Hi All ,
Of all the tool sales , yard sales flea markets and hot deals you have gotten what is the very best most hottest deal you ever got ?
I once bought a wood carpenters tool chest full of tools . There were chisels hand planes (Stanley) draw knives a Bailey / transition plane sets of auger bits several bit and braces two sharp old Disston hand saws marking tools old chalk lines plumb bobs to mention maybe 1/2 of what was there .
The Box was pretty nice , the veneer had come off but the box itself was nice . I paid $60.00 almost 40 years ago and still use them .
dusty
Replies
i guess the best was when I was either a. given 2 hand planes by a frien on BT b. given an aircompressor and tablesaw from a frien who got new ones.
Can you hold the laser level while I shave?
You can never go wrong with friends like that.
d
I picked up a reasonably decent Stanley #10.5 rabbeting smoothing plane for 11.00 at a garage sale about 4 years ago. A fun plane
Troy
OD,
Got a 1950 Unisaw for $225. Got an Eric Anton Berg chisel in a box of crap for .25 at a local flea market. Had to go back the next week and spend another .25 to get a box of crap with the handle in it.
Nice thread!
Regards,
Mack
"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
Mack ,
That was a good deal on the old Unisaw , mine is a 1943 version .
dusty
OD,
I was going to just clean it up and resell it but I found out it was made the same year and month I was born so I kept it. I've only had it a few years. When did you get your '43 version?
Mack"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
I have had the old saw for 23 years or more .
OD,
So--the probation period is over and you figure it's a keeper?! LOL
Regards,
Mack"WISH IN ONE HAND, S--T IN THE OTHER AND SEE WHICH FILLS UP FIRST"
http://www.toolsrules.com/ST56PL.jpg
I bought a Stanley #56 core box plane from a retired pattern maker in the early 90's for 50 bucks.
It came in its original box and was hardly ever used. I had no idea hot valuable it was for years.
I also have 3 Emmert vises that i paid 25 bucks each for at an auction ($76.00 for the lot) That will always be a favorite "score" for me.
$76.00 For 3 Emmert vises , wowee , how did you sleep that night .
dusty
Actually Dusty, at the time i really didn't think that much of it. It was quite a while ago, during the time when the industrial might of America was falling by the wayside and auctions from foundries and Pattern shops were unfortunately common, 1985, or 86 I'm guessing. They had all been dismounted from their benches and just banded on a pallet in a heap.
One of the best deals I came across was at the Parkersburg Woodcraft. Since that is the home base of Woodcraft, they get all the returns, and their return/clearance room is must see.
Last summer, I picked a Trend Airshield, which retails for $250, or thereabouts, for $30!
It was fully functional, unused (except maybe for a try on by whomever returned it) with all the filters and accessories. Sanding is now a dream; I can see, I stay cool, I can breathe, the faceshield doesn't fog up...
My best score was at an auction. Two bedrocks; 505, 606, and a 10 1/2 Stanley plane for about $80. Then I picked up a Keen Kutter 5c at a pawnshop for $4. I think the best was a cast iron miter trimmer for $20 at a yard sale.
On the power tool side I picked up an old 1950's Craftsman 6x48 belt and disk sander with a 9" disk for $35. It works great. I also got an 8" 50's Craftsman table saw with motor for $10. Nice little trim saw.
I love it when people think that because its old it's not as good as new.
Dusty,
I'm not really sure which one of the following I could call the BEST DEAL, just what I thought were good DEALS:
I paid $40 for an old Dunlap lathe, 3 drawknives, 12" Craftsman bandsaw, ¼"- ½"+ ¾" Craftsman 720 bench chisels, Buck Brothers ¾" corner chisel, #10 Stanley Carriage Makers Plane (needs a new blade), and a mint Stanley #45.
On another occasion I got the following Stanley Bailey planes: #2, #3 Type 3, #4, #5, 2 #7s, #98 & #99, numerous boxes of brass screws, hindges, fancy corner brackets and various and sundry screws, all given to me.
Currently I'm road testing a ½ set of hollows & rounds which the seller wants $350 for.
Regards,
Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Whoa!
I had to reread that $40 deal. I first assumed that you paid $40 for just the lathe, then continued to read, wondering what you paid for the rest. Then it dawned in me!Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
Take another gander at the second one........
