First visit here for me. 1 week after first storm of the year -- not good timing, I know. My 15 year old behemoth Yard Man ingested it's transmission mid storm. So I went to get a new one, but an Ariens or Honda this time -- something bulletproof. Got helped right away. They listened to me, knew what they were talking about, and got me what I wanted. Ten minutes in and out. They delivered it 30 miles within the week, assembled, gassed up and set up. And took away the 400 lb corpse. Good experience. read more

WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY MOWER?!?! Seriously! This is not the mower that your team picked up from my house 4 weeks ago! I think there has been some mistake. When we bought our house in August, the former owners were planning a long term visit to Australia and had no need for a mower. For a small fee they left it behind. It was in rough shape. I can't imagine it had ever been serviced. It caught fire a few times when I used it from the oil dripping off the back of it. This can't be that same Toro Zero Turn. Mine didn't have Toro logos on it. If it did they were cover by layers of dirt. This can't be the same machine. I didn't know it was a Kohler engine. For one, it is much easier to turn and I'm concerned that you may have accidentally switched it with a much newer model. Are you sure that the motor should sound this loud? My old mower didn't have this much compression. It also left behind a strip of uncut grass in its path because the blades were so dull. This one cuts like a dream. Whatever you did to it seems to have worked. You can keep it. I'll take this new one. Thanks! read more

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Five years later, I'm dropping my rating from five stars to one. Apologies to anyone who had a negative experience after giving this place a try based on my previously positive review. But it has changed. The decline started when they talked me into buying a walk behind mower that turned out to be a lemon. When I was buying it, it was billed as the greatest thing since sliced bread. But it has been plagued by design flaws and expensive repairs, over the years, and a tech told me that it was a piece of garbage and they never should have sold them. The guy who was into stocking them had left the company. No, they wouldn't give me a refund, or any kind of credit/break because they ripped me off. But they would be happy to sell me a new mower. It's the greatest thing since sliced bread. Time waiting for repairs has increased to the point of ridiculousness. I am clearly not a preferred customer; I've had to wait five weeks for a machine to get repaired. They would give me an estimate, and then when that day came, they would say, "Oh, it was all fixed and we got it on the truck and found something else wrong with it." Multiple times. Then, there's my riding mower. They said it needs $1500 worth of repairs. Do I want them to recycle it? No, it was working fine. i needed something unrelated fixed, to what they saw. Don't touch it. I've put ten hours on it since that diagnosis, and it works fine. They are not good at diagnosing problems. What pushed me over the edge was that they recently did over $300 of repairs on a machine that costs $420 new, they didn't tell me in advance what the charge would be. To abridge the story, the tech told me that it was a very simple thing to fix, just the replacement of a plastic housing, but that aspect of it wound up costing me about $160. When I complained, the owner started shouting at me about how unfair I was being. I thought he was a nice guy, for maybe fifteen years, and was startled at how quickly he turned mean on me. My mistake. Here's how I see it. The numbers don't really work for a consumer to buy and have machines fixed by this place. Maybe it's a different story for a corporate client, but for consumers, not so much. Sadly, it makes more sense to buy cheap machines at big box stores, use them until they break, and then replace them. The repair costs and minimum bench fees simply don't make sense. If it costs $300 every three or four years to repair a $1200 lawn mower, it's less aggravation to just buy a new $300 lawnmower that lasts for three or four years. If you can fix a machine yourself, getting something higher end might make sense, but from my perspective, using their repair department no longer works for me, financially. Especially if I get shouted at and insulted when I go there. Sad. I used to value this place, but I am done. P.S. The owner told me he doesn't care about Yelp reviews, so don't feel badly for him. read more

My parents have done business here for as long as they have lived here, several decades, and they like supporting local business but these guys are total jerks. Can't wait for everyone to realize the 'warranty' they supply is garbage just like their attitude when we asked them to pick up the broken snowblower we used ONCE... and we had to pay for it? What the? Couldn't have said it better than someone else already has, "For all the negative reviews, you'll notice a trend there as well - and I can only echo those sentiments. Argumentative, rude, defensive, and being utterly clueless what customer service actually means." Buy your snowblower off Amazon and use their extended warranty and you'll be better off than buying from these guys and getting $*it on later. read more

