I have to admit, I am not a fan of buying anything used. Perhaps it’s a bit of snobbery or just another symptom of my fear of germs. But either way, I usually don’t mind paying the premium to receive a brand new item. Although I must say that after having a kid, I am re-thinking my stance on used products. The boy grows so fast and loses interest in toys so quickly, it just makes sense to use hand-me-downs! But I digress.
I am curious what your thoughts are on reconditioned tools. Are they truly “good as new” or do you find that a faulty tool always has a tendency to be a lemon?
This poll was created by Tom Iovino from TomsWorkbench.com.
At first I never bought anything that was not new. But, later I tried a re conditioned tool. Now I would say that 1/2 of my power tools are reconditioned. (I probably own about 30 power tools).
I have never never had a problem with any one of them, anything from routers, drills, impact drivers, framing nail guns to circular saws, and they get used alot.
IMO as long as you buy from a reputable company they are not just packed back up and resold.
I am a re conditioned fan!!!
Absolutely on used machinery! Buying sight unseen however is a big no-no. I will though, generally steer clear of reconditioned late models. Much of the old iron is the best. My favorite two are a floor stand drill press made in 1946 that set me back $30 whole dollars at a yard sale, and 6″ jointer made in 1941 that cost me $45 at another yard sale. These guys function extremely well, are solid pieces, older than I, and better looking to boot. With the right inclination, the reconditioning aspect was half the fun. Not everyone can justify some of the new ultra machines to include most of those new black & lime green offerings. $695 for a hand held circular saw ? The kids need shoes first.
I was a little confused when I first started reading the explanation that preceded your “Reconditioned” survey. You started with the term “Used”, which I’m a HUGE fan of. Most of the “Heavy Iron” in my shop was bought used at 50-70% less than new. At those kind of savings, I can afford to take some intelligent risks and put up with some scraped paint. While “Reconditioned” is a different critter, I still keep an open mind. It depends on the type of product, the manufacturer and the dealer/vendor selling it. Understanding that the majority of “Reconditioned” merchandise is simply product that was returned opened by the customer. The “Big Box” stores return this type merchandise to the manufacturer for full credit. Federal law prohibits selling item like this as “New”, hence we have “Reconditioned”. Generally, this means that the item has been repackaged as if it was new. Usually this also means that there was never anything wrong with it and no repairs were necessary. Have I bought “Reconditioned”? – yes. Am I suspicious and paranoid about “Reconditioned”? – yes. For me, at least, the sun, moon & the stars have to line up!
I bought a factory reconditioned Rigid trim router that I have used much more than I expected. It has worked very well and I am happy with the purchase.
So far, that’s the only one, but I would consider it again.
I am a big fan of used tools. I think that even if there is a small problem with a used tool it is worth spending a few bucks to fix it. You would still save money compared to buying new.
I have only ever bought refurbished once, and it was a vacuum. I used it for two months and it stopped working entirely. Not cool. There wasn’t a warrantee on it and so I am currently vacuumless. I guess there was a reason it needed to be fixed in the first place, and whatever they did to fix it was just a quick fix.
But overall, I buy tools and other things used, because it is almost always the better deal.
I am not sure this counts, but almost every tool in my shop that was not a present in the last few years or necessary for a project is a result of a hand-me-down from my grandfather. Some of those he received from his grandfather who was a furniture maker. I have also bought tools on craigslist and I have been quite happy with them. While there was some need to lube, replace small parts or just take it a part and put it back together, they have served me well and the price, even with the time to re-tune has been more then cost effective.
We are talking about apples and oranges here. Reconditioned and Used are two different things. I have had very good luck with both, but remember, when you buy a reconditioned tool, you are buying from a manufacturer and most of the time there is a warrantee of at least one year. Generally if there is a significant problem, it will show itself after moderate use within that 12 months. It’s a good chance to take in my opinion, but it is a chance.
Buying used is a great value, but there are pitfalls. I purchased a Delta 33-890 radial arm saw from a seller on Craigslist for $50.00. No work needed. He was closing down a sign shop and had to get rid of it. This is a tool that will last me my lifetime. I also bought a sander that didn’t last a month. It wasn’t a good deal at any price. I blame myself because I was so giddy to get the deal that I didn’t do my homework. I firmly believe that anyone can find a deal if they look closely enough and pay attention. Yes, there are adjustments to make. Yes, there is cleaning involved, but most of us do this as a hobby. I know I can’t affort Powermatic in my garage unless it’s used. If I was doing this for a living. my view would be different, and until I do, I will peruse Craigslist with a vengance, looking for my next deal.
I have never bought a power tool reconditioned, but based on some of the comments, it may be about time to try that out. Hand tools seem safer to buy reconditioned because their are less moving parts and my lack of engineering ability doesn’t show as much if there needs to be additional fixing up.