What to do with old crappy but not dead tools?

[crackerman]

I know its probably sacrilege to a lot of guys here but what do you do with old kinda crappy tools. I have a 2 ratchets that work but are pretty beat up and worked them selves. They are cheapy Chinese ones and I also have a set of box end/ open end wrenches that don't even have country or brand marks on them.

Do just toss em, leave 'em as spares in the box, or put them in a box for my son (who is 1) for toys down the line?

Just curious what you guys do with the old stuff that is far from heirloom or collectable?

 

[HTGTS350]

I make garage art with stuff like that.

 

[Zelatore]

Good question. Just tonight I was going through my screwdriver drawer and thinking 'why do I keep some of this stuff?'. I tried posting a CL ad for a set of stanleys that I don't use, and even at $7 for 10 screwdrivers I didn't get a nibble. I really should just toss some of this stuff but can't bring myself to do it.

 

[onewaydave]

Pass them on to someone you think might benefit from them, but might not yet appreciate the tool culture yet (ie. might loose them).

Put them in less commonly used locations. The other garage, the boat, the truck...

Sell them for scrap.

Throw them at the neighbors dogs that poop on your yard.

Epoxy them to the sidewalk in front of a good coffee shop or auto parts store and have a good laugh some afternoon.

Put them in the oil pan of your most recently serviced vehicle and file suit on the dealer. Oh, wait. Malpractice hasn't blossomed in the auto service industry, yet. Never mind.

Dave.

 

[Danglerb]

I know its probably sacrilege to a lot of guys here but what do you do with old kinda crappy tools. I have a 2 ratchets that work but are pretty beat up and worked them selves. They are cheapy Chinese ones and I also have a set of box end/ open end wrenches that don't even have country or brand marks on them.

Do just toss em, leave 'em as spares in the box, or put them in a box for my son (who is 1) for toys down the line?

Just curious what you guys do with the old stuff that is far from heirloom or collectable?

Loaner tools, or use them for jobs that require damaging the tool, like bending it, welding on a pipe, etc. Once you get too many, yardsale or Goodwill.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

This...

 

[Haukur]

Throw them in an old backpack or small toolbox and keep them around for the time you need to make a special tool or a doohicky. Maybe use the wrenches as drawer pulls or coat hooks in the garage or shop.

 

[alan_3301]

This...

That is amazing! It must weigh like 300lbs though.

 

[picshooter]

I split them between 2 small Craftsman boxes that will be passed on to my Grandsons.

 

[byoungblood]

They go in the yard sale box if they are still usable. If unusable, or they don't sell in a yard sale, into the scrap bin for the next trip to the recycler.

Occasionally I may rummage through there if I need a beater tool as suggested before.

 

[TinKnocker]

Junk tools go to my kids boxes.

 

[Responder]

I think we all have those "types" of tools laying around. My issue is that deep down I think I may be a bit of a hoarder!

 

[sdguy55]

Keep 'em if you have the room.

Never know when your gonna need to make a custom tool

 

[SMKS]

I donate them to the Habitat for Humanity Restore, Goodwill or Salvation Army.

 

[Smiliesafari]

They come in handy when I need to make a specialty tool.

 

[celticbhoy]

Toys for your kid. Get em started early!

 

[Revere Cycles]

I like to take my well used or lesser quality tools and put them in a kit. I have one for the junk yard, another for my apartment, and one in my car in the event of a roadside repair.

 

[crewchief888]

most of my really crappy, cheap, worn out tools ended up in the scrap long ago...

a few years ago, i gave a buddy of mine an old wards powrkraft top box and small roller cab, and filled 1/2 of it with nearly new CM tools that i had multiple duplicates of.

i had zero $$ invested in all of it...

made me feel good to help somebody out.

 

[lowbucktruck]

Beat up, not-so-quality screwdrivers I keep in a coffee can, for making special-use tools out of (like need a scratch awl in a certain size? sacrifice a beat-up phillips driver on the grinder).

I have taken crappy tools that still have some life left in them and made mobile tool kits for my nephews.

 

[Steevo]

I have started a garage sale bucket that I am tossing old screwdrivers, odd excess wrenches, etc. into

 

[Mk4fool]

Go to your local high school. If they have a auto skills class(mine did), give them to the teacher to hand out to the kids.

 

[619DioFan]

This...

That is awesome ! did you take pics of the " build " ? would love to see them.

 

[Turbo_Prop]

Just curious what you guys do with the old stuff that is far from heirloom or collectable?

Engrave them with the initials of someone at work and then slip them into someone elses tool book. Then when the time is right, point them out to the guy who's initials you used. Then sit back and watch the show.

 

[bonneyman]

Old ratchets: stripped down and the gears kept for spare parts or other projects. The handles get tossed in a box for the next time i need to make a handle for something. Gate opener, home-made tool, etc.

