Scrap lawn mowers are worth around $60 per ton. But, this will heavily rely on the size of the mower and the materials it comprises. For instance, steel will be worth more than aluminum where as push mowers won’t be worth as much as riding ones.
Before deciding to sell, buy or trade in a scrap mower, it’s important to understand a few things. First, when you take the mower to a scrap yard, they’re going to pay you for it by the pound. But you can also sell the scrap mower by part, which may glean more money.
What Is the Value of a Scrap Lawn Mower?
The material the mower comprises will influence how much a scrap lawn mower is worth. The following list indicates a very general ballpark range. It’s best if you contact your scrap yard directly to see what the prices are in your area.
- Push Mower (average 75 lbs) – about $1.90
- Riding Mower (average 500 lbs) – around $15
This price varies depending on the material of the lawn mower. Ones made of steel can be worth anywhere from $1.50 to $2.70. But, ones with aluminum are $3.30 to $5.40. But these prices are for push mowers, a riding mower could be worth as much as $18.
How Do I Know if a Mower Is Aluminum of Steel?
To know what kind of metal that comprises your scrap mower, use a magnet. If it attaches, then it’s steel.
Is There a Way to Increase the Value of a Scrap Lawn Mower?
The best way to get as much money as you can out of an old lawn mower is by taking the mower apart and selling it by piece. This is useful if you have more than one mower you’re looking to scrap.
This has the potential to increase the value by about 10% to 15%. But this will depend on if you also choose to breakdown the engine as well, which will take many hours to do. However, taking the mower apart yourself will allow you to see every little thing it comprises. This will, in the long run, be much better to scrap than doing the whole thing.
How Do You Pull Apart a Scrap Lawn Mower to Increase Its Value?
If you’re handy and you have the right tools, you can pull a scrap mower apart. This will increase the amount of money you can possibly get from the scrap yard. To pull this off, you need to have the following items:
- Socket Wrench or Socket Set
- Bolt Cutters
- Jaw Puller
- Large Hammer
- Allen Wrenches (the more variations in size the better off you’ll be)
- Sawzall (for really old, rusted mowers that may be too difficult with anything else)
Steps to Take the Mower Apart
- Gas Removal: Find the fuel line and take off the securing clip. Pour the gas into a petrol-safe container. Open the fuel shutoff if the mower has one.
- Handle Removal: For push mowers, there are often two sets of pins holding the handle onto the deck. Fold the handle down to remove the locking pins and take out the spring latch, pull out the pin. You will have to remove stationary pins with a big hammer. Simply hit the end of the pin with the hammer until it comes out the other side.
- Control Cables: If the cables won’t come out on their own, you can use the bolt cutters. One snip is all you need.
- Blade Removal: Using your socket wrench, remove the blade from the mower. Be careful with this step and wear some gloves to protect your hands. If there’s a cover plate, you’ll have to remove that first; more than likely with the socket wrench.
- Blade Adaptor Removal: Use the jaw puller to pull the blade adapter off of the shaft. Take the center bolt from the blade and then reinsert it until it presses against the shaft. Attach the jaw puller to the blade adaptor and put the center pin against the bolt. Spin the pin until the adaptor loosens.
- Engine Bolts: Find all the bolts on the deck that affix the engine to it.
- Bracket & Wheel Removal: To adjust the height of the deck, most lawn mowers have cast aluminum brackets. You have to remove the wheels first to get to this. Use your hammer to crack it apart. It will make everything easier to get to.
- Axle Removal: If you didn’t break the aluminum casting, do it now to get at the axles. All it needs are a good few thwacks with the hammer and the axles will come right out. Be sure to hit all four of the deck’s corners.
Tips for Pulling Apart a Mower
- Don’t get discouraged if you break any aluminum castings. This will actually work out to your advantage and allow you to get into other places easier, such as the axle.
- If you don’t have the right tools or are uncertain about your ability to take the mower apart, take it as is to the scrap yard.
- Be patient with older mowers when taking them apart. Sometimes, things will be stuck and stubborn, thereby being quite time consuming.
- Evaluate how much you want for the mower before tearing it apart.
Can You Take Scrap Lawn Mowers Anywhere Else Besides the Scrap Yard?
If you don’t feel like tearing your mower apart but you want to get a better price for your scrap, consider finding a lawnmower maintenance guy in your neighborhood. Their business is lawnmowers and they’ll be able to get a better price for parts that you will. In most cases, they’ll pay a little more for a mower.
You can find people looking for old mowers on places like Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist. But, you might also see something in your local paper’s ads or you can see if there’s anything on the community section of your area’s news station’s website.
