Has anybody ever had any luck finding good tools at pawn shops? Is it worth looking into? I was thinking with the economy going down the drain, pawn shops might have a good supply of stuff like that.
Has anybody ever had any luck finding good tools at pawn shops? Is it worth looking into? I was thinking with the economy going down the drain, pawn shops might have a good supply of stuff like that.
If you know the tools, know what they normally cost, yes, you can find some good deals in pawn shops. And of course, as with anything used, you can also pay too much.
From what I have seen, at least in my local market you would probably have better luck on Craigslist getting a good deal than in a pawn shop. They tend to inflate the prices.
I would say try garage sales. I had one over the summer and lots of men asked me if I had any tools for sale. I am sure you could get the best deal from a garage or yard sale versus a pawnshop.
Pawn shops tend to pay the person pawning or selling an item very little, but then charge the customer as much as they possibly can. I think a better place to go for good deals is the ones suggested or flea markets.
My brother who is in construction has moved a couple of times over seas and sold his tool then had to buy new ones and each time he went through Craigs list and ebay, it was easier to get top dollar and faster with less work than garage sale or swap meet.
I have bought tools at pawn shops but you have to know the tools and what they would cost via other venues or you could easily pay too much. It is definitely a caveat emptor situation and to do well you need to know the tools you are buying fairly well. Some will be bargains and others may be priced like new or higher. When I needed a skill saw to cut masonry stuff with I bought a cheapie at a pawn shop as I didn't want a good tool eating all that abrasive dust. Now 4-5 years later it is still running well with its noisy bearings which may some day fail. Some of the pawn shops I have tried to buy tools at just gave me the odd 2-3 end wrenches I wanted. This has happened at two different shops.
I bought a Craftsman socket/ratchet set complete and like new in 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 inch drive, with ratchet handles for 1/2 of Sears price BUT that was a rare find.
The key to getting a bargain at a pawn shop is your level of knowledge of tool prices and quality and the ability to just keep on walking rather than compromise too much.
Craig's List, eBay, flea markets, garage/yard sales and the like are all good possibilities but no guarantee of quality/$ so you have to know tools and their approximate prices to avoid wasting $. Good buys ARE OUT THERE.
Pat
"I'm not from your planet, monkey boy!"
The last power tool I bought at a pawn shop is my Ingersoll-Rand IR231 half inch impact wrench about 5 years ago. I probably would not have bought it if I hadn't repaired/rebuilt quite a number of them in the past and know where to get parts if I should need them. I don't use it much, hasn't needed any parts, and works like new when I do use it. But I paid about a third of what I could have gotten a new one for.
After I finished building my house, I pawned a bunch of my power tools just because it was easier for me than trying to sell the stuff. They were good tools, so I would guess that you can find decent stuff.
I'd better go on garage sales although this doesn't happen often. If you are in dire of that tool and have no enough money to buy a new one then pawn shop is good choice. What I don't like with pawn shops is that sometimes the tools that they sell only works for a while and I need to get that tool repaired which will cost me more.
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