Regards,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Yes, I saw that and understand it. After understanding the first, it was less unexpected, if that makes any sense.
You guys have much nicer friends than I do!Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Got a 12" American jointer for $400.
A Jet 1234 lathe for $100.
A Jet 18" bandsaw for $300.
And a Jet shaper for $50 with 5 sets of cutters.
Jeff
View Image
8.25" Skil Wormdrive. Price (besides a new cord), climbing up on top of the dumpster. :-D
Hey Jeff,
Got a 12" American jointer for $400.
I'll give ya $100 for the jointer if you'll pay the shipping!
:>)
Always lookin for a deal,Bob @ Kidderville Acres
A Woodworkers mind should be the sharpest tool in the shop!
Bob
That was the good news.
I paid $100 for casters heavy enough to move it.
It's not what you would call portable.
Jeff
When visiting L.A., I got a buck ninety nine taco at the corner of Wilshire & Wood. That baby was so hot I couldn't crack wiseazz jokes for a week.
blew , How bout a Hickory burger at the Apple Pan on Pico blvd .
dusty
You can send me one. But it might be a tad on the greenish side by time it arrives.
Thirty years ago I catalog ordered a 10" direct drive tablesaw with an aluminum table from Sears for $180. The warehouse didn't have that saw in stock so someone marked through the order to substitute the next saw up. Sears didn't have that one in stock either, or the next two better models. They ended up shipping me their classic cast iron saw with the belt drive motor which on sale was $489. It was the only time I can remember that my four brothers were jealous of me.
I'm sure that I'm bucking the trend here, but my greatest deal on a tool was when I purchased my SawStop. Please refrain on making this into another debate on these saws. I just feel that for me, it was the best tool purchase I've ever made.
If you save a hundred grand on a couple pinkies, yes, you probably got the best deal of all.
In my mind good deal doesn't have to include money.
$225 for a fully operational 26" Crescent bad saw at an estate auction.
hey chip ,
Now that's is a hot deal , howd you like to make a tidy profit , would you take $300 ?
dusty , dreaming of that big band saw whoa baby !
:) You mean 300 ten dollar bills? (I have a crush on her)
chip , you are right on the value , I've always wanted one of those old beauties .
dusty , liking big band saws
hey hound dog. have you had to replace the arbor yet in the saw?I had to and it wasnt easy.my saw stop is only 1 1/2 yrs old and the arbor has a special coating so it doesnt conduct electricity so the brake doesnt go off.the saw blade started to knick the zero clearance insert and started to wobble and then the brake went off(lost blade AND BRAKE.so i contacted saw stop and they sent me instructions and new arbor assembly free but had to buy blade and brake.it took me at least fours to replace,but now i know how to do it and should only take a couple of hopurs and then adjust everything again. i love the saw but not the fixing of the saw. clay
I know some of you who don't like them will say that this is not a deal at all, but for me the best deal I ever gor for a tool was my 1977 model Emerson made Craftsman RAS for $100.00. But then again, I recently bought a Bailey #5 plane made sometime around 1940 new still in the original box and never used for $25.00. But better yet, a really good friend gave me a set of 3 very fine Japanese mortising chisels (sharp I might add) along with a Veritas marking gage and even paid the postage to ship them to me. Another very good friend gave me a very nice Hitachi 1/2" drill and a set of DeWalt drill bits. He also paid for the postage to send them to me. So, I guess I have had some pretty good deals. :^)
Harry
But better yet, a really good friend gave me a set of 3 very fine Japanese mortising chisels (sharp I might add) along with a Veritas marking gage and even paid the postage to ship them to me. Another very good friend gave me a very nice Hitachi 1/2" drill and a set of DeWalt drill bits. He also paid for the postage to send them to me. So, I guess I have had some pretty good deals. :^)
And i would say some pretty good friends as well.
-pjw
"And i would say some pretty good friends as well"
And I would say that you are correct.
Harry
Harry
Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and men crooked.
I got a Bedrock 602 at a garage sale for $25 . It had a black plastic rear tote labeled" B of E" (info?). I've since made a tote from brown (soft) maple.
Also a Stanley #120 for $5 (my 1st plane)
peace
mark
The "B of E", was probably Board of Education.
