This forum will be dead soon.

[MowerNick]

I hear that guys. Im in massachussettes and at 35 yrs old im the youngest guy around here. Its a shame. Id love to find a young guy to train.

 

[PTmowerMech]

Right now it is not the repairing of older that is the problem here it is the new equipment. I done ran into one Briggs engine that was only two years old that I couldn't get parts for. And a one year old Lincon engine that I could not get a carb rebuild kit for or any other parts. Yet a 20 yr old Tecumseh I could get parts for. And the original Tecumseh has been out the business since 2009.

It might not be a bad idea to grab a bunch of engine from the scrap yard and get them running. Theirs a ton of them that get thrown away that just need something minor, like a carb rebuild.
When I first got into this business, this is how I made most of my money.
And to be honest, it was more profitable and less time consuming.

I betcha the scrap yards in California are a gold mine of used equipment.

 

[PTmowerMech]

This is the BEST mower forum on the net. Great group of people on here.

My comment was about all these companies leaving the gas mower biz. Honda, Snapper and numerous others are basically gone. New mowers or should I say good mowers are hard to find now. Like the older Snappers that live for 50 plus years and still going strong today. Who is left out there like this?

I watched two video's yesterday of shops closing down. One was due to health issues and moving. One was Steve's small engine saloon. Except for Youtube content he's going to keep doing, he's taking my route. Only doing his friends and family repairs. His complaints are about the same as ours.

 

[MowerNick]

I thought i saw a video of chickanic closing as well.

 

[ILENGINE]

I thought i saw a video of chickanic closing as well.

Hers is more of a relocate, closing. Basically lost or gave up their current location, but seem to be moving into their new building at their home location. And shops closing is not a new thing.

For the most part the shop owners and techs are getting older with nobody moving up to take their place, but a another big thing that is leading to a shortage of repair location is just the dynamic of the equipment that is being sold. More of the consumer lines are ending production and being replaced with foreign import products with no service. So more of the repair work is going to be on the commercial products side.

I have personally been having strong thoughts of moving my business/career in a new direction or calling it quits myself.

 

[PTmowerMech]

I thought i saw a video of chickanic closing as well.

Yes, her husband needs a new hip. They're moving out of the rental. I think they're downsizing to a shop at their home.

 

[upupandaway]

I watched two video's yesterday of shops closing down. One was due to health issues and moving. One was Steve's small engine saloon. Except for Youtube content he's going to keep doing, he's taking my route. Only doing his friends and family repairs. His complaints are about the same as ours.

He is quitting because he only has so many beers to try....

 

[Hammermechanicman]

I have been fixing mowers as a side hustle for over 20 years. Retired from the day job in 2019 and took the shop full time. The only shops left around me are the big dealers that make their money on sales. All the repair only shops are gone. I have run the numbers and if I wanted to open a commercial shop not on my property I would have to be a brand dealer and have about $75k to start the business. Repairs only wouldn't cut it. If I went back to doing handyman work I could probably make $100k a year working 18 hour days. No thanks, will stick to my little no overhead shop.

Great handyman vid

 

[StarTech]

Right I am operating as a non profit as I am only charging at cost the parts and not even charging for the labor. But of course me and the IRS are fighting. So why should make more money just to pay more taxes when they would even pay me what they owe me.

 

[Hammermechanicman]

You don't like it with uncle Joe's hands in your pockets?