Lawn Equipment Frustrates ME!

[Big Tex]

Last week I brought in a load of used lawn equipment from a woman who's husband had passed away. The husband was a landscapper / small engine repairman. The grandson cherry picked the estate, and I got all the left overs. Needless to say, all the equipment i recieved needs repaired or can only be used for parts. I made a post on CL. I dont want to sell as scrap, but all these low ballers are really getting under my skin. I have 12 lawn mowers, 8 gas weed eaters, and 5 chain saws & misc..... These items all seem to be complete, they just dont run. Im asking $20.00 - $25.00 lawn mowers ea., $15.00 weed eater's ea., and $5.00ea. chainsaw. All my customer's offer me $5.00 to $10.00 on lawn mower's, $5.00 on weed eaters, and not interested in chain saws. I inform them that I can get $12.00 - $15.00 for each mower just for scrap value. Any TIPS?

Thanks in Advance.

[GeorgeB]

Depending on what is wrong with them, repair them, and sell them as working for a decent price. Other wise, scrap them. Your low ball offers are most likely coming from scrappers.

[PartTimeScrapper]

Just remember the people on craigslist are probable just like you. Looking to make a buck just from scrapping them. i think your best bet would be to find another small engine repair shop and see if they would like to buy them.

[KzScrapper]

I would at least take the time to pull spark plugs and wire brush them off and check the gap. Sniff the gas to see if it smells like varnish and change if it does. A little starter fluid or WD40 in the carb throat might help enough to get it going too. 2-4 more months is when you really want to be selling these.

[CMHN]

I love garden equipment.

A few things to look for:

Check for spark, pull the plug and set against the engine block or another ground and crank the engine. You should see a spark. If there is spark go to fuel.

Make sure the fuel is fresh, pull the line off the carb and make sure it flows freely. If it does take the carb off and give it a cleaning, be careful around all gaskets. You should be able to reuse the old gaskets if your careful.

If it still wont start check the exhaust, I have had mowers that had spider nests in them and wouldn't let the motor run.

Also check the air cleaner, best way to do this is to try to start the mower without it on.

If all these easy fixes don't make the mower run, scrap it.


Good luck.

[Curbside shopper]

With mowers I normally pull the cord & check for compression, check the shaft, check the gas, check the plug, first start is with the air cleaner off to check the choke. Haven't really found many the won't fire up without much trouble.

Weedeaters are more work usually, I check compression, check the shaft, check the fuel lines, check that the muffler screen isn't plugged up, clean the plug, and normally end up taking apart & spraying out the carb. 90% either use too rich of a mix or leave the gas set in them, the muffler is either plugged or the screen in the carb needs cleaned.

Most people don't want to fix anything, or lack the skills and time to do so. Those that can are looking to re-sell normally and looking for the highest profit. Your low-ball offers are most likely coming from other scrappers.

[miked]

Consider fixing and holding til spring, Mike.

[ozzy214]

Hey Big tex. You would have a carb from a self propelled toro 6.5 lawnmower would you? Been looking for one.....

[forwardlookguy]

I'm with MDG on this one. Just bundle it together if you want to get rid of them. I fix small engines in my spare time and if you want to put some effort into them, they are most of the time easy to fix. Just follow CMHN's advice. At least for me when I'm looking for repairable units, I'd say you are pretty close with the $20 on push mowers, too high on weedeater's (I feel comfortable around $10 for non-running, higher end ones) and really good on chainsaws. I'd buy chainsaws all day at $5 a piece. Just keep at it. You'll find someone wanting to fix them up who may buy all of them. If not, take others advice and trying heavy marketing around spring time when everyone will be using them again.

[IronPirate]

One of my best chainsaws was a $3 auction purchase! Unfortunately around here $10 for a non running lawnmower is about the flea market price unless there's something unique about it

The few times I set up at a flea market to sell stuff like that, all I got were low offers from the migrant landscaper types who want something cheap to use and throw away.

[Big Tex]

Not right now Ozzy, but I will keep you in mind if I come across one.

[Big Tex]

Had a little better luck today. I sold 3 mowers,1 chain saw, 1 blower, 1 weed eater for $70.00 to one guy. I then sold 2 other mowers together for $60.00.

This has been my CL AD:

Lawn mowers / gas weed eaters / chainsaw's - $20 (San Antonio)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 2012-01-04, 9:11AM CST
Reply to: your anonymous craigslist address will appear here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


We are selling 8 lawn mowers, 5 chain saws & 5 gas powered weed eaters for repair / or parts.

Price: Lawn mowers - $25.00 ea. FIRM!!!

Price: Chain saw's - $8.00 ea. FIRM!!!

Price: Gas powered weed eater's - $15.00 ea. FIRM!!!


Price : $275.00 cash only " Takes all 18 items"

[KzScrapper]

When pricing I always leave some room to haggle, makes folks think they got a deal.

[Mechanic688]

I paid $30. for a good running mower with a bagger. 25 is definitely not scrap value maybe $5

[DumbD]

Try selling them to a lawn-mower/small motor shop(???)

About to try similar with the vacuums I've acummulated since they didn't sell.
Perhaps I'll put them on my buddy's trailer (with some other stuff) and park it at the flea market.
The other pain is IF somebody wants say just one, I'd have to wait around for them (AFTER picking it up from my storage)
...I might just smash them tommorrow IDK
Off-topic , but vacuums are fun to scrap except for the mess. I cut the long cord.
then swing it in a radius about two times at the pavement ...it "coughs" (like barfs) out the motor every time...funny looking.

You probably know most of the motor cases are cast Aluminum on mowers...seems like a pain (?)...Wondering since I have an 8.5 HP with no compression ...I'm too lazy/busy to dissamble it..any advice?
Thanks.

[IronPirate]

Had a little better luck today. I sold 3 mowers,1 chain saw, 1 blower, 1 weed eater for $70.00 to one guy. I then sold 2 other mowers together for $60.00.

Doesn't it feel great to move some inventory!

My only suggestion for your ad would be pics and or brand information. Lot of guys keyword search specifics.

You didn't happen to have any Stihl saws did you

[Big Tex]

By the way IronPirate, i do have a Stihl 028 BW. I was just doing some research on it. I sold 4 more mowers's and two weed eater's today for $110.00. Was asking 165.00 for all, but got what I could.

[bluemeate]

I always ask for twice as much as what i want to sell for on craigslsit, cuase people ALWAYS offer me half as much as what im selling it for.

although the other day I was trying to sell a pos bike for 200 so i put it up for 400 and some kid offered to buy it for 400 I sold it to him for 200

[IdahoScrapper]

Nothing to do with lawn equipment, but to bounce off bluemeates comment. I had a camper for sale. Guy emailed and asked if I would take $250, cash.

Uhh...okay. I had it listed for $250!

Then he shows up and tries to get it for $200. I said I really need to see $250 out of it and I got it.

[Big Tex]

I sold 5 more lawn mower's to the same kid that paid me 110.00 the day before. His uncle ownes and operates a lawn repair shop. I got $50.00 for the five broken mowers. They were not interested in the weed eaters. So far I have made $230.00 off the lawn mower's alone. Way more than scrap value & still have weed eaters and chain saws etc....