The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

One look at my lawn screams at me to start yard work, but my lawn mower is broken, and it made me think I should do another business highlight. Ron Baumann and his Complete Small Engine Repair business are the heroes of fixing small engines, including lawnmowers. Many people like me wait until I need my lawn mower and take it to him, wanting it fixed NOW "even if there are 10 people in front of him." So get your lawnmowers to him now.

Ron also has used lawnmowers for sale. I noticed there was also an edger available to purchase. He also has engines that he can replace your broken-down one with. Weeds are starting to grow, and he has used weed eaters for sale, too. l fixed and refurbished.

He is a Honda dealer, both engine and warranty. He also sells Kohler, Brigg, and Stratoon engines.

I learned something new from this interview. Ron used to work for Sears as a technician. He started out as a lawn and garden technician, but when wintertime came, they had him learn appliances, so he could fix those kinds of household appliances. I can fit your machines, dryers, stoves, microwaves, and vacuum cleaners. I've done a lot of vacuum cleaners."

Not everything you see at his shop is for sale. Some are just there so he can use their parts and not have to purchase new ones, saving the customer money. He stays busy because his customer base has spread past our immediate area, maybe because he charges less for his services than other shops.

He is also an Interstate Battery dealer and has begun to stock oil and parts for his repair work. He explains the advantage of his many years of experience in the field: "I can access any parts of any type throughout the world. I have contacts all over the United States and overseas. If I cannot get the part, I'll just tell you I can't get it, or it's obsolete, or sometimes older parts are expensive."

The idea for getting into the small engine repair business began when a neighbor offered him $500 for a collection of broken lawnmowers he had collected in the course of maintaining his property in Miller, Missouri. Rather than sell them, Mr. Baumann enrolled in a correspondence course through the Belsaw Institute in Kansas City for $649. In the deal, he received tools, a brand-new motor, manuals, diagrams, and other materials. He worked through the lesson material at his own pace and received a certification as a small engine repairman. Afterward, Ron began refurbishing, repairing, and repainting his collection of mowers. The renewed mowers sold as quickly as he could complete them, prompting a friend to urge him to put out a shingle and start a business. R n did just that. " literally took a shingle off a building and wrote on the black side: 'Ron's Small Engine Repair, Miller, Missouri.' That's all I did. Then, he moved to Big Sandy, Montana, and started another new business, Complete Small Engine Repair.

Ron's shop is located on 3rd Street, a block from the Medical Center. H can be reached at 406-390-3637.