J and J Small Engine Blog

There are a wealth of reasons why we all should have a "shop locally first" mindset.  Setting aside the obvious that supporting your friends and neighbor's business is just a neighborly thing to do, keeping local money local both serves our community while simultaneously saving us all money.  Here are ten reasons to have a "buy local first" mentality:

1. Buy Local -- Support yourself:  when you buy from an independent, locally owned business (like North Attleboro’s J&J Small Engine Clinic), you strengthen the economic base of your community. Local money kept local (vice buying from large national chain stores) props up local tax revenue collection and lowers the need to raise your property tax rates.
2. Support community groups: Non-profit organizations receive an average 250% more support from smaller business owners than they do from large businesses. Since 1995, J&J's success in outdoor power equipment sales and service has enabled us to provide continued support to local non-profits, charities, and fund-raising events.
3. Keep our community unique: Where we shop, where we eat and have fun -- all of it makes our community home. Our one-of-a-kind businesses are an integral part of the distinctive character of North Attleboro.
4. Reduce environmental impact: Locally owned businesses can make more local purchases requiring less transportation and generally set up shop in town or city centers as opposed to developing on the fringe. This generally means contributing less to sprawl, congestion, habitat loss and pollution.
5. Create more good jobs: Small local businesses provide a wealth of employment opportunity for our residents.
6. Get better service:  Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know customers. We are expert consultants and will custom order any part you need for all brands and types of small engine outdoor equipment.
7. Invest in community:  Local businesses are owned by people who live in North Attleboro, are less likely to leave, and are more invested in our community’s future.
8. Put your taxes to good use:  Local businesses in town centers require comparatively little infrastructure investment and make more efficient use of public services as compared to nationally owned stores entering the community.
9. Buy what you want, not what someone wants you to buy:  A marketplace of tens of thousands of small businesses is the best way to ensure innovation and low prices over the long-term.  A multitude of small businesses, each selecting products based not on a national sales plan but on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, guarantees a much broader range of product choices.
10. Encourage local prosperity:  A growing body of economic research shows that in an increasingly homogenized world, entrepreneurs and skilled workers are more likely to invest and settle in communities that preserve their one-of-a-kind businesses and distinctive character.

Maybe we should have titled this blog post "The Eleven Top Reasons To Support Local Business".  Number 11:  It just makes you feel good. 

J & J Small Engine Clinic is your best source for quality small engine parts in and around North Attleboro. Do you need to tune up your STIHL, Wright, Toro or Generac power tools?

Small engines and power tools need proper tune ups and maintenance seasonally in order to keep them running properly and efficiently.

Are you a Do-it-yourselfer? We have small engine parts like air filters, spark plugs, mufflers, and carburetor kits. We stock small engine pistons, rings, gasket sets, valves and connecting rods if your small engine needs more extensive parts or repair. If you need a new starter rope, recoil or electric starter we can help you with that.

Regular tune ups and proper maintenance prior to storage is important to the life of your small engines and power tools.

Contact J & J Small Engine Clinic for small engine parts with fast and friendly service.

Performing power tool maintenance prior to storage is always your best option. Replace your Air Filter and clean any debris that have collected in the air filter housing. Never used and solvents or compressed air. Compressed air will create tiny holes in the air filter allowing debris into the carburetor.  In North Attleboro, power tools like snow blowers, rototiller and lawn mowers are used seasonally so they need to be stored correctly too.

Change your Oil and  oil filter (if applicable). Oil is as important as the Air filter and should always be kept clean & Full. Drain oil (replace oil filter if applicable) , refill with the proper oil viscosity (10w-30,SAE 30, 5w-30) Refer to your owners Manual for this information. Never Leave The Engine Drained of Oil.              

Make sure mower blades are sharp and that the chains of a chain saw are not worn out. Have your blade(s) sharpen or replaced.

Every season the spark plugs should be replaced.

Replace the starter rope if it is frayed.

Store your small-engine equipment and power tools properly at the end of the season. Change the oil, they should be stored with clean oil. But do not let power tools sit with gasoline in them. Gasoline goes bad very quickly. Gas Additives that contain Stabilizers with help for long term storage.The best way to be worry free of Gas going bad is to use an Ethanol Free Gasoline.  J&J Small Engine Clinic, Inc, Is one of the Few Shops to sell this gasoline. Ethanol free gasoline will not go bad for at least two years, most gasoline purchase for your vehicle will start to go bad in 30 days.

Contact J & J Small Engine Clinic on any power tool maintenance service needs.

Remember Hurricane Irene? We new we were going to lose power in North Attleboro but there wasn’t a generator to be bought or rented in the state. Be prepared for the upcoming New England winter. Buy yourself and your family a Generac portable generator.

Power. Our lives depend on it. From everyday necessities like heating, cooling, refrigeration and lights, to daily essentials like cooking and laundry. Long winters cause power outages that seem to last longer and longer. Say no to unpredictable weather and unforeseen outages with the most trusted name in residential standby power. If the power ever goes out, your Generac portable generator goes on - automatically - protecting you and your home 24/7.

Portable Generators
Get power when and where you need it, no matter where you go. Generac’s rugged, dependable portable generators are designed to deliver power wherever you are—from tailgate parties to construction sites. With sizes up to 17500 watts, you can take your power with you wherever you need it.

Contact J&J Small Engine Clinic for pricing.

Power tools. There is nothing better in a man’s hand than his favorite power tool. J&J Small Engine Clinic has been servicing the North Attleboro area since 1995 on the sales and service of household, contractor and landscaper power tools.