Old sockets that are useable get tossed in a box and kept for those jobs that need a one time use, beat-on socket. Sockets with worn broaching get used for pressing out pins and bearings in the vise. Or spacers.

Old wrenches: If they're old USA made OE's, and just have worn or damaged broaching, I grind them out to the next larger metric size. Older brands always lacked on the metric sizes.

Old screwdrivers: If the tips are beyond saving, I grind some down for scratch awls. I save the other shanks for making machine pins, tiny punches, etc. The handles get thrown in a bin and saved for when I need a handle.

Old pliers: I'd weld special tips or blobs on the ends to make special application pliers. Needle-nose pliers really get "adjusted".

 

[RCStocker]

Give them to the Goodwill or put them in a scrap bucket and if you can't get yorself to do that have a special yard sale and sell them for $2 each. The ad might cost you more. Junk is junk and you don't worry about what to do with it. Put them on a park bench with a note that says free. Some one will take them.

I had a second hand store 25 years ago and It was an old barber shop and they left all the old furniture. I sold the chairs for $500 each and kept the barber pole and put the rest of the furniture out on the side walk with a free take me sign. I went to lunch and by the time I got back they are gone. I have tossed many a crappie tool in the wheel bin just because they were **** and I did not have enough pounds to scrap.

 

[Responder]

I donate them to the Habitat for Humanity Restore, Goodwill or Salvation Army.

Great idea! Thanks, I will take some there next week.

 

[texchappy]

I've thought about putting them in boxes for my sons but there's a problem with that. How frustrated do I want them to get as they start into the car hobby. I'll teach them how to work on their own cars when the time comes and they help me now. Not going to give them a full Snap-on filled box (heck I don't even have that) but I'll give them good tools that will do what they are designed to. Why would I want to pass on the frustration of inferior tools?

Do like the Habitat etc idea - gives someone a start Even these 'misfit toys/tools' are better than nothing right?

 

[Outlawmws]

Unusable tools get sent to the scrappy,useable tools get either given to friends of my son that have none, but are trying to work on stuff, of into an yard sale box. (My son does not get ignored, I bought him a near 200 pc. Craftsman set for a birthday and regularly see that he get spares of mine that I know he's likely to use.)

I like the Habitat donations idea also too bad my closest is like 30 miles away...

 

[diggerrick]

I have started a garage sale bucket that I am tossing old screwdrivers, odd excess wrenches, etc. into

I've done this for years - old junk tools, or even decent ones, that tenants leave in our rentals, stuff I find laying around, or in a box of stuff I might buy at a local second-hand shop, or people just give me for whatever reason. Last weekend I sold a 1/2" drive ratchet/socket set cobbled together that way, a small bucket of mostly old screwdrivers, a bucket of old and some newer chinese pliers, and a box of mostly old junk wrenches. It sells a lot quicker that way.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

That is awesome ! did you take pics of the " build " ? would love to see them.

Not mine. Just figured I'd share. I have no information on it.

 

[fury9]

I make garage art with stuff like that.

You should then sell it to china.

 

[redwrench60]

I put em' in a coffee can I keep next to me in the truck and chuck em' out the window at cars that tailgate me.

 

[fury9]

If you drive on the shoulder for a bit that usually takes care of tailgaters for me, But to the OP, I just have a couple hunderd pounds of them in a bottom drawer of a file cabinet? I guess I hoard tools

 

[cburnscrx]

Unusable tools get sent to the scrappy,useable tools get either given to friends of my son that have none, but are trying to work on stuff, of into an yard sale box. (My son does not get ignored, I bought him a near 200 pc. Craftsman set for a birthday and regularly see that he get spares of mine that I know he's likely to use.)

I like the Habitat donations idea also too bad my closest is like 30 miles away...

I am fan of Salvation Army, and there's one usually close. If I remember correctly, they'll even come pick stuff up...even small stuff.

 

[rickhigginshtbr]

I just took a big coffee can of stuff marked "taiwan" or "china" to the recycler with some other stuff the other day... I know I stripped many of bolts with them, no one else should have to, lol. Damaged tools I scrap too, anything else eventually winds up on eBay.... though it's become more of a hobby than me just listing stuff.

 

[McFarmer]

Goodwill gets all my surplus. All my china stuff went there.

 

[nitropowered]

Donate them to a bike co-op or similar place. They can always use tools

 

[G_P]

Unusable junk goes in the scrap bin. Usable but **** tools become loaner or giveaway tools to people that will just abuse or lose them.

Sent from my C5120 using Tapatalk 2

 

[taumac]

they go into the "make a tool bin' never wanna use your good stuff to make a speciality tool

 

[justanengineer]

Ive got a small trash can (think bathroom size, maybe 3 gallon) that they go into. When I need a small bit of metal for a project and dont care how terrible the metallurgy its easy pickings. When the can gets nearly full it goes to the auction and I get a few bucks for good tools.