Paid $248 for an ignition coil for my 129...isn't that way too much?
 

Long story. Local auto repair shop that I've dealt with for years worked on it for me recently. Turned out to need a new coil, so they got one at the local hardware store. I'm told that the store rummaged around till they found one, and then it was in what looked like a really old box and (I think) is a genuine Kohler part. I talked to the auto repair guy (since he and I know each other for years) and he said he, too, thought the price way too high. Also he wonders if the hardware store sort of guessed at the price. Anyway, I've also contacted the hardware store but thus far I'm told they can't locate the transaction, so that's all still in the works. The lady I've been corresponding with there asked for more detail, so I looked up and sent the OEM part# as well as the tractor model. Seems like they are often sold as a "coil kit" (since it includes the wires), so maybe she'll have better luck with that. Otherwise she said that she'll have 16,000 transactions to look through to try to find it (?) Good grief... Anyway, what should this thing have cost even if was a Kohler? The auto repair shop thus far can't supply me with an invoice because they said the guy that does the billing is currently on vacation. That made no sense either since I was just there with my car and they readily produced a bill! Life is strange sometimes.

The local repair shop probably added 20-40% markup on the part they located for you.

I honestly don't think it would have been near that much, if any. I gave them alot of business over the last 40+ years and the current owner often give me a break on charges. I was surprised that they didn't even charge me to pick up and return the tractor - unless they built that cost into the cost of the coil! I doubt that also. I know the owner really well and he seemed genuinely shocked about the cost of the coil. I'm surprised he went ahead and bought it there. But, of course, maybe you're right. I'll pursue it a bit further since I would like to see if the store comes up with the transaction to determine the actual cost. The garage knows I'm doing this as well. The previous owner of the same garage was, quite simply, a crook, and would have flat out told me whatever I wanted to hear, and used to mark everything up. He even charged customers for work that was never done. So the new owner was the shop foreman under the old 'administration' and so is doing the best he can to turn around what became a bad reputation. What confuses people, though, is that both owners have the same first name!

Sorry - accidentally duplicated the post. Not sure what happened. What I'm curious about - which is the main reason I posted - is to find out what an approximate cost should have been - surely nowhere near $250. I have to look at the coil closely and see what labeling is on it, if any.

According to the parts lookup, they are around $160 from Cub Cadet. Aftermarket ones are available much cheaper, starting around $30. If it was actually a genuine Kohler part, I’d say it was probably on the higher side. Did this price include them diagnosing and changing the coil, or was the $248 just for the part? If the former, and they also picked up and delivered the tractor, I’d say that sounds pretty reasonable. Maybe even cheap. Of course the shop is going to add a markup and labor, that’s how they make money, which of course is the whole reason you go into business in the first place. If the price was just for the part, then I’d say yes, it was too much.

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Thanks for that info. The $248 was only the cost of the part. However, as I mentioned, not eveything was included on the shop's invoice. Nothing about transporting the Cub both ways, and also I know they worked on the points and reset the timing. Nothing was listed on that either. I mentioned those things and the boss told me, "no problem...we got what we needed out of it". He's really a great guy to deal with. Had he told me that the additional services were added to the overall parts total, that'd be fine, but since immediately he jumped into agreeing that he couldn't believe what the store charged him, makes me think that it was surely overcharged - regardless of what markup the shop tacked on, which I honestly suspect wasn't that much. They had the tractor well over a month, and knew I had called several times to ask about it, so I suspect they gave me a break on it. He's done that several times since I'm a longtime customer. Just such a shame that the previous owner overcharged people unmercifully and without any shame.

I'd still like to get more info on exactly what the shop paid the hardware store to buy the coil, as well as what price the hardware store actually charged the shop.

Thanks! I had looked on ccspecialties (being that I've bought parts through them before) but must have overlooked it. So...I'm seeing $56. Enough said I suppose. I'd like the store to show me where in their price sheets it lists over $200. Worth pursuing a bit more, but surely not making a big fuss over. I fail to understand why the show mechanic who went to get it was sent from the main hardware store section over to the other side of the business (separate building) where they basically have the garden supplies and an equipment rental business. It's the main store part that has all the automotive supplies and most everything else (not outside / garden related). It's interesting because I ran into the same situation there recently. Bought two 20 lb. bags of potting soil (in the garden section, of course) and it took the guy 10 minutes or so to come up with a price. First he leafed through this huge well-worn book that has price stickers from various items pasted or taped on the pages; so he's going through that - couldn't find anything - and then went on the computer and (assumedly) found it in there. I kept asking if I should just bring one of the bags back in so he could scan the barcode. Just sounds like something didn't go right. But, not worth creating any sort of substantial issue over.