How to Get Rid of a Broken Lawn Mower

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Properly disposing of a broken lawnmower can be quite challenging to do if you have never had to do it before and not sure how to go about it. Ultimately, the thing to do is to find a way that best suits you and requires minimal stress.  It’s one thing to decide to get rid of your old lawn mower and get a new, however getting rid of it properly can sometimes be a challenge.

There are various ways to dispose of your broken lawn mower but tossing it out in the bin or on the road isn’t ideal. This is because it may have oil residues that can be potentially harmful.

Are you currently looking for to dispose of your damaged, broken lawn mower? Well, you’re in luck because we have here is a detailed review of how to go about it.

There are things to consider before you get rid of your broken lawn mower

  • Is it beyond repair? Are you getting rid of it because it can’t be fixed or because it just has a little issue and you don’t want to go through the stress of getting it repaired?  If you have exhausted all of your options in the repair process, then it’s only right to get rid of it.
  • Have you salvaged all you can? While this may seem unimportant, you can get all the residual fuel from your broken lawnmower out before you get rid of it. Take the time to siphon the remaining oil from the engine and put it to good use.
  • Can some parts still be used? If this is the case, then you can scrap the lawnmower, sell any reusable parts, and throw the junk parts away. This has its perks because you can sell the metal parts and make some extra cash.

Selling Your Lawn Mower as Scrap

Since it can’t be used anymore, it can’t be sold as second-hand equipment or something that can be gifted to a neighbor. Since it is beyond repair, it shouldn’t be added to your trash bin. Instead, get paid for the metal components in the lawn mower. There are people known as “scrap metal buyers,” they find old lawn mowers because they are a great source of aluminum and steel.

The selling it as scrap method can be fully optimized if you decide to dismantle the lawnmower yourself. Wondering why? This is because the metals in the lawnmower are different from each other – ranging from ferrous to non-ferrous metals. These metals can be sold at different prices based on what they are.

Selling the lawnmower as a whole, you will most likely get paid for only the dirty aluminum. However, if you decide to go through the dismantling process yourself, you will most definitely make more money out of your old lawnmower.

Recycling Your Lawn Mower

While this may be an option for some, it might not be for others. If you don’t want to go through the whole scrapping saga, you can get a junk hauling firm within your area to pick it up. This may be a challenge because not every area has access to a hauling firm, making this option quite difficult. If you don’t have any hauling firm within your area, you can simply use a car to take it to them.

Having them pick it up is an eco-friendly option because it erases any form of stress from you, and you can be sure that your broken lawnmower is being disposed of responsibly.

If you have made the decision to dismantle your lawnmower personally, there is a way to go about doing so safely.

Drain the Gas Tank

You want to do this to prevent any hazardous issues or spills. Some people do this by using the lawn mower until they have exhausted the gas in it completely. But since the lawnmower is broken, and most likely not able to be used, get a siphon hose to extract the gas out of the lawnmower.

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Place the gas into a very clean container. It is important to get a siphon hose that comes with a hand pump because using your mouth to siphon the gas can be extremely dangerous to your body if it is ingested.

Related: How to Dispose of a Gas Lawnmower

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Remove the Blade Bolts

The bolts screwing the blades in place need to be removed so the blades can slide off the lawnmower. Before you do this, make sure to wear thick protective gloves to avoid any accidental cuts.

Although the blades might not be considered hazardous waste, that doesn’t mean that you can just pull them off and haul them to the recycling facility. Make sure that you dull the blades first and always handle them while wearing appropriate gloves.

Remove the Oil Plug

In most lawn mowers, the oil reservoir plug is located close to the engine block on its side. You might want to get an oil catch pan and drain the oil into it.

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Unscrew the Bolts on the Tires

There are quite a number of bolts holding the tires in place; you need to handle this step with precision and accuracy. Gently remove the bolts so the tires can slide off easily.

Deflate the Tires

After you have successfully removed the tires, you need to deflate them. Unlike regular tires, lawn mower tires have more gas in them, so you should not just carelessly cut them open. Make use of a screwdriver to gently pry the tires off the hub and then allow the air to seep out of the tires.

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After you have done all these steps, the bolts around the engine should then be unscrewed, and all metal and non-metal parts should be separated. Break all large metals into smaller pieces if you can.

Summary

This process isn’t as tedious as it seems. If you need the extra bucks, then try the dismantling process yourself. If not, you can choose instead to take your broken lawnmower to a recycling agency and let them do the hard work for you.