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My floor sander blew a belt mid-job last Tuesday and I lost a whole day
Was halfway through refinishing a 900sqft hardwood floor in Brookline when the belt snapped - no backup and the supply house was closed. How do you guys handle unexpected equipment failures without eating the whole cost?
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jennybailey3d ago
Wait, you didn't have a spare belt on the truck? That's wild honestly. I always carry at least two spare belts for each sander because the supply house near me is closed on weekends too. For me, I'd just eat the loss of that day and add a small "equipment delay" fee to the next job to make up for it.
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the_felix3d ago
@jennybailey has a good point about extra belts, but what about failures that aren't just consumables? Were you able to bill the client for the lost day since the machine broke, or did you just eat the full cost of your labor for Tuesday? I've always wondered how other contractors handle that fine line between equipment maintenance being our problem versus the job's problem.
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You carried TWO spare belts for EACH sander? That's like running a mobile hardware store bro. I just cross my fingers and hope the belt gods are with me that day.
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