RE: Old snowblower . . . worth the price?

[firefighterjake]

Buddy is selling an older John Deere snowblower for $50. Said the auger bearings need to be replaced and while it was running when he parked it three years ago, his recent attempt to start it met with no success . . . suspects the gas is bad since he did not use any type of stabilizing agent.

Thoughts?

 

[heat seeker]

If it's a good solid machine, it may be worth the effort and expense of fixing it. The carb is probably clogged, and it would be wise to pull the bowl off and see if there's a bunch of corrosion in there. You might price a new carb to save a lot of grief. The bearings for the auger itself are not hard to replace, but getting rusted parts apart can be a nightmare, unless you have a torch.
If it's a run-of-the mill box store blower, I would pass, unless looking for a project.

My philosophy is that if it isn't running, it's only worth scrap value.

My 2¢, and I'm stickin' to it.

 

[greg13]

$50 for an old bullet proof Deere is about right, another 50 in parts and your time. Possibly a can of green paint. sit on it for the summer and sell it next fall for $300.
If you find a Toro powershift for $50 let me know, those things are a tank when you shift the wheels back.