How to discard old motorized equipment?

[plowhog]

It's time to clear some space in the barn. That means going through decades of accumulated stuff. I have rented a 30yd dumpster which arrives soon.

The true junk is easy to throw away. But then I come upon things like old motorized equipment. A rototiller, reel lawnmower with front catch, gas engine welder, old riding lawnmower with blown K46 transaxle, and more. Most of these items have not run in decades. In the right hands, they might be quality usable tools. Just for fun, about 5 years ago I too apart the carb for the motorized welder, cleaned it, put in some fresh gas and it fired right up. So at least some of it is usable.

The trash company doesn't want engines with motor oil in them. So heaving these into the dumpster isn't going to happen whether I want that or not. But before I discard them in some way, is there a good way to try to match these up with someone who might need or use them?

 

[mikester]

Craigslist
Garage sale
Make a trip to the scrap yard - they will buy it from you.

 

[TractorGuy]

Scrap yard should still require you to drain the fluids.

Craigslist also has a free category. If you want it gone fast put an ad in that and be ready to take it down fast.

If you use Craigslist or any other online advertising always use their comunication service. Do not post your phone or email.

 

[JohnBuffaloMN]

I have an old hay wagon that I use to stack up anything useful and put it at the end of the drive with a large FREE sign on it. I look at it this way - the few bucks I get from trying to sell those things leaves me trying to coordinate meetings with buyers who are mostly half hearted about coming to buy an old out of shape engine or some decent 2x4's or whatever. One day I had three different people buying three different things (all under $200.00) come more than an hour late to see the stuff. One buyer "dropped in" about 6 hours after she said she would be there to buy a push mower I was selling for $80.00. After that day I decided, if it's under a hundred bucks worth, it goes on the trailer, and almost everything ends up going except old televisions.

 

[forgeblast]

Look for spring or fall auctions I feel the same way with getting rid of motorized items so I auction them off. Some times the right buyers are there and you make a bit of $$, also craigslist, or facebook marketplace. I have more luck and feel better about facebook vs craigslist.

 

[DrRod]

The fairgrounds in Howard County, MD regularly have auctions. There's the spring and fall equipment auctions, Peak Building Material auctions, and the Antique Farm Machinery Club auction. Any of these will include hundreds of pieces of machinery, some of it totally decrepit. But there's always somebody who wants a beat up wagon just for the frame or running gear, an old riding mower for the blades, a plow for the scrap metal, a non working conveyor for the steel beams, and so on. You don't get much but its nice to know that its going on to a second life.

 

[plowhog]

You don't get much but its nice to know that its going on to a second life.

Yes that is my thinking. In the right hands, my discards are usable.

 

[Jstpssng]

Depending on what it is, I will sometimes take my old, worn out stuff down to the local saw shop and swap it for a saw chain or something. If he can use it to keep somebody's old lawn mower or rototiller going, it's a win for everybody.

 

[Stimw]

5 years ago I had a customer ask me how to drain the oil out of a Zero-Turn mower?
He said it had a blown engine and a tenant left it behind and the dumpster people told him no oil.
I told him I would come get it if he just wanted to have it hauled off.
I get there with my trailer and it is a 2004 52" cut Grasshopper ZTR!!!!
THEY CURRENTLY SELL FOR ABOUT $8000.00 !!
It cost me $400. to rebuild the Kohler engine and I am still using it to cut my 2 acre yard and have cut my 8 acre pasture.
My point- One man's trash is another's treasure!

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Around here, just put it out at end of driveway with a big "FREE" sign on it. It'll be gone.

Back in Phoenix, AZ, best way was to put it in front of your gate with a chain and padlock on it. It'll be gone.