Silverhill Small Engine Repairs

Derek Meurant has a simple philosophy to fixing engines – do it well and don’t overcharge.

He’s been a mechanical engineer for nearly 30 years and has just opened his own shop, Silverhill Small Engine Repairs, at the top end of Rodney Street, right next door to wife Nicki Jane’s beauty salon.

“I try to make it easy and affordable for people to keep their things running,” he says. “I don’t charge for finding a problem, no matter how long it takes. I’ll let you know how much it will cost to fix and how long it will take, with no pressure to go ahead.”

Derek ran the Silverdale Stihl workshop for many years before moving to Wellsford 14 years ago, where he’s since been working out of his garage.

With factory training and qualifications from manufacturers ranging from Briggs & Stratton and Stihl to Honda and Husqvarna, he can pretty much turn his hand to anything.

“I do everything – chainsaws, lawnmowers, ride-ons, weedeaters, generators, stump-grinders, you name it, though I tend to draw the line at tractors and outboard motors as they take up a lot of room.”

In Rodney Street, Meurant has a large workshop at the back and a showroom at the front, where he sells lawnmowers, chainsaws, tools, house and farm pumps, generators, weedeaters, drills, wood stoves, and accessories such as chainsaw bar oil at just $5 a litre when you BYO container.

“I’m here to help out Wellsford and charge affordable prices for a job well done,” he says.