Goodwill Tool Finds

[unimog401]

Here is a place to post your Goodwill tool finds on my last trip I found a set of klein linesmans, a proto 7/16 combo wrench, a matco usa 6in wobble extension, a blue point quick wedge screwdriver and some sk wayne 10 in slipjoint pliers

 

[unimog401]

I forgot to mention I got all these tools for 5 bucks

 

[zendriver]

Nice. I've never seen any tools at any Goodwill store.

 

[KnurledNut]

I picked up a Husqvarna 125B ($200) leaf blower several years back for $4.99. It looked new but covered in dust from sitting. I put in a new carb, lines, filter, and have been using it ever since.

 

[HaiKarate]

The only tools I've ever come across at GW are the cheapest dollar-store quality wrenches from some third world country - of course they were priced like Snap-On. I think the open end wrench bent when I looked at it.

 

[hobie18]

I have not seen tools at Goodwill.

I have dropped off an incredible amount of good stuff though.

 

[unimog401]

The only tools I've ever come across at GW are the cheapest dollar-store quality wrenches from some third world country - of course they were priced like Snap-On. I think the open end wrench bent when I looked at it.

That's interesting at mine all tools are in a large tray and everything is a dollar lots of cheap stuff though but a few gems

 

[fourjeepin]

I see tools on occasion but almost never anything of good quality.

 

[bonneyman]

I have not seen tools at Goodwill.

I have dropped off an incredible amount of good stuff though.

Next time you have good stuff to dispose of, drop it off at my place - and I'll give you lots of good will!

 

[driftpin]

H for H is a better place for tools than Goodwill. The big Miami Goodwill store rarely puts onto the floor the tools donated to them. Smaller neighborhood Goodwill stores here, I've never seen anything of quality as far as tools.

I bought a Delta DP220 drill press from a local thrift store for $75 and later re-sold it when I didn't have any use for it, having two other drill presses besides. The cool thing about that model is that it was manufactured in Nov/Dec. 1944.

 

[Nutria]

H for H is a better place for tools than Goodwill.

I think that Goodwill puts all of their good tool donations on ShopGoodwill, which is high-priced, with high shipping charges, a handling fee, and there are bidding and relisting patterns that look suspiciously like shilling.

I'll stick to Habitat, which clearly does great work for people, and the results are clearly visible. And I've picked up some nice tools there. But good on the folks who are finding keepers at Goodwill.

 

[4x4Pete]

I won't go to Goodwill around here. They will rifle through your donations and leave you with the least valuable items. There's a local Value Village that is good, sometimes tools are a bit pricey for what they have but there's a good one once in a while. H for H is pretty good as well as some local thrift stores. I bought a full set 3/8"-2" of Ridgid pipe threading dies and ratchet handle that was in new condition for $400 from a local thrift store.

 

[GaryM909]

I was in a Goodwill a couple months ago and came across a corded Bosch hammer drill in it's case. It looked to be in very good condition. I almost bought it for $25 but it turned out to be a European model.

 

[fatfillup]

OP, great finds for cheap. I buy and sell tools and have only checked GW a few times with no success. Same for H for H. But that obviously varies by location. What I will say is that bargains on tools can be found in any populated area, but you have to invest the time to find them. I buy tools everywhere I have traveled, sometimes a few, sometimes a lot. You just have to look hard. Not everyone's cup of tea but I enjoy the hunt

 

[driftpin]

I live in a 3-county area of 6 million, and have visited thrift stores and H for H and Goodwill in all of them. I honestly cannot recall seeing any tools worth anything/worth having, and especially at their prices. The Boca Raton FL store for Goodwill had absolutely nothing I would consider in the tool category as 'a good value for the $.' They had a set of individual Black and Decker homeowners' level power tools that looked as-if they had been dangling from some brodozer's gargantuan lifted F-250's rear bumper, next to his 'nuts.' They were beaten-up, used-up, and neglected, and the asking price was individually, more-than I'd expect the lot of them to go for, given their wretched condition from use and abuse. You know the ones, red plastic cases and not of durable construction.

