looking for a place near the burke/fairfax area to do routine maintenance on my mower... any suggestions? Thanks.

There used to be a really good shop but they tore it down to build the new firehouse.

There's a place off Fullerton Rd, on Boudinot that works on them. They're good.

the shop on Fullerton was pretty good, but it closed a couple of years ago.

Try Belmont Power on Newington Rd in Lorton.

belmont power: 703-550-1750

what the hell is "routine maintenance" when it comes to lawn mowers, changing the oil? isnt this something you can do yourself?


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Brandell's Power Equipment on Pickett (just before the post office). I used to take my mower there for a tune-up every other year, but it really seemed like a waste of money, so now I just change the oil and air filter myself. I do, however, have them sharpen my mower blades. I have three for my Toro that I changed every 3-4 weeks and it makes a huge difference in the quality of the cut. The cost is about $10.

They did a good job when the self-propel feature broke and it was a lot easier than trying to do it myself.

FWIW, if you are in the market for a mower and are looking at brands like Toro or Honda at a big box store like Home Depot or Lowe's you should really check out a shop like Brandell's. Pricing is about the same, but you get a much better product...aluminum deck, superior engine, extra features and better warranty. Toro does not make it easy to get replacement parts or warranty work on its consumer products, but it is not an issue if you buy a professional-grade mower.

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> what the hell is "routine maintenance" when it
> comes to lawn mowers, changing the oil? isnt this
> something you can do yourself?


I agree. I have a pretty difficult lawn to mow and the most I have had to do is replace the wheels, oil and blades (I had a Craftsman for 10 years and the only reason I replaced it was because it was under-powered for the slope I have). Odds are if you need work on the motor, it is probably cheaper to buy a new mower.

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gravis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > what the hell is "routine maintenance" when it
> > comes to lawn mowers, changing the oil? isnt
> this
> > something you can do yourself?
>
>
> I agree. I have a pretty difficult lawn to mow and
> the most I have had to do is replace the wheels,
> oil and blades (I had a Craftsman for 10 years and
> the only reason I replaced it was because it was
> under-powered for the slope I have). Odds are if
> you need work on the motor, it is probably cheaper
> to buy a new mower.

But then, again, you have people like a neighbor of mine who burned out two motors in a brand new Honda mower before realizing he needed to put oil in the mower. (First-time homeowner who came from a Third World country).

I had a mower with a spark plug, and occasionally I would also have to clean the primer out. Some of the two-cycle fuel I used wasn't mixed well and would gunk up the primer. This was aside from the blades, oil, and sometimes the wheels and height levers needed to be adjusted. Most of that other stuff is straight engine repair and I recommend getting an experienced pro for that crap.

There's actually a really good little article on this exact subject in this month's Men's Health magazine....

Dude, look up the model no. and order new filters, blade and anything that is broken from the manufacturer. If the gas was in there all winter and not stabilized pour it out (tip mower on side and capture gas - you can put it in you car tank if you want), drain the oil and replace, change the spark plug. While you are changing the plug shoot some carb cleaner in the hole, fill the tank replace the oil and turn her over while the carb vapors are still in there and she will purrr.

Sears Service Center (Just South of Springfield Mall)
Springfield, VA
703-719-6029


From Springfield Mall, go south on Loisdale Road (parallels east side of I-95), then turn left on Springfield Center Drive. Follow the road past the GSA storage depot and the NOVA College Health Training Complex on the left. The road will curve to the left and the Sears Service is on the right, with a small parking lot in front. They used to work on any brand of mower, but best to call and check first.

Haven't been there since last summer, but don't think it's closed.