+1First off repairing makes more money than replacing and if he’s seeing 10,000 to 20,000 dollar quotes there is no way 2500 is the cost of equipment unless the other companies are total crooks. Also when you upwards of 10,000 it’s probably high efficiency equipment which can run upwards of 6,000 and up.
My friend is not the one " cutting his own throat and hurting the industry ".
As for " repairing makes more money than replacing "...it depends on your level of experience , knowledge , and how many service calls a company requires a technician to make in a day.