Small engine certifications
#6561220
06/23/19 09:02 PM
06/23/19 09:02 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791 North Georgia
grousehunter
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: patfundine]
#6561240
06/23/19 09:37 PM
06/23/19 09:37 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 843 upstate NY
Mr. Ed
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upstate NY
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: Scuba1]
#6561361
06/24/19 04:44 AM
06/24/19 04:44 AM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,964 Pillager, Minnesota
patfundine
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Posts: 1,964
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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 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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: grousehunter]
#6561393
06/24/19 07:07 AM
06/24/19 07:07 AM
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Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,803 Greene County,Virginia
run
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 14,803
Greene County,Virginia
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: grousehunter]
#6561557
06/24/19 12:31 PM
06/24/19 12:31 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791 North Georgia
grousehunter
OP
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
North Georgia
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: grousehunter]
#6561749
06/24/19 06:49 PM
06/24/19 06:49 PM
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 714 Stanton Mi.
BigJoe.
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Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 714
Stanton Mi.
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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
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: grousehunter]
#6561756
06/24/19 07:09 PM
06/24/19 07:09 PM
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791 North Georgia
grousehunter
OP
trapper
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OP
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,791
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: grousehunter]
#6561909
06/24/19 11:09 PM
06/24/19 11:09 PM
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,964 Pillager, Minnesota
patfundine
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Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 1,964
Pillager, Minnesota
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: patfundine]
#6561914
06/24/19 11:14 PM
06/24/19 11:14 PM
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 843 upstate NY
Mr. Ed
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 843
upstate NY
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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.
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Re: Small engine certifications
[Re: grousehunter]
#6562159
06/25/19 01:54 PM
06/25/19 01:54 PM
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150 Tennessee
Scuba1
"color blind Kraut"
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"color blind Kraut"
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 16,150
Tennessee
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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."
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