Old Sherwood Annual Service - Reality Check

[Diver0001]

Again... $140 for an annual service??

--Marek

That's about what it costs in Holland too.... Usually about €100,-

And there is the issue of dealers. In Holland there is only one dealer where you can get your Sherwoods serviced. There is no competition and their quality of service is inconsistent. It sure doesn't make Sherwood a very attractive choice, does it?

R..

 

[Marek K]

Actually I think that you have a few out of date ideas about Japan going on there - especially where I live (nowhere near Tokyo!) Never mind - I was only trying to make you feel a little better.
It does seem to me though that scuba diving isn't really the sport for the penniless anyway - and the manufacturers probably don't really make allowances for "cheaper" countries.
At least I get a good deal on sake!

Well, it wasn't out-of-date... this was from someone who visited there a couple weeks ago to drop in on a relative living there, I think.

But I don't doubt it was nearer Tokyo.

Did the shop explain to you exactly why they wanted that much labor, for a service whose reference price seems to be somewhere around $40-60?

Well, it does make me feel better. Folks like us, living abroad with brought-over non-local equipment, are faced with some unusual challenges in this sort of stuff.

Scuba here is definitely not cheap. The list price for a new Sherwood Brut, admittedly at today's pitiful exchange rate, is the equivalent of about $260. That's including 22% VAT. And I think you'd get laughed at if you asked for a discount.

And my impression is that other stuff is about 50% more-expensive than you'd expect to buy it at in the U.S.

But that's not necessarily the manufacturers' fault. Like the guy from Sherwood USA wrote me yesterday when I complained about the supposedly $100 parts kit, they can't dictate local prices.

Though I do wonder how much the wholesale is for these guys...

Interesting... But Sherwood in Europe seems to be offering free parts for 30 years. At $8 or so a pop for the parts kits, that could add up to some serious money! They're obviously trying to increase their market penetration here. Last I checked, the U.S. warranty was for two years free parts.

Hmmm... the local dealer asked me whether I had a receipt, because the parts would be covered in that case. Unfortunately I don't have the receipt for this old reg. But maybe I'll be able to work something out with Sherwood here? Or maybe Sherwood USA has a record? It was bought from an authorized dealer (that I heard has just gone out of business in Fayetteville, NC); but I'm sure I registered it with Sherwood back then.

You should see how cheap the vodka still is here!! Ever heard of Zubrowka... the stuff with the bison grass in it? An acquired taste... ask my wife!

--Marek

 

[Marek K]

That's about what it costs in Holland too.... Usually about €100,-

And there is the issue of dealers. In Holland there is only one dealer where you can get your Sherwoods serviced. There is no competition and their quality of service is inconsistent. It sure doesn't make Sherwood a very attractive choice, does it?

R..

Yeah, I'd kind of almost expect that kind of price in Western Europe. It was easier to take a couple years ago, when it was EUR 1.20 to $1.00! (I get paid in $.)

But that's for parts and labor, right? Remember, this guy was quoting an equivalent of $100 for the parts kit alone, not even including the piston!

Labor costs here in Poland are generally much lower than farther west.

Yes, that's a serious disadvantage to having a Sherwood in Europe. I remember trying to find a dealer in Berlin, 13 years ago. And it's much worse here.

Too bad... Here in Poland, anyway, U.S. brands still have an excellent reputation (or mythos) and I think the demand would be high. Sherwood would do well here, if they could expand their dealer network.

--Marek

 

[Kim]

Well, it does make me feel better. Folks like us, living abroad with brought-over non-local equipment, are faced with some unusual challenges in this sort of stuff.

Yes that's true. I don't know how mechanically technical you are but if you are then servicing your own regs isn't exactly rocket science. Then you can just get the parts you need from the States. I did that for the Apeks. My first time outlay - which included buying all the special tools I needed and two rebuild kits (my wife uses the same setup)came to around US$150 - from now I just need the kits. It might be something for you to think about!

 

[Diver0001]

But that's for parts and labor, right?

Yes, parts and labour. In theory it can fall out a little lower than that but it doesn't usually.

R..

 

[Marek K]

Yes that's true. I don't know how mechanically technical you are but if you are then servicing your own regs isn't exactly rocket science. Then you can just get the parts you need from the States. I did that for the Apeks. My first time outlay - which included buying all the special tools I needed and two rebuild kits (my wife uses the same setup)came to around US$150 - from now I just need the kits. It might be something for you to think about!

But nothing's quite that simple.

Or maybe...

I've been reading about needing not just special tools to open the housings, but also test equipment to make sure all the pressures are right. (I'm too lazy to search right now.)

I can hold my own, mechanically-technically. I work on my own skis, and can use a technical manual with our cars... brakes, spark plugs, head gasket, timing belts, like that -- biggest limitation there is special tools and test equipment, too. Installed my own seat heating in my VW Passat, using stock parts -- does that count? I did tear down and rebuilt a carburetor once in high school, and a lawnmower engine. And it worked afterwards.

But two challenges here... First, how does one learn -- to include what special tools are needed? And second, how does one get access to parts kits? Are they generally available on the Internet, like eBay? (Argh! PayPal won't let me establish an account with my overseas phone number!) Sherwood USA just made it very clear to me that they do not sell parts kits to mere mortal lay-persons. (I did suggest that to them.)

But with a wife and two kids now diving, doing it myself might actually not be such a bad idea. I've noticed that, assuming correct tools, I can usually do a better job than at least the 50th percentile of "professionals" in stuff like this. At least I'll know it's been done.

--Marek