He gets to do what he loves and gets a few dollars to put alot of information to DIYers like us out there for free ,same with the PP crowd ,no harm in keeping that alive.The money for tools and such is like you said ,up to your judgement .Knowledge without being too heady ,he sticks to the subject matter and gets you on your way.Production value done by his daughter in law is quality and he puts a real effort in every piece of advise for the storefront website.I would say he cares ,email your concerns ,I bet he gives you a response back .

I've always liked them, here's a post I made on benzworld about them

Now That's Customer Service! - Mercedes-Benz Forum

As others have said, there are cheaper places to buy the parts and tools for a job, but there is a lot to be said for buying a kit that you know has all the parts you need to to complete the job, as well as the odd special wrench or whatever you may need. The instructions sometimes have a useful tip or two as well.

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2004 F150 4.6L -My Daily
2007 Volvo XC70 -Wife's Daily
1998 Ford F150 -Rear ended
1989 J-spec 420SEL -passed onto its new keeper
1982 BMW 733i -fixed and traded for the 420SEL
2003 Volvo V70 5 Speed -scrapped
1997 E290 Turbo Diesel Wagon -traded for above
1992 BMW 525i -traded in
1990 Silver 300TE -hated the M103
1985 Grey 380SE Diesel Conversion, 2.47 rear end, ABS -Sold, really should have kept this one
1979 Silver 300D "The Silver Slug" -Sold

X2, first purchase from KB was a GP reamer. It came with illustrated direction that if followed makes the job a breeze.
On my first GP change on a 617 I tried w/o removing the hard lines, because I thought I knew more than KB did. I will never try it my way again.

Kent is a great guy. He's a huge help to the community and a lot of things come with free instructions. I've never bought stuff from Kent, but if I need to I would. I've also watched a lot of his videos.

I don't really consider him a salesman or a con like you think. He's running a business and he has a great level of knowledge on mercedes. He's going to charge accordingly. nothing is free. its not like you can go up to a mechanic and ask him for free step-by-step instructions on how to do a head gasket. If he gave his knowledge for free, how would he make any money?

I've purchased products from him and would do it again He's great.

I forgot to mention that I don't know what's up with the Trucktec oil cooler line, but that's the only thing he sells that makes me wonder. His description makes it sound like it's a specially-made part. If it's just the standard Trucktec one then he's usually way more on the ball about what parts are good and not. I mean, as far as I know he's the only source left for an OEM oil filter housing-to-block gasket (the waffle ones as opposed to the cheapie paper kind) and wouldn't sell the junk ones.

I'd probably have to buy the Chinese Trucktec line and compare it directly to his to say for sure. I really hope he wouldn't get the leaky Chinese one and talk it up, that would be pretty weird.

-Rog

I haven't really bought anything from Kent and his company in a long time, but it was his kits that initially got me wrenching on my own, way back... middle of last decade, I think?

As I don't need the kits and instructions for most stuff anymore, I tend not to buy from him anymore. I can get stuff more inexpensively and quicker.

But, for the first time amateur mechanic on these cars, I absolutely would recommend buying from him. Just my $0.02.

I like the videos. They’re entertaining. Sometimes I think a little of the material is overblown - like some solutions presented aren’t really necessary or are overkill. But overall I don’t have a problem with his kits. I buy stuff from there a couple times a year...for the last 13 Years. Prices are actually pretty good on some items. Seriously I’ve found a few items there cheaper than elsewhere though it is a rare occasion.

Do you need his handmade bushing pliers? No, you can use a socket and a screw to make your own press. I don’t buy stuff like this.

I recall getting a good deal on a glowplug reamer there.

Mostly I envy the guy for having so much fun and getting paid to do it while employing his kids.

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79 300TD “Old Smokey” AKA “The Mistake” (SOLD)
82 240D stick shift 335k miles (SOLD)
82 300SD 300k miles
85 300D Turbodiesel 170k miles
97 C280 147k miles

When i bought my w123 a year and a half ago i was CLUELESS. I had no idea what I was looking at. Now I laugh because, had I got the car with the knowledge I have now I'd have had it running better pulling out of the POs driveway.

I had grown up around Mercedes and german cars my whole life but never was familiar with diesels. Kent literally taught me everything I needed to know (of coarse I've learned alot from this forum as well). I've found the convenience of having his directions and tools in a kit are great even though the parts can be had for less. Even his free videos are really informative, like the one on checking timing chain stretch for example.

Isn't that the truth.... I bought my 300td 1000 miles away from home, boy was I clueless. If I'd known half what I know now, that trip would have gone so much smoother...

Kent seems like a decent guy, he runs a successful business, so he's doing something right. With the internet, people expect information to be free these days, but he makes his money by selling information. I don't see the big deal.

I've never bought anything from him, but the PO of my car did. It came with a few kits, GP reamer, some touchup paint, instructions for various other parts that were installed. They're honestly pretty well put together.

I agree with some of his methodologies, disagree with others, but that's just human nature. He runs a business, he's not a DIYer, so as a professional mechanic he's going to do things a bit differently. As a DIYer, it's more cost effective for me to spent a few hours tinkering to avoid buying parts, when I was a professional mechanic it was cheaper for everyone if I just replaced a part, or just went and bought a special tool rather than making it myself.

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1984 300TD -- summer daily driver
Many others that aren't Mercedes...

OK, how about you reporting him the BBB and posting the results here?

His videos are alright. Though, he did crack me up on this one:

https://mercedes source dot com/store/107-123-126-chassis-monovalve-heater-repair-kit-instructions


I've never drained any coolant from any monovalve ever.

On an unrelated note, it does seem that Kent's monovalve is now the cheapest place to source a replacement if he ever gets around to getting them in stock.

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-Typos courtesy of my mobile phone.

I don't have a problem with Kent, for the novice I am sure his kits are great. I sometimes watch his videos when I am board just to get his take on a particular topic. I just do not have a use personally for any of his kits although I did see something he had about a repair for broken seat springs. I am sure if I hunted around I could find the spring piece he is selling in a kit but may order one just to see what all is involved in it.

You should be able to find said springs (and much more) at a good upholstery shop.

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1984 300TD -- summer daily driver
Many others that aren't Mercedes...

I'll probably be buying Kent's turbo rebuild kit.

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617 swapped Toyota Pickup, 22-24 MPG, 50k miles on swap