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Any tools you'd NEVER buy used?

larrynew

larrynew

Well Known Member
Any tools you'd NEVER buy used? I'm well into the tool buying process and have purchased both new tools from several of the vendors advertising here and used tools. I like the fun of finding a bargain plus the $ savings rationalizes more spent on the a/c later. I'm not looking for a debate on ebay (although I have had very good luck so far). Would you buy 50 used surplus rivet sets for $50? Can a rivet set wear out? How about drill bits? Clecos? Microstop drill cages or countersink bits?
 
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Larry,

That is a good question.

Clecos can go bad and I've pitched a number of them in the trash but if the price is right, you may loose only 10% of them or so.

Try to get power tools used, if you can find them. I paid $10 for my 14" three wheel band saw. It works great for sheet and angel aluminum but not much else. Of course I had to replace the bands when I brought it home and have since done some major repairs on it but it did get me through the project.
 
Experienced Tools are fine.

If a used tool is such that it is no longer good, then it probably wasn't that good when new.
Some of the best tools in my tool box are from my Dad and were bought in the '40s. Most are better than the new tools of today.
 
Larry,

I can't think of any tool that I would not buy used. I prefer new, but I do buy from Harbor Freight, also, so obviously, I do not have to have perfection for every tool. Nothing wrong with getting a good deal whenever possible.

I just wanted to comment on the bad clecos. I have quite a few clecos that no longer work to hold two pieces of metal together. However, I don't toss them out when I find one. Instead, I tag them with a quick spray of blue paint, and put them into a separate container. I use these "bad" clecos to hold pieces that have nutplates (either attached, or not yet attached). I figure that the extra reach needed to hold the nutplate puts a little more strain on the cleco, which may cause it to go bad, so why not use a cleco that is already bad. Things are going slow right now, and my instrument panel has been cleco'd in place for over a year, now.

Tracy.
 
What... new tools? Now that's a new concept! :D Truly there is a place and time for a few new tools but most builders tools will last a lifetime.
 
TORQUE WRENCH

I bought a cheap torque wrench from HF and after busting off a bolt went to Sears and bought an outstanding wrench for 2X the cost but 4X the quality. Anything needing precision is new now. ie the digital level I just bought. I bought some stuff off ebay and borowed a bunch of stuff, still use HF for plenty, but just not the precision stuff.
 
new or used

Cogsdill Burraway, won't last long new let alone used. At over 50 bucks each...my poorest tool purchase decision yet. That goes for both popular sizes.
 
You mentioned drill bits. That would be about the only thing I wouldn't buy used, though I'd be wary of other cutting tools. I've had to replace one pair of Wiss snips because I ruined them trying to cut a hinge pin. Rather than foist them off on someone else, I smoothed the nick and use them for non-critical jobs. I'm not sure I'd trust used files either.

That said, most of my tools are new. Either I've replaced stuff, like my original out-of-the-junk-in-my-garage wrench set with Craftsman tools bought on sale, or I've needed a specialty tool and couldn't wait for a bargain to show up, like my BNC crimpers or my rivet gun and sets.

To flip the question around, though, there are a couple of tools I hope to acquire and, if I do, they'll be used. I'm hoping to find a good used sheet metal brake and a good floor model bandsaw and I really don't want to pay new prices for either of those items.
 
I have to agree with Paul on HF and precision. I have both their 1/4" and 3/8" torque wrenches, and I have no problem with them, but the 1/4" wrench definitely has a light click. I probably should calibrate them to be sure that they are correct or close. But I agree that this is probably false economy. Definitely stay away from their tap and die sets. They are cheap, and are just plain junk. The Sears sets are not that expensive, and they do the job.

I would, also, agree that it is probably wise to stay away from used drills. New drills are just not that expensive. However, a Drill Doctor can take care of used bits. I know, I blasted the guys who said the Drill Doctor was a good purchase. I said drill bits were so cheap that it was not economical to spend $120 to keep them sharp. Then, I went ahead an bought one, anyway. Hey, it was Christmas. The Drill Doctor pays for itself in convenience, but it stilll is not economical on cost alone. Sometimes you just have to have a tool, whether it makes sense or not.

Tracy.
 
Precision? Try a pawn shop.

I generally buy new tools, but when I need precision I head for the pawn shop. Good tools last virtually forever and otherwise, I'd never be able to afford the quality needed. I like pawn shops because they won't loan money on cheap tools, so the stuff they have for sale is usually pretty good.

My Matco torque wrench would have been $300 new. I paid $50.

I built all the harnesses for my Garmin avionics on the 6, so I needed two different size precision crimper tools. $500 new. I paid $150.
 
I love used tools!!! I have built quite a nice collection by shopping used. It takes some work, but that's all part of it for me. I'm currently rebuilding a 214 squeezer I got for a song, and just finished this bandsaw that I got "free for the hauling." Sure, I stuck a couple hundred bucks into powering it, but what would I get new for a couple hundred bucks? I also like old stuff because I think of all the things they have been through - all the people for whom these tools were part of their lives.

bandsaw001.jpg


(Yes, I am working on some very basic guards for this. Mean time, common sense works pretty well. The wheels are only turning 17 RPM.) But Grayson says "safety first! Don't forget your glasses."
BugEyes.jpg
 
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