Regarding Small engine repairs.....please read this

[+subby1]

Bring your broken machines (chainsaws, weed eaters, trimmers, leaf blowers, etc.) to me BEFORE you attempt to fix them yourself. I know a lot of men out there simply can't resist tinkering with things like this, BUT when they do, then bring them to me, you've just bumped your price of repairs UP. This winds up costing you more money than if you had just left it alone in the first place....usually about $25-30 more. I have not had too many pcommers do this, but I have had a few other guys outside the pcom world bring me BRAND NEW chainsaws and things that they tried to fix themselves, and ended up damaging components, that wound up costing them more. For instance, I've had a customer bring me a chainsaw that had less than 2 hours on it. All it needed was a simple adjustment. But after he had fooled around with it, he ended up scoring the throttle body of the carburetor, and warped the butterfly valve, which damaged the carburetor, mechanically. Yeah....I still managed to fix it without them having to buy a new carb (which is EXPENSIVE), but it still took another hour of my time to undo the damage he caused.

 

I certainly understand a man's mentality ("just watch me fix this thing myself, and my wife will be so proud of me") only to wind up costing more in the end, after a failed attempt, thus costing them more for ME to straighten out the damage. Listen folks, my rates are really low for what I provide, so why bother with even trying? These small 2-stroke carb's are a lot more complex than most guys think. And the parts are very fragile. Unless you've been trained or at least had several years of experience in rebuilding them, then my advice would be to just leave it be...bring it to me, and let me fix it for you. My gurantee on my work is also NOT covered on the repair if the customer has been inside the machine themselves....no different than any manufacturer would be about such a thing. Sure, I can fix it, and they almost NEVER come back needing additional work, but that's because I have to spend another hour or so undoing the damage caused.

 

So, LADIES......when your hubby wants to take a stab at trying to fix the machine himself, you may want to give him this information beforehand. It will save you problems and money in the long run, and I can also guarantee the work, after I am done.

 

Folks, I am probably more fair about my business than anyone I know in this trade. Not only will I fix the machine to last for years, if you follow some simple instructions (which I provide for you) but also show the customer how to make minor adjustments YOURSELF, so that these can be handled out in the field, saving you another trip down to see me. It may not be the most lucrative way to do business, but it's certainly the most FAIR way to do business, in my opinion. Most of today's carburetors are built on such a way as to prevent the consumer from adjusting them. Since this is not California, I often remove or modify these things so that I can show the customer how to make small adjustments themselves, and modify the machines, so that such adjustments can be made without any special tools.

 

The mentality that designers use in modern small engines is simple- they employ what would be adjustable parts (jet adjustments and such) and make them in a way that PREVENTS you from making those adjustments yourself. You are only going to further damage the machine without the necessary knowledge in how to accomplish this. I handle this for you during the repair work, and pass that modification on to you, so your machine is no longer a money-pit. It's the manufacturer's desire for you to buy a new machine, then when the adjustments fall out, you have to trash it and go ANOTHER ONE. I do away with that junk, so you can maintain your own machine after I have worked my magic on it.

 

People do not have the extra money to do things like that nowadays, so it's part of my policy to make your machine user-friendly, and give you (the owner) a measure of control over adjusting certain things. In the old days, all carbs were made that way. In teh state of CA, there is a myriad of regulations regarding emissions, that unfortunately misses the point (and opens up a whole new way for the manufacturers to make you have to buy, buy, buy.....spend all that money on that you don't need to spend, no could afford to spend).

 

The whole idea is financial vulgar to the consumer, IMO. And the LAST thing I want is for you to have to bring me back the SAME machine I already fixed. You already paid me for a job, and my goal is that you get your money's worth, so I try my best to do that for you. I have had ONE mower come back to me all year.....pretty darn good record, if you ask me. Guarantee's are a good thing, but the best guarantee is that your machine LASTS you a long time, so you don't have to bring it back. All that time spent, loading it back up, taking time our of your busy day to bring it back. Not to mention many shops will still charge you SOMETHING along the way. That's not a guarantee, in my book....not the best of them anyway.

 

So fellers....yall suck up your pride, and leave that sucker alone when it stops running right. Bring it to me, I'll get er done RIGHT the first time around, AND show you some tips on how to keep it running PERFECT without the need of you spending anymore money. I do this so I can pay my bills, but I also do this to save YOU money too. We are all in the same economic boat....so my philosophy is to let's "help each other out".

 

Sorry this was so long, but I really feel bad when someone has a go at trying to fix their machine, only to bring it to me (sometimes in pieces)...this will only cost you more money, in the long run. I have figure out what YOU did to it, which takes me more time to do the repair. And we all know that time is money.

 

Again- I aint trying to jump on no one...I'm only trying to help you save your money. Lord knows, we ALL need to be saving every nickel we can!!!

 

Thank you all for your business you've brought me. It's a real pleasure to fix things for people without taking them for a ride. After you;ve done business with me once, I'm sure you'll be back with more after you see how I do things, and how well your machine operates after I am finished. 50% or more of my business is from repeat customers, so give me a shot- I WON'T let you down!!! And I will equip you with a little knowledge along the way, to save you from having to bring anything back....that I already fixed for you.

 

Thanks again, and sorry this was so long. I just really hate to have to charge more, and invalidate my guarantees for things that have been messed with prior to seeing me.

[jdcutshall]

The grass hasn't stopped growing yet and I'm not giving up my tractor til it does You will get it before the end of the year because that deck belt has got to be replaced and I hate messing up my hands to do it.

[+subby1]

The grass hasn't stopped growing yet and I'm not giving up my tractor til it does You will get it before the end of the year because that deck belt has got to be replaced and I hate messing up my hands to do it. <_>

 

I'm all over it! Just bring it on. While this past week's weather did bother me a little bit (okay, a WHOLE lot) I still know that it was just a freak thing, and the grass should still be doing well until late November. I did manage to take in a LOT of weed eaters and blowers today though, and a generator yesterday. I just hope the winter items keep coming....at least enough for me to keep up my house payments up to date. We've already changed our eating habits (lots of soups, crocked roasts, sammich meat and bread, Ramon Noodles, etc.) just getting ready for the crunch time.

 

If I can make it through the winter, then I can carry out my plans to expand things some, take in more work, hire some drivers, a phone/receptionist gal, and that sort of thing. I am still hesitant to hire another mechanic though. I just have this problem with trusting someone with the actual mechanic work. But a phone person, and a couple of deliver/pick up guys should free me up to get a lot more work done. The last thing I want is for the quality to suffer.

 

[Guard dad]

Man...I hate it when my butterfly warps.

[+subby1]

Man...I hate it when my butterfly warps.

 

You nut!!!

[lumak]

Man...I hate it when my butterfly warps.