How do you get rid of tailed tools?

[Edward Clarke]

Ok, I was in my two car garage that's dedicated to a shop yesterday and realized that I can't move around without stepping over or shoving aside some rarely used power tools. I was sucked into this hobby by Norm and quickly accumulated a gigantic collection of light industrial (and some monsterously heavy industrial) iron. I have all this crap and can't do any woodworking!

A few months ago someone from the Creek came and took away my 20" jointer and 15 horsepower compressor (with a 5hp motor on it) with a car carrier. How do I get rid of the rest of this stuff? Stationary power machinery is heavy and I suppose I could get a scrap iron dealer to take it but it all works.

Due to asthma, I have switched to hand tools rather than things that make a lot of dust. This isn't a production shop; I don't have a deadline to meet or money to make. Is it worth putting heavy equipment on the Creek classifieds or should I just use something like Craigslist? I don't want to ship heavy iron.

[Sam Takeuchi]

I think it's worth putting them up for sale. They are not ghetto $60 tablesaw with broken motor. What you want to get rid of hold some value. If I lived 200 mile of you, I'd be be coming to you on a U-Haul.

I think you can put them up on here, CL and some other forums, too. As long as you specify pick up only, you don't lose anything by trying. Just don't chuck them out for scrap. I'm sure there are people who could use reasonably priced power tools that you have for sale. Besides, you get some return for the investment, and you can buy more hand tools or even really nice wood for you to build more stuff.

[Ted Martens]

"....I suppose I could get a scrap iron dealer to take it but it all works. "

No need for that, Ed. Sign in to the Old Wood Working Machines (OWWM.org) site, and you can list the old, American-made stuff on their BOYD (Bring Out Your Dead) classifieds. There are plenty of people looking for Unisaurs & and other vintage machines over there, and I doubt you'll have any trouble finding someone to give the machines good homes.

You'll make more there than the scrapper, and it keeps those older machines alive and kicking.

HTH,
Ted

[Zach Dillinger]

A couple of sticks of dynamite?

Not really. Craiglist usually works for selling junk I don't want.

[Jason Coen]

"....I suppose I could get a scrap iron dealer to take it but it all works. "

No need for that, Ed. Sign in to the Old Wood Working Machines (OWWM.org) site, and you can list the old, American-made stuff on their BOYD (Bring Out Your Dead) classifieds. There are plenty of people looking for Unisaurs & and other vintage machines over there, and I doubt you'll have any trouble finding someone to give the machines good homes.

You'll make more there than the scrapper, and it keeps those older machines alive and kicking.

HTH,
Ted

Yep, good people over there. I've almost replaced all of my import tools with older, US made stuff. I've added two DeWalt RAS's (looking for a BIG one now), a Rockwell 10" high-speed grinder, a Delta scrollsaw, a Yates-American scrollsaw, a Powermatic disc/belt sander, and have some other stuff awaiting restoration. I'm still looking for a Yates-American Y-20 Snowflake, but they're rarer than hens teeth.

I enjoy working with hand tools more if I can use electrons to eliminate what I consider to be drudgery.

[Jessica Pierce-LaRose]

Just as a counter-point, as someone who works by hand out of necessity as much as enjoyment (there's just no way to make stationary power tools fit in my work space) if I were in your shoes, I'd be looking at cutting down the machinery to some essentials, and using the extra space (and hopefully some of the proceeds) acquired to invest in a nice dust collection system that would hopefully allow me to continue using the bit of machinery that I did keep by keeping the airborne dust to a minimum. If I could find a way to work a bandsaw and a nice thickness planer, and maybe a lathe or a drill press; I would jump at it. Just thinking out loud, I guess.

If I was to get rid of working tools and I couldn't sell them, (which would be my first choice) I'd look into if there was some sort of program or organization that I could donate them to, but I don't know if any would take such a thing. Unless that scrap dealer was offering a large sum of money (I have no idea what you'd get for something like that, so I could be way off) I'd rather take the feel good over the cash. (Again, finances, and how much you could actually get if boiled down to scrapping the iron change this calculus considerably.) But it's just a thought. I have no idea what sort of organizations exist in your area and whether any of them would be interested in the equipment. Just a thought. But as others suggested, I'd be posting here or other pertinent forums, and then eventually CL, before I even started looking at other options.

[Scott M Perry]

Dunno, but if you figure it out, let me know.

I kind of like Joshua's suggestion of donating it. May have to look into that...

[Jonathan McCullough]

Some guys seem to find inexpensive, donated tools at their local Habitat for Humanity Re-Store.

[Adam Cruea]

It might be a long shot, but designating stuff as "local pickup" would probably be enough. IMHO, though, I would have no problem paying the freight shipping costs. I was well prepared to pay the $250 to ship my 300lbs drill press, so I was pleasantly surprised when I got free shipping on that baby.

[Jim Matthews]

Offer Craigslist items for barter, with some mention of things you can actually use?