Not sure about other places, but I get more than a bit cranky about the amount of cannibalizing that goes on at our local tip shop. I refer to people trying to strip parts off and sticking them in their pockets instead of buying the whole mower. The staff catch a few of these miscreants but not all. I often get there too late. I bought a Pope base recently and wonder what might have been on it that others had knocked off. There were clear signs of things being stripped off it, such as the windrower. The amount of damage they do is another matter. They often round off the nuts and bolts and break things. They are only after one part sometimes and don't seem to care if they destroy other parts getting it off.
On the same day I bought the mower base, I lifted the red safety cone and discovered someone had hidden spanners and screwdrivers under it. So they obviously go there often stripping bits off. They hide the spanners nearby. I took the tools up to the counter. Next time they go there to strip bits off they will be short of the tools they need.
The thing is the dump only charges around $5 to $20 for old worn out mowers that are covered in grease, dirt, rust and oil and not going. If I want a part or two I buy the whole thing, take it home, strip off whatever parts I need, then take it back. That way it gets recycled and ends up back on sale. Someone else might need those other parts.
