Shove that lawn mower in the corner of the garage when the season ends, and you may regret it when spring blossoms.
Dean Long, Ready to Mow Technician for the national John Deere program, said he and his colleagues are now preparing lawn mowers for storage and readying snow blowers and plows for the winter. He offers this advice to make sure your tractor, mower or blower are ready to handle the elements:
Q Tell us about the service.
A We started it back in 2000 to bring good customer service to people right at their homes. We take care of every major brand of lawn mower, tractor and other equipment. Our trucks are set up so the mower goes right inside. It is all self-contained so it?s clean; there are no possible oil spills on the property. We also take care of flat tires, check belts, change spark plugs, whatever is needed.
Q Why do people like this service?
A Most people have problems getting maintenance done because the equipment has to be hauled in and back. Lots of shops are also backed up [with appointments]. All they have to do is call us, schedule a time, and we?ll go to them.
Q Is your service expensive?
A No, it?s not. Shops have an expensive fee for pick-up and delivery. I charge a straight service call fee depending on mileage (There are various service plans, but the fee averages about $45 to $75. See the Web site for details).
Q What are the majority of calls you’re handling now?
A Now a lot of people want fall maintenance so [equipment is] fresh and ready to go in the spring. We also service snow plows and snow blowers. Most of the people use those two or three times a year and then put them in the corner and forget about them. A lot of times they end up with problems with the carburetors. We clean it out, change the spark plugs, check the tire pressure ? do what is needed to get it ready.
Q How far in advance should people schedule service?
A Right now if you call, you have about a two-week wait. For spring service, you had better call in February. By the end of February we?re generally booked into April. As soon as you think you?re at the end of the season, give me a call.
Finch Services Inc.
1127 Littlestown Pike
Westminster
410-848-7211
Go to www.readytomow.com for a list of dealers and to schedule an appointment online
