About This Career

Diagnoses, adjusts, repairs, or overhauls small engines used to power lawn mowers, chain saws, recreational sporting equipment, and related equipment.

This career is part of the Manufacturing cluster Maintenance, Installation and Repair pathway.

A person in this career:

• Records repairs made, time spent, and parts used.
• Tests and inspects engines to determine malfunctions, to locate missing and broken parts, and to verify repairs, using diagnostic instruments.
• Dismantles engines, using hand tools, and examines parts for defects.
• Repairs and maintains gasoline engines used to power equipment such as portable saws, lawn mowers, generators, and compressors.
• Adjusts points, valves, carburetors, distributors, and spark plug gaps, using feeler gauges.
• Repairs or replaces defective parts such as magnetos, water pumps, gears, pistons, and carburetors, using hand tools.
• Performs routine maintenance such as cleaning and oiling parts, honing cylinders, and tuning ignition systems.
• Reassembles engines after repair or maintenance work is complete.
• Replaces motors.
• Obtains problem descriptions from customers, and prepares cost estimates for repairs.

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

People who do this job report that:

• You would often handle loads up to 20 lbs., sometimes up to 50 lbs. You might do a lot of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling.
• Work in this occupation involves use of protective items such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, a hard hat, or personal flotation devices
• Exposure to pollutants, gases, dust, fumes, odors, poor ventilation, etc.
• Work in this occupation involves using your hands to hold, control, and feel objects more than one-third of the time
• Exposed to hazardous equipment such as saws, machinery, or vehicular traffic more than once a month
• Sound and noise levels are loud and distracting
• Work in this occupation involves standing more than one-third of the time

Working in this career involves (physical activities):

• Picking out a particular sound in the presence of other sounds
• Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching
• Detecting sounds and hearing the differences between sounds of different pitch and loudness
• Seeing clearly up close
• Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying objects

Work Hours and Travel

• Regular working hours and limited travel