How Do You Dispose of Old Lawn Mowers? Brilliant Tips

I had an old mower in my shed. It sat there for three long years. Dust covered the red paint. The wheels were flat and stuck tight. I did not know what to do with it at all.

My wife told me to get rid of it soon. I knew she was right about the mess. So, I had to figure out a clear plan. It is hard to toss a big heavy machine. You cannot just put it in a black trash bag.

The trash guys will not take it like that. The big question hit my mind hard. How do you dispose of old lawn mowers? I had to learn the right way to do it to keep things safe.

The First Step in How Do You Dispose of Old Lawn Mowers

First, I looked at the broken machine. Rust was all over the main metal deck. The pull cord was broken in half. It was clear this thing was dead and gone. I felt a bit sad to see it go away.

It cut my green grass for ten long years. It was a good tool for a long time. But space in the shed is very tight. I needed room for my new yard tools. Keeping junk is a bad habit of mine.

I took a deep breath and started to work. Getting rid of it takes a few clear steps. I will share my real steps with you here. You must deal with the bad liquids first. Gas and oil will hurt the earth.

You cannot pour them on the bare ground. That is against the law in most local towns. It can also ruin your local clean water supply. We want to keep the earth clean and safe. I found a flat catch pan in my shop.

I tipped the machine on its right side. The old black oil ran out very slow. It smelled like burnt toast and wet dirt. I caught every single drop in the flat pan. Then, I poured it into a tight plastic jug.

Tools to Drain Bad Liquids Safely

Next, I had to drain the old smelly gas. Gas goes bad if it sits too long. I used a small hand pump for this dirty job. The pump pulled the gas from the fuel tank. I put the bad gas in a red gas can. Now, the machine was safe to move around.

I took the jugs to a local parts shop. They take used motor oil for free. You just hand them the closed plastic jug. They dump it in a huge back tank. It was a very fast and easy trip. It felt great to do the right thing for nature.

Top Ways to Get Rid of a Dead Grass Cutter

With an empty tank, I had some choices. Can you sell a dead grass cutter? Yes, you sure can try to sell it. Some guys love to fix small broken motors. They buy broken things for cheap spare parts.

I thought about trying to make a quick buck. I put the machine on a local phone app. I asked for a crisp ten dollar bill. A nice old man came to my house. He checked the rust on the metal deck.

He shook his head and said no thanks. It was too far gone for his shop needs. That was a slight let down for me. I wanted to make a fast ten bucks. But I knew the machine was in bad shape.

I did not give up hope just yet. I still had to answer the big main question. How do you dispose of old lawn mowers? I had to think of other simple ways to clear my yard.

Ways to Get Rid of It Fast

My next thought was the scrap metal yard. Mowers are made of thick steel and parts. Scrap yards pay cash for good heavy metal. But they have strict rules you must follow.

You must prove the gas tank is bone dry. They will check it closely when you arrive. I grabbed my work gloves and lifted it. The machine was very heavy for one guy. I slid it into the back of my truck.

I tied it down with a strong yellow rope. The drive to the scrap yard took ten minutes. It was a short trip down the road. The scrap yard was huge and very loud. Big trucks drove in and out all day.

Taking Your Heavy Machine to the Scrap Metal Yard

The smell of dirt and grease was strong. A man in a hard hat met me outside. He looked in the back of my truck bed. He checked the gas tank cap right away. He saw the tank was clean and dry.

He told me to drive onto the big scale. The scale weighed my truck with the junk. Then, I drove to the big metal pile. Two men helped me toss the dead machine. It landed with a loud metal crash.

Scrap Yard Rules for Old Lawn Mowers

I drove back onto the big scale again. The scale weighed my empty truck this time. The man at the window did some fast math. He handed me a crisp five dollar bill. It was not much cash, but it felt good.

My shed was free and my hands were clean. Some folks ask about local trash day pick up. Will the city grab it from the street curb? You have to call the town trash folks first. They call this a bulk pick up day.

You cannot just leave it out on Tuesday. They will drive right past it and frown. City trucks hate gas and black oil spills. You must prove the tank is dry for them too. Sometimes you must take off the plastic wheels.

Every town has a different set of weird rules. It is very smart to check their web page first. I chose the scrap yard to be super safe. It was the best choice for my old heavy machine.

Gas Versus Electric: Know Your Mower Type

What if you have a battery powered mower? Those are a whole new kind of game to play. You do not have oil or gas to drain. But you do have a huge battery power cell.

You can never throw a big battery in the trash. It can start a large fire in the dump. You have to take the battery out first. Bring the cell to a town drop off spot. Stores that sell tools often take them back.

They recycle the lead and strong acid inside. The plastic body of the mower is hard to scrap. Scrap yards do not want lots of cheap plastic. It is best to check with your local dump for plastic rules.

Gas Versus Electric Mowers

Some towns have a local green waste dump. They take yard waste and big plastic junk. You might have to pay a small dump fee. It could cost you five or ten bucks to drop. But it is a good way to clear your yard.

A clean yard makes your whole house look nice. Another top tip is to check with trade schools. High school kids learn to fix small engines there. They need junk machines to practice their skills. A donated mower is a great learning tool.

You help a kid learn a good new trade. Plus, you get rid of your heavy junk for free. I called a school near my house once before. The shop boss was very glad to chat with me. He said they take donations all year long.

You just drop it by the back shop door. They do not care if it runs or not. They take the whole thing apart for fun class work. It is a great way to give back to the town.

Final Thoughts on How Do You Dispose of Old Lawn Mowers

Look at all the parts before you dump it. The metal blade is made of strong steel. You can unbolt the blade with a big wrench. Some guys sharpen old blades to use again. I like to keep a spare blade in my shop.

It saves a trip to the hardware store later. You can also save the small spark plug wire. The pull cord can be reused on a snow blower. Old nuts and bolts are great to save in glass jars. I have a whole shelf of old spare parts.

They come in handy when things break on a Sunday. Waste not, want not is a good old rule to live by. If you want to know how do you dispose of old lawn mowers, just plan it out. Do not rush the hard job on a busy day.