Father & Son Mower

This year, I decided to use a different company to service my push mower rather than use the local mower dealerships. Father and Son had some high marks and reviews from customers, so in good faith, I decided to give them a try. When I called the number to schedule an appointment, a guy answered with just a "hello" and no mention of his name or his business. I had to ask if I had reached Father and Son (FaS) to be sure I called the right number. He confirmed and we continued, but this seemed like an odd way to begin a business transaction - not a big deal, but not the intro I was expecting from a 5 star rated Angies List business. We set the date and time to have the mower dropped off at his house - it was April 16. A week later I texted Mr. Palcisko to check on the status, and he explained that I needed to have the main deck belt replaced as it was badly cracked (**Remember this for later...). He sent me a pix of the damaged belt. Great, for a mower that is 4 years old, this didn't seem unusual and he just needed a few more days to make the additional repair and then I get the mower back - it was April 27. By Saturday the 28th, I get outside to begin the great 5 1/2 month lawn cutting conquest, just me and my Toro Timemaster. First cut is good, not great - it seemed a little more sluggish than usual, but good overall. Didn't seem overly concerned. On Saturday May 5th, I fire up the mower for cut #2 and it starts; when I attempted to engage the blade, it dies on me. I ty it again - same result. Odd. I just put gas in it, so it had plenty of fuel. I looked underneath the mower deck to see if there was an issue - none. I decided to check the oil next. Unscrew the cap and as I pull the dip stick out, there is a peculiar amount of smoke coming from the inside of the oil cavity. This did not look good. I checked the dip stick for oil and it was virtually dry - NO OIL! I immediately called up Mr. Palcisko at FaS to explain what I just discovered. He seemed a little defensive, offered no apology and asked me if I could see any oil stains on the deck or in the garage. I explained that everything was dry - no oil or fluid leaks anywhere on the mower engine, deck or inside the garage. I said that there was no oil in the mower. He told me that that was not possible - he checks everything twice on his jobs - and that "something must have happened". I explained that I didn't know what happened, only that I have a dead mower with no oil and no other options. He said I needed to bring the mower back to him. Seriously? This is now turning into not only a headache, but a huge inconvenience. I load the mower back into my vehicle and drive back to the FaS. Mr. Palcisko meets me at his garage, looks at the oil, visually inspects the mower and confirms that there is no oil in the engine but repeats that something must have happened. He again offers no apology and says he will contact me with an update. 2 days later, I learn that he needs to order a new motor - and he was going to cover the cost. Now it is May 10 and the work on the mower is finished. Mr. Palcisko sends me a text: "Mower is done". I get the mower a day later on the 11th and I can tell that Mr. Palcisko has a little bit of an attitude. He fires up the mower in front of me to show that it runs and he engaged the blades for further proof. Interestingly enough, he did not show me the level of oil in the engine. I did check that when I got back home. Oil well was full; now time to cut the overgrown grass.... Again, the mower performance was good, not great - there was clearly something off. It was not cutting the grass cleanly/ evenly and it sounded very different from the year before. On May 15, I bring the mower out for a midweek cut; it fires up with more effort on the pull cord, but it does start. I pull back the mower blade engagement bar on the handle and the brake cable housing snaps right off the handle! Unbelievable! Now, I have a running mower but no way to start the blades and no way to cut the grass. Remember that this is less than 2 weeks from Mr. Palcisko's care where he checks everything twice to ensure proper operation. Now, I'm beginning to think that this is not just coincidence. I have to find a brake cable replacement kit which has to be ordered through a certified Toro dealer. This turns out to be an additional $48 expense. Sohar's was super nice and ensured that I got the right part and I had it in less than 24 hours. I get the brake cable replaced and now have the mower back in working order. Yeah! But wait, there's more.... As I mentioned before a coupe of times, the mower was not performing with the blade cutting accuracy that is known for the Timemaster. It's like the blades were not spinning with same velocity/ speed. It was off somehow. Well I discovered why on May 28. About 10 minutes into my cut, the blades just stop cutting the grass altogether. The mower is running, but nothing is happening. Now, I am really not happy. This is only 17 days and 3 cuts after getting the mower back with the new engine! I have never had so many problems with a relatively new lawn mower. When I look under the deck to see what's going on, I see that there is a belt that is just destroyed and clumps of blue fiber everywhere. How is this possible??! I remove the deck housing and discover that the belt that is shredded is THE DECK BELT THAT WAS "REPLACED" ON APRIL 27! 1 month of running the mower and the belt is toast - it took over 4 years for the original belt to need replacing. This confirmed for me that this was not just coincidence - this was something that has every appearance of something more sinister. After my experience, I cannot recommend Father and Son and I would advise that you take your small engine service anywhere else but to the FaS garage.