Why have a parts inventory?

Everyone has been in this situation: It has been a long hot day, you are on your last job, and, BLAM! Your tire blows, your throttle cable snaps and it starts raining! You and your machine sit idle and you are losing money.

We at J. Thomas are all too familiar with this scenario. When it comes to mother nature, we are all at her mercy, but when it comes to parts, we are the ones to call. We do our best to offer our customers a quick reliable service. At J. Thomas we strive to have every order we receive before 4:30 p.m. picked, packed and shipped the same day. And, we offer several delivery service options to expedite the parts to you (see our Easy Shipping options.) But, we are not magicians. We can not stress enough the importance of having your own well stocked inventory.

You may ask, “Why is it important to have backup parts in stock? It’s just money sitting on my shelf gathering dust!”

It’s a small amount of money waiting to save a large amount later. How? A well stocked inventory allows you and your workers to do on site repairs; the down time on your machines will be minimized; and your workers won’t have to stop and leave the job site to run for repair parts. And don’t get us started in the price of gasoline today! You will save valuable time, not to mention your customer’s confidence in your company. most often, too, when you purchase items in bulk for your stock purposes, you can usually receive a good price by buying in quantity. J. Thomas offers volume specials on certain high wear items.

What parts should be included in a parts inventory?

How can you determine which parts would be necessary for a well stocked inventory? It’s easy! Look over your repair bills and purchase orders from the previous year. Make a list of the major wear items and how often they were purchased. What we have found is that an inventory of 25% of your annual parts purchase is a well stocked shelf.

Each piece of equipment has it’s own set of replacement parts with specific OEM’s and sizes. below is a generic list of items we have prepared that are high wear and should be in your stock:
Belts
Spindle Assemblies
Spindle Bearings
Pulleys
Tubes for Tires
Throttle Controls
Throttle Cables
Mower Blades
Edger Blades
Air Filters
Oil Filters

We at J. Thomas have tried to identify these high wear parts for each individual piece of equipment and put them into our catalogs. We do our best to keep these items in stock so they will be here when you need them.

Maintaining a parts inventory is a difficult assignment. Through our experience we have learned that you must setup an area dedicated to parts only. A sturdy shelf unit with labeled bins is the easiest way to organize the parts so that a quick glance will be enough to locate the parts you need and to notice what items need restocking.

And keep good records! As your stock gets low it is time to reorder. Don’t wait until the bin is empty! But, if this happens, just remember, J. Thomas offers next day and second day delivery. Depending on your location, normal delivery takes between 1-5 working days.

With these few tips in mind, a well stocked inventory can be obtained and a smoother running business can be achieved.

If you don’t want to be standing out in the cold arguing with a snow blower that doesn’t want to run, then do the annual maintenance before the snow starts flying. Regular maintenance will give you years of hassle free use and less attitude from your blower. Don’t forget the safety aspect, because without proper maintenance your snow blower could become a hazard.

Each fall before winter arrives; you should check all bolts, belts, and moving parts, to ensure they are not frayed, loose, or worn. Belts are best checked by removing and checking for cracks. Replace any worn parts, and tighten any loose bolts.

Turn your snow blower on its side and check the scraper bar. This is the bar that rubs against the ground and scrapes the snow off. This item wears, so check to see if it needs replacement. If you neglect to replace the bar when it is worn, it will lead to damage on the snow blower’s housing, and that will hurt your pocket book. In fact, if your snow blower gets a lot of use through out the season, check it regularly.

Check the rubber paddles and the rubber on the auger. If your finger fits between the rubber and the housing it’s time to replace the rubber. A new rubber will help your snow blower operate at its optimum performance levels.

Check tires for wear and proper inflation. Adjust as needed. If you have tire chains for your snow blower, have them handy or put them on in advance. There’s nothing worse than searching in the freezing cold, while trying to remember where you put the chains.

There are only two types of snow blower engines: The two cylinder engine which uses mixed gas and oil. You’ll just need to replace the spark plug on this style of engine.

If you have a four cylinder engine which uses straight gas, with the oil in the crank case just like your vehicle, you’ll need to change the oil, spark plug, and filter. You should also check the oil each time before you start it. Most four cylinders use 5W30 oil, and hold approx 20 ounces. Refer to your owner’s manual for the correct oil weight, and replacement part numbers.

Lube the drive and chassis. If you have two stage blower, make sure you check the lube in the gear box. Check with your owners manual whether you have a one stage or two stage. It will also tell you the type of lubricant to use.

If there was fuel left from the previous year, you’ll need to siphon it off, and fill the gas tank with fresh gasoline. It doesn’t hurt to add some methanol in with the fuel, once or twice a season, to avoid condensation from building up in the tank, or the carburetor icing up.