There are certain things which you’ll find a great deal when buying a used one instead. A lawnmower is one of them. When purchasing a used mower, you’ll be paying much lesser for a bigger model with more features when compared to buying it brand-new.

But buying used lawnmowers comes with its fair share of disadvantages, worst of all being scammed. In this post, we’ll provide you with 12 tips for buying a used mower. Let’s get started!

1. What type of mower do you need?

You can find the land mowers of different features, and you should know what type of mower fits your need. Before deciding on the type of mower, ask yourself a few questions.

How big is your lawn? Is it flat or steep? Do you simply want to get the job done, or do you want to make it a workout-cum-lawn mowing session? Do you want to buy a fancy lawnmower, or just a simple model would be enough? And, finally, what’s your noise tolerance?

Once you have answers to these questions, you’ll be able to pinpoint the type of mower you should buy.

For instance, if you have a larger lawn, you’d obviously benefit from buying a bigger lawnmower. And if you have a small one, you can go for an electric mower. Moreover, if your lawn is hilly or steep, lightweight hover models might be the best option for you.

And, remember, if you want to stay on budget – buy the mower you need, not the mower you wish to have!

2. Research the price

It would be best if you always researched the features and the price of the land mowers you are searching to buy. You need this market price tag as a reference to the price you want to buy the used mowers.

You should not pay more than 60-70% of the retail price for the mowers that have been used for 2-3 years and are kept in good condition. Once you know the features and price, you can put a great deal in front of the seller.

3. Check the engine

You should always look for mowers that have popular brand engines. Your land mower will eventually need maintenance, and in such cases, you can easily find the spare parts of famous brands; thus, recovering your machine wouldn’t be a major headache.

It would be best if you always looked for the land mowers of the brands like Briggs and Stratton, Honda, and Kawasaki. The spare parts of Honda and Kawasaki are easily found in current markets.

4. Know about your seller

You can buy used land mowers from a reputed dealer or from the owner directly. If you are to buy the used land mowers from the dealers, you must find out the mower’s history.

You should inquire why the previous owner sold the machine and if any work has been done on land mowers after bringing it to the dealers. Also, ask if you’ll get any kind of warranty for buying the land mower.

If you are to buy from the owners themselves, you must ask for the original papers of purchase, giving you the idea of how old the machine is.

It would be best if you also asked for the maintenance record such that you know whether that land mower has been serviced or not and how often it has been serviced.

5. Check the appearance

In case you didn’t know, appearance plays a major role in telling how the second-hand mower has been handled previously and if it’s still good enough for you to purchase it.

Minor scratches and flaking color wouldn’t be a big deal, but if you notice significant scratches, rusts, and dents, you should probably steer clear of such mower proposals.

Moreover, examine the appearance deeply. Are there any frayed wires? Rotten tires? Or is the mower leaky? If there’s any such indication of a lack of adequate care, don’t bother with further inspection.

6. Check on the maintenance history

Regular maintenance is always essential to run your land mowers smoothly for a long time. So before buying the used land mowers, you should ask for the maintenance history of the machine with the previous owner.

The maintenance book keeps the record of yearly service like oil change, new spark plugs, new air filter, and blade sharpening.

You can always keep your land mowers running smoothly if you check the oil before starting land mowers every time and changing the air filter after a few uses.

7. Inspect the condition of the mower

Now, once you find the desired lawnmower, you must inspect the various parts of the mower before finally decide to buy it from the seller. Here is the list of things you need to check before buying.

a). Check the wheels

You can precisely check whether your land mowers tires are cracked or wobbly. You also need to check the threads of the tires. If anything is wrong with the tires, you can reject the machine immediately, but you can move forward with the inspection if everything is fine.

b). Check the handles

You need to check the handles before buying the mower. You must be careful that the handle shouldn’t be loose, and the cables near the handle mustn’t be kinked or bent.

c). Check by starting the mowers

Make sure you start the engine by yourself and let it run for 5 minutes and observe whether the land mower which you are thinking of buying performs well or not.

Also, know that lawnmowers usually turn on within a few seconds on the first try. If it takes too long, it’s probably not worth the risk. 

d). Check the oil

You should check the quantity and the quality of the oil in the land mower you are thinking of buying. You should always keep your oil fresh and clean. Remember that the oil looks black and thick when it is excessively used.

e). Check the air filter

You must check the air filter of the land mower which you are going to buy. It should be clean and dirt-free.

You must inspect the area behind the air filter. If the site is black and full of dirt, you mustn’t buy such mowers as the engine might have ingested the dirt, reducing its life period. Such machines will be of no use in the long run.

8. Involve someone expert in the buying process

Do you have anyone experienced with buying lawnmowers in your family or friend circle? If yes, hear their story about how they went through the process and how to avoid being scammed.

You can ask for their help in the buying process or even take them for the inspection if they offer you their assistance.

9. Go for a test drive

It might be the most obvious tip. You should definitely do a test drive before you buy a mower. You can even try cutting some grass. Remember that a good lawnmower will have a sharp enough blade to cut the grass with the first pass.

If it doesn’t, the fan blades might be broken, or the blade isn’t sharp enough, or there might be another problem you’re unaware of.

10. Take your time

It would be best if you didn’t pressurize yourself for buying the mowers only because the owner is standing right beside you. You need to take your time and observe all the necessary features. And if you find any fault in the mower, just leave it and find another one.

Moreover, if the seller seems too pushy and intimidating, there might be a problem with the mower that the seller isn’t comfortable sharing. Or, the mower has been fixed temporarily, and the seller is eager to sell it as soon as possible. Whatever be the case, try to understand the seller’s intention.

11. If possible, buy during the fall

It’s a common shopping technique – buy something only when people aren’t buying it. So, buy a lawnmower when nobody is looking for it, i.e., during fall.

When your grass starts growing during spring, you’ll have to compete with more buyers, hence, lesser model variety but greater prices.

12. Have patience

When it comes to buying used equipment, be it anything, it’s quite challenging to hit the jackpot. There should be someone willing to sell a mower that perfectly fits your description, price, and the importance of all – the mower should be in good condition! Too much in the checklist, isn’t it?

So, one thing you must keep in mind is to be patient and keep searching. And most importantly, don’t settle for a not-so-good mower that’ll hardly last you a year just because you’re in a hurry. It’s your investment, and you can take all the time you need to find a handy mower.

Summary

With these 12 tips, we believe that you’ll be able to grab a deal of perfect mower for yourself. Make sure you inspect all the parts properly, and most importantly – remember to test drive!