Tool advice.....moving to Germany!

[kywildcatphan]

Well I found out the other day that I will be moving to Germany. Will I be able to pick up quality European tools from yard sales, estate sales, etc? Also, what are some of the better tool brands to pick up when available?

 

[diesel research]

yard sales and estate sales? A LOT of people don't even have yards! While I did see a few "flea markets", they were mostly just fleas, cheap chinese electronics, afghans, crappy bootlegs, turkish "junk", impostor clothes, etc.

There is more cheap imported goods floating around than the average HF store.

I also do not know where tools of the likes of stallwille, knipex, nws, etc are sold. The home improvement store "bau haus" was similar to home depot but with HF grade tools.

I ended up having to mostly order tools from the US to perform work while living there.

We have SO MUCH more options when it comes to sourcing quality tools than much of the world, or so it seems. Rest of the world seems much less concerned with COO as well.

 

[Al Bundy]

Feel free to send me all your SAE tools. You won't need them anymore.

 

[Davefr]

yard sales and estate sales? A LOT of people don't even have yards! While I did see a few "flea markets", they were mostly just fleas, cheap chinese electronics, afghans, crappy bootlegs, turkish "junk", impostor clothes, etc.

There is more cheap imported goods floating around than the average HF store.

I also do not know where tools of the likes of stallwille, knipex, nws, etc are sold. The home improvement store "bau haus" was similar to home depot but with HF grade tools.

I ended up having to mostly order tools from the US to perform work while living there.

We have SO MUCH more options when it comes to sourcing quality tools than much of the world, or so it seems. Rest of the world seems much less concerned with COO as well.

^^^ He's right. Europe is generally like a third world country when it comes to tools. The good stuff comes from specialty suppliers and is usually priced higher then in the US.

Make sure you bring your own tools when you move there.

 

[diesel research]

There are a LOT less DIYers because there is a lot less space and a lot less homeowners. You will be amazed to find out how many people have been renting all of their life and will most likely never be a home owner. Between more renters, higher quality homes, very plain/simple styling, it all adds up to a lot less "home improvement" types.

With so many others not having automobiles (expensive, lack of need, or otherwise) there becomes less need for the average individual to own mechanic type tools.

___________________

If monte or someone else will say where they find the quality tools, that would be great. Quite a few chain stores, but even when I would hunt/cruise through the industrial areas, it seemed so difficult to find. I was living south of frankfurt am main, but would drive all over the central/sout/western part of the country exploring. My coworkers (some british some german) did not have any passion for tools and generally had the cheapest chiwan/india tools available, or something scaveneged from the trunk of a BMW/MB...

 

[Hawk Thor]

I can´t speak for continental europeans, but we have no problem getting our hands on high quality stuff. There is a lot of **** available, but high quality tools are plentyful here.

 

[Monte]

You only have to know where to get the good tools

ps: we have snap-on over here too so just give the SO man a call when you´re here

 

[woody 73]

I hope you speak the lingo, becase this summer while in France I did spot some junk on a table and even if I wanted to buy it I could not haggle over the price let alone figure out what price the guy wanted for his junk. Although it helps if your wife speaks French, but she was somewhere else at the time.

good luck at those yard sales.

 

[Lightfoot]

can ya get Cats games there?

j/k good luck to ya!

 

[kywildcatphan]

Lightfoot...I'll be streaming them on the net. I've been looking at some the finds from the "Tools from the old world " thread and I'm chomping at the bit to get there.

 

[Monte]

In which city do you move ?

 

[ctb]

ebay.de
Lots of decent stuff on it.

 

[JSBriggs]

I hope you speak the lingo, becase this summer while in France I did spot some junk on a table and even if I wanted to buy it I could not haggle over the price let alone figure out what price the guy wanted for his junk. Although it helps if your wife speaks French, but she was somewhere else at the time.

All you need to do is keep track of the exchange rate, and bring a solar calculator. You would be amazed what you can negotiate with hand signals and a calculator.

-Jeff

 

[richfinn]

Your going to Europe not the f*cking moon, there are loads of great tools made in Europe just google it when you reach your destination (ps get some stylish clothes so you dont stand out too much)

 

[kywildcatphan]

Monte, I'll be in Baumholder, but we are going to be traveling alot.

 

[Monte]

Monte, I'll be in Baumholder, but we are going to be traveling alot.

Army base ?
Flea markets are usually announced in the local newspaper or with signs next to parking lots/on the street etc. There are several "Home Depot" like stores like "Bauhaus" in the city "Bad Kreuznach" 48 KM away or a "OBI" store in Idar-Oberstein.
There are 16 Hazet dealers between 6 and 25 KM away from you
(insert ZIP code or city here:
http://www.hazet.de/kontakt/fachhaendler-deutschland/ )

There are 2 Stahlwille dealer "close" to you:
www.autoteile-berger.de
www.haag-wme.de

there are 5 Gedore dealers within 10 KM from you:
http://www.gedore.de/en/contact/locations.html

NWS dealer search:
http://www.nws-tools.de/en/contact/dealer-search/