Photos by Ella McEntaffer | For the Solon Economist
The Solon Hardware Store is an iconic business with an iconic feature rarely seen anymore – a genuine manually operated cash register, which sees daily use.
SOLON — With Americans spending an estimated 70 hours on lawn and garden upkeep each year, the importance of a working maintenance equipment cannot be overstated for the average homeowner. Looking toward the impending spring and summer months, Tom Trump at Solon Hardware is gearing up for a steady stream of repairs.
“About now, we’ll start with doing lawnmower repairs and services,” said Trump. “That’ll normally go until it dries up in the hot, dry part of the summer.”
Having been involved with the shop since his parents bought the store in 1975, Trump has spent many seasons repairing. Besides lawnmower and small engine repairs, Solon Hardware also works on window replacements, and before Dean Trump passed, plumbing as well.
“My dad learned and then he taught me, so personally I’ve been doing it since I was about 13 years old,” Trump said, adding that his father Dean learned from the previous Solon Hardware store owner and by “going to other shops and asking questions and learning on his own.”
Trump said that the typical turnaround time for a lawnmower or small engine repaired by the store depends on what the customer is asking for, and ultimately what the issue with the machine is. Despite the fact that Trump is taking on the repairs solo, he has a pretty impressive turnaround time at Solon Hardware.
“As a general rule, I can usually get stuff in, get a look at it, get parts ordered, and send it back out within about a week,” Trump said. “It varies a little bit, you know, in the spring of the year when everybody goes out and rips on the cord of the lawnmower and it won’t start.”
Besides doing higher level repairs, Trump also does general maintenance on lawn mowers and small engines as well.
“I do a lot of spring services where we’ll change the oil and take a look at the spark plug and the air filter and replace them if need be,” said Trump. “We sharpen the blade and take a look at the belts, and on a ride-on unit, you have to air up the tires and charge the battery and all those kinds of things.”
Customers can bring in a wide variety of small engines as Trump says that he can take a look at most all types and brands in the repair shop. However, he added that customers should take into account if the repair is worthwhile for certain pieces of equipment, particularly with weed whackers, as there are less options for replacement parts.
“Honestly with the lesser price of a lot of these, they’re kind of almost turned into a throwaway item by the time I buy the parts and put the labor in,” he said. “For most people, unless they have a little more expensive one, they tend not to repair them and just buy a new one.”
The estimate process is fairly quick at Solon Hardware, with Trump’s vast experience in repairs making the procedure smooth and straightforward.
“I kind of know the amount of time that it takes, and a good idea what it’s going to cost to repair.” Trump said. “And then we offer pick-up and delivery if people want that done as well.”