Your best deal ever on a piece of equipment?

[sixdogs]

Spent part of today working on piece of equipment I bought at a farm auction for $35 and am still impressed with the price . It's an 8 ft, 15 shank IH Vibrashank cultivator. It had some problems and needed to be welded, etc, but wow, $35. It should have sold for $350 but I was in the right place and time.
Since my goal is to get a deal, how have ithers fared in the persuit of the elusive deal at an auction--or otherwise. What's the best deal you ever got?

Photos welcome.

 

[vaskeet]

72 inch rear discharge caroni finish mower $125 off craigslist someone had stolen the tractor half of the pto shaft. other than that it was ready to go Randy

 

[gwdixon]

Free! 8' Towner disc. Friend of mine moved into a place that was storing it. Could have had a rusted out, junked, non-running D3 Cat but passed on it because of hauling. Should have taken it.

For money, a $50 land leveler off eBay. I was the only bidder.

Same story on a John Deere aerator. $50, only bidder, mis-listed.

 

[Giles]

About Six weeks ago, I bought a Gravely G16 lawn tractor with grass bagger for $350. 1996 model with less then 200 hours. Runs perfect after repairing a lot of small items and making a lot of adjustments. Always serviced and used synthetic Mobil 1.

 

[LarryD]

I have a free 6' landscape rake. I went to rent it from a local business (I knew the owner) and he said just take it, he was tired of the complaints from people who thought it would leave behind a seed ready area. After a week I hauled it back and he said he meant for me to keep it. I said thanks and if he EVER needed it just call. That was more than 4 years ago.

 

[teg]

Four foot spike aerator and a five foot scape blade, both for $60

 

[ToadHill]

A $10 eight foot cultipacker at a farm auction. I was the only bidder on it. That was about 10 years ago, now it seem everyone wants them.

 

[brain55]

About 10 years ago I was given a 60" Howard Rotovator in near perfect condition that I immediately sold for $1000. Earlier this year I was given a Kubota B7100HSD that I made some repairs to, painted, and sold for a profit of $1000. If I could only get some more people to give me equipment.

Brian

 

[ultrarunner]

Free! 8' Towner disc. Friend of mine moved into a place that was storing it. Could have had a rusted out, junked, non-running D3 Cat but passed on it because of hauling. Should have taken it.

For money, a $50 land leveler off eBay. I was the only bidder.

Same story on a John Deere aerator. $50, only bidder, mis-listed.

I've had friends or a friend of a friend call and say come get it... wife wants it gone or we sold the house and can't take it with us...

I would have been interested in that non-running D3... so far, in 14 years, mine has been a real work horse for what I use it for and easy to work on... brakes bands and such.

Got a nearly new, as in maybe 10 hour Sears Ride on Mower for helping folks load a U-Haul... brothers are in Real Estate and every so often they have a client that needs to move stuff quick... now all I need is room for all of it...

 

[teg]

Oh, forgot about the free 4' Woods brush hog... stored at someones yard and wasn't being used. I used it a couple of years but got a decent deal ($250) on a used 5' Landpride so I gave the 4' to a friend.