There is a reason this is the almost the only dealer in 50 miles and repair shop who deals with Troy-Bilt and MTB: every other one knows the company makes junk and doesn't stand behind their equipment. In Minute Man's case, I think it may be a sure way to guarantee a steady stream of repairs, and they certainly don't stand by their customers either! Poor service bordering on a scam shop. I bought a replacement Troy-Bilt 24" snow-blower ($600 approx.) a year ago November after the previous one was taken out by coastal flooding (4 feet of salty water) from Minute Man Repair. At the time I hadn't realized Troy-Bilt was bought by a Chinese manufacturer with a terrible rep. called MTB. Anyway Minuteman delivered it, started it up for 30 seconds and we parked it in the garage. As Winter 2011-2012 we had no further appreciable snow we never got to use it. So I put gas stabilizer into the tank and made sure nothing was left in the carburetor. Fast forward a year or so this January (2013) and the first big storm: no go. No start regardless of electric starter etc. Checked the spark plug, re-gapped just in case; still no go. A few days later I called Minute Man to explain the issue and he immediately blamed me and said he was busy but they'd "fit us in" for around $250-$350! As I do most all the repairs in the house, have my own wood and metal shop I decided to look into doing the work myself. In hindsight I should have immediately bought a brand new carburetor and been done with it. In any case I checked the carb out (pulled it) and it was bone dry and had no signs of gumming or anything. I cleaned it with carb cleaner anyway, drained the gas tank and oil and put it all back together with new fuel etc. I also checked all hoses were cleared and the air intake was properly seated. So at this point it started up by would die after a few minutes and decided I couldn't spend any more time on this project. AGAIN: a year old and never been used! I called Minute Man and of course he immediately stated it was ALL my fault for even "looking" at the carb and that voided any warranty, was generally rude and acted as if I must be an idiot. Never heard this line of thinking with small engines myself, but he said he could probably do it for less than $100. They happened to be in my area for a delivery so he offered to pick it up for free (though I would have dropped it off had they not). Three days later he says he replaced the carb and it's $155! And to cap it off, when I went to pick it up, half-way between the FIVE minutes it took to load the blower in our station wagon (the plastic throw chute needed to be popped off), he turns to his wife who is his assistant and says, right in front of me : "I don't know why they didn't just spend the $50 to have us deliver it, because this is F###ing ridiculous!" So much for customer service, huh? Lesson learned the hard way- stay away from Minute Man and anything MTB builds! read more

Avoid this place and go to Wainwright's Small Engine Service. "Fast" Eddie and his wife have been running this "bait and switch" scam for 35 years. Tragically, this is New England so old man winter has been on their side, and they seem to be the only game in town (i.e. monopoly) when it comes to "tune-ups"or "repairs" for snowblowers. Any Yelp review on this site above one star is like their business - shady and most likely fraudulent (it would not surprise me if it was Fast Eddie or his wife or family/friends writing up sham reviews to goose up their "three star" Yelp review). Long story short - after seeing the mixed Yelp reviews with much trepidation I called up and made an appointment for a "tune up" for my brand new Ariens snow blower (less than a year old). Fast Eddie and his wife pick up the snow blower, 7 weeks later I get a 10 minute voicemail letting me know that Ariens snow blowers are useless pieces of sh*t b/c they're made in China, and b/c they're such low quality snowblowers I've got issues with my carburetor and some gobbledygook about the engine. Fast Eddie - with my best interest in mind (not) - doesn't think to call me to let me know about these issues and discuss next steps/pricing - he just goes ahead and "fixes" the issues and charges me $212! And the kicker - he suggests if I want to trade in my brand new Ariens snowblower and buy a Troy-Bilt snowblower that he sells for $750? WTF...was Fast Eddie a used car salesman in a past life? Thanks to Fast Eddie my warranty under Ariens is now null and void. read more

DO NOT USE THIS BUSINESS. Called to request a tune up for my snow blower. Was told the first time I called there is a $25 pick up fee which is fine. Called back 2 days later and was told it was gonna be $50. Told him what changed? And they said that area is hard for them to get to which is weird because google maps says it's a 5 minute drive. (Rindge ave Cambridge to 111 mass ave Arlington) He said "no it's not" and when I asked him to look it up, said he doesn't have time for that. He then said 50 bucks take it or leave it and hung up on me. Yikes! If this business is making up prices for things that are not based on any facts, who knows what they'll end up charging you for. read more