I was on the board of a not for profit serving a population of physically-disabled and mentally-challenged adult males. Someone donated an old Cadillac probably close-to 20 years old, it ran after a battery swap. As I recall it belonged to an elderly relative who died, and the surviving relatives donated it for a charitable tax write-off. It was sold, "as-is, where-it-is, no warranty expressed or implied".

A month later, the buyer came-back and told us the transmission crapped-out. Someone (not me on the board) in the agency gave them back half their money. The car physically was a creampuff, not a rust-out, and I suspect that as a 'mechanic's special,' to swap-out the allegedly not-functional ******, someone mechanically-inclined could have had a cheap luxury car. I don't recall our selling price but I doubt it was very much.

 

[captain14]

I usually visit the Value Village stores every once in a while in my area. It’s a hit or miss. I have gotten good deals and passed on other high price junk tools.

I think if someone drops off a box of tools and shop things, it may contain some good deals.

I make it a point to visit on the discount days.

 

[Batg]

Here are some of the wrenches I have found over the years at Goodwill in Everett Washington.

 

[woody 73]

I know this is a two-year-old post, but every time I stop in for a look see, I have never seen any tools for sale. On my last visit the nice saleswomen, told me any tools get hauled away for some kind of auction site? I don't know about that but again I have never found any tools.

It's sort of a hit and miss with all my tool hunting adventures, I find the more expensive neighborhoods have a better selection and the poor parts of town have mostly junk or tools that look like they have been through hell and back at the battle of the Ardens.

Today I passed up a box end wrench, (not at goodwill) and it looked as if someone took a grinder and beat the **** out of it, sad because it was made in my home state.

 

[Shiftless]

Not a tool but once I found a tarnished, beat up and bent sterling silver toasting goblet at Goodwill marked 99 cents. Of course I bought it and took it to a coin shop where they paid me close to the value of silver. Back then I think I got something like $60.
Today it would be worth about $300

Like others, my local Goodwill stores don’t carry any tools at all.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

I was into thrift shopping for a few years, you can get lucky now and then, but if you really work at it you can find stuff regularly.

If you do not enjoy it, it is not worth the effort.

 

[Shiftless]

If you do not enjoy it, it is not worth the effort

True
Just like going to garage sales, estate sales, scouring FBMP multiple times per day… it’s the thrill of the hunt. If that doesn’t appeal to you, you’re better off just paying full retail for the stuff you need and want. You can spend all of the time others “waste” doing things you like.

 

[yatg]

Goodwill has stupid high prices on everything.
Hit smaller independent thrift shops for better deals.

 

[KnurledNut]

Here are some of the wrenches I have found over the years at Goodwill in Everett Washington.

I like those older Bonneys with the Loc-rite off corner engagement box end.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

Goodwill has stupid high prices on everything.
Hit smaller independent thrift shops for better deals.

They are all a ****-shoot. Independent thrift stores are generally lower priced, but you almost never get lucky and find a gem. There is always someone that knows how to value stuff.

And at all the stores, the staff gets first pick...

We have a Japanese secondhand store nearby that gets containers of used stuff from Japan, I stop a couple times a month, but you only get lucky on the morning after they unload a container.

 

[Shiftless]

We have a Japanese secondhand store nearby that gets containers of used stuff from Japan

These Japanese rice cookers are considered by many to be the absolute best. I got a slightly used one originally sold in Japan for almost nothing. It has English printing on the control buttons. New they cost over $200.
The deals are out there. You have to spend time looking though…

 

[DaveAndStuff]

These Japanese rice cookers are considered by many to be the absolute best. I got a slightly used one originally sold in Japan for almost nothing. It has English printing on the control buttons. New they cost over $200.
The deals are out there. You have to spend time looking though…

Almost none of the electric second hand is useful here as we are 230V. I almost fell for a badass Hitachi electric demo hammer...

 

[DSEng]

Almost none of the electric second hand is useful here as we are 230V. I almost fell for a badass Hitachi electric demo hammer...

Depends where it comes from in Japan, some of it is 100v 60hz some is 50hz. Japan's grid is odd, West is 60hz/100v and East is 50hz/100v. Many consumer goods sold there can deal with either. Pretty much everywhere the wall outlets are the 2 blade USA plug, the 200v plug is mostly for appliances.

