The Crankshop blog
Writing for shops, from shops.
Guides, industry reporting, and the occasional rant on warranty claims. Written by people who sit in repair shops for a living — not a content agency.
Everything else
Customer communication
Why SMS beats email for small engine repair shop communication
Why SMS for repair shop communication wins over email with older customers. Open rates, TCPA basics, 5 text templates every shop needs, and a send-time table.
Parts & inventory
Setting min/max stock levels for lawn mower parts that actually hold up
How to set lawn mower parts inventory min/max levels based on real monthly usage. Seasonal overlays, the 12 must-stock parts, and reorder point examples.
Warranty & OEM
How to submit a Stihl warranty claim without getting it rejected
A dealer's guide to submitting a Stihl warranty claim that actually gets paid. Labor ops, documentation, common rejection reasons, and how to appeal.
Shop operations
How to organize a small engine repair shop for a busy fall season
Practical small engine repair shop organization for fall. Real floor layouts, staging rules, and the moves that keep a 4-bay shop from drowning in snow blowers.
Parts & inventory
Stens vs Rotary vs Oregon: which parts distributor for your shop
An honest shop-floor comparison of Stens vs Rotary vs Oregon covering catalog depth, shipping speed, pricing, portal UX, and return policies.
Seasonal
Fall winterization services: how to price and schedule them
A practical guide to mower winterization service pricing, package tiers, and a scheduling strategy that keeps October from turning into chaos.
Warranty & OEM
How to submit a Husqvarna dealer warranty claim that gets paid
A dealer-POV walkthrough for filing a Husqvarna warranty claim that clears on the first pass, with the data Husqvarna actually checks before paying.
Money & bookkeeping
QuickBooks Desktop still rules small engine shops. Here's how to make it work.
Most lawn mower shops still use QuickBooks Desktop in 2026. Why that's not crazy, where it breaks, and three practical ways to sync QBD with modern web apps.
Warranty & OEM
Briggs & Stratton dealer warranty filing: a step-by-step guide
A working shop owner's walkthrough of the Briggs Stratton warranty portal, labor ops codes, documentation, and the small mistakes that get claims denied.
Money & bookkeeping
Deposits on repair work: how much, when, and how to refund
A straight-shooting repair shop deposits policy covering how much to charge, when to take it, and sample counter wording you can post today.
Shop operations
Scheduling repair work when three jobs are all 'rush'
A transparent small engine shop scheduling system with five priority factors you can explain to any customer standing at your counter.
Customer communication
The 7 texts every repair shop should send automatically
Seven automated text messages a repair shop should send on every ticket, with exact templates and when each one fires to cut call volume.
Software & tools
From paper tags to digital tickets: how to switch without chaos
A week-by-week rollout guide for digital ticketing small engine repair shops can actually follow. Parallel running, training, and red flags.
Warranty & OEM
Toro dealer warranty filing in 2026: what changed
What shop owners need to know about Toro dealer warranty filing in 2026. Portal updates, documentation changes, and faster commercial payouts.
Shop operations
The customer drop-off experience: what makes them come back
The first 90 seconds shape the whole small engine shop customer experience. Counter, tag, follow-up. Small things, big difference.
Software & tools
RepairShopr alternatives for small engine repair shops
A fair look at repairshopr alternatives for small engine shops. Where each tool wins, where each falls short, and what to pick.
Money & bookkeeping
Margin math: why parts markup alone isn't making you money
A clear look at small engine shop profit margin. Why parts markup is not enough, and the three levers that actually move the P&L.
Parts & inventory
The 12 parts you should never run out of during spring rush
Spring mower parts stock gets wiped at distributors by late March. Here are the 12 parts to commit to in January and why each one stocks out.
Money & bookkeeping
Labor rates in small engine repair: what the market pays in 2026
Real 2026 small engine repair labor rate numbers by region and shop type, plus how to raise rates without losing your best customers.
Warranty & OEM
Kohler warranty claims on commercial mower engines: the gotchas
Commercial Kohler warranty is not the same as residential. Duty cycle rules, oil analysis, hour meters, and the reasons most commercial claims get rejected.
Seasonal
The January slow season playbook: what to do when the phone stops ringing
A small engine shop winter slow season playbook with six concrete moves to keep revenue coming in when repairs drop off between January and early March.
Seasonal
Spring prep services: packaging and marketing your pre-season tune-ups
A practical guide to building a lawn mower spring tune up service that sells itself. Package tiers, pricing, and timing that actually work.
Warranty & OEM
Honda engine warranty claims: what's covered, what isn't
The Honda small engine warranty is shorter than most owners think. Here is what is actually covered on GX and GCV engines, what is not, and how to file.
Shop operations
Hiring and keeping a small engine technician in a tight labor market
Five places shops are finding techs now, what pay moves the needle, and how to retain an apprentice past year two when everyone wants to hire small engine mechanic talent.
Customer communication
Sending quotes by text: format, tone, and how to close the sale
A repair quote by text message closes at twice the rate of phone quotes. Here is the format, tone, and follow-up that works for small engine shops.
Shop operations
Year-end checklist for small engine repair shops
A no-fluff small engine shop year end checklist covering inventory, 1099s, warranty recovery, sales tax, and depreciation dates you cannot miss.
Customer communication
How to handle the 'it's been three weeks' phone call
Customer communication scripts for repair delay calls in small engine shops, broken down by delay type, with short dialogue snippets that actually work.
Parts & inventory
Bin location systems that a new apprentice can actually use
A stupid-simple parts bin labeling system for small engine shops that a new apprentice can learn in 30 minutes and still use five years later.
Seasonal
Winter storage pricing for small engine shops: what to charge
A practical guide to winter storage pricing for small engine shops, covering rates by unit type, what to include, and contract must-haves that protect you.
Industry
The state of independent small engine repair shops in 2026
A clear-eyed look at the small engine repair industry 2026: labor, OEM pressure, battery encroachment, commercial growth, and the shops finally going digital.
Shop operations
Managing 40 open tickets in a 2-person shop: practical queue control
Small shop ticket management at 40 open jobs is fragile. Here is a practical queue-control system for a two-person shop that keeps promise dates honest.