I was referred to this business for warranty repair on my Troy-Bilt snowblower. I was rudely told "we don't do warranty repair unless you bought it from us." "That's not what Troy-Bilt told me," I said. The answer? "I don't give a [F-bomb] what Troy-Bilt says!" I can't understand why a small business would talk that way to a customer who calls them asking for help. If they don't want to be in the business of doing warranty repairs, they should work that out with Troy-Bilt, not get hostile and abusive with the customers Troy-Bilt refers to them. My snowblower may be under warranty right now, but it won't be forever. I'll have that thing for the next 20 years, I have a lawnmower, too, and these guys could have been my small engine mechanics and benefited from that long term relationship. Now, someone else will instead. Why anybody would treat a potential customer that way is just a mystery to me. read more

This guy and his wife show up, take one look at my 2 year old snowblower and say, you need a new snowblower. We'll give you 50 bucks for this if you buy a 700 dollar snowblower from us. I say, let me think about that. Over the next two days the guy calls me 6 times trying to sell me a new snowblower. My brother and I tuned up my snowblower ourselves. read more

We called Minute Man Repair last year after getting a not too old hand-me-down snowblower from my sister that wouldn't start. The owner said they'd just left gas sitting in the snowblower too long (apparently this is a huge no-no and one of his pet peeves since I see it in other reviews here). They picked up the snowblower, tuned it up, delivered it back, and showed my husband how to siphon the gas out at the end of the season or a month without use. At the end of last winter, we put it away without gas as instructed (enthusiastically). This past November, we checked to make sure it would start up and it did. So, I can't remember what the tune up cost - $175? I know a new snowblower would probably cost $300 or so but I feel like even a new one would need a tune up every so often and why contribute to the junking of the earth when things can be tuned up and repaired. We will be calling them again since the cord broke in yesterday's storm (which is what triggered my memory to write a review). Shovels up, people! read more

They are listed as an authorized repair shop for Troy Bilt. But walk in there with something you didn't buy there and the laugh at you and tell you they don't repair those there. With a very elitist attitude that it seems about 50% of people get. Unfortunately Troy Bilt recommends this place for repairs, even though they don't do repairs. There are no other places nearby, I ended up returning the leaf blower to the place I bought it. read more

They know their stuff but it comes at a price. Cash only, no returns on belts even if you don't open them. One day awesome and friendly, the next day throwing stuff and me out the door. I learned quite a bit from them about my snowblower and yet the volatile personality there told me never to come back again after not understanding a simple voice mail messaged that was miscommunicated by a part time worker at the shop. A shame to say the least because great mechanics but the odds are even that you will get abused by these peeps as part of the cost of your repair. read more

I dropped of my honda mower which was over 20 years old and in need of repair. Spent $400 in repairs only to find out something else major had occurred when I brought it back. Since mower was so old, the part would be difficult to find and labor intensive. Eddie offered me my $400 back or offered me a new mower ($399) plus take my old mower back if I wanted it. Was I upset at first, sure, but Eddie was a man of his word and was honest and upfront. Can't ask for more than that. read more

The past 16 years Ed and Beth have provided the No-Nonsence approach to providing and maintaining all our power equip.-Mowers, snowblowers, etc The best in service and realistic pricing. Thanks again AF read more

Sigh. We just got scammed by this company. We dropped off our snow blower for the $86.50 tuneup special, and then got hit with a $332.25 bill. This is about half of the cost of our 2-year old snowblower. They replaced the carburetor without first calling us. The repairman there said the carburetor was 'all gummed up'. When we questioned him about replacing the carburetor without first talking to us, he became defensive and said "If you want someone to do a shit job, you should take it somewhere else." read more

I brought my 14 year old Toro mower here after trying to fix it myself. Eddy warned me ahead of time that ethanol gas may have damaged the seals in the carberator. He checked the defective nozzle and then replaced it with a new one. That did the trick. He then, with my ok, changed the dirty oil, sharpened the blade, and replaced the air filter. He encouraged me to change the oil every year to ensure many more years for the mower. I was about to spend $300 for a new mower and felt very fortunate to have a good as new unit for $70. Minute Man Repair is a small and colorful shop. It wa a joy doing business there. read more

Called and left a message about my lawn mower and no reply. I emailed and got a reply! Went to the store, no-show for 45 min. Sign on the door says open at 1230. WTH! So I dropped it by Farina's in Belmont, much happier! Nice guy. So if ya want to waste yer time. Drop by the mom and pop store! If ya want to get something fixed, take it anywhere else! As a side note, the employee in the glass place next to "wait a few more -minutes man" said he has funky hours and sometimes doesn't show up. I'm sure it's great service when,if, they are open. read more

This morning I entered the second circle of hell with Sears in Cambridge and Sears on the phone. I was trying to get my gas powered push mower repaired. Minute Man was the next closest option and it was the opposite of Dante. It was more like Our Town. While I waited for the repair, Eddie fixed the mower, explaining why and what at each step. I love not feeling ripped off! I love this place! Love the service. Love the vibe. Love the work! read more