I was guessing that "B of E" stood for Bailey of England??peace
mark
Could be. But, since the public purchase stuff was usually low bid, things like plastic handles, and paint instead of nickle on the caps, were used to cut down on the cost.
You know, I never have gotten a good deal on anything except my wife. That was a good deal. It seems only reasonable that all you guys getting such good deals would share. I'll be here all afternoon if you want my address.
At the Rotary Auction and Rummage sale last summer, nailed the little Inca saw w/accesories, $5.00. Refurbished it, sold it for $700 and bought the Unisaw!
Dusty,
Since I work part time for Woodcraft, I get tools for 10% over their cost. It is a good deal. More woodworkers ought to think about putting in two days a week at a Woodcraft.
Mel
Measure your output in smiles per board foot.
A Yost patternmakers vise (turtle back style) in brand new condition for $50.00.
Several years ago my son bought an early (late 1930's) unisaw for scrap-iron price ( about $50). He gave it to my other son who does high-end stair-building. That son bought a second brand new unisaw , intending to use both. He sold the new saw because the old one was so much better. The old saw has a huge motor labeled as one h.p., but could seemingly out-cut the newer saw. How can that be?
Tom
Tom ,
My compressor has what looks like a one hp motor but it is rated at 5 hp. The older were so much bulkier , I got to think beefier and all together much higher quality components .
Those were the day's when Men were Men and so were Women .
dusty
complete set of Popular Mechanics Do It Yourself Encylopedia, 1955 for 5 bucks at a Dorchester hardware store, closed now for decades. These guys made all their own tools out of stuff from the dump: arc welders, "bench" saws, lawn mowers, etc.
I have a couple of old tool-a Stanley miter box saw, an 1880s Bailey jointer plane- that were so cheap and bot so long ago I don't know wot I paid.
My best deals on tools were FREE!
And my so called junk tools I get from Ryobi that cost $99.00 and WORK for what I do. I have several Ryobi routers I use alot. None have failed yet!
OK, so my more expensive ones have not either! I just change brushes when needed...
My BEST deal on a tool has nothing to do with woodworking.. It was a valve adjusting tool with a micrometer on it. I think I paid about $30.00 for it (That was expensive at the time). 1964 Corvette (365 Hp) with solid lifters and ALL the factory goodies. Valves had to be adjusted about once a week!
How times change.. Best Corvette at the time except fer the Fuel injected one that did not work that well 375 Hp.. I cost me 5 grand! (Which was ALOT)
I bought a Jet 1HP dust collector from my boss for $20 I also got a brand new DJ20 for about half price.
Chris @ flairwoodworks
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Best deal is a 4' wooden level & skil worm drive saw from the 50's. They were my Dad's. He was a carpenter, and thats the tools I have that are his. He passed over twenty six years ago, and they both work fine, but are on a shelf in my shop that I can see as I come into the shop. Take a quick peek and get to work.
If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it.
And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Well... I just yesterday picked up a Hegner 22V scroll saw for $65.Seems that they retail right now for $1450.And Last year, picked up about $1900 of Festool items for $800. (CT22/rotex/TS55/Trion jigsaw/ bunch of acc.)Both deals on Craigslist.A few more - picked up a like new PC 3x21 sander in box $50, a PC 4x24 sander in decent clean shape for $50, a 2hp sears dust collector for $90, a Canada made Dewalt scrollsaw with stand + ton of blades for $280....That's why I check CL on a very regular basis.Julian
All really good deals
Bones,
Ditto on that one. I have a ratty old red wooden box that hangs on the wall. It has grease stains all over it. My grandfather used in the Ford garage in the 30's 40's and 50's. It still contains his small tap and die collection, some old manuals and such. I use his caliper guage every day, just a basic one, but works for me. I also use his small finish hammer, he carved his own hickory handle for it. It is the best tool I have found for pulling small finish nails. It grips and never lets the nail slip.
I also have 2 wooden planes a friend sent me from Sweden. The jack plane I have refurbished and I just love using it. The small scrub plane just needed a bit of sharpening.
Always nice when people give you tools, and I have passed along a number of them as well.
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My best Deal!!!!!!!! Hummmmmmm
I know....... My wife she sure can cook:) What a tool.
"My best Deal!!!!!!!! Hummmmmmm
I know....... My wife she sure can cook:) What a tool."