Excellent shop. Quality products. People know their products and are honest and helpful about what I need. I have never felt pressured to buy anything I didn't need. I would not go anywhere else. read more

Brought my snowblower on a Saturday around noon in because the wheels locked up. I told them to check it out and fix anything that needed fixing as well as giving it a tune up. It was ready on Monday! They gave me a synopsis of what the checked and what they did for upkeep and repair. The condition that I got it back in was GREAT! It runs better than when I bought it new! The quick turn-around was wonderful, the price was reasonable and they treated me with respect and courtesy. I highly recommend this business! read more

These guys have provided me great, courteous, honorable, honest, reliable service for years. They've picked up, done the annual maintenance on, and dropped off my Honda snowthrower for years. All on time and for a modest price. I recently purchased a Honda Miimo robot lawnmower from them. I believe I was the first to do so and the owner, Steve, was great to work with. Very candid, supportive, and honorable throughout the purchase and set up process. I now have a great robot lawnmower mowing my lawn beautifully on schedule with no further intervention on my part. The regional Honda rep Mike Mahoney was also super supportive and helpful. I'll be coming back to them with whatever future business I can throw their way. read more

I brought in my Ariens Snowblower because the carburetor was clogged. They rebuilt the carburator and The snowblower never ran so strong ! The got the job done within 2 weeks as promised before the Blizzard of 2022 hit. They did go over budget of the estimate of $125, but not by too much at ~ $150. They did want to repair a host of maintenance parts on the snow blower that ran to over a $650 repair, but those Items I knew were worn, but do not need to immediately get changed. When those items go, I will probably bring the snowblower back to them for repair. read more

Very positive experience with Harvard Power. They sold us a snowblower a couple years ago and delivered it quickly. 2 years later we sent it in for a tune up and they made sure to get it back to us before a snowstorm of over a foot right after thanksgiving. They also determined that a component should be replaced under warranty - which led to a noticeable difference during the clean up. A big thanks to Steve and the Harvard Power team! read more

Worst customer service I have ever experienced. I brought in a riding mower for service. They said they would call me if there was any additional work that needed to be done. When I went to pickup the mower, they had done $450 worth of work without even calling to tell me that additional work was needed. My bill was 2-3 times more than expected. The mower itself is worth only $600. The worst part was that when I questioned them about the practice of doing additional work without calling the customer, they said the mower needed the work anyways and I shouldn't complain about it. They missed the point all together that I should have been notified of the additional work/cost before they did it. When I tried to explain that to the business owner, his employee jumped into the conversation and threatened to come over the counter and "Shut me up" while he pounded on the counter. It was extremely unprofessional and something I have never experienced before. Not to mention that I had already agreed to pay my bill in full. They also charged me for sharpening the mower blades which they did not do. The mower deck wasn't even on the mower when I gave it to them. read more

