Clutch troubles 2000 ford ranger.

Ok here is my problem. Last night while driving in Austin stop and go traffic, when I attempted to take off from a stop I could not shift into 1st (or any gear) w/o having to force it a bit harder than normal. There was not grinding or any other noises coming from the shift when I did this, nor is there any play in my clutch (feels normal). I drove it to a transmission place in Killeen and the guy there said that it may be my master cylincer going out. I noticed that its still a little rough getting into first from a stop, but not as bad as it was. The mech quoted me 700 bucks to replace the clutch and the cylinder, does this seem a bit high? Also is the cylinder the problem? It does not seem to stick or become hard when Im shifting on the highway, only when Im moving from a dead stop mostly. It also does not slip from gear. The mech also stated that I could wait until the end of the month to get it taken care of.

Anyways thanks for your time

Most likely you have a leak in the clutch master,or slave cylinder,or possibly the line connecting them. The cylinders can also leak internally.

Have you tried pumping the pedal before shifting into first?

I remember someone saying that the cost to replace a clutch was about $600. So I'd think that $700 for both the master cylinder and clutch is about right.

Best Regards,
Stan