There is a difference in purchasing your tools at a shop where service matters rather than online or at a big box store. Small locally owned shops can take the time to find out what power tools will meet your needs. But we are also familiar with the tools we sell. While we don’t believe you will have a problem with these leading products, we offer   power tool service on everything we sell, and oil changes, regular maintenance and tune-ups all extend the life of your power tools.

We carry premium brands of outdoor power equipment including Toro Snow Thowers and Lawn Mowers and Commercial mowers, Dixon Riding Tractors and Zero Turn Mowers, Stihl chainsaws, string trimmers, leaf blowers and hedge trimmers. Contact us for sales or service, we are happy to help.

The job a landscaper does on the lawn is only as good as the equipment they use. No wonder so many landscaper use the 2011 Wright Standers ZK. This is a professional standing mower. Enjoy unprecedented speed, control, and stability on your biggest jobs.

With its stand-on design and up to 31HP engine, the revolutionary new Stander ZK combines the uncompromised control, speed and traction with the power you need for the smallest to the largest jobs. Take the stress off your back and use your legs to ride the hills and tackle changing terrain anything else is simply sitting down on the job.

• Rugged and durable with deck sizes of 52" and 61"
• Available in 27 and 31HP
• Short overall length for greater maneuverability than any Mid-mount Z
• Mows more lawn in the same time as any comparable Mid-mount Z when hills and maneuvering are considered, with cut speeds of up the 13.5 MPH
• Quick cut height adjustment changes from 1.5" to 5.5" easily
• Low center of gravity and large wheels for hillside stability
• No seat, seat belts, or arm rests mean you can easily bail out or step off to pick up debris(
• Cooling fans on pumps for more effective hydro cooling.

Wright provides a 2-year Limited Warranty on commercial lawn mowers, which covers parts and labor. J&J Small Engine clinic is a dealer/retailer of Wright Standers Lawnmowers in North Attleboro. Contact us.

Proper small engine maintenance of your equipment with gas engines should begin with you checking the oil every time before you start the engine.
 
Many people wonder how often they should change the oil in a small engine. You should definitely see what it says in the owner’s manual. However a good rule of thumb is to change it every 20-30 hours of use.

The next question we often hear is: what kind of oil should I use in my small engine? Well, again you should refer to the owner’s manual. The manufacturer will recommend a certain rating. Brand doesn’t necessarily matter as long as it is a recognizable one.

Some manufacturers will recommend a specific viscosity oil, while others will recommend that you use a multi-viscosity type. A generic approach would be to use a 30 WT for warmer seasons and for winter or cold temperature operation, 10W30 should be fine.

Contact J & J Small Engine Clinic to schedule your small engine service.
 

It is time for fall cleanup in the yard. Trees and shrubs need to be pruned in time for winter, and all the dead branches and debris that has fallen from the trees over the last few weeks has kept homeowners busy in their yards.

Here is the perfect chain saw for owners of smaller yards, or for those who want to cut up the fallen branches for the fire pit. If you are looking for a new chain saw to help handle the work load, this award-winning electric chain saw gives you the benefit of an ultra quiet motor - so you won't bother the neighbors.

Great for cutting small trees or pruning, the MSE 180 C-BQ is designed with a coast down brake in addition to the STIHL Quickstop chain brake to stop the chain within one second of releasing the trigger.

If you are looking for a more fun and less expensive solution than calling the landscapers, contact J & J Small Engine Clinic to see your all your options for chain saws.

Fall is fast approaching and soon it will be time to begin the back braking work of raking leaves and pine needles in N. Attleboro yards. But cleaning up leaves doesn’t need to be hard work; homeowners with large yards and landscapers will both love the STIHL back pack leaf blowers.

J & J Small Engine Clinic has several options to meet all types of needs:

BR 380 D backpack leaf blower - Keep the leaves and debris moving. Great for breaking up loose clumps of wet leaves and debris, this reduced emissions STIHL leaf blower features an easy grip throttle control with cruise control and a smaller tube diameter for a higher air velocity. With the same engine as the BR 420 D, this backpack leaf blower is easy to operate and value priced.

BR 420 D backpack leaf blower  - Gear up and go with this one. Designed for professional performance, this reduced emissions gas leaf blower is fitted with a large diameter nose for increased air volume and the power for professional clean up jobs. Ideal for large yards, this STIHL leaf blower is a popular choice among the landscaping industry.

BR 550 backpack leaf blower - Built with the same features as the BR 500, this professional backpack blower has excellent blowing power and greater fuel efficiency— thanks to our low emissions engine. Fitted with a rounded tube design that keeps you from getting hung up on trees or shrubs, this gas leaf blower also boasts lower vibration levels and a simplified starting procedure. A good value backpack blower for the demanding professional landscaper and grounds maintenance crew.

Tools with small engines are an investment so regular maintenance is the key. The wait until it breaks school of thought ends up costing more money and it can be very frustrating.

Your power tool probably came with a manual and in that manual there is most certainly a service chart. The chart has typical service recommendations which probably include changing the engine oil every 25 hours of use and tuning up the engine at least once a year.

The purpose preventive maintenance is to keep your small engine in good condition. Is there anything worse than when you have to mow the lawn but the mower just won’t start? Ongoing service procedures include air cleaner service, crankcase breather service, cooling system service, muffler service, lubrication, and tune-up.

For scheduled, ongoing maintenance for all of your power tools, contact J&J Small Engine Clinic in North Attleboro.