I guess you either love Eddie and Beth (and they love you!) or you hate them according to all the reviews of Minute Man repair. Well I am in the "Love" camp. Eddie returned my call and picked up both our 24" snowblower and no-longer self propelled lawn mower the same day. I was worried about Eddie and Beth lifting the very heavy snowblower into their van, but they did it with aplomb. Eddie said that both devices could probably be repaired in a few days, but I was going to be away and they accommodated me perfectly on the return delivery. They found many problems with both the snowblower and lawn mower, repaired them all - including showing us specifically what they did and how to avoid breaking them again. They also demonstrated how well both were running as well as gave us tips on what to do/not to do with the mower and snowblower. They also installed a gas switch on the snowblower which will keep it healther in the future. I think they spent at least 30 minutes explaining the repairs and teaching us how to use the tools better. I thought they were great, very nice, pleasant, considerate and helpful. And, I really appreciated the pick up and delivery as the snowblower could not fit in my SUV without being dismantled. read more

I brought my lawn mower in this past Saturday because it was increasing my carbon foot print a little too much with a nice Spy Hunter smoke screen. They had it all fixed up for me within a half hour and running smoothly. They are extremely passionate about their work as well. I learned more about lawn mowers in 30 minutes with these two than I had learned in previous 34 years of life. I will definitely be bringing my mower here for regular tune-ups. Thanks guys! read more

I read these bad reviews and wonder if this is the same place that saved my butt. I had a bad carb I tried to order one my blower is 20yrs old still strong. Every place kept promising they'd order it after a week of broken promises I happened to stumble on this joint which is 5 min from my house. Yup he's been there forever and when I got there it was like he told me on the phone the line was out the farkin door. But when it was my turn he new exactly what my problem was with my carb. He even knew I tried to fix it and did more damage. He proceeded to rebuild me a new one and the price was spot on. Also he gave me next small things with it. Did he swear yup, was his talk rough yup, but he knows his stuff and his price was fair. Keep up the good work sir. I'll be a life long customer. read more

I needed a tune-up and repair on my lawnmower. They did a great job--and then dropped it off at my house for free. A little advice on fuel and friendly service. Local, colorful, and great. Thanks. read more

I purchased a used snow blower from a woman in Cambridge. She said it had a bad transmission and was not worth repairing. I told her that did not sound right who told her that she said it was the company she purchased the new one from, It was this company. I picked it up today and and installed a $10 belt and it is as good as new. Did they rip her off or are they just bad at there job?? You pick but either is not good. read more

The negative reviews are right on the mark. Eddie and Beth are running a scam. They pick up your mower or snow blower, and then call to say that it has been poorly maintained and they can barely get it to run for the $100+ they have just charged you. Next, they offer to apply the amount to a machine that they will sell you. On top of that, Eddie is a scold who will tell you that he knows you left the machine outside during the winter, so you are the problem. Stay away! read more

I used to appreciate this gentleman's extensive knowledge of motors and his wife's prominent role in the business. I still do. But they have doubled their prices in recent years and spend very little time on each machine. Expect to spend upwards of $100 for 10 minutes of labor. I don't enjoy being berated for my choice of mower and being told stupid people voted for Democrats who want to flood the US market with cheap Chinese parts. This guy seems to be feeling dis-empowered by the world and is taking it out on his unsuspecting customers. read more

A very bad experience. They charged me $330 for a snow blower tuneup in September 2012; this was considerably more than I had expected. The thing croaked in February after being used twice. Interactions with them were unpleasant throughout: the guy kept insisting that the engine would immediately croak from exposure to ethanol-containing gas, then observed that the engine was running just fine, then announced that they need to replace some parts to make things well. I would avoid them like the plague. Cason's of Lowell was much more pleasant to deal with so far. read more

I bought a used lawnmower here yesterday. It came with a full tank of gas, a quart of oil and an instruction on how to use the machine, along with a lot of hilarity. read more

