Bob's Small Engine Repair

K L. _{on Google}

Jan 13th, 2024

They are very knowledgeable about repairing my mower. They did a great job.

Carl Baker _{on Google}

Jul 20th, 2023

They suck.. they are rude.

Kellie Yielding _{on Google}

Jun 26th, 2023

Such good people to work with and they really try to find the problem and fix it right. I would recommend them to anyone. Thanks for all you do for others.

Rick Eaton _{on Google}

Jun 23rd, 2023

Good price fast service friendly service

TheScubacamper _{on Google}

Sep 5th, 2023

Current owner (Ricky) is either a terrible small engine mechanic or a crook. Either way, stay away.
Here's my story:
In February of 2023 I bought a Husqvarna TS 248XD lawn tractor from him. This model Husqvarna is known for its quality - Kawasaki motor, fabricated deck, etc...(it normally runs about $4,000 new).
During the selling process, he told me it had 16 hours. I noticed when I turned it on, the meter said 65 hours; I thought "okay, no big deal, people make mistakes" and I let it slide. (Red Flag)
He cranked it up, drove it around his property for about 5 minutes and I watched him cycle through its various operations with no noticeable issues. He asked more than once if I wanted to test it out, to which I declined. (Since I just watched him show me everything worked, I saw no need to duplicate a test drive and told him it was fine). (Red Flag)
During negotiations, he explained where he got it (he allegedly bought it as a part of a wholesale lot of Lowe's returns) and further explained: "...all it needed was a valve adjustment."
He also mentioned (more than once) what a new motor for that mower costs (at the time it was $1,800... now it's over $2,000). I thought: "hm, that's strange he would already know off-hand the cost of a new motor...oh well, he probably deals with this stuff all the time..." - (Red Flag)
Despite the red flags, his demeanor and candor led me to decide he was an honest man and would take care of me if something were to come up.
He helped me load it up in my truck and we took it home. The first time I ran it, everything worked just like it did during his demonstration, except for one thing:
I noticed that when I pulled the PTO switch, the engine power cut WAY down, almost to the point of stalling. About an hour into normal use, it spews big clouds of smoke.
I immediately reached out to him about these issues and he speculated that with it sitting all winter, it probably just needs some "motor honey" (An oil additive), which should stop the smoking. I tried this method with no improvement. I sent him videos of the issues I was encountering and his only response was: "I wish you had mowed with it because all used stuff is sold as-is.".
(I'm no professional but who test drives a riding mower for over an hour to uncover potential issues after observing the salesman/mechanic operate it without issue??)
After a few more messages, trying to get him to pony up and work with me, he ghosted me - (I tried to reply to his messages and the messaging platform said I could no longer correspond with him).
I tried reaching out to him in different ways and he refused to make any offers to help me out. I understand that with used equipment, all sales are final... but it seemed to me like these circumstances warranted a more extraordinary solution... especially when the item sold is not what it purported to be.
I gave him every opportunity to make it right, but he never offered. Frankly, I never expected him to take it back, but if he were as honorable as he made himself out to be, he should have made some attempt. If I knew this motor had the issues it had, I never would have agreed to pay quite so much for it! As such, I would have gladly accepted a partial refund so I could get it repaired myself... Or even brought it back up there to have him fix the issue he (apparently) didn't know existed.
This is why I have concluded that he's either a terrible mechanic (If he expects me to have found this issue during a "test drive", than he should have found it during his inspection!), or he's a crook (intentionally selling something he knows is bad and not being forthright about it, all while hiding behind the "God bless you!" Christian reputation).
After hours of additional research, specifically with a licensed Kawasaki/Husqvarna dealer, it seems this particular motor (FR691V) did have a known leak issue which resulted in this sort of problem. The only way to fix it?.... you guessed it, a new motor! (Remember how he just happened to know how much a new motor cost??).... hmmmm.