"Backyarders" and where to buy used equipment

[GearHead36]

Have a CC LTX1042 right now that was given to me that was actually in good shape. Ran and mowed when I received it. Just needed a couple belts and idler pulleys, and just general maintenance.. Put about $150 in parts in it to get it running and operating correctly. I will be lucky if I break even on it.

But yet people are willing to spend $4000+ on junk from a big box store that will last 5 yrs if lucky.

 

[Auto Doc's]

I buy trade and sell mowers. I fix everything that needs fixing. I take the price I gave for the mower the price it took to repair it and add a little more to it and sell them for that price. This year has been a rough year to sell anything but zero turns. Had a Craftsman 26HP 54 inch deck was asking $800 for it. Guy came buy ask what I wanted for it told him $800 he said I don't want to pay that much for one wanted one for $300 or $400. Told him you won't get much of a mower for that price. He said I can get them on Face book Market place for that price. Told him he won't get much of a mower for that price. Made him mad. Went to face book market place and looked. mowers are cheap there. Like I said they are not in good shape like mine are.

Hello hlw49,

All the craze right now seems to be battery operated "Green environment" equipment. Unfortunately, many of them are starting to break down and there is no repairing them economically. So, what do they do? They just go buy another one. They are just piling up, and no one cares (yet). The salvage vendors are refusing to take them due to the batteries or them being mostly plastic.

Trying to sell a used gasoline mower in my area of TX has become difficult. Most are shopping around for a "like new" unit but don't want to pay anything for them. Repairs on most mowers have trickled to nothing. I've been mostly working on engine driven welders, pump units, compressors and UTV & ATV stuff because people use them for work and pleasure.

I occasionally do look around on FB marketplace, but most stuff turns out to be abandoned or worn out junk a 3rd party is trying to sell for a "family member". Most have no background history, but they want over 50% of retail. (Good luck with that)

Maybe things will change for the better, but I see many who are just giving up cutting their yards in the rural areas or hiring lazy crews who do a poor unfinished job for lots of money up front, then disappear.

 

[Auto Doc's]

But yet people are willing to spend $4000+ on junk from a big box store that will last 5 yrs if lucky.

Hello G.,

It's all a product of easy credit and low interest rates. I hope they (financial institutions) wise up and raise interest rates even more on credit cards and put a cap on borrowing. Quit letting companies file for bankruptcies, then restructure and do the same thing all over again.

 

[hlw49]

What I have started doing. I make a work order showing what I have done to it and what it would cost to fix it. Let them see what it would cost to fix it as compared to one they would buy that needed that work done to it.

 

[ILENGINE]

But yet people are willing to spend $4000+ on junk from a big box store that will last 5 yrs if lucky.

Actually what will happen is somebody will buy it off of me for $150 and then turn around and spend $600 to fix it. But if I went ahead and fixed it and tried to sell it for $600 they would only want to give me $150 for the mower.