There’s one big problem with OPE (outdoor power equipment). I’ve talked about the positive aspects of this hobby/side job/primary job before, but in this article, I wanted to point out an annoying aspect.
I enjoy rebuilding outdoor power equipment. Lately, I’ve been working on a lot of snowblowers. Winter is almost upon us, and in my area of the country, a snowblower is a necessity.
That makes for good business. The market for snowblowers goes up at the end of the fall and the beginning of the winter.
Conversely, the market for lawnmowers increases at the beginning of spring.
To that end, I try to acquire snowblowers during the summer, fix them up in the fall, and have them ready to sell at the optimal time.
That being said, I have one big problem.
Parts are a pain
Obviously, machines have parts. And I think that we can take for granted that if we are to acquire machines of an unknown commodity for cheap or free, they most certainly have something wrong with them.
If not, people wouldn’t generally want to get rid of them.
The fact that something is broken or doesn’t work isn’t the issue. It’s what happens afterward.
Parts go missing when people attempt to fix it themselves. Usually, it seems that they end up giving up, and since it no longer works, there’s no point in putting it back together.
So the problem is that you, the mechanic, are left trying to not only identify what is wrong but also what is missing.
And that’s where the real problem comes in.
Trying to obtain parts
Unless the machine that you’re working on is relatively new, obtaining parts is difficult.
In most cases, I prefer to purchase original parts made by the manufacturer. They’re just better quality, and they’re made to fit that machine.
Sometimes, however, it is more cost-effective to purchase aftermarket parts. And sometimes, it’s the only option.
Machines get discontinued and manufacturers cease producing the parts to repair them. Or, manufacturers get bought out or are no longer in business.
To that end, while the machine itself could be repaired, it’s not always possible if you simply cannot get the parts.
This leads to some Frankenstein-ish looking machines that are cobbled together with whatever you need to make it work.
In fact, there’s a certain amount of Macguyverishness required to be a good small-engine mechanic.
An example problem
I’m currently working on a snowblower. I obtained it several years ago as part of an auction purchase. The body, wheels, and cables are great.
The auger spins freely and there’s hardly any rust. Just one problem – there’s no engine. Kind of a big deal.
Lo and behold, I also had another snowblower that had obsolete cables that I could not find replacements for. But, the engine would fit this body.
So, I removed it from the one to repair this one. A lot of repair work is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul in that we take parts as needed, with the hope that we can replace them later on.
There’s gold in saving machines for parts, but that also leads to the problem of storing innumerable amounts of parts and parts machines in case you might need them some day.
That being said, this engine did not have spark after being mounted. Turns out that the ignition system is the older style points and condenser.
Try again
Even after cleaning the points, I could not get a spark. To get an original, used magneto ignition to fit this engine, I’d have to pay more than an entire other used engine.
Anyway, I opted then to try a different engine that I had sitting on the shelf. I thought that perhaps I could combine the two into one functional engine.
Except now this engine is a Briggs vs a Tecumseh, so you know that the parts aren’t going to play well.
In fact, this Briggs has an older-style diaphragm carburetor. I can’t take the good carburetor off the Tecumseh because it doesn’t align with the Briggs intake.
So, I’m left either trying to cobble this together or finding another engine altogether. It makes more sense fiscally because it’s still cheaper than just buying the individual part that I need.
Plus, then I’ll have more engine parts left over for some other eventual need. However, it does not make sense when it comes to my desire to unload parts instead of hoarding them.
The value of parts
This is ironic because I appreciate the value of parts and parts machines.
I typically obtain parts from auctions when small engine repair shops close. I can typically get parts for pennies on the dollar by purchasing them in bulk this way.
The only problem is that you don’t really have a say in what parts you get; you’re purchasing them in lots with the hope that you’ll use the parts someday. Otherwise, they just sit.
I offset this risk by listing them on my eBay store. If they sell, then I make a profit. And if I need them in the meantime, then I have them available and I simply remove the listing.
To date, I’d say that I have made several thousand dollars by utilizing this format. Unfortunately, I’ve only been able to use a couple of parts on the machines that I’m actually working on.
So, theoretically, it makes sense to hoard parts when you can get them cheap. Even if it’s a free machine on the side of the road, the carburetor on it might be a hundred bucks. It might even work for other machines, so it’s generally worth picking up.
Even if you can’t, or don’t have a desire to repair a specific machine, it might be worth it for the parts.
For the eventual time that you might need them. IF you do.
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