OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums Repairs and Maintenance Questions on Walk Behind Lawn Mower Frames Two Stroke Lawn Mower Frames Want to sell,but don't know how much to ask

Hi all I have got these mowers working and almost ready to sell,but I have no idea how much to ask for them.Any sugestions would be great.Thanks.
The first one is this older Victa Corsair.All good running well.Just general wear and tear on this old girl.


The next one is this GMC with briggs 4 stroke.This one does have quite a good engine.I just have to replace the blades on this one.Very worn.Paint isn't the greatest.I think it spent too much time in the sun.


The next is a Victa Vantage 2 stroke.Doesn't have the original engine on it.It now has the Aussie made power-torque.Still quite a good mower.Very clean mower.


The last one I have is this Rover 4 stroke again with briggs engine.


Any advice would be good,or maybe any offer that is reasonable.I just don't know what there worth.After all I collect the older ones not these guys.Thanks all.

I would be asking 120 on the rover and blue victa 60 on the gmc and 90 on the corsair personally

Thanks Joe.I was thinking of that on the blue Victa.Do you think the Rover is worth that much?

If it runs well and up to my standard I wouldn't take much less

Air cleaner is around the wrong way on the rover.

Id ask $165 for the Rover.
Polish the base on the GMC with some car polish, put new blades on it (19 inch Honda, can buy them at bunnings, $12 a pair) and ask $165 for it as well.
They are both primer start, the rover is sturdy, the GMC is newer.

$180 for the blue Victa (its the same as the late models) plus it looks clean
The old corsair, thats a bit harder, i know how good they are, id aim for $130 or so.

But no one is buyin at the moment. Not good trying to sell mowers when the grass isnt growing.

Depends how fast of turnover you want, I like space in my yard and have low prices to keep it that way, Lets face it I pay $5-20 per machine $20 max on parts and only a couple of hours work, as beer money it is a very worthwhile excercise.

I find it's a bit of a can of worms in regard to pricing. If you have them too cheap, people won't go near them, and the same if they're too expensive. I usually let people know the price is negotiable and go from there. It all works on the demand.

In Bendigo, I find that $120-$160 for good 2 strokes, $140-$180 for good 4 strokes, personally I would remove the engine off the GMC and put it on something else. I find the boxed in discharge area blocks up very easily and stops the catcher filling properly, and customers don't like it. I've got a Rover here with the same base pressing as well.

Cheers.

Wow thanks guys that a little more than I thought they were worth,but that's a good thing.I'll just have to get them ready now.

cant offer you specific prices as I dont sell mowers at all
just really more general ideas from what I seen them go for
on ebay

well mate I think it depends on how you sell them too

Ive been watching ebay and truly that as I think Mr D more or less commented..in another thread
to me, its really a crap shoot

Ive seen one key start wasn't that old go for $152
(I should have bid on it)
and another beaten up wreck go for $132...(which wasn't much older)

most that list there that put a high dollar
a lot just dont get a bite
maybe its the "pick up only" that limits field somewhat too
still there it seems like start a 99 cents...
and fix a reserve would be the go if you want to try that avenue
and recoup some decent cash rather then losing it for 30 bucks or something

The prices above seem fair enough to me,
most seem to got between $80~$200
a $100 odd being more so the case... but as I said crap shoot
and 4's usually a bit more then 2's
(mind you a new 2 stroke from victa isn't cheap)

negotiable (near offer), is a good idea too but ask top cause they'll
want to knock you down got to make then feel like they got it over you a little

if you advertise in the local rag

I see a lot on ebay offer as both with the right to withdraw auction if they sell through paper
might be worth a try

you going to get I guess 3 types of customers basically
those that know a mower, those that want it for a song
and those that like pretty
but in all cases make then look like show ponies
cause that will sell them more then anything
(a likely more collectible job Id leave as is
but run of the mills if it was me Id spray the bases if they are really crappy)

if you done a big over haul like new rings pistons whatever state it
cause in that case all things being equal you'll be selling something with a reasonable life expectancy if treated right
people are more likely to pay better money if they think it will last a fair while...

a lot on Ebay auctions say refurbed ...their idea of that is new blades air filter and spark plug...
(not my idea of refurb...if the cylinder and rings are near gone its still a dud...and that is the greatest risk..along with raw fuel in 2 strokes I suppose...mines stuffed but still starts first pull & cuts oh and does have new blades air filter and spark plug :P and no I wouldn't..I am honest )

I dont really need to mention this
but I will for a more general comment

Lastly be honest with people I am not saying cut you own throat
but just be fair dikum and they'll be likely to give you a good rap to other people and that will bring you more custom if they think you can be trusted to do the right thing by them
in fact depending, if you get the right rapport happening
they'll just come to you and won't go else where

Rodeobob said

Sadly thats the truth
you got to have the market wanting your product to sell at goods prices.

anyway I wish you good luck mate

Cheers all

pity you arn't closer to me... anyway

Here's some pics of how I sell mine.


Masport 460 with a Briggs, sold for $180


Super 600, sold for $300


Electrolux Weedeater with a Suzuki, for sale at $160.

Cheers.

Do you repaint them.

The trouble with that is, to get a good job you need to put in a lot of effort.

Id say you would have to up the price of a given mower $40
If you do a quick rush job on a mower with a crappy paint it just looks like a mower with a crappy paint job.


I have got some later Victa bases here that i have sat aside to be painted but they need to be sand blasted first. Wire brush makes a mess of the paint thats still there and looks crap, sanding takes too long, paint stripper makes and mess and takes too long.
They will get rebuilt motors and a top dollar price tag in the spring.

the later victa bases are powdercoated, we tried everything, a big wire wheel on the angle grinder was a long and tedious task.

