$130 to "set up" a new bow, yikes

[psp8ball]

I'm reeling a bit from the sticker shock of what it cost to essentially move sights, rest, nose button, peep, from my old bow and put on a D loop. I realize they are providing a service, one that I'm happy to pay for, but could anyone help me understand how $130 is justified? I know that they square my rest/arrow to the bow, which is the main reason I bring it there, but what other things are done to a brand new bow to "set it up"?
Please help me understand so I don't have to feel like I got taken.

Thanks

 

[BBob]

My local shop: $15 with purchase of a new bow. No real tuning but installing everything and basic centering of the rest. They'll check cam timing and rough set a drop rest timing on the draw board to at least try to give you a good start.

 

[11boo]

You did not buy the bow there or it would be done free or less than 20 bucks.

 

[sodaksooner]

Seems high. Ive always done my own setup so have never had to worry about it. I'll throw everything on and the only thing I typically have a shop do is help me with peep setup, but even that I do most of the time. Very valuable skill to be able to work on your own equipment. If nothing else if you are out in the backcountry you can do minor repairs by yourself.

 

[TheBootBowhunting]

Did you buy the bow new from them? If so, yeah, they probably should help you out getting it set up.

If not, depends on what is involved in the 130. Are they going to have it hunt ready, paper tuned for your arrows and at least let you shoot to get your 20 yard pin set? Then no, I wouldnt say youve been taken. If they are just screwing the sight and rest on, tying a d loop and putting in a peep, then yeah, 130 is excessive for that.

If you are going to be heavy into archery/bowhunting, Id start piecing together the things you need to work on your own stuff. No one is going to care about your set up more than you. I go to the bow shop to buy the bow, and I do everything else. I know the way I want it done, and honestly, I enjoy working on bows. I can do anything they can do, but I dont have to wait for someone else to do it, and hope they did it right. Theres some satisfaction in all of it as well. If you are pulling the bow out a month before season and dont shoot much year round, then its probably not worth it buying a press, vice, tools, material, etc. $130 might just be the price youll have to pay.

That being said, getting everything dialed is a process. Its not as simple as unscrewing a rest from 1 bow and putting in on another. Checking ata, brace and draw length. Timing the cams, flipping top hats, dealing with cam lean, twisting cables, etc. Setting the rest timing, centershot, tying nock sets and d loops. Tuning the bow. If they are tuning it, you dont have much choice without your own stuff. Point is, get your own stuff!

 

[rodney482]

For $130 full set up..

Timed/Sync
I expect all 3 axis set
Paper Tune

And some range time

 

[Erict]

I just bought a new bow with new rest and 6 arrows. I transferred the sight and stabilizer from my old bow while arrows were being cut at the shop. Bow was set up, peep served in, all adjustments made, paper tuned on their fancy machine and I went out back to shoot a few in the indoor range before leaving the shop. Still have 5 hours of indoor range time if I want it. 2 weeks later, peep rotated and I opted to take it in instead of doing it myself. In and out door in 5 minutes. I paid for bow, rest, arrows - all set up was "free" (if you consider the price of the bow/rest/arrows I guess it really isn't "free").

 

[nphunter]

It's defiantly a specialty service they are offering in addition to their hard-earned knowledge of properly tuning a bow in a lot of cases. Besides, they lost out on the sale of a bow and if they set up all of the used bows for cheap everyone would just buy bows online or on craigslist.

If you don't want to pay that every time you need a bow setup buy a new bow from the shop. If you don't work on your own equipment and have to take the bow and arrows in each year to be tuned or set up it might end up costing you what a new bow with free labor would have in the first place.

 

[rj2]

Bowshops have a way of turning off potential future customers.. I see these posts all the time. They want people to come back and get some repeat business they shouldn't rip them off. Shop by me charged me over $50 to cut 2 dozen Arrows and glue inserts, maybe 15 minutes? So $200/hr for their time? HA!

Shops like that are the reason I do all my own bow work.

Place by my brother, they told him 20 cents per arrow. Guess which one will have returning customers?

