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Small engine certifications #6561220
06/23/19 09:02 PM
06/23/19 09:02 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
grousehunter Offline OP
trapper
grousehunter  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
Currently working as a master certified heavy duty diesel mechanic at a reputable dealership. I like what I do, and I dont want to change careers. However, I really like toying around with small engines. Mowers and such. I want to turn this into a serious side job. I have seen in my career that having certifications helps sell our labor. I want to get certified for small engines for the same reason. Does anyone here have small engine certifications? How do you get them? I looked over the ASE website and didn't see anything for small engines. Is there an equivalent out there? Thanks.


Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561230
06/23/19 09:16 PM
06/23/19 09:16 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,964
Pillager, Minnesota
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patfundine Offline
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Pillager, Minnesota
Don't waste your time on small engine certificates. Do good work and earn a name for yourself. Way more money

Re: Small engine certifications [Re: patfundine] #6561240
06/23/19 09:37 PM
06/23/19 09:37 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 843
upstate NY
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Mr. Ed Offline
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Posts: 843
upstate NY
Originally Posted by patfundine
Don't waste your time on small engine certificates. Do good work and earn a name for yourself. Way more money


Ditto on that. I had opened a small engine shop part time years ago and did good work. Had to give it up after less than 2 yrs since it was turning into a full-time job. I even had other shops coming to me for repairs and parts. If you do good work, they will find you.

Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561326
06/23/19 11:34 PM
06/23/19 11:34 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Certs in that kind of work are not worth doing. And lets be honest the majority of the work on those engines it prodding varnish and grass clippings out of carburetors grin


Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: Scuba1] #6561361
06/24/19 04:44 AM
06/24/19 04:44 AM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,964
Pillager, Minnesota
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patfundine Offline
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Originally Posted by Scuba1
Certs in that kind of work are not worth doing. And lets be honest the majority of the work on those engines it prodding varnish and grass clippings out of carburetors grin



Very true.




99% of the people I've meet with formal training on small engines are not very good working on them. knowledge of them is best learned "hands on".

I have been to John Deere Universtity, for golf course equipment - I have a really nice certificate to prove it, but that's about all I ever got from it.
I recently completed the Silver Level Tech through Stihl - I have about 6 certificates from them, they look nice.
At some point I will finish my Husqvarna Tech classes -
I have concidered a welding certificate - but working on a rusted mower deck doesn't require certifications.

Non of my certifications have or will effect my pay.



The worst part of being good at small engines is all the work. Your phone will ring all the time. Your friends will want everything fixed for free. You will go to a relatives house for christmas and they will want the snowblower fixed. You will be trying to get your camper ready for next weekend, and your cousin will dump a mower in your garage. They all want something and offer nothing in return, because "It's just a couple minutes". They don't realized that you hear that all day long.

Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561393
06/24/19 07:07 AM
06/24/19 07:07 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,803
Greene County,Virginia
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run Offline
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Greene County,Virginia
I have an older friend that does small engine repair and he said he would rather fix cars. He is a Stihl dealer.


wanna be goat farmer.
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561557
06/24/19 12:31 PM
06/24/19 12:31 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
grousehunter Offline OP
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grousehunter  Offline OP
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
I appreciate the advice guys. I'll just keep going the route I've been going. I get the everyone wants something for free deal. Everybody knows I work on trucks and cars and wear me out lol.


Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561661
06/24/19 04:06 PM
06/24/19 04:06 PM
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 780
Indiana
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DanN Offline
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 780
Indiana
I worked at a Stihl dealer and went to the training schools , they have different levels bronze, silver, and gold level and I learned very little from what I already knew. Not worth the time. Most of the reps also know little about the insides of their products and just know how to peddle the products to dealers with smooth talk. When asked technical specifics they pretty much always say they will have to get back with you. If you are a good mechanic and work on small engines , you will soon get more business than you can handle even without certification training.

Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561749
06/24/19 06:49 PM
06/24/19 06:49 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 714
Stanton Mi.
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BigJoe. Offline
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Stanton Mi.
One of my neighbors down the road does small engine repair (mostly lawnmowers) his driveway and yard are full. I bet he has 20 in his drive way and yard most days. He stays busy. When I stopped by last summer none of them had tags or repair orders on them. Organization is key. Word of mouth will be better than any certificate. Good luck.


Michigan Trappers and Predator Callers Association Director at Large
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561756
06/24/19 07:09 PM
06/24/19 07:09 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
grousehunter Offline OP
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grousehunter  Offline OP
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North Georgia
Like I said, I work at a dealership. So I'll try and apply some things I've learned there like work orders, key tags, maybe a small parts inventory and such. I take a lot of pride in my work, so I just wanna try and do this right. I appreciate the patience and answers guys.


Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6561909
06/24/19 11:09 PM
06/24/19 11:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,964
Pillager, Minnesota
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patfundine Offline
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Originally Posted by grousehunter
Like I said, I work at a dealership. So I'll try and apply some things I've learned there like work orders, key tags, maybe a small parts inventory and such. I take a lot of pride in my work, so I just wanna try and do this right. I appreciate the patience and answers guys.



Things you will need to have on hand.

Bolts and nuts.
Oil - 10-30, 5-30, 20-50, and 30. 2 cycle mix.
Spark plugs - common stuff J19LM, CJ6, J17LM, BPMR7A, RDJ7.
Air filters - mostly push mowers
Weed whip line.
oil filters. NAPA#s 1394, 1348, 7035 - will get most riding mowers.
Pull start cord.
fuel filters - there's about three common ones for chain saws. NAPA 3011 will do most riding mowers.
I have lots of plastic coffee cans full of old carbs, and new parts and kits.
A couple cases of carb and brake cleaner.



Keep this stuff around and it will save you tons of time. It will mean the difference between fixing it now, and fixing it tomorrow when you have the spark plug you need.

Re: Small engine certifications [Re: patfundine] #6561914
06/24/19 11:14 PM
06/24/19 11:14 PM
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 843
upstate NY
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Mr. Ed Offline
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upstate NY
Originally Posted by patfundine
Originally Posted by grousehunter
Like I said, I work at a dealership. So I'll try and apply some things I've learned there like work orders, key tags, maybe a small parts inventory and such. I take a lot of pride in my work, so I just wanna try and do this right. I appreciate the patience and answers guys.



Things you will need to have on hand.

Bolts and nuts.
Oil - 10-30, 5-30, 20-50, and 30. 2 cycle mix.
Spark plugs - common stuff J19LM, CJ6, J17LM, BPMR7A, RDJ7.
Air filters - mostly push mowers
Weed whip line.
oil filters. NAPA#s 1394, 1348, 7035 - will get most riding mowers.

Pull start cord.
fuel filters - there's about three common ones for chain saws. NAPA 3011 will do most riding mowers.
I have lots of plastic coffee cans full of old carbs, and new parts and kits.
A couple cases of carb and brake cleaner.



Keep this stuff around and it will save you tons of time. It will mean the difference between fixing it now, and fixing it tomorrow when you have the spark plug you need.



back when I had my shop,if you had a place to keep junkers,there was good money in used parts like shrouds,pull cord covers,heads etc. I use to use a corner of my fathers barn for anything thing I found along the road or that was given to me.

Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6562087
06/25/19 10:46 AM
06/25/19 10:46 AM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
grousehunter Offline OP
trapper
grousehunter  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
That's awesome. Thank you so much.


Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6562159
06/25/19 01:54 PM
06/25/19 01:54 PM
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
Scuba1 Offline
"color blind Kraut"
Scuba1  Offline
"color blind Kraut"

Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
A few feet of different diameters of the thin fuel lines are good to keep within reach. That stuff gets hard from the ethanol that people insist on using and then cracks. Other then that Pat's list is spot on.


Let's go Brandon

"Shall not comply" with morons who don't understand "shall not infringe."
Re: Small engine certifications [Re: grousehunter] #6562274
06/25/19 06:57 PM
06/25/19 06:57 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
grousehunter Offline OP
trapper
grousehunter  Offline OP
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
Thanks.


Si vis pacem, para bellum.
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