That's the crux of it, isn't it, the difference between spending your own money and spending corporate money. One group cares about value for the price, the other cares about the blame if something goes wrong. It's fine to save the company money, but if anything breaks during the life of the engine it'll be your fault, it'll be assumed it wouldn't have happened if you'd gone with the big name shop. Whereas, if you went with the highest price/big name option, then you did all you could and it must be just one of those things. Easy decision when you're spending someone else's money.

You can get a steak at Waffle House(read awful house) or you can get a steak Ruth Chris ...They are the same but one only costs more

One uses a real steak
and the other is a PMA part !

I'm not so sure.

You shouldn't go to Waffle House for a steak. But the pecan waffle is fantastic.

Great! That will tell me which shops to avoid that treated you so badly.

Mike C.

I just hear a lot of arm chair psychologists speculating about market values and what other people *might* perceive... and no real data other than the one datapoint from Pennman where he was charged 6k for an engine in good shape that basically didn’t need anything. Surely more folks have gotten a hot section recently?

It's all about reputation.

This is not unique to aviation.

The attorney that has been in business for decades charges more and has the reputation to justify it.

There are shops that charge $80 an hour and others charge $106

My Lexus cost more than the Toyota version of the same vehicle and cost a lot more than a Nissan, Hyundai or KIA... but less than a Mercedes even though it's probably a better vehicle.

It's all about a brand built over decades.

Because of all of these discussions I reached out to the guy I recommend to manage engine events, he said that both Dallas Airmotive and Covington refused to let him in the building because of Covid.

He has a blown up -64 at Dallas right now and they finally agreed to send him photos, no video, of the engine as they disassemble it.

Just wanted to advise, several of us have recommended you use an expert who is physically there watching the engine being torn down, but it sounds like that may not be possible right now.

And sometimes the attorney that has been in business for decades has outlived his usefulness and is just relying on his reputation to carry him through, whereas the younger attorney that has spent only ten years or so sharpening his axe is on top of his game running circles around everyone else.

Sometimes those old businesses get lazy. I'm not saying that's the case here, but simply relying on a name is often unproven.

And sometimes the attorney that has been in business for decades has outlived his usefulness and is just relying on his reputation to carry him through, whereas the younger attorney that has spent only ten years or so sharpening his axe is on top of his game running circles around everyone else.

Sometimes those old businesses get lazy. I'm not saying that's the case here, but simply relying on a name is often unproven.

It is a racket, but at least brokers can't arbitrarily discount value because of where the work was done.

I don't believe that you're paying 30k more for reputation, no way. If so, that's insane and I'm 100% with Pennman. Stupid.

I suspect there are differences in the work that's being performed. I'm told if I send the engine to Pratt, they're going to replace a bunch of stuff with new, and that those parts account for the vast majority of the cost difference. The reputation comes in because people know they do this, and assign a greater value to the plane that had all the new parts put in by Pratt.

It is a racket, but at least brokers can't arbitrarily discount value because of where the work was done.

I don't believe that you're paying 30k more for reputation, no way. If so, that's insane and I'm 100% with Pennman. Stupid.

I suspect there are differences in the work that's being performed. I'm told if I send the engine to Pratt, they're going to replace a bunch of stuff with new, and that those parts account for the vast majority of the cost difference.

my PT6A-66B's pushed me to 390 knotz true today

Hot sections, vibration analysis...at Covington's...thanks Mike!

My engines are at 2600 hours...I certainly understand I could spent a cool mil on them in next 3 months to 15 years....not the plan though....fly...fly..fly

Lord willing in 12-15 years when I LOOSE insurance and/or my marbles I will sell for 150 grand and celebrate being worn out in old folkz home