labor guide books

[mikeselky85]

dont see much discussion as to what some of you guys use to determine labor rates. we have a computer based system at my work, but i was looking into one of the chilton labor guide books to keep in the tool box and to use for side work. has anybody used one and are they good?

i own 80s cars so im looking for something that can cover newerish... cars back to the 80s

 

[chris142]

We have the "real time labor it guide" and its wrong more than its right. Unfortunately we don't have enough business to go with alldata that every other shop uses

 

[txvwnut]

It's been a while since I looked but I've bought a few ebay.

 

[Super Mech]

I use Alldata and Mitchell. I find them to be hit or miss. You have to remember something, the times they post are for new cars, not cars that have been on the road for 10+ years and have rusted fasteners and such.
Always look at the job carefully before quoting off a labor guide. Most times I add some time to whatever it calls for. If you are quoting over the phone add at least .7 hrs to the job if you are not familiar with it.

 

[Nekit]

I don't do $ repairs very often, but have used RepairPal app on my iPhone. It's free and gives you an idea of what labor time will be.

 

[TOOLFREEQ]

I don't work in a a shop, I do mechanic work on the side so its been a big challenge of mine trying to find a comparable labor estimates. I found a web site called repairpal.com and that dilemma is history!! Its very accurate from my experience and also gives great tips that can be a huge help if your quoting a job you have never done before.
+1 for repairpal.com

 

[mikeselky85]

I normally just use the system at my work, but I was looking for something more portable, something I can flip through in my toolbox. I know none are 100% accurate, problems we deal with doing it professionally.