking about so nothing to compare it with..