The owners of Portland Tool Peddler recently completed the move of their five-year-old tool repair business from SE 64th Avenue and Powell Boulevard to 7115 NE Glisan Street. Cindy Chambers Moreno and Matt Moreno formed the company in 2021 after Matt left O’Neills Tools & Equipment which was once located on the same block as their new storefront. The family-run shop services a wide range of power tools and is one of the only authorized repair centers in the area for many well-known manufacturers.
Although this new location was closer to home for the owners, and a return to a neighborhood they know well, Matt Moreno said the SE Powell storefront was a good space with ample parking and a secure gate. However, increasing rent at their original space and a better store layout on NE Glisan made the move to Montavilla appealing. “It’s about the same square footage. It’s just a different shape. The other store was longer. It was hard for me to get back there and do work because the door’s 100 feet away, the phone rings, and I got to go to the computer,” recalled Moreno. “10,000 steps in a day, walking back and forth, is a bit much.” The team kept the dark store colors from the previous tenant, Devout Rcrds. “I just left it black. If I painted it, I’d end up getting it dirty; black is good for the work,” remarked Moreno.
Early in his life, Moreno developed an appreciation for repair over replacement and the value of a good tool. “On my 10th birthday, my dad gave me a broken lawn mower and told me if I wanted school clothes that were different than what he was going to buy me, ‘fix this mower and go make some money,'” said Moreno. “And I fixed the mower, and I went and made some money.” Those formative skills brought him to O’Neills Tools, where he was the only non-family employee during his time there. After 13 years, Cindy Chambers Moreno suggested they strike out on their own. Already a skilled service technician working in the industry, Matt Moreno said the manufacturers were interested in working with the couple’s new company. They are currently an authorized independent service center for Ryobi, Ridgid, Greenworks, Hart, PowerStroke, BlackMax, Homelite, and Hyper Tough.
In addition to warranty repairs, people can bring them most other tool brands that need work. They can work on gas and electric tools but can not service riding gas lawnmowers due to their size and weight. However, Portland Tool Peddler will accept battery-powered riding mowers where many shops will not. Their wide range of repair offerings makes the business a destination for tool owners looking to keep their items in service. “We get them shipped in from California, Washington, a lot of people from the Seattle area,” explained Moreno. “The riding battery lawnmowers, we’re the only ones that will mess with those, any brand, any kind, anywhere in the entire state.”
Matt Moreno notes that not all tool brands are supported with parts at the same level as others. “If I have parts, I’ll fix it. No problem. Getting the parts sometimes is just a nightmare. Especially with the DeWalt and Black & Decker because they have a 14-day holding period.” He explained that because most modern tool makers share the same ownership, many parts are interchangeable. He also asserts that people often overpay for brand names when the tool quality is similar. “You’re buying a color because that orange Black & Decker has the same parts as the yellow $279 DeWalt. You’re paying $210 more for a yellow color over the orange color; it has the same parts in it.”
Moreno dislikes seeing anything thrown away and hopes people will bring in their old tools. He thinks people would be surprised by how long an old tool can last, as long as the manufacturer still makes parts, and many people are surprised to find some broken items still have warranties. There is no absolutely reliable tool, but having a good warranty is what makes a difference in Moreno’s experience: “I don’t trust any of them, but the Ridgid brand, there is no way in the world anybody can beat this brand in warranty, period. They offer a lifetime warranty, including batteries, chargers, service, everything for life, as long as you register the tool within 90 days.” There are limits to the Ridgid lifetime warranty, but his experience servicing that equipment has convinced Matt Moreno it is worth his money. “I probably have 35, 40 different Ridgid tools, I’ve been using them for 10 to 20 years, and you can’t beat it.”
The Portland Tool Peddler will sell some used tools with an in-shop warranty, but it is not their primary business, and they have inconsistent inventory. They do not buy tools, despite acknowledging the need: “It’s hard to find homes for [used tools], and that’s gotten worse in our area here because Ted’s Tool Shed closed down. He was the last actual tool buyer, so now without Ted around, there’s no more used tools besides the pawn shop, and they’re gonna offer you 10 cents on the dollar,” Moreno said.
The shop owners hope people will come by with their broken tools before throwing them out. “We service all [tool] brands, I mean, KitchenAid mixers, sheep shears. Pretty much, if you drag it down here, I’ll tell you if I can do it or not.” They have a $25 minimum repair charge, but they can look at most small tool items before quoting the full price, without charge. Anything that demands two hands to move around requires customers to put down a $60 deposit toward the repair; plumbing tools require a $100 deposit. “You go through a lot of gloves when you’re touching plumbing tools because you don’t know where that thing’s been,” said Moreno.
The shop is open six days a week, from Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 pm., and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to noon. People can walk in without an appointment, and most repairs are done within a week if parts are available.
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