Small engine mechanic

Small engine mechanics service and repair equipment like snowmobiles, jet skis, chainsaws, and lawn mowers. Typically they work out of their garage or they may contract with a larger company to repair equipment for their customers.

To become a small engine mechanic, you must be able to understand small 2- and 4- stroke engines. You must also be able to quickly diagnose engine problems and have knowledge on how to properly take apart engines and repair them. Most small engine mechanics have a high school degree and a year or two of on-the-job training. There are several small engine mechanics that have secondary education. You must be able to diagnose and repair problems on your own. This could include things like repairing spark plugs to complete engine overhauls. There are formal motorcycle and motorboat postsecondary programs that many small engine mechanics are enrolling in to learn more about the new motorcycles and boat designs on the market. The training classes normally last for about 2 weeks. You will need to purchase hand tools and computerized engine analyzers along with other equipment. The investment in all the equipment will run anywhere from $10,000 up to $50,000 or more. The expensive equipment helps you to pinpoint the problem so you can begin repair work.

If you are running the company out of your home, plan to devote a large amount of room to your company. A two-door garage should provide you with enough room to properly fix multiple things at once along with providing you with room to hold the equipment while you wait for the customer to come and pick it up.

Once you diagnose the problem, it can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few days to properly repair and test the machine. Some repairs can take over a week while smaller jobs like engine cleaning and spark plug replacement takes only an hour or less. There are some small engines that have specialty parts you may need to order, causing you to wait around for the item to be shipped before you can even begin working on the engine. Plan to devote anywhere from 4-10 hours to engine repair each day.

Most small engine repair mechanics make about $15.00 an hour. This income is expected to grow as motorcycle sales and recreational vehicle sales are on the rise. Younger generations are attracted to motorcycles and other vehicles that require the use of small engine mechanics.

To boost your income, offer additional services like transmission repair, brake repair, and general vehicle repair. Adding small services like this can grow your customer-base and help you maintain a steady stream of clients. Word-of-mouth marketing will help to expand your business. Talk to some local auto part stores to see if they will place brochures or business cards next to their registers. This is a great way to promote your business to customers that already own some type of vehicle. Be sure to place advertisements in the newspaper and in coupon mailers so you can reach your target audience. Attend motorcycle events and make sure to you promote your business through sponsorships. This is a great way to expose your company to a new audience that already owns the type of small engines you work on.

To protect yourself, make sure you have insurance. Although you are working on broken equipment, you are responsible for further damage to the equipment while it is on your property. Make sure to have a strict pick-up policy so that customers aren't leaving their equipment on your property for longer than is needed for repair. It is also important to check with your city offices to see if you have enough land to house the equipment you are working on.