Yes you can take the mower, its a personal possession but would have to be declared as such and yes you can have fuel in the tank just like any machinery/vehicle.
You just have to follow the rules.
Thanks very much. That’s great!
I think the majority of us here can definitely sympathise and understand this. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a group of such well travelled, well experienced (if that makes any sense) people in my life. Reading everyone’s experiences it often seems like moving to and setting down roots in french was one of the least interesting experiences of their very interesting lives! My pre-France living adventures out of the U.K. were generally across the US so I had it pretty easy comparatively with language and culture similarities, but even that led me spending years trying to find things that were scattered across multiple continents and reunite them with me, so I understand completely!
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I still regret that I never went back to the States to collect the things I abandoned there when I got a nasty letter from immigration……in particular a pair of black and white trousers that held many memories of Wigan. And there’ s a rabbit skin bedspread in an attic in Earl’s Court that was given to me by my father and I never knew what to do with since I hate fur (and since the attic is rather difficult to get into it may well still be there…)
Since photos weren’t as common, the memories of the first half of my life are often connected to abandoned and/or prized possessions. These days I can just take a photo.
Can really feel for you, bought a house with my then partner about seven years ago, however, the relationship hadnt really been tested and did not last twenty four hours together as we had only spent evenings together, weekends were at the golf club mostly! Coming out to France was an education in every sense of the word! After five years we decided to part, however, splitting the house was the worst thing that I have ever done. I decided to put my stuff into storage in a friends barn, paying her 20 euros a week, which after two years was becoming the most expensive furniture ever! I also had to pay someone to take the furniture to the store and it gradually got more and more. Anyway, to cut a long story short, last November she said that she wanted her barn back by Christmas and my stuff needed to be out by then. Now as I was living in the Lot and this was up near Limoges there was a logistical problem as well as having the usual problem of where to get rid of it to. However, in the finish I found someone to take it, for no money, but it has now gone, am feeling much more unencumbered as now I can go where I want with no furniture hanging round my shoulders. I would recommend getting rid of it now and thinking about whether you want all of that old furniture. You can always buy some second hand, there is a plethora of junk around, I should know. Live a little, most houses will consider selling some of their stuff to you anyway. Hope this helps, from one collector of junk to another collector
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Jennifer,
That was a really heartening post from you for which I m very grateful. So much of it is so.
Except that my wife and I were married for over 30 years (technically still are!).
Some of furniture is (not quite) irreplaceable Danish stuff that I am probably retrieving at a cost way beyond its market value… and then will storing in the UK at £35 per week! But I jut like and it would break my heart just to leave it. But, logically you right.
Anyway, I got back from Germany today, have booked the van for France and I’m committed to it now…even the lawnmower! 
Well, I’ve now got back to the UK after an intense 5 days of travelling to, packing up and cleaning the house and cutting the garden.
That’s it! After 12 years…A very sad “Goodbye and a dieu” to my house and friends in France.
In the end, I didn’t take the lawnmower (nor much of the other contents) and even question how sensible it was taking anything quite frankly.
Goodbye and good luck to all here. Thanks for the times. Take care.
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Yes have fun back in the UK whilst we can. Depending on the outcome of the election we may not be far behind.
Beautiful country (except the concrete jungle of Paris) average food, (Italy is better) great people.
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Strutting your stuff in the Casino ?
My home town is very close to Wigan BTW.
I thought you were still in UK! Did you escape?
Yup 
In the moments when mere females were allowed to of course…
Rent one of those storage boxes, they are all over the place. Probably cheaper and easier than carting everything back to the UK and then back here again.
I am, now I am a civil servant I will have to wait until September to get to France.
So that would explain why your new employer has a slush fund to go green.
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Not going to make hard for myself
It’s all done and back here in the UK as of Thursday just gone.
Yes, it was a hard and expensive exercise but as I’m now not 100% sure that I’m coming back to France It’s probably for the best.
hi did you bring the tractormower back. ? I have bought one in the UK to take to france and I know if have to declare that somehow i assume at the port and I guess ill have to pay some import duty. I know pre brexit this was simple and no fuss no duty, but does anybody or has anybody actually gone through this process recently . I tried to get a new one in France but a: stock of new ones was very poor, b: i got robbed by an online scam, c:i also almost got scammed by an elaborate boncoin scam. Hence i gave up and bought on one Ebay to bring to france . I have a french residency card and uk not sure if that makes any odds and its jsut for personal use
You might but equally you might not, so far in laws have transported just about everything from their UK house to their french one and not been asked a single question. Just the usual covid and passport checks.
Update on my situation , so I bought a new trailer and i think i mentioned i already had the john deer L120 from Ebay, I readied the vehicle conformities , the receipts , a customs form (that my original moves used last year), copies of my passports and my EDF attesation. I arrived at Portsmouth and got onto a brittany ferry after 3 hours of ques on the 2245 to Caen , the only question from the UK side was NHS jabs and one of the security staff said could they have a go on the tractor ! French side i deisembarked and then qued up at douanes , now I noticed a something to declare channle but it was impossible to get in that lane as there were 3 lanes think with vehicles. We were asked for our passports and they were duly stamped. We were then sent on our way with a smile. We were not asked a single question about where we were going or the mower. I say multple hire vans full of household goods also going though unoticed. Now obvilsly things canb change on a whim but that my pleasant experience! I saved myself from getting scammed on boncoin and have mowed 3 times already !
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Exactly what I have been saying.
Hi, welcome to Survive France. Please take a moment to introduce yourself and your connection to France.
Though I confess I’m a little puzzled by the relevance of your post to the topic at hand.