A riding mower?! Come on, guys, you’re losing your focus! Ahh.. it felt good to get that out of the way.. This one may seem weird, but Barn Finds isn’t always about dusty, hidden muscle cars. No where in the definition of the website does it say that it’s limited to cars only, and this one also has a motor and a person can drive it around. Albeit on grass, but still.. This is a 1950s Fairbanks-Morse Ride-On Mower and it’s on Craigslist for $1,000 or best offer. It’s in Alba, Michigan and the seller says “Cash ONLY. Pick up only”, but they also say that they’ll deliver it within a 50-mile radius. I wish that was a 500-mile radius. Thanks to Clarke B. for sending in this cool find!

If you’re a true gear head, you like anything and everything that’s powered by something – engines, small motors, batteries, pedals, sails, chipmunks – anything. There are legions of collectors and restorers of vintage lawn implements and this is a super rare and solid example. The price, though, ouch. In 2015, Barrett-Jackson sold a totally restored one in like-new condition – although not in a factory color, unfortunately – for a mere $150 more than the seller is asking for this rusty project mower! I’m guessing that about half of the asking price is what most collectors would be willing to pay for this one. The seller would like “to see it gone, but I’m not it a hurry, so don’t throw a low amount at me.”

Fairbanks-Morse & Company was a huge industrial company in the late-1800s that originally made weighing scales, but they evolved into making a lot of various things, such as “pumps, engines, windmills, coffee grinders, farm tractors, feed mills, locomotives”. And, of course, lawn mowers. Actually, the company purchased Root Manufacturing Co., Inc. out of Kansas in order to get into the lawn care business. Here’s a similar mower in action on YouTube. You aren’t going to win any races with these but I’m sure that it would be popular at vintage garden tractor shows. Yes, there is such a thing and it’s as fun as any car show for those involved in the hobby. Restoring vintage tractors and similar equipment is a great learning experience, it can be a nice starter project for someone just getting interested in restoration.

These mowers were specifically marketed towards women, a fairly revolutionary concept for the conservative 1950s. The company made push mowers, too, va-va-voom! This mower for sale here appears to be in good condition, as far as the metal work goes. This is thick stuff so it would take a real concerted effort to dent those cool pontoon-like fenders.

This is a Briggs & Stratton 8B-H motor and believe it or not, lots of parts are still available, even from Sears! This engine is “free moving”, according to the seller. Most Barn Finds readers could rebuild and restore this engine to like new condition in a couple of weekends and I think it would be a fun little project. This whole mower would be a fun little restoration project. The price may be a bit ambitious, but hey, if you start too low you can’t go up! Are any of you into collecting and restoring vehicles other than cars and trucks, like vintage garden tractors, mowers, snowmobiles, chain saws, etc?