Great deals & free finds! Share your story (Tools mostly)

DaFABRICATA

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
3,946
Location
Michigan
What are some of the good deals that you've come across on items when buying used? What have you found in the garbage, side of the road, dumpster, garage sale, flea market....you get the idea....now let's hear your stories!

Mostly I'd like to hear about tools but, any good deal story is welcome.....cars, lights, whatever you've gotten a killer deal on or found free, please share your story.

I'll start with my most recent and probably my favorite.

This summer I decided that I'd like to sell off all my tool boxes and buy one nice box.
My first box was a Mac MB1700 that I bought used for $1700 when I was 16. Well I found a matching one WITH the top box for $550 up in Flint (one of Michigans and the countries worst places for murder) My brother took me out there to check it out and I talked the guy down to $480. Mind you the boxes were FILTHY and had overspray and everything else from being neglected. After 10+ hours or cleaning, rubbing, waxing, lubing, (ok, this it starting to sound bad:eek:) the boxes cleaned up beautifully and none of my friends could believe it was the same box from the day before. :D

So now I have 2 x Mac MB1700 and one has the matching top box. Well, I also had a Waterloo box (top & bottom) that was given to me as payent owned by my Dad many years ago, along with yet another Remline box (top & bottom)

I also had a $700 Matco top box that I picked up for $50. (Still have this one)

I had a wall of tool boxes with way too many small drawers and not enought big drawers, so I put them all up for sale in order to buy one big box. Sold the 3 xMac boxes to an old school mate for $2300, sold the Waterloo to one of my best friends who was in desparate need of an upgrade for $500, and sold the Remline to another close friend for a great deal in exchange for his help in picking up my new box. All sold within 2 weeks and I only had to come out of pocket about $600 to purchase not just one big box....but rather 3!!!:devil::whistle:

I found a beautiful condition triple bank Matco box in blue, 5 miles from my brothers house for $2500.
2 weeks later I'm looking on craigslist and see an ad that I saw 2-3 weeks previous but figured someone HAD to have bought it already.
Send the guy an email to find that it's still available! I tell him I'll be by that evening and pay cash.
I knew the bottom box had damage but was totally fine with that.
Ended up with a blue Mac Tools Macsimizer bottom, top and side hutch for $1000!!!
It's an $18,000 box new and there was nothing wrong with the top box or side cabinet!
Even the bottom box is repairable and most of the drawers open/close/lock just fine.

Needless to say, I have more tool storage than I'll need for quite some time to come.

A couple more then I'd like to hear your stories...:popcorn:

I once got a VW Jetta for free that I then traded for a component set of MB Quarts speakers.
Also a 76 VW Beetle for free that I sold on eBay for $750.
Most of my shop cabinets for free.
The floorstanding Rigid drill press was $20 and only needed the switch cleaned and the head put on the shaft correctly.
A $200 Columbia vise for $30. Free welding table.
And a free dodge neon that I chopped in half and sold for $350.

If I think of more I'll add them here with an edit.

Ok, now lets hear some of your deals.....:wave:
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jul 2, 2008
Messages
553
Location
Gainesville, Florida
Re: Great deals you've found buying used items (Tools mostly)

Dang, you have too many stories. Here's one:

I was looking for an old bandsaw forever, and I got a chance to bid on an old delta at a school auction. It was rough, but those old cast iron saws never go out of style. I was surprised when I got it for $75. When I went to pick it up, they told me that the giant old wood lathe was part of the same lot. I sold it to another dude on the spot for $50, so I got that awesome saw for $25! Well, $100 worth of bearings belts and blade later and I basically have a $700 saw. Mid '30s model 890.
 

RetroTechie

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 11, 2013
Messages
1,007
Location
Hengelo, NL
Re: Great deals you've found buying used items (Tools mostly)

At a fleamarket earlier this year, spotted a multitool very much (if not the same! :thinking: ) like this one. Seller didn't seem to care/know much about it, I think (s)he was just happy to get rid of unused, surplus inventory.

Came complete with holster and instruction sheet. Can't remember what I paid exactly, but it was something in 5-7 Euro range. Seems like a steal looking at the new price. Clearly it had hardly been used (if at all). I'm not sure where this brand or this exact tool stands in the junk <-> quality spectrum, but it has a pretty solid/quality feel to it. Don't use it often and there are some things I don't like about it, but am happy to own it. :)
 
Joined
Mar 12, 2010
Messages
10,205
Location
Pacific N.W.
Re: Great deals you've found buying used items (Tools mostly)

I was discussing different types of home heating with a neighbor and when he found out I had a pellet stove he told me his banker had about fifty bags of pellets for sale. I called her and set up a meeting to purchase them. As I was Loading the pellets into my van I asked her why she didn't need them anymore. She told me she wasn't using her pellet insert any longer. When I asked why, she said it was too much trouble.

A long time ago a friend taught me to always ask the next question, so I did. "What are you going to do with your insert?" "Oh, I just want to get rid of it. If you want it, you can have it. I've only had it about a year and a half." I told her work was slow and money was tight, and I'd love to have it. I walked into her living room and moved a 3 x 3 foot electric heater from in front of the fireplace to discover a Lopi Pioneer Bay insert. :faint: WOW! I asked if she was sure she didn't want some money for it, and she said no again. Perhaps it was because I paid her what she asked for the pellets without trying to get her to lower the price. Or maybe my neighbor had told her how much volunteer work I do at the Lutheran school our sons attend. I don't know what the reason was, she just wanted me to take it.

I called my go-to-guy, Kurt asking him to drop everything and help me get the insert into the van. When we pulled it out from the fireplace I realized what the problem was, and I couldn't believe what I saw. Long story short, when her brother installed the insert into the fireplace he used gutter downspout for the chimney liner. This act of stupidity put his sister's life in danger. The seam of the pip had come apart due to the extreme heat, and was allowing carbon monoxide to vent into her living room. It probably would have killed her eventuality. Fortunately, her brothers other shoddy work had allowed rainwater into the pipe which had accumulated at the exhaust port of the stove rendering it inoperable. I showed her what had happened, and explained how easy it would be to correct the problem, but she wasn't interested. She just told me to take the insert and enjoy it.

Kurt and I went up on the roof and removed all the pipe and caps, which we threw away, then sealed the chimney to prevent heat from escaping. We thanked her, then headed home with the exact Lopi I'd been wanting for my living room for about five years.

~ Chance :twothumbs
 
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