When a family decides it’s time to trade down from a house to an apartment, they no longer have a need for their lawn mower. There are a number of options on how to dispose of it. You can sell it, salvage the parts and sell them, give it to a friend or neighbor or donate it.
Old lawn mowers.
(Johan Holmqvist at flickr.com)
If your lawn mower is in relatively good condition, then you should consider selling it.
If that’s the option you choose, then the first thing you need to do is clean it.
Next, determine its price. This can be achieved by going online and checking out the various classifieds to see what similar mowers are selling for.
The process of actually selling it should start with taking a few photographs of it. Take several pictures from different angles in good light. If the brand of the used lawn mower is well known and respected, take a photo of the manufacturer’s name located somewhere on the mower.
Finally, go online and search out bidding and local classified ad sites and list your mower on them with the photographs included. In addition, you can approach your local newspaper or penny saver and advertise your mower in them.
Of course, you need to be aware that you probably won’t be able to sell a broken down lawn mower. If you decide that restoring it is not worth the cost, then you can salvage the parts and sell them.
The Internet presents a number of sites where you can list parts for sale. In addition, a local lawn mower shop might be interested in the parts so they have an inventory of old parts that accommodate a wider range of old mowers.
If you feel energetic and money is not a problem, then you can restore the lawn mower and sell it for a better price.
The actual process of restoring is not that difficult for a skillful do-it-yourselfer. In many cases, the project of restoration includes simple things like buying and installing a new spark plug or replacing some other part. A restored mower can be sold on appropriate websites including eBay or classified ad platforms. If you are truly energetic you can make a business of restoring mowers and selling them in the neighborhood.
If after inspecting your used lawn mower you discover that nothing can be salvaged, then take it to a junkyard. Junkyards will buy a used lawn mower in bad condition for the metal. The price you will be paid varies because it changes due to daily fluctuations in market prices. If any part of your used lawn mower is made of aluminum, then you will be paid more for it. Determine if the deck of your mower is aluminum by placing a magnet on it. If it doesn’t stick to the deck, then there is a good chance it’s made of aluminum.
Finally, the last option is to give it away. A number of local charities will take it. They often fix up and then sell mowers to fund programs within their organization. A next door neighbor or another resident in the neighborhood may also be in need of a mower and be pleased to get one –- even a used one –- for free.
Be sure to drain out any gasoline that might be in the tank before giving it up. Stale gasoline can make an engine hard to start.
