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What is considered collectible when it comes to lawnmowers?

Whatever someone wants bad enough to buy it and keep it until someone wants it more and is willing to pay for it. :thumbsup: :biggrin:

"What is considered collectible when it comes to lawnmowers?"

I would say a brand or certain model that is not available no longer....an engine that was / is different, features that are different. plus the older age of a mower.

LOL :laughing: I get it. That goes for just about anything I guess.

Yes indeed, collectible is probably mostly in the eye of the beholder. Some people covet Edsels, some people covet Mercedes 300SLs. I'd have to guess age, model, and brand all fit into the equation, but I don't have any idea of what a "gold standard" collectable lawnmower really is.:wink::biggrin:
Possible candidates:

IH Cub Cadets (not MTDs)
Certain John Deeres from 70's and 80's.
Lawn Boy 2 strokes
Maybe some Jacobsen stuff from 50s and 60s?

I'm sure others will chime in!

Not to collect them , but i would like to find a motored self propelled reel mower with catcher from the 60's

I'm sure there are some still out there, it just may take a little time to track down a 40 or 50 year old mower, especially in restorable or serviceable condition.:smile::thumbsup:

Any two-stroke mower built before the mid-1980s. The Lawn-Boys are the best examples but the two-stroke Jacobsens are rarer.

Any two-stroke mower built before the mid-1980s. The Lawn-Boys are the best examples but the two-stroke Jacobsens are rarer.

Wheel Horse - particularly anything from the days that AMC owned them (mid 70's thru AMC's downfall in the mid 80's) Although the Pond (original owners) Wheel Horses are older and more rare, they weren't as good a mower, and don't draw the interest or the money.

Also Ford/Jacobsens, 70's Simplicity/Allis Chalmers, 70s Massey-Furgeson, and Simplex garden tractors.

They seem to get TONS of money, and I see more and more of these very machines at tractor shows.

As far as a modern machine, I'd bet the Weed Eater One is going to be a classic someday. It's a terrible mower, but they are selling them by the thousands. It's going to be an icon, I do believe. If you have the place to stash it, I'd grab one for posterity. I am not kidding here. There won't be any survivng examples in a decade. Look at the Huffy's and other AMF-built toy mowers. They were terrible, but they are so rare, people gobble them up.

I had a friend of mine who had a Lawn-Boy, it was a clutch. I though that was really cool, you can keep the engine running and disengage the blade, go do something real quick and not have to pull you arm out trying to restart it.

That is a really nice feature to have.:biggrin:My John Deere 14SB has it, and it seems to make great sense.

I'd say anything built before 1960 and in reasonably good condition is collectable.

I search my local CraigsList on a regular basis -- some really neat stuff pops up occasionally. This ad for a 1950s vintage Jacobsen reel mower is up there now. Those are fascinating machines -- built to last forever -- just not something I'd find useful.

I remember that lawn mower of the movie Lawnmower Man. Good movie if you like SciFi

kermit911 said:

I remember that lawn mower of the movie Lawnmower Man. Good movie if you like SciFi

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There are lots of extreme mowers and a lawnmower race in "Gnomeo & Juliet", a recent animated movie.

the old SEARS for sure.....16 and 18hp are at the top The Dirty 14. A collection of Sears Suburban Tractors 1967 through 1973 and 1976 - YouTube

reddragon said:

the old SEARS for sure.....16 and 18hp are at the top The Dirty 14. A collection of Sears Suburban Tractors 1967 through 1973 and 1976 - YouTube

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Great video -- I like the choice of "Bad to the Bone".

So they seem to remove the mower decks and just drive them around -- is that it?

kermit911 said:

I had a friend of mine who had a Lawn-Boy, it was a clutch. I though that was really cool, you can keep the engine running and disengage the blade, go do something real quick and not have to pull you arm out trying to restart it.

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I have a running 4.5 hp '89 vintage Crapman with the "blade brake/clutch feature" it is not that rare. Problem is, the BBC adds a LOT of weight to many push mowers.

kermit911 said:

I remember that lawn mower of the movie Lawnmower Man. Good movie if you like SciFi

Click to expand...

Got that on video...best part was where the guy ordered his mower to crash thru the window and mow over his girlfriend's other lover...lots left to the imagination....BUT....

LandN said:

Not to collect them , but i would like to find a motored self propelled reel mower with catcher from the 60's

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I have an old mower from 60's if you are interested. What city are you located in?

I have an old IH Cub Cadet(plate says it is a 382), a JD 116, a snapper 2000gx, and a snaper 40 zt. I am looking at a montgumery ward 10hp about 3miles from me. it has been sitting for about 8 years, i would say

Something to think about. a lot of people take their old mowers to the scrap yards. there are some scarpyards that will let you buy them from them at about 10-25% above scrap value(usuallly). i am pretty lucky it that area, i have 3 scarpyards around me that do it. Also you may find that hard-to-find part that you have been looking for months and could not find

1st post. Been reading on this forum but had to comment on this.

Over here we get a lot of different age of machine in for service.
1970 is quite young.
Lots of customers using Atco Panther from 20s and Ransomes Ajax push reel mower which is about 40s.
Then you have BSA Sloper engines on certain Ransomes from about 50s still running.
Briggs did a competition couple of years ago for the oldest working engine on a lawnmower and if I remember right it was a 1920s cylinder mower.

If you are interested in collectable then look here.
British Lawnmower Museum
or
Mower History | The Old Lawnmower Club

1st post, been reading for a while and had to comment.

1960-70 is quite young for a mower over here.
Still getting Ransome Ajax and Qualcast Panthers from about 40s.
Briggs did a competition a few years ago for oldest working Briggs engine and found it on a 1920 cylinder mower if I remember right.

The place to look would be

The Old Lawnmower Club | Collection, Preservation and Display of Old Lawn Mowers
or
British Lawnmower Museum

I was walking threw the woods with my family just for fun when we came upon 2 old mint 1965? top of the line push gas mowers my first thought was scrap metal, but later in the day i thought when was the last time ive even seen a mower this old, im going back for them they are just cool and vintage.
Imagine busting one out to mow in 10 years from now or even today.

Great collector piece over looked.

Any bottom of the line running mower here in Florida is worth $40. so how to value vintage mowers????

Rocket442 said:

I was walking threw the woods with my family just for fun when we came upon 2 old mint 1965? top of the line push gas mowers my first thought was scrap metal, but later in the day i thought when was the last time ive even seen a mower this old, im going back for them they are just cool and vintage.
Imagine busting one out to mow in 10 years from now or even today.

Great collector piece over looked.

Any bottom of the line running mower here in Florida is worth $40. so how to value vintage mowers????

Click to expand...

I've never seen the equivalent of an NADA collectible lawnmower book, but maybe the combined talents and input of the members here could be compiled to produce one. Maybe a book with photos, for a coffee table book, too?! Yikes! "Yep, we sold all four copies of that there coffee table book last year.."

I don't know if this is collectible or not. I have a clear JD L Series hood. I know only 1300 were made and they were all to be destroyed. They were originally put on the Display models at Home Depot. Does anyone ever heard of these or know what they may be worth?