I'm looking for some advice in regard to salvage value of my John Deere SB 14 mower.
I bought this mower in 1982 and up until this week this mower stood the test of time. Unfortunately, the transmission and all of the parts associated with the keeping the transmission in place and the wheels in position went to pieces (literally).
I took the mower into a John Deere dealership seeking repairs and they called this afternoon to inform me that (1) the parts I would need to repair this mower are simply not available anymore since John Deere has exited the push mower business and (2) even if the parts were available the cost of a new transmission and the labor to put everything back together would have made repairs cost prohibitive.
If there is a silver lining to this sad state of affairs, I have an offer to buy the mower for spare parts. While I was dropping off the mower one of the service techs in the shop said that because he felt that the SB 14 was one of the best mowers ever built he has two SB 14's himself and offered to buy my mower for parts to maintain his two mowers. We never discussed a price but now that I'll be in the market for a new mower anything I can get out of this old mower will help offset the cost of a new one.
The engine on my SB 14 was serviced every two years and never burned a drop of oil and never lost any power even as old as it was. The mower desk itself is also in good shape along with the controls and I have the bagger, side discharge attachment and the mulching plate for the unit.
So, my question is...... What is everyone's thought on how much is a fair price for this mower as a salvage unit?
I bought this mower in 1982 and up until this week this mower stood the test of time. Unfortunately, the transmission and all of the parts associated with the keeping the transmission in place and the wheels in position went to pieces (literally).
I took the mower into a John Deere dealership seeking repairs and they called this afternoon to inform me that (1) the parts I would need to repair this mower are simply not available anymore since John Deere has exited the push mower business and (2) even if the parts were available the cost of a new transmission and the labor to put everything back together would have made repairs cost prohibitive.
If there is a silver lining to this sad state of affairs, I have an offer to buy the mower for spare parts. While I was dropping off the mower one of the service techs in the shop said that because he felt that the SB 14 was one of the best mowers ever built he has two SB 14's himself and offered to buy my mower for parts to maintain his two mowers. We never discussed a price but now that I'll be in the market for a new mower anything I can get out of this old mower will help offset the cost of a new one.
The engine on my SB 14 was serviced every two years and never burned a drop of oil and never lost any power even as old as it was. The mower desk itself is also in good shape along with the controls and I have the bagger, side discharge attachment and the mulching plate for the unit.
So, my question is...... What is everyone's thought on how much is a fair price for this mower as a salvage unit?
