Cost of Small Engine Repair/Work

AKavanaughSC

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I've messed around with and fixed/repaired my own equipment all my life, so by no means am I an expert, but I have some experience. At the beginning of this year's season, and as a favor to one of my neighbors, I repaired their push lawnmower and they "thanked" me on our neighborhood website. That resulted in a few more people getting in touch with me thinking I'm some small engine repair service. There is generally one small engine repair shop in town, and they are pretty outrageous on their service prices, so I don't mind helping out some neighbors. It also puts some cash in my pocket and I slightly enjoy messing around with small engines, plus the more one works on the them, the more invaluable experience they gain.

But... I have no idea what to charge. For example, next up on the block is "a mower that won't run". Follow questions and answers and I get that the mower has sat since the middle of last year, not drained, with ethanol gas. So, say it's a dirty carb and a simple cleaning fixes the issue, how much? Obviously if I have to order parts or replace parts the cost will be passed on, but say its a replacement carb, how much in addition to parts?

I'm sure the replies will vary, but I'm just looking for some insight. Thanks in advance.
 

Darryl G

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That's why most shops bill by the hour and not the job, and why they charge a diagnosis fee before they do any repair work on it.

I'd be careful doing what you're considering. It could end up causing issues with your neighbors. People tend to blame anything and everything on whoever worked on their equipment last, even when they are new issues unrelated to the original issue... basically the "you touch it, you own it" mentality. Prepare yourself to be blamed for all manner of things that you had nothing to do with.Then there are potential liability issues if a piece of equipment you worked on causes injury to someone or catches fire or whatever. IMO it's one thing to help out a neighbor and an entirely different one to start doing it for hire. It could end up being more of a hassle than it's worth.
 

reynoldston

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I am a retired mechanic but do mowers and cycles repairs as a part time job or hobby. I buy all my parts retail and pay the sales taxes as I buy them or off of the internet. I charge around a 25% mark up on the parts. My labor I start at around 100 dollars per day depending on the job and time taken for the repair plus parts. When I say a days work its with a lot of breaks and maybe a afternoon nap. I get payed in cash and no receipts. This keeps me away from any repair records, taxes, and zoning laws. I seem to get all the work I want to do just by word of mouth. I don't want to charge by the hour because then it becomes too much like a job.
 

motoman

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People being like they are 95% will be honest in dealings (too high?), but I would consider what happens if you run into that other lot who like to lawyer up. Without starting the lawyer jokes ( they are fun, aren't they), just answering a lawyer requires a lawyer and that costs . You know your house insurance contains "slip and fall" insurance for "guests" in your home. Small distance to a spinning blade manned by a doofus home gardener who hurts himself and wants someone to blame. A lousy picture of humanity. Glad no one on this forum is like that.

Mix in the fact that full time mechanics need to earn a living wage and to protect themselves (insurance), may have a brick mortar workshop , etc and the ?$70 to $80 per hour begins to seem reasonable. So a rough rule of thumb says start at 1/2, but $35 /hr may seem high to some.

I wish we still lived in the "innocent time." Professionals should comment . I am only a consumer who appreciates honest, hard working mechanics,:thumbsup:
 

ILENGINE

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The average flat rate time for carb clean and repair is 45 minutes to an hour. Have had to charge up to 4 hours because a CC I worked on required removing the blower housing from the engine to remove the intake manifold to get to the carb mounting screws. To remove the blower housing required removing the engine from the mower. The going labor rate is $70+/hr.

And be aware that anything that goes wrong could come back to bite you. Had a customer threw the chain off of his saw last year cutting brush, and I reinstalled the chain, educated the customer on proper operation of the saw, and then had to file an insurance claim on that customer when he was injured by that saw the next day, when the chain came off again requiring 46 stitches to the leg. The thing is he wasn't operating the saw, His son was. Son pulled the saw out of the cut and struck his father with the running saw. Insurance paid for his medical bills and it was determined that it was by no fault of me, so wasn't charged against my policy.
 
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I did a regular tune up on a tiller yesterday for a buddy of mine. His son couldn't start it to till the garden.....

Well 1st thing was that the spark plug boot was tore up.
2nd thing the wrong plug was in there..... He had a RJ 19 for a L Head instead of a 12YC for a OHV
3rd thing the air FILTERS Yes both of them were bad, the pre filter and the main one had dirt dauber nests in the plural form in there... How,,,,, ?? I have no idea... ???

4th thing he had the same thing with the dirt daubers under the air shroud on the head fins...

This is a 5.5 HP Briggs slant cylinder engine........

So I got the air shroud and tank off then pressure washed all that off. Put all that back on and started tilling a small patch of ground........

Parts and Labor ran him 55 bux and that was cheap for that job ~!~!

Like I said it was for a buddy and I do all his stuff............

Hope this helps ~!~!
 
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