You could try and rub that gmc down with wd40 and a rag, it can help sometimes.

Car polish on that GMC will improve it.
An oily rag will do the same but thats cheating, try the polish first.


Paint stripper works OK on the victa powder coat, but it takes time. then you gotta wash it, rub it, clean it, prepsol it, prime it, paint it.

If you dont, the thinner in the spray paint eats in to the powder coat and wrinkles it at the edges.

Plus most spraypacks are a pretty soft paint. Makes reassembly a nervous procedure and your work all goes to poop if you spill fuel on it.

Yeah Bob, we've all been there and done that....after all the work you put in...and end up with a crappy finish....makes you cry.... Fuel can be the enemy of a good paint job.

I don't repaint all of them, depends how bad they are. When I do though, I strip them completely, thoroughly clean it all with degreaser and give them a high pressure wash, and where necessary I use a flap disc, (wire wheels are a waste of time, and they flick off wires), on an angle grinder. I then use either Wattyl or Galmet "Epoxy Enamel". Fuel and oil don't destroy a good Epoxy Enamel finish at all, not once it's cured. Depending on the colour, usually two aerosols are plenty. I can easily do two mowers a day like this. Once the Epoxy has cured for about 24 hours, it's almost bullet proof.

Naturally, I mechanically test each mower before I go this far, and providing the engine tests ok, the paint, degreaser, blades, etc, total about $50. Add to that about 2 hours labour, and I still come out about $50-$80 in front. Obviously some mowers may not provide that return, but then there's also mowers that provide more return, so it balances out. A good example of this is the Rover with a Quantum 35 I'm doing at present. All it needs is blades, spark plug, oil, filter is like new, and another handle and engine cowl which I already have. It was given to me, so it'll cost me about $30. I'll be putting $160 on it.

Cheers.

Sounds like that works for you.I'm not real keen on going that far.Most of the ones I have to sell were all picked up free.I guess I'm selling just to get some dollars together for the ones to be restored.I am thinking about pulling the engine of the GMC and putting on a Victa base though.

At the moment I'm working the speedier sales angle, I'm advertising on the bulletin board at work, not as reconditioned, just as used mower.

I list basically, just "Victa 2-stroke Works well - $75" and keep the listing up till the batch runs out.

I still offer them with a 3 month warranty (misuse or bad fuel mix not covered, nor consumables) but for the mowers I sell, I've only ever had one back.

I replace the air filter, and if need be the fuel filter (often they can be cleaned, but not always) and grind the blades (sometimes they are too far gone, but i have a bucket of good ground blades for that) and give them a wash.

$75 seems low, but for machines that are not reconditioned, it pays well, most of the mowers i get for $0 - $15, sometimes $20, and the most i need to add to that is about $15, so it comes up well.

Sometimes I do full reconditioned ones for $120 - $150, but they take a while to sell, and are more suited to earlier in the year.

Greg, quick hit it with the stick!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those Quantum 35's are effin evil.


TY, maybe not now, but when the grass has had a growth spurt put an and up on gumtree and up the price to $100 or $125, im sure you will get calls. Have you done any up yet, make sure they have to walk past a collection of restored mowers to see the one you are selling. That will would win a sale every time.

I would seriously consider dumping that bucket of blades and charging an extra $10 or $15 and putting new ones on them. Re using bolts is not a good idea and they love new blades.

Fair enough what works for you and all that. But if you are selling mowers too cheap you are reinforcing the opinion of the idiots that think you can buy a good used mower for $50-80. You cant even get a mower serviced for that. And more importantly i think, you are undervaluing yourself your talent and your time.
Plus ive got a watch folder in the my ebay and its got a few mowers in it around the $50-80 mark. Its called the 'mowers to flip' folder. and i have done it quite a few times.




It wont work. You will have to space the motor up way high.
And then you will need to find a victa boss.


Just use some car polish. Your bound to have some in the shed. Get what you can for it.


Actually, on eBay you would probably get $20 or more for the blade disc if its OK. and another $20 or so for the blade boss if you can get it off the crank in one bit. They are cast alloy and prone to breaking.
The motor will fit on rovers or flymos and plenty of others, probably get a few $$$$ for it as a running replacement.

Or just polish it and sell it.

Or you could throw it on the trailer.
Im sure i could swap you something you would want for it.

Bob, i use fresh bolts, thanks to getting a massive bulk lot a few years back.

The current price is based on both a lack of time to get work done, and a need to cull non-vintage mowers, basically, i have about 20 mowers i built up at the last place, that i dont have room for, so I'm just trying to get them out the door as second hand mowers, not serviced or restored.

No real work is going into them, a few new spark's, the odd head gasket, but mainly just carby cleaning.

I do the restored thing sometimes to, when I have the time to sit down and give them a good going over, when I do that, they get all new o-rings, spark plug, gasket, muffler, blades, fuel and air filters, fuel line and tap. Then they go for $150 - $170

Other ones are just a basic service, filters, blades, sparky, and seals and gaskets when needed, $120 - $150

$75 is what i charge for essentially cleaning the muck out of the flat bowl, starting her up, and grinding the blades, plus a quick wash, the mower comes out like your average "I no longer need my mower" sale, rather than a reconditioned mower, and when they came to me for next to nothing, and sometimes nothing, and get basically next to nothing spent on them, I get most of the $75 as profit, and the turnover is very fast, I popped up the add the other day, and sold 3 in 2 hours!!

The moment i see the grass ready to spurt, i pull the add, grab a few, and give them a real going over, than the add goes back up at $150 or so, when that spurt hits the lawns a few days later, they come!