Voltage and Frequency Differences in Japan

This is the “Voltage and Frequency Differences in Japan” page of the Kansai Transmission and Distribution, Inc. website. This page provides information on electricity specifications (voltage and frequency) in Japan.

www.kansai-td.co.jp

 

[DaveAndStuff]

Depends where it comes from in Japan, some of it is 100v 60hz some is 50hz. Japan's grid is odd, West is 60hz/100v and East is 50hz/100v. Many consumer goods sold there can deal with either. Pretty much everywhere the wall outlets are the 2 blade USA plug, the 200v plug is mostly for appliances.

Voltage and Frequency Differences in Japan

This is the “Voltage and Frequency Differences in Japan” page of the Kansai Transmission and Distribution, Inc. website. This page provides information on electricity specifications (voltage and frequency) in Japan.

www.kansai-td.co.jp

The 100V stuff generally does not last long on 230V, regardless of the frequency.

In my house, the original receptacles are National (Panasonic) brand two-blade US style plugs, but they are wired 230V.

The new circuits in the house use these that take the US and Euro plugs.

 

[DSEng]

I

The 100V stuff generally does not last long on 230V, regardless of the frequency.

In my house, the original receptacles are National (Panasonic) brand two-blade US style plugs, but they are wired 230V.

The new circuits in the house use these that take the US and Euro plugs.

Oh sorry I didn't realize you were in Japan. Been about 10 years since I was last there

 

[DaveAndStuff]

I

Oh sorry I didn't realize you were in Japan. Been about 10 years since I was last there

I'm not in Japan, I am in Thailand.

Thailand is 230V, 50Hz

 

[driftpin]

I went to a Goodwill in Miami today and bought what I usually find there, rock & roll LP's, and books. No tools there, ever. I get work pants there usually paying ~$6, for name-brand pants.

OK I just went to the goodwill online site, and typed in Craftsman after opening the 'tools' category. I am not impressed by the tools pricing, and it's an auction.

I did see this, which I suspect will go for > it sold for new, 6 days left on the auction. a 3-drawer Rally chest which appears not to have been beaten-up, pretty-clean. One bid of $14.99.



It's in Missouri. I haven't bothered looking into what their shipping arrangement is, I have seen some listings are 'store pick-up only' like for a contractor's 10" table saw.

Since the tools are from all-over the USA, I think spending your time on facebook or CL locally will yield better results, and lower pricing.

 

[DaveAndStuff]

I went to a Goodwill in Miami today and bought what I usually find there, rock & roll LP's, and books. No tools there, ever. I get work pants there usually paying ~$6, for name-brand pants.

OK I just went to the goodwill online site, and typed in Craftsman after opening the 'tools' category. I am not impressed by the tools pricing, and it's an auction.

I did see this, which I suspect will go for > it sold for new, 6 days left on the auction. a 3-drawer Rally chest which appears not to have been beaten-up, pretty-clean. One bid of $14.99.



It's in Missouri. I haven't bothered looking into what their shipping arrangement is, I have seen some listings are 'store pick-up only' like for a contractor's 10" table saw.

Since the tools are from all-over the USA, I think spending your time on facebook or CL locally will yield better results, and lower pricing.

The Rally boxes were pretty badass when I was a kid. Black wrinkle and woodgrain drawers as I remember.

They used to have the separate tool catalog you could get by mailing the insert back

 

[zendriver]

Goodwill shoppers are literally like vultures around here.

They hang out - waiting for the girl to come of the back room, pushing a cart of newly arrived goods. half o it never make it to the shelves or racks.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I found this cheap Harbor Freight pickle fork there like 4 or 5 years ago in the kitchen/home section for I think 50 cents. Of course my brother in law managed to destroy it the first time he used it which isn’t uncommon for him lol.

 

[driftpin]

"You broke it, you bought it. Bring me the new replacement."

 

[captain14]

Watched an Ask This Old House the other night about replacing a broken soap dish on a tile wall. Priced the tools on Amazon, walked into my local thrift store and found some tile tools on the shelf.

Sold!

 

[WildBill]

Goodwill is one of the worst "charity" companies around, only something like 3% of their cash actually goes to help people, the rest goes in to a bunch of rich CEOs pockets. I don't support them. Habitat stores are way better and actually help people, plus generally have more tools at much better prices.