After 15 years of doing business with Harvard Outdoor Power Equipment (HOPE) and spending literally thousands of dollars over the years, am calling it quits and taking my business up the road. They have the worst customer service I've ever experienced in this industry - period. Their only saving grace is the mechanics are very good and know what they're doing. The front office needs to completely re-invent its attitude towards individual (non-commercial) customers. Looking at the other reviews posted here - one can see it's either very positive or very negative. If you are a large commercial customer or you are an individual customer buying something new and of significant value, it is possible you will have at least an average to positive experience. For all the negative reviews, you'll notice a trend there as well - and I can only echo those sentiments. Argumentative, rude, defensive, and being utterly clueless what customer service actually means also come to mind. Note: out of respect for the good employees that work there, am not naming names one way or the other - that is an exercise left for the reader of this and earlier reviews. After finally running out of patience for them to service my equipment - 27 days to get an estimate - I canceled 30 days from the initial date on the ticket which was 45 days from being put on their "secret" waiting list, a week after my initial contact. More than 50 days end to end. Today I went to retrieve my equipment and was charged an hour of shop labor time. Here is what was actually entered at the bottom of the service ticket: "AT THIS TIME CUSTOMER HAS DECLINED SERVICE. DUE TO OUR INABILITY TO MEET THIS CUSTOMERS DEMANDS. HARVARD OUTDOOR POWER WILL NO LONGER SERVICE THIS CUSTOMERS EQUIPMENT NOW OR IN THE FUTURE. CUSTOMER TO PAY FOR MECHANICS TIME WASTED ON THIS TICKET." So I've been blacklisted, insulted and charged $75.00 for wasting their time! The irony being that over the last month, between being left on hold, waiting for return calls and having to call them for status once every 10 days (with only one call back), this last episode has cost me 4+ hours of MY time. For some reason, they seem to think their time is more valuable than the customer's. To add insult to injury, my equipment was returned empty of fuel - when I dropped it off it was more than half full. (I realize they have to drain the tank to service it, but they are supposed to note the level and refill it when returned). For the first several years doing business with HOPE, they were under different management and I was a loyal and satisfied customer. They cared about me, about my equipment and keeping it running like new. I probably spent way more on labor, parts and maintenance than would make sense otherwise. They were almost always slow, but they did good work and the prices were acceptable. Under the new management my loyalties are forever lost - and what does it matter anyways? They've just told me they don't want my business ever again and charged me for the privilege. In addition, here are some other quotes I've been told in the past: - "You don't represent enough business for us to complete your service by the date stated on the ticket" - "We are too busy with other more important customers that have arrived after we started on your job" - "We don't know when we can get to your job - you'll just have to wait until it's done." - "Don't call us, we'll call you.." Be advised and do business with HOPE at your own risk of experiencing the same as above - if and until the management's attitude changes towards individual customers that don't represent significant new or recurring business, it will more than likely be a HOPEless endeavour. read more

I brought my chainsaw in to be repaired about a month ago. I was told the repair would take a couple of weeks. The repair order had a written estimate of 4 weeks. Today, after almost 4 weeks, I called to see what the status of the repair was. The individual I spoke with said they had not even looked at it yet. I asked for an estimate of when they would get to it and she said she was unable to tell me because they had "a lot of work." I pressed for some sort of estimate and all she would say was that the owner Steve would call me later. Steve did call just now and I have never had a more unsatisfying conversation in my entire adult life. He said he couldn't give me an estimate because it is the busiest time of year. When I pressed for an estimate, he said "you know there are two kinds of customers, ones who spend a half a million a year and then there are ones like you who spend maybe $100 a year. Now, you tell me who gets priority service when they come in?" I was flabbergasted. The only possible rejoinder I could come up with was that I wish I had known about Harvard Outdoor Power Equipment's half a million dollar club when I bought the chainsaw. I tried to get Steve to give me some sort of estimate ... asking whether it was a week, or a month or a year? He allowed as to how it would be less than a year. And, the most unsatisfying part was that he was absolutely fine with that "non-answer." A business that sells and services equipment has an obligation to keep a service department that can keep pace with the volume of their sales. Oh and the best part is that I had to put down a $35 deposit when I brought the chainsaw in. It is a wonder that Harvard Outdoor Power Equipment is still in business. I will never go there again and would strongly urge others to take their business elsewhere. read more

Went in to look at snow blowers, with every intention of purchasing one since I live locally. Three men were standing a few feet away talking about local restaurants. I looked at the snow blowers, occasionally glancing up to see if any of them were going to help me or at least say hello. Nope. They continued their conversation completely ignoring me. I walked out and will never return. AND I will tell everyone I know about my experience. Total lack of customer service. Bottom line: If you are a woman don't even bother walking in the door. read more

Went in to get cutting blades for my craftsman mower gave him the model number and all he could say was that does nothing for me. Guy was totally ignorant and had way to much attitude. Was looking for a replacement store because mine retired. This store clearly is not it and I will tell all my friends. P.S. I was going to buy a new snow blower this year. Looks like someone else will get the sale! read more

I purchased my chainsaw from this store. They are very helpful and have a great staff that is very good at helping with any questions I have. They also carry lawn mowers and Honda generators. I would never want to buy any equipment from a dealer that I do not trust. I came here because I know they will be here to help any time I have questions or need service. read more

