Finds at the transfer station

[Macduf]

dumping garbage and I see these sitting next to a pile of trash. Not the best looking but why for God's sake throw them out?

 

[TigerDude]

dumping garbage and I see these sitting next to a pile of trash. Not the best looking but why for God's sake throw them out?

because you don't have a furnace to melt them down. I threw out a couple of similar pliers when I realized I'd had them for 30 years and used them literally never.

 

[D. Patina]

But why throw them out? I have a junk box that I accumulate all sorts of no name, Taiwan tools and various odds and ends. These all go to one of thrift shops in town. They are normally ecstatic that someone brings them something other than clothes.

 

[FunkyfullWidth]

It's because of pliers like that that I have (but don't necessarily need) 9 different tool boxes... every other year or so I do a "purge." Either selling them, or scrapping them if they're cheap no names.

 

[joe_padavano]

Here in Northern VA, people have waaaay too much money. I've scored a bunch of stuff that people were just throwing out. Got several lawn mowers and a tiller being thrown away because the carbs were gummed up with old gas. Only took a few minutes with carb cleaner to get them running. I've also seen bicycles (hell, DONATE them instead of throwing them away), and similar items.

Not a transfer station find, but similarly being thrown away were a nearly perfect washer and dryer. This was a freebie on C-list. Matching Whirlpool washer and dryer, in perfect condition. The homeowner wanted new ones and didn't want to pay to haul the old ones away. I showed up with my truck and a dolly. That was ten years ago and other than a pump replacement on the washer, they are still working perfectly.

 

[nadogail]

With our present mobile society, and the cost of moving a household, often decisions are to discard something and, if necessary, replace if rather than move it.

I rent an unfurnished bedroom to unaccompanied men, often they have left nice things behind because they: needed to quickly get to their next job, were not going to need something (they thought ) where they were going, it would not fit in their car, etc.

 

[Cope]

Scored a nearly new pair of Channelock 420 pliers someone had dropped in the road.

 

[crerus75]

I do anything I can to avoid throwing out a tool-- donate it, repurpose it, give it to a friend, whatever-- but not everyone thinks the same way. Maybe someone threw them out because "nobody will want these old pliers." Maybe they were turned away by their local Goodwill. I just tried to give away a small Craftsman wet/dry vac, in working order and with two replacement filters, and Goodwill refused. I didn't think it looked very beat up, but they felt they couldn't sell it. Fair enough-- I'll use it as a dust collector for my miter saw-- but almost anyone else would put it on the curb.

Not many people-- including people that use tools every day-- have the same appreciation for older tools that I see on this board. I personally get a great deal of satisfaction from refurbishing old tools, but that's just me. In any case, OP gets two pairs of pliers, and the pliers avoid being turned into roofing nails or washing machine parts. Win-win.

 

[lbhsbz]

I've thrown away plenty of tools...usually clumsy or poorly designed tools that don't work very well and mostly cause me to leak blood after attempting to use them or destroy what I'm working on...like cheap pliers and screwdrivers. I still get the free HF screwdriver sets, but the Phillips go straight in the trash

 

[Richard Cranium]

I try not to throw away tools of any kind unless they are broken. There is always some one needing to borrow or use tools. I have given tools to my sister's son when he started driving.

 

[lilredex]

I never throw away tools or any other good stuff. We just had two garage sales and there is always a free table for pliers like that, too many claw hammers, etc....the list goes on and on.

 

[zendriver]

Worst plier design ever. I'm a hoarder, and I don't want them around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[skloon]

dumping garbage and I see these sitting next to a pile of trash. Not the best looking but why for God's sake throw them out?

I keep some of these and old screwdrivers around to modify for special uses don't mind grinding or welding on a pair of throwaway pliers

 

[Beerman]

We live in a throw-a-way society. I have a blow molded Ryobi plastic box someone discarded at the flea market. Was empty.

I use it almost every day at work.

It's embarrassing the number of people that just throw stuff in the trash, when there's retired guys like my Dad, who goes to Goodwill to get broken stuff for a buck or two, just to see IF he can fix it.

Makes me sick to my stomach when I see the amount of stuff that probably ends up in the landfill that could be re-purposed by SOMEONE.

I'm afraid though, guys at this board AREN'T the problem.

FWIW.

 

[KRB52]

The transfer station in my town levies a $500 fine for "picking", due to safety concerns. I guess they don't want people climbing in and out of the dumpsters. The one my in-laws go to in a more well-off community has a shed set up where if you have something that is still "good" but you don't want anymore, you can put it in there for someone else to take. MIL has a bunch of cookbooks she has scored, dishes, some clothing items (gave me a nice leather jacket that needs a new zipper... someday.)

 

[Packard V8]

Beware free transfer station scores. My friend's daughter just brought home three kittens someone tossed in the dumpster.

jack vines

 

[joe_padavano]

The transfer station in my town levies a $500 fine for "picking", due to safety concerns. I guess they don't want people climbing in and out of the dumpsters.

From what I've seen, it's so that the employees of the facility get to pick through themselves...

 

[bonneyman]

It's because of pliers like that that I have (but don't necessarily need) 9 different tool boxes... every other year or so I do a "purge." Either selling them, or scrapping them if they're cheap no names.

You ain't alone on that score.