DENMARK, Maine — When he is not in school, 10-year-old Cameron Schasel can probably be found in the garage at his home in Denmark, Maine. It has become a place where there is always something for him to do.
Earlier this year, Cam started watching and asking questions while his father and grandfather fixed their own broken machines. He quickly picked up the skills and has been fixing lawnmowers for his family friends and neighbors.
People in town have heard how good Cam is at fixing broken lawnmowers that many thought they wouldn't see the day of light again. Now, there's even a family friend who stops by the dumpster and rescues mowers for Cam to repair and re-sell.
When he receives a broken machine, Cam alone tries to decipher why it's not working. He says it's typically because the machine is missing the gas cap and water got into it or the air filter is dirty or something's wrong with the magneto or the spark plug, among other things.
Cam makes sure most if not all lawnmowers he gets can see another summer. Just this year, he has picked up and absorbed everything he has learned from his father and grandfather. Now he alone puts it into practice. Of course, though, if he can't figure out what the issue is, which is rarely the case, his elders may have the answer.
"It looks a little bit crisp, but not as much, so we are just going to put that back in there," Cam said while he inspected a key piece of the machine.
"Now we need to take this off, rust. You see these rusty parts?" Cam told NEWS CENTER Maine's reporter Hannah Yechivi while he pointed to some of the cleaning he had ahead of him.
Cam said he typically spends from two to three hours on each machine but sometimes twice as much depending on how much he has to fix.
"It's fun!" Cam said when asked why he fixes lawnmowers on the side.
Yechivi asked Cam if anyone could fix a lawnmower. He said it takes some sort of special skill.
At his young age Cam is patient, determined. He is learning how to troubleshoot, gaining confidence and learning the value of hard work.
"It takes a lot of trial and error. I couldn't be more proud," his father, Josh Schasel, said. "He's shown a knack for it, and his mechanical aptitude is incredible."
Cam's father Josh said it all started with his friend's broken push-mower.
"He said it didn't start," Josh said. "It had not run in years, so we brought it home, and this little man right here started tinkering on it, and honest to God it scared the crap out of him when he started it up. 'Do it again,' I told him, and he fired it up. After that, he was sold. Now my garage is full of lawnmowers."
Cam's neighbor June O'Donnell said the 10-year-old fixed her push-mower after a local shop said it wasn't worth fixing.
"We are very impressed. I picture him building spaceships someday," O'Donnell said. "I'm just very impressed of him being an entrepreneur, and he is getting a reputation, and so I wish him all the luck in the world."
After all the hard work, Cam's labor costs $8 per hour.
He uses a portion of the money he earns to buy replacement pieces he needs for other lawnmowers, and he saves the rest.
Cam said wants to fix his father's old Ford pickup truck that he inherited, he thinks $8 and hour and many machines later he will hopefully have the money needed to fix the truck and start driving it when he turns 16.
"Do you want to try and see if we can get it to work with what we got? Yes!" Cam told his father after a long day of work on one machine.
"And if it starts and runs, the thrill of it is just amazing," his dad said. "It tickles you pink."
Cam said he plans to sell the lawnmower pictured below for $50.
If you would like to contact Cam to see if he can fix your lawnmower, snowblower, or any other machine, you can call or text his mother MacKenzie at 603-726-0975.