These guys are pretty good at selling stuff to you. Never, ever take anything for repair here. They "supposed" to have fixed my snow blower and charged $$ end of last season. Beginning of this season it didn't work and when I called them, they want more money to completely repair it. Some of my colleagues had similar opinion about them. I'd spent literally over thousand dollars at this place past 3 years. Not a penny more.. read more

I fix airplanes for a living so I know my way around an engine, but stuff nowadays is complicated and access to the service and parts manuals is difficult to come by, so anyhow they got my Toro mower going when I could not, they knew I needed the hi lift blades to get the wet grass into the bag, so my mower is now doing a fine job. The bill was reasonable and they got it done in a fair amount of time. I also bought the gallon of special gas for my 2 cycle equipment, t seems pricey, but when your stuff starts and runs like it never did before and does not gum up, you realize the fuel is worth it's weight in gold. Also, the new owner is not to be confused with the burnt out previous owenr read more

I wanted to put in a plug for HOP and the owner Steve. I am a volunteer with the Bare Hill Rowing Team and we went to HOP looking for backpack blowers for our leaf raking fundraiser. We ended up buying 9 of the BR600s over a 2 year period and always found the experience to be positive and professional. And coming in for supplies, etc have had the same results. Steve has always demonstrated a sincere desire to help out the team and "be part of the community" - I think this speaks to his character and is a reason to support local businesses. As to the equipment - every one of the Stihl BR600s has been flawless (2 years now) they are truly remarkable. Bottom line - a professionally run local business that sells quality equipment. read more

I've bought equipment for years here and had a fair amount of repairs done by them. I have always fund them to be very helpful. They aren't particularly cheap, but are consistent with or better than other Stihl, Honda and Ariens dealers. It's kind of a working man's place, so if you're expecting the kind of service you get from a high-end place closer into the city, you might be disappointed. You've got to speak up and ask if you need help or have question. read more

I'm surprised to read so many negative reviews here, especially after seeing so many positive reviews on Google. I had a great experience getting my new snowblower (the exact model I wanted, which I'd researched enough to know was the same price as at the local big box store as well as another small business shop), and they even delivered it the same day so I'd have it in time for a big storm. It's a great machine and works beautifully so far. I had a really positive experience with Steve, and plan to have it serviced there as well. read more

This review is long overdue but includes recent updates on the status of the equipment that was serviced some time ago. Also, since right now the only other review is from three years ago I figure I'm not too far off the mark. A few years ago I had Harvard Outdoor Power Equipment service a five year old Craftsman snow-thrower that was slowly leaking oil from the auger gearbox. Unfortunately, after receiving the unit back, I found that the gearbox still leaked oil. Their explanation was that some leaking from the gearbox over time is normal. Of course this was not their take when they initially looked at the unit and decided it needed a gearbox repair kit. I should stress that the unit didn't leak oil for the first four years of service and when I received it back I made sure to wipe up any residue on and around the gearbox from the service work. When I discovered the continued leak the unit had been sitting for a number of weeks without any significant thermal expansion due to usage that might otherwise cause a fully topped off gearbox to possibly release some excess oil. In additional to the main repair failure, they decided that the engine was "running rough" and that the fuel system needed to be flushed and the carburetor cleaned. This after I had explicitly told them to not touch the engine as I had already test started it for the season and it was running as expected, which granted wasn't the smoothest, but nothing that hindered the unit's operation. They told me they did not charge me for the added work, since it was their mistake to go forward with it against my instruction, but the final bill was approximately 27% higher than the original quote for the gearbox work and pick-up/delivery. Regardless of where the added charges came from, they went over their initial estimate by a substantial amount, without indicating any major change in scope of work. Oh, and the engine ran just as rough as it ever did. I have no idea what symptom they think they addressed. They also missed the estimated completion date, which initially gave them just under a month to work on the unit. I had to call them a few days later just to get a status update, at which time I found they hadn't even touched the unit. They promised a call back early the next week and by the end of said week I was again calling them to get the past-due status update. It wasn't until the following week that I finally got my first call from them, telling me the unit was ready to be returned. I understand seasonal workloads and schedules can be difficult to estimate, but I spent far too much time chasing after them just to get past-due status updates they had promised. Maybe if I had bought the snow-thrower from them they would have treated me better, but that shouldn't be a prerequisite for good service. What I do know is that they lost my service business and any potential new unit sales down the road. And now for the recent updates: Three years later the snow thrower still leaks oil from the auger gearbox. While not a huge leak, I do have to make sure I put something under it to catch the oil that drops onto the shave plate and then onto the floor, especially when storing the unit for the off season. While I change the oil in the engine regularly and perform other maintenance on the unit, I have not touched the auger gearbox at all. I figure if the gearbox seizes due to lack of oil I'll either repair it myself or trade the entire machine in for something newer. As for the engine, it finally started running smoother, with no surging once warm, after roughly two full seasons of use and many tanks of highly concentrated fuel stabilizer treated gas. I guess whatever was in the carburetor finally cleaned out, no thanks to Harvard Outdoor Power. Oh, and a little over a year ago I purchased a new Honda HRX lawnmower and HHT string trimmer from another vendor, so like I said, Harvard Outdoor Power lost my sales business too. read more

