Looking for a Source to Buy Broken Power Tools

[KDoug]

As the title suggests, I'm wondering if anybody knows of some good sellers on EBay or some other source to buy broken power tools to repair at a fair price.
I've scored several good deals on some Milwaukee drills off EBay, but the majority of the sellers charge way too much for tools that don't work.

Mainly interested in the top brands like Milwaukee, Makita, Bosch, Dewalt, etc.

I have taken up power tool repair at the moment as a hobby. There really isn't any great cost savings to fix them, but I enjoy taking stuff apart and seeing how things work.

Thanks for any suggestions

 

[L5wolvesf]

eBay is probably your easiest source. Maybe posting a CL ad looking for what you want would get some response, but be careful there.

 

[The KickStand]

Look to see if you have a Habitat for Humanity ReStore near by. I run one and many tools don’t make the cut to be resold. I have some great volunteers that save many but not all stores can. Several contractors rotate their tools on a 6 month cycle and bring their old stuff, working or not, to us. Might be a start.


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[unslow1]

I would think an ad on you local Craiglist or similar would bring all you could handle. Maybe also ask at some pawn shops.

 

[Davefr]

I'd think the shipping costs would be too high for Ebay.

Just spend half a day garage sailing and you'll get all the broken power tools your could every want. (especially corded and NiCad ).

They're as plentiful as VHS tapes, puzzles, golf clubs and exercise machines.

 

[woody 73]

Just a thought but on CL they have a wanted to buy section; you just place an ad for buying broken power tools..Have cash will travel and I bet you will be overwhelmed by the responses that you will get back.

Like someone else said keep looking for used power tools on CL and you will find some good deals. Although a word of caution I have in the past bought a few well used rusty power tools (although very cheap $2.00 to $3.00 per tool) but they were so far gone that a fix was out of the question, or just finding and buying any new parts would be just to expensive.

Good luck in your quest.

 

[Packard V8]

Shipping will kill any eBay deals. X2 on craigslist and garage sales. Also, swing by all the local pawn shops. They buy a tool box and contents, then find some don't work. Leave them a card with "Wanted - nonworking tools. Call this number."

Some will be junk and some will be gold. I picked up a dead Hilti rotohammer. Turned out to be just the switch. A new switch was NLA from Hilti, so I patched up the old switch and it's been working for years now.

jack vines

 

[woody 73]

Just an example from my local CL in placed in the wanted section:

https://columbus.craigslist.org/wan/d/buying-tools/6705764049.html

 

[KDoug]

Shipping will kill any eBay deals. X2 on craigslist and garage sales. Also, swing by all the local pawn shops. They buy a tool box and contents, then find some don't work. Leave them a card with "Wanted - nonworking tools. Call this number."

Some will be junk and some will be gold. I picked up a dead Hilti rotohammer. Turned out to be just the switch. A new switch was NLA from Hilti, so I patched up the old switch and it's been working for years now.

jack vines

Thanks, good point about asking local pawn shops, that didn't really cross my mind. I don't normally go to pawn shops very often but I'll have to change that.

I read or heard somewhere that you can't buy replacement parts for Hilti tools, not sure if that's true or not.

 

[woody 73]

The Habitat store in my area has a funny pricing system in place, the best way I can tell you is that they have a ton of volunteers and some will price things way too high and sometimes someone will hit that Goldilocks Zone and price them to fly off the shelves.

I never know from day to day what kind of price to expect when I walk into their doors? Plus here of late the tools all vanish overnight, (not sure if the staff is helping themselves ?).

 

[woody 73]

Kdoug see if this helps you out:

https://www.reference.com/home-garden/can-buy-hilti-replacement-parts-online-31ba3f3808131ca7

 

[KDoug]

Thanks for the suggestions y'all. I'll start with updating my ad on GJ, and stop by a local pawn shop sometime soon.

 

[The Cobbler]

stop by thrift stores & habitat etc & let them know you're interested in any tools they find not working etc.
follow up with them if they call you so they dont have to leave the stuff laying around in their way

 

[Richard Cranium]

My sister used manage a thrift store here locally, they had a guy that would buy any and all the used cordless tools. I think he paid them one dollar each, so they would keep a box for him and he would come in each week and buy the tools. Good luck.

 

[5ktq]

I don't know if there's anything like it in your area, but some places have electronics recycling facilities. (I think they mostly just box it up and ship it to the third world).

If there's one around you it might be worth asking if they'll separate that sort of thing out for you.

 

[ncboat]

Lowe's recently started an internal policy requiring stores to hold and palletize tools etc the manufacturer wouldn't issue credit for. These pallets are picked up and taken to a consolidation point where they are auctioned off. You might try and find the auction source. Word is the pallets are going in the hundred dollar range.

 

[lafester]

Lowe's recently started an internal policy requiring stores to hold and palletize tools etc the manufacturer wouldn't issue credit for. These pallets are picked up and taken to a consolidation point where they are auctioned off. You might try and find the auction source. Word is the pallets are going in the hundred dollar range.

Shipping always kills those deals unless you happen to live near a distribution center. Just google liquidator auctions... there are a ton of them. Most will want to sell you a trailer load.