Police spotted a drunken man pushing a ride-on lawn mower along the A16 at Deeping St Nicholas at 2.20am.
Officers spoke to Daniel Hill and a check showed no mowers stolen at that time, but a report of a garage burglary at a local farm was made later that morning.
Marie Stace, prosecuting, said police visited Hill who directed them to his back garden where they found both the lawn mower and a rotavator taken in the same raid.
Hill’s solicitor Anita Toal said he took possession of the lawn mower when he was drunk at a friend’s house where there was a party.
She said the friend told Hill some Travellers had left the lawn mower at his house after trying to sell it to him and asked Hill to take it to his home.
Mrs Toal said the Travellers called at Hill’s house the next day and left the rotavator with him.
“He had a pretty good idea that the things were stolen,” she said.
Mrs Toal said Hill had stayed out of trouble for some four years and this offence was “a blip in his otherwise good progress”.
Hill, of Harrow Road, Deeping St Nicholas, pleaded guilty to possession of criminal property on May 8 when he appeared at Spalding Magistrates’ Court on Thursday. He was fined £110 and must pay £40 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.