BEWARE of Fast Eddie and his sweet-talking wife Beth. There is a consistent pattern coming through the reviews, though not everyone realizes they got scammed. I dropped off my 10 year old lawnmower (a $279 self propelled model with a standard 6.75HP Briggs and Stratton engine, which currently sells new at Home Depot for $329), because it was running very poorly. Next day I get a call from Eddie saying he's "tuned it up and re-built the carb", $240. You can buy this carburetor online for $11 to $13, brand new. So what can you do except kick yourself for being taken, and pay up. Well, next day, I mow the lawn, and it runs fine for about 15 minutes then returns to the same behavior. So I call Eddie and Beth, they come pick it up, and a day later I get a voice mail from Eddie telling me story about how water in the tank "crushed an injector", which had to be replaced, and he'll only charge me $50, just for the part, nothing for the labor. This time, before calling back, l tested the gas in the gas can for water by putting it in a glass and waiting overnight for it to separate, as it will in 15 minutes if water is there. Well, nothing. So I ran a tank of the gasoline in our power washer and did all the deck furniture. No problem. So I call Eddie, and he says he doesn't know how water got in, "but it surely did". So then I ask Eddie how he replaced an "injector" in a carburetor that by definition has none. So Eddie explains that its the piece at the bottom of the float bowl, which is actually a solid jet with two tiny holes in it to regulate gas flow, is un-crush-able, is easy to clean, and costs about $1 (remember the whole carb costs $11). Eddie then says he hasn't got time to explain any more to me, and that he's got to get back to work, so he'll just drop off the mower, and if I want to pay him the $50, fine, if not, fine. read more

Wanted my snow blower repaired, but couldn't even get past arranging the pickup details. The guy was extremely rude and cursed me out for simply asking whether I'd get an estimate before the work was done. Complete jerk. read more

I've used Minute Man Repair for pick up/delivery of both my snow blower and lawn mower in the past. When my snow blower broke on Saturday I emailed them that nite and they came on Monday to my house. This may not seem remarkable BUT Tuesday was the 2'+ impending snow storm. They came to the house and solved my issue so that I was up and running again with a snow blower in time for the storm. read more

Had our snowblower picked up for the $75 tune-up special. We let them know something seemed to be wrong with the carborator if they could look at it. We never got a call back reporting what they had found or how much it would cost to repair it until they called a week later to say our snowblower was ready to deliver back to us and the cost was $247 due to repairs they needed to make. Attempted to have a conversation with Eddie that this was unacceptable to charge us for unauthorized work and we kept talking in circles, Eddie stating they don't have an obligation or the time to call people with estimates. Called the MA Attorney General's Consumer Help Hotline - the law is clearly stated for auto repairs, but not as clear for small engine. But based on the guidelines for auto repair, was told the consumer should be given information on the estimated cost of repairs and give the OK for said repairs before they're done and final cost should not exceed 10% of the original estimate. Gave 2 stars instead of 1 as the snowblower seems to be working well and they seem to know what they're doing, but feel these are unacceptable business practices. Ours is a used snowblower and we may have decided to put the $ into a new one rather than repairing this one. I met him part way on final price knowing they did work on it, but got guilt tripped about it. read more

Moved to Arlington into a brand new house, side by side condo, garage under. After winter of 2014-2015, decided I definitely needed a snowblower and one that could do the steep shared driveway, small as it is. Found Minute Man Repair one Sat morning just as they were rolling the snowblowers out on the sidewalk. Another gentleman and I arrived about same time, so the owner gave us a soup to nuts demo of the smallest gas, self propelled (to get up that driveway of mine) Troy Bilt. Finding no gas in the tank, he wheeled it into the shop, put a half pint of gas in, put it on a lift so we could examine more closely, and with open doors, started the blower showing us how to enrich the fuel (equivalent of choking) and it started right up. Showed us the driving gear on this American made machine and ones that had broken on the Chinese made sold under the same brand. Brought it back to the sidewalk and showed us how to drive it one handed so we can crank the throw arm to where we wanted the snow to go. Had the two of us try to hold the blower in drive from moving (we could not). Showed us the shear pins and where to keep them and why to make sure we used them. Spoke of the ethynol in gas and how it absorbs water and ruins the fuel. This owner knows his stuff. I bought a snowblower. The owners delivered this snow blower when they said they would. They pull started it and ran through the forward/backward, this all works, before driving off. Not sure where the 1 star ratings came from - perhaps a no-nonsense approach scares them off. I rate these owners top notch and highly recommend them. read more

I called them about doing a simple tuneup for my snowblower. They were having a $75 tuneup special. I thought this was great. We had a hard time setting up a time for them to pick my snowblower up and I ended up just completely leaving it outside for them in my backyard. I was not happy with this but I felt like I did not have a choice. The arranging of getting my snowblower back from them was also difficult and the guy was very rude to me. They did not take down my cell phone number correctly and ended up leaving a note on my door to tell me that it was ready. When I talked to him, he said that they have been trying to get in touch with me for a couple days because I did not give them a correct number and if they did not return my snowblower tonight, I would be charged $25 fee for storage. I have had my cell phone number for 8 years and I would not have told them an incorrect number like he said I did. Finally, they dropped off my snowblower and gave me a bill for $268!! They did not talk to me about repairs that supposedly needed to be done and just gave me the bill as they were dropping it off!! What a sham!! They need to learn some manners and about customer service. Definitely going to someone else next year!! read more