 

[Trial153]

Fact is no matter what they charge is going to be too much because quite frankly way to many bow hunters think the shop should be doing it for nothing. I wouldn’t want any business that deals with hunters especially the run of the mill whitetail hunter, some of the biggest tight wads there are.

 

[LostArra]

If the shop has equipment that I don't care to own I would expect to be charged appropriately for their time, the use of the equipment and hopefully their expertise. I get a new/used bow about every decade so it's not a big expense in the big picture.

 

[doc holiday13]

not to sound snarky but you paid for a service, expertise, and some minimal materials.

This is retorical, but if you think you can do it better then you should offer bow tuning services on FB or CL and see how many people jump at it.. Bow shop has to keep the lights on with money generated outside of just selling bows and arrows

 

[Marble]

Bowshops have a way of turning off potential future customers.. I see these posts all the time. They want people to come back and get some repeat business they shouldn't rip them off. Shop by me charged me over $50 to cut 2 dozen Arrows and glue inserts, maybe 15 minutes? So $200/hr for their time? HA!

Shops like that are the reason I do all my own bow work.

Place by my brother, they told him 20 cents per arrow. Guess which one will have returning customers?

Shoot... mine doesn't charge me anything. I order arrows all the time and bring them in. I also buy from them too. I'll call to see if they are in stock but if they aren't, I just order them. They are totally ok with it.

Bought put last 3 bows there. They always treat me really well.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

 

[rj2]

Shoot... mine doesn't charge me anything. I order arrows all the time and bring them in. I also buy from them too. I'll call to see if they are in stock but if they aren't, I just order them. They are totally ok with it.

Bought put last 3 bows there. They always treat me really well.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

What a concept! A shop treats you well, and doesn't rip you off, and you give them repeat business!

I bet, if the first time you went in there, they ripped you off like over $50 to cut arrows or $130 to bolt some accessories on a bow, you wouldn't have gone back.

So the shops choose to make an extra $40 off a new customer instead of having a customer for life. No wonder they all struggle to keep the doors open.

 

[Laramie]

That's why I use Scheels. They work on his for free with the hope you buy products from them. I give them 100% of my business. They always staff quality archery guys that know their stuff. If one is close to you, give them a try. Great customer service.

 

[Reburn]

What a concept! A shop treats you well, and doesn't rip you off, and you give them repeat business!

I bet, if the first time you went in there, they ripped you off like over $50 to cut arrows or $130 to bolt some accessories on a bow, you wouldn't have gone back.

So the shops choose to make an extra $40 off a new customer instead of having a customer for life. No wonder they all struggle to keep the doors open.

As a business owner I respectgully disagree. I dont ever do work for free hoping that one day someone will buy something from me. I'm not willing to eat direct costs and indirect costs.

Whats even better is when you do something for free or reduced cost and that same person complains and wants you to warranty something they messed up. No good deed goes unpunished.

 

[Billy Goat]

Would a tire shop install tires you bought from the internet for free?


Then when you have a blowout 3 days later, you can't get anywhere with the internet site you purchased from so now you are pissed at the shop.



Same thing, arrows are smaller scale, but I wouldn't be providing free labor and in tern accepting some responsibility.

I'd probably charge a $1-$1.50 an arrow to cut tho, but my income isn't dependant on it so I don't know.

I have entertained the idea of opening a shop with a few others, seems like a poor investment to me, maybe pre internet, but now everyone wants to handle product, then save $5 ordering online.

 

[cnelk]

The OP forgot to mention how the bow shot after they were done working on it...

 

[cuttiebrownbow]

If they set up the bow correctly (proper DL, timing dead nuts, centershot, rest timing and peep with zero twist, sight leveled and all 3 axis set) then got it shooting fletched paper tuned my shimming/yokes then that is worth it IMO.

That solid foundation will set you up for success.


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[Rob5589]

That's why I use Scheels. They work on his for free with the hope you buy products from them. I give them 100% of my business. They always staff quality archery guys that know their stuff. If one is close to you, give them a try. Great customer service.

Not a fair comparison. A large, nation wide corp vs a small local shop.

Never been in one but, have ordered online with positive results.