VIRDEN, Ill. — Although home doctor calls and full service gas stations are mostly a thing of the past, Sloan Implement in Virden, Ill., still offers a service of yesterday. The Sloan trailer brings lawn mower repair service right to their customer’s door.

Don Redeker, a Sloan Implement salesman, recently showed his company’s lawn mower trailer to the public.

“This is our service trailer,” he explained. “We take it on-site. We sharpen blades, and change oil, mostly in the Springfield and Chatham, Ill. areas.”

While medium and large repair jobs are left for the shop, Redeker said small maintenance items can be handled by the service trailer. On the side of the trailer are the words, “John Deere-Ready to Mow” and the phrase “12-point service.”

“We prefer a 48-72 hours prior appointment time, so we can set up two or three stops,” Redeker said, but added that this is not always required.

Customers don’t have to be John Deere mower owners, either.

“We service any brand,” he said. “In fact, this caught on with the Sears mower owners first and other mower owners whose stores do not offer service.”

The lawn and garden technician is Randy Richardson. When not too busy working in the shop, Richardson may be found on the road during the warm days making house calls.

Richardson, who has been with Sloan for the past five years, did have a few reasons why he felt those looking for a lawn mower might want to consider John Deere as an option.

“Deere is the easiest thing to get parts for,” he said. “Like the L series mower, getting parts is the key.”

Rededer added that because customers can get parts for Deere mowers, they are easier to maintain for a long service life.

For questions call 1-800-745-8960 or visit Sloan Implement in Virden, Ill.

This farm news was published in the April 12, 2006 issue of Farm World.