I've read others' reviews, and I identify most with George R's experience and subsequent negative review. I'm not at all surprised to hear that the owner, Steve, was rude and interested only in making lots of money, not at all in customer service or in even honoring his promises to customers. Read on; it's worth your time, so you don't get caught in the same situation my husband and I did. A couple of weeks ago, I called Harvard Outdoor PE. Steve answered the phone. I asked him if he had a certain snowblower in stock. He told me they were all gone, but that he was expecting a shipment of 7 more of that make and model, to come, he hoped, in a few days. He also told me twice that he thought he would have one for me, and took my name and number for his waiting list. I was very grateful and thanked him. 2 days later (Thursday, I believe), I stopped into the store. I spoke to Steve, who knew who I was. Said he still hadn't gotten in the snowblowers. I said no problem.. Steve definitely knew I was waiting for the snowblower. I also needed to have my small snow thrower restrung. He said they could do the repair, so I drove back home, loaded the snow thrower in my truck, and brought it back to his shop for repair. On Monday I received 2 voice mail messages from Harvard Ourdoor PE: the first was from their repair department saying that my snow thrower was repaired and asking me to pick it up. The 2nd message was left at 5:13pm by Steve who said that the snowblower had come in, it was there waiting, and that he "did not know" if I "wanted it." He requested I call him back. At the time he left the message, I was out having new snow tires installed on my car. I got Steve's voice mail msg. as soon as I got home, and I called him immediately, between 6:15 and 6:20pm, just over an hour after he left his message. I was ready to pick it up immediately. But Steve said he had "just sold it" to a man who was in the store and who offered to "pay cash." The cash payment was the reason Steve decided to screw me out of that snowblower. Steve didn't wait even an hour for my return call, he didn't honor his own waiting-list system or his verbal understanding, and he didn't feel badly for having done all of this. He certainly didn't know whether I was going to pay in cash, or maybe he assumed I could NOT do cash, which is even worse. I was flabbergasted. I couldn't believe he would do such a rotten thing. Put my name on his waiting list, tell me more than once that he thinks he can sell one of the snow blowers to me, sees me TWICE in person, hears that I am waiting for it, accepts my business and my money for my small snow thrower repair, and then, for no apparent reason other than greed, or worse, then sells the blower that we both understood was meant for me. This was no misunderstanding between me and Steve; he deliberately made the conscious choice to go back on his word. What a rotten thing to do to a customer. Very little, if any, scruples. I had to go there the next day to pick up my snow thrower and pay for the repair. That was the hardest $45 I have ever had to pay to anyone. I stood at the counter for what seemed like a long time, while another employee fetched my snow thrower. Steve was sitting in his usual spot behind the counter, not 3 feet from my face, and said not a single word to me. Not "hi," not "I'm sorry," he wouldn't even acknowledge I was there. I wanted to pay cash but I did not want to make it that much easier for him, so I took out my credit card. Boy, did he look at THAT credit card, as if to note to himself that I was NOT paying cash. I thought about insisting he give me my repair for free to show a good-faith effort to do some much-needed customer relations repair; but I didn't want to get into an argument with him. I was convinced this guy didn't care one bit about me, my business, or whether he would ever see me again. What a jerk, and a shark. And a boor, really. My husband was very angry when he heard what had happened. The next day (Tuesday) he called and spoke to Steve directly, saying that what Steve had done was awful and that we wanted some kind of deal to make up for the awful treatment and the lack of snowblower. True to form, Steve "offered" to sell us another make/model of snowblower that was in stock. He didn't offer a discount or even an apology; he just offered to take our money and to put a time limit on his "offer" -- we had to call him before 4 or 5 that afternoon. Was he freaking kidding?! Both my husband and I want to warn people about how this man does business. Thank heavens there are other choices around here. read more