Yea, but what's the maintenance schedule/cost like? You need to factor that in, don't you?
Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
Don't forget to factor in replacement cost.
Let's see , that would be a tool you don't possess .
Just bought a Grizzly 20" planer, Grizzly 2 HP 2 stage dust collector, 8" Rigid Jointer, 2 Dewalt plunge routers with 15 good bits, and a Delta 18" drum sander for under $900. Gotta love Craig's List!
I think the box of hand tools I bought were by far the best hand tools for me but I'll share a machine buy I made well over 20 years ago .
An old but good 10" 3hp Unisaw a bies fence , a 14" Delta band saw , a Delta radial drill press , A Powermatic 26 shaper with a Holtzer 1hp power feeder with a few cutters seems like there were a few other small items as well all for $2,000 .
I am still using all of it
dusty
Edited 4/11/2008 7:01 pm ET by oldusty
Recent deal:
Delta Drill Press, Porter Cable 3 1/4 Router, Old Style Delta Tenoning Jig, Assortment of clamps, Makita 2030 Combination Jointer/Planer, Some Miscellaneous stuff--$500 (Not a great deal but a deal nonetheless)Other deals
Bedrock Jack Plane--$3
Starret Combination Square--$1
Bosch Sliding Compound Miter Saw--Given to me by a friend
Bailey Jack Plane --$5Kick Myself in the #### for not Buying Deal: Delta Bandsaw $75; Powermatic Contractor Style Table Saw w/ Biesemeyer Fence, $50Ok, maybe someone will start a new thread: What is your worst tool purchase? Mine would have to be the damned "Bammer" that I never use and regret I ever purchased! Will anyone else admit to buying one of these?
What's a bammer?
My worst tool purchase (or one of them) was a Craftsman contractor saw which didn't live up to my expectations or meet my needs. I used it a couple times and sold it at a fair loss.Chris @ http://www.flairwoodwork.spaces.live.com
- Success is not the key to happines. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. - Albert Schweitzer
Chris,
My worst tool purchase (or one of them) was a Craftsman contractor saw which didn't live up to my expectations or meet my needs. I used it a couple times and sold it at a fair loss.
Funny how we both had an identical bad experiance with Craftsman.... I can now count all the Craftsman tools I own without passing zero.
Best!
-Jerry
A Bammer is a nail gun by PC.
It uses CO-2 cartridges to shoot brads.
It's a big bulky thing 2 or 3 times bigger than a air nailer.
I don't even know if they sell the cartridges anymore.
I thought I'd buy it to make cabinets for my garage.
Damned thing has a mind of its own. Do they even sell these things still? Does anyone know?
I think it was put out of it's misery a few years ago, 7 or 6 I think.
You may be the only person who will admit to buying one! Seemed like a good idea at the time eh?"There are men in all ages who mean to govern well, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters."
-- Daniel Webster
I thought I'd put it in Craig's List but I was overcome with guilt--once for anyone who would buy it and then realize it was a greater pain than a value and once again for the guilty feeling of having to sell something A LOT cheaper than what I paid for it!
I like my bammer. Not what I would call production gun, but great for touch ups, etc, before the powers on to run a compressor.
The bammer's biggest problem was that most guys can't be bothered to read instructions, and if you didn't break them in right, (by running a couple of strips of nails through them as fast as you could and heating up the cylinder), the seals on the piston would fail. Which resulted in a high failure rate, and caused P-C to pull them from the line.
Two deals come to mind. The first was a SnapOn torque wrench I found at a flea marked with a missing 3/8" drive part. I offered $20 bucks and he took it saying he would have taken less (that was irritating). I later caught up with one of the traveling SnapOn dealers who fixed it for $12.
I'd been thinking about a table saw for quite a while, but never fully convinced myself to get one (used a RAS for many years) due to space limitations and cost. I was looking one day when they were on sale and a salesman said that if I bought a saw (pretty good sale price) he would sell me a Besemyer fence (pointing to a beat-up box on the floor) for $80. He assured me that it was indeed the Besemyer fence that normally sells for around $300 and that it was all there and in good condition inside the beat-up box. He helped me load it onto a cart and walked me to the check-out where he said something to the cashier. When they rang it up, they charged me only $40 for the Besemyer. Everything was there and in good shape inside that beat-up box.
Bill
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