Trash picked GT3000 917.273012 w/Kohler twin and 6 speed

[vintagerust]

They tried that here with a few auctions and no one bid, the guys who frequent the auctions refused to bid online.
I feel the same way, i'm not bidding on something I'm not standing there to inspect. If they want to do online, put it on eBay.
Now most auctions either get canceled because no one shows, or no one registers for the online bidding.
There's two guys who do 'estate' type sales, the last 20 or so never happened and keep getting postponed because of disinterest. The last one was mostly trucks and tractors, and a bandsaw mill. Its been cancelled now 8 times. There was one with a load of old Ford LGT and Bolens tractors from the early 70's that was supposed to be the first week in May but it keeps getting cancelled, its now postponed to Sept 'pending further notice'. My take is that they aren't getting enough response on their web page which somehow logs who signs in and looks.
I used to go those sales but when the buyers premium got to 20% plus sales tax, and a few places started charging a fee to register, I quit going.
Apparently so did everyone else because there's not been a true consignment or farm sale in the area in over 10 years. One dealer has a sale each spring, but this year they skipped it for the first year in 40 years. I think most of that was because nothing sold last year. The guys who go to those sales show up with $100 to spend, some less. If half of that is going to taxes, and fees, they pass.

Local flea markets are dying too it seems, most used to be good for a few guys with tables full of small engine stuff and old tractors but those guys have either aged out or the buyers just went away.

I've been watching a few Sears GT's like mine, one is at $125, says it runs and it looks good, its been up for a month, another is at $250, its been up for 2 wks.

 

[ILENGINE]

Here are 4 auction companies within a hour drive of me. Most with multiple auctions either ongoing or in the near future. All online only.

August 2026 Machinery & Equipment Auction

Sells Regardless of Price! Accepting Consignments Now until Saturday, July 25, 2026 5% Buyers Premium Auction Location: Langham Auctioneers 822 Powder Avenue, Donnellson, IL 62019 Call or Text Hal 618-410-6286 for information

www.langhamauctioneers.com

Schmid Auction

www.bidschmid.com

https://bids.aumannauctions.com/auctions

Hibid

schackmann.hibid.com

 

[vintagerust]

There are two within an hour of me too but mowers sell for next to nothing, someone brought a truck load of used garden tractors to the one last month, mostly all late model stuff that was all turn key and running, only two green one's went over $100, the rest went for pocket change and I'm not even sure they all sold. The push mowers were going for $5 to $20, with a few Honda and JD mowers bringing a bit more, in the end they lumped all the mowers in a lot and some guy bought about 60 of them for $40.

Two red Sears tractors near the end went for $40 for the pair, one missing a deck but neither looked all that old. A huge Cub Cadet 2072, with the deck off and missing two spindles, but showing 448hrs on the dash, sold for $220 and the guy drove it to his trailer. I bid on it up to $200, but figured the other guy was intent on running it up so I bailed not wanting it all that bad. They had an acre or more of stuff being sold, not all of it lawn mower or farm related, plus there were four auctioneers going inside selling household items, furniture, and electronics.

I did buy a pretty clean Simplicity 7119 with no deck for $4. and a 3410S for $12. The 7119 turns out to have what looks like a nearly new 16hp Briggs engine and the 3410S has been converted from a Shuttle drive to a hydrostatc transmission. The 7119 started and drove to the trailer, the 3410S has its carb removed an in a bag tied to the steering wheel. Both look to have newer tires, both have rear chains on, and the 3410S has a snow plow on it.

I almost bought a third that sold for $10, a 7016 with a 6 speed but I figured if I won that one I'd have to make a second trip to get it home. As it was the first two barely fit on my trailer with the tailgate down.

I found the 7016 on the side of the road minus its transaxle, hood and wheels, about two miles from the auction on the side of the road. I stopped and took the engine and steering wheel off it. A few days later it was gone, likely taken by scrappers. It had been a complete tractor minus its battery and deck. Who ever bought it stripped it, dumped it, along with about ten other boxes of cheap decorations and household stuff. Finding items like that on the way home from that auction is fairly common, people buy big lots of stuff, take what they want and dump the rest either in the parking lot or along the road as they leave.
The motor from that 7016 runs great, no smoke at all, its missing the plug at the end of the carb, and the tin cover that goes over the starter Bendix on the shroud.

A mile down the road I trash picked a Honda GX200 motor on a pressure washer that someone took the hose and nozzle tips and left the rest in the woods for scrap. The pump is bad but its a good engine, and two 10" wheels. The rest is likely scrap but I'm not sure why anyone would just take the hose and wand and leave the motor. The pump had freeze damage. I'm pretty sure that one sold for $10.

Even on days I where I don't buy anything, I almost always come home with something that someone either bought and didn't want or equipment I found on the road like that.