Did some warranty work on my Ariens and finished in one day which was nice. They have a lot of parts and accessories in stock, and seem to have some decent end of season sales. I got some bags of driveway salt for half-price. read more

I am so glad to see that I'm not the first to experience the lack of respect, knowledge, and management from this horribly run 'company'. My family has been going to this shop to purchase and repair the commercial level landscaping equipment that we all own and after today i have finally had enough of the unqualified workers 'fixing' my equipment. They cant even fix a simple pull string on a 2 stroke engine, let alone the engine itself. They keep your equipment for way too long when you give it to them and when you get it back you will come to find out that they are extremely careless when they work on anything. If they see something of concern on whatever engine they are currently working on, they won't let you know. They over charge for the level of work that his young and inexperienced helpers can put into a machine. The owner of the company Stevie is also the manager and it's clear that he's not fit to hold either of those titles, as his customer service skills are pathetic. And he's clearly only in this business to rip customers off. He only cares about people who are going to spend a half a million dollars at his store. Sorry Steve you don't know the first thing about small business. And that's exactly what you are a very, very , very small business who should be thanking every customer who walks through the doors of your small business shack , I mean store front... Another fun fact. This company doesn't keep records of the work that they do and it's clearly causing huge problems for them and.....guess who else....the customers! The people that have given them time and money to do a job that they are simply not qualified to do. read more

Sure they can fix your equipment and the price is on par with most others. But don't expect to use your machine the rest of the season. I've had my snowblower and chain saw serviced here and both took well over a month before they were even looked at. I recently had my lawnmower serviced at a competitor and it took less than 2 weeks to get back. They might be fine for off-season tune-ups/repairs, but for anything in-season, go somewhere else. read more

First time doing business with Harvard Power, last October we purchased two Ariens Platinum 30 snow blowers for our condominium. Used them for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 6th - one engine failed with a bang 15 minutes after it was put into use. Called HP, they said they would pick it up Monday morning. They picked it up about 10:00 AM, and returned with a brand new replacement about 2:00 PM - could not have asked for better service! read more

I to have shopped there and have several items fixed over the years I went in on Monday before the big storm on Tuesday the 27 th. I needed to have the puller on my snowblower re-roped to get started. I waited 25-30 in line to see a rep as they were busy. While waiting the phone was ringing constantly and I of the reps kept saying don't answer it we can do anymore business today. This was at 9:30 am when I was waited on he asked name and phone number. When I asked when I could pick it up he said he didn't know. I said I need for the storm tomorrow and he said that's not going to happen asked if he could recommend someplace because I really needed it he only said that every place will be busy and to forget it. I thought he extremely rude the funny thing is I had donethis a couple years ago and I swear it took less than 5 minutes went to place in acton that was also busy and said about an hour and it was done very poor rude and poor customer service Never again.. read more

I purchased a snowblower from them last winter. When I recently had some difficulty with it, they promptly picked it up and serviced it under warranty. My experience is that these guys have been working day and night to give the best service possible to their customers. In spite of this being an extraordinarily harsh winter, I feel that they have been doing their best and going out of their way to be as helpful as possible. They are clearly very busy this winter with sales and repairs. They had kept me posted on the status of my snowblower's repairs and delivered it to me much sooner than promised. Actually, it was delivered several hours after their closing time so I know these guys are working around the clock this winter. I have found them to be honest, very competent and quite caring, and they will certainly get my future business. They are clearly one of the better businesses I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with and would recommend them to anyone I know. read more