What does a small engine technician do?
Small engine technician responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real small engine technician resumes:
- Repair small engines IE; tractors, snow blowers, log spliters.
- Inspect and repair small engines, lawn mowers and garden tractors, write bids, call customers and submit part orders.
- Chain saws, trimmers and blowers )
- Deliver work progress brief to senior leadership
- Operate within ISO-9001 guidelines for diagnosing and performing repairs on variety of home electronic and appliance services.
- Build high performance engines and custom motorcycle repair Dyno testing and adjustments to maximize efficiency
- Identify and troubleshoot basic mechanical failures, damage or defective equipment and repair in a timely manner.
- Implement PLC programming and troubleshooting procedures while also initiating and executing process improvements and conducting parts research when necessary.
- Grind maintenance include mowing, trimming, grading lot and snow removal.
- Assist in the maintenance, repair and operation of automate sprinkler system to include fertilizing, mowing and spraying.
- General maintenance, minor repairs and accessory installation for Honda automobiles.
Small engine technician skills and personality traits
We calculated that 44% of Small Engine Technicians are proficient in Customer Service, Engine Repair, and Mowers. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Dexterity.
We break down the percentage of Small Engine Technicians that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 44%
Provided first class customer service to military personnel in person and on the phone.
- Engine Repair, 13%
Self-Employed: Certified Small Engine Repair from Penn Foster.
- Mowers, 12%
Inspected and repaired small engines, lawn mowers and garden tractors, wrote bids, called customers and submitted part orders.
- Blowers, 7%
Worked 11 years on the two cycle line repairing chain saws, trimmers, blowers.
- Hand Tools, 4%
Test and repair magnetos used in gasoline and diesel engines, using meters, gauges, and hand tools.
- Air Compressors, 4%
Repaired air compressors and air tools Repaired electric drills and related tools.
Common skills that a small engine technician uses to do their job include "customer service," "engine repair," and "mowers." You can find details on the most important small engine technician responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a small engine technician to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "small engine mechanics frequently discuss problems and necessary repairs with their customers." Small engine technicians often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "delivered rental equipment to customer s locations. "
Detail oriented. Many small engine technician duties rely on detail oriented. "small engine mechanics must be aware of small details when inspecting or repairing engines and components, because mechanical and electronic malfunctions are often due to misalignments and other easy-to-miss causes.," so a small engine technician will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways small engine technician responsibilities rely on detail oriented: "maintained and ensured smooth operations through detailed inventory control. "
Dexterity. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of small engine technicians is dexterity. This skill is critical to many everyday small engine technician duties, as "small engine mechanics need a steady hand and good hand–eye coordination for many tasks, such as disassembling engine parts, connecting or attaching components, and using hand tools." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "used forklift daily to move powersport equipment.organized back storage lot by moving around powersports, atvs, and bikes when needed. "
Mechanical skills. A big part of what small engine technicians do relies on "mechanical skills." You can see how essential it is to small engine technician responsibilities because "small engine mechanics must be familiar with engine components and systems and know how they interact with each other." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical small engine technician tasks: "diagnose electrical and mechanical problems with mowers, generators, cultivators and trimmers. "
Organizational skills. Another common skill required for small engine technician responsibilities is "organizational skills." This skill comes up in the duties of small engine technicians all the time, as "small engine mechanics keep workspaces clean and organized in order to maintain safety and ensure accountability for parts." An excerpt from a real small engine technician resume shows how this skill is central to what a small engine technician does: "prepare powerpoint and multimedia presentations to promote organizational learning throughout the h&p; land drilling fleet. "
Troubleshooting skills. While "troubleshooting skills" is last on this skills list, don't underestimate its importance to small engine technician responsibilities. Much of what a small engine technician does relies on this skill, seeing as "small engine mechanics use diagnostic equipment on engine systems and components to identify and fix problems." Here is a resume example of how this skill is used in the everyday duties of small engine technicians: "resolved issues for customers, by troubleshooting and replacing parts on lawn care equipment that was brought in to the shop. "
The three companies that hire the most small engine technicians are:
- C & B Operations3 small engine technicians jobs
- JESCO3 small engine technicians jobs
- Express Employment Indy South3 small engine technicians jobs
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Compare different small engine technicians
Small engine technician vs. Mobility scooter repairer
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a small engine technician are more likely to require skills like "engine repair," "mowers," "blowers," and "hand tools." On the other hand, a job as a mobility scooter repairer requires skills like "apple," "device hardware," "cranes," and "combat." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
The education levels that mobility scooter repairers earn slightly differ from small engine technicians. In particular, mobility scooter repairers are 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a small engine technician. Additionally, they're 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Small engine technician vs. Lawn mower repairer
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, small engine technician responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "customer service," "blowers," "hand tools," and "air compressors." Meanwhile, a lawn mower repairer has duties that require skills in areas such as "air filters," "system diagnostics," "pos," and "local business." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Lawn mower repairers earn similar levels of education than small engine technicians in general. They're 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Small engine technician vs. Outdoor power equipment mechanic
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, small engine technicians are more likely to have skills like "hand tools," "air compressors," "snow blowers," and "preventative maintenance." But a outdoor power equipment mechanic is more likely to have skills like "customer orders," "equipment sales," "chain saws," and "parts diagrams."
Outdoor power equipment mechanics typically earn similar educational levels compared to small engine technicians. Specifically, they're 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Small engine technician vs. Golf cart mechanic
Types of small engine technician
Updated January 8, 2025
