Small Engines: Operation & Maintenance

Repairing small engines is a topic I am very interested in. This post is a quick review of one of my go-to resources as I am just beginning to learn about repairing small engines.

As I said, I’m a complete novice when it comes to small engines. When I say small engines, I mean lawnmowers, snowblowers, chainsaws, generators, and tractors.

I’ve been purchasing small engines from auctions over the past year I’d love to be able to restore them and sell them. Over time, I’d like that profit to allow me to reinvest it into larger projects.

At the moment, I currently have 6 snowblowers, 2 garden tractors, 1 chainsaw, 1 lawnmower, and 2 wheedwhackers in various states of disrepair.

Ideally, I’d love to restore them, sell them, and reinvest that into a couple more garden tractors. Then I’d repeat the process and move up into something larger like a skid steer. Someday, I might even restore my dad’s old F350 into a more usable farm truck.

To begin with, however, I’m going to have to learn as much as I can. As a complete novice, the task is a little daunting as there are many facets to repairing small engines.

I love to read, and most of the information I’ve gleaned comes from books on our shelves. Awhile back I picked up a copy of Small Engines: Operation & Maintenance by William H. Crouse.

You can pick up a copy here.

Now, this book was published in 1974, but the information is just as relevant today as it was then. That’s the beautiful thing about repairing small engines. as The theory and practice has not changed that much over time.

Techniques and tools have evolved but by providing the basic understanding of repairing small engines and diagnosis this book has laid the foundation of knowledge.

I have found the diction to be quite appropriate and I have been able to understand the language throughout. Some other books I have read I’ve found to be a bit cumbersome but this one flows nicely.

As I’m just beginning to learn how to diagnose and repair small engines, I’ve found this book to be quite invaluable. It gives me the confidence that yes, I can repair those small engines and move on to larger projects.

I think that right now on Amazon it’s listed for $2.99. That’s quite a small price to pay for investing in your knowledge – especially when repairing small engines can be quite lucrative.

I will be sure to post how our projects turn out and what kind of profit we’re able to make. That said, since this is the very beginning of this facet of our business plan, I wanted to include you in the number one resource I’m using.

If you have other recommendations for resources that I can use to learn more about small engine diagnosis and repair, please let me know below!

Leave a Reply