Selling Tools you no longer use

[Tim W]

Ok so my company has grown a decent bit since my last post on here.

-We got a second building behind our showroom / tile bullnosing shop that we use for slab fabrication.

-We upgraded our 3k pound forklift to a 6k pound forklift with sideshift (and it's 15 years newer)

-We upgraded from a Galeski Contour Cat 80/20 as our primary router to a Magnum 3.

-We upgraded our Skilsaw S77 worm drive for a 5hp Blue Ripper Sr.

-We upgraded our fixed full slab table to a 8 ton pneumatic / hydraulic tilting slab table

The Galeski Contour Cat is in good shape and has literally $4000 worth of attachments (oscillating head, 6 new metal drums, 10 new resin drums (100 grit to 3000 grit to final polish). I paid $1000.00 for it. I have someone interested in it for $1,150 cash.

I think I should sell it because it is inferior to the magnum 3 in terms of routing ability, and my workers don't use machines like the Galeski for undermount sink holes (they use stones, drums, and 3" and 4" polishing pads).

However part of me thinks it may be a bad decision to sell it. In the future it may be nice to have unskilled workers polish undermount sink holes with plastic templates clamped to the stone. It may also serve useful as a backup if something every does happen to the magnum 3 (we bought the magnum 3 and blue ripper new).

What do you guys think about selling tools you no longer use?

[Dan R.]

Once you sell it, you will not have it.
If you need the money for other things, then sell.
Your insight into unskilled workers is spot on, IMO.
It is better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.

Disclaimer: I am a bit of a saver.

[Joe Little]

Thant's a nice word for "Horder"

Sell it and move on, I wish you the best , as I have never been able to do it , I'm kind of a Horder also

[GuyboR]

If you don't have a Harry Potter desk like Dan, then sell it and worry about what to do if you need it when you actually need it again......which very very very likely will not happen.

[Brian Briggs]

Sell it. Then again, this is coming from a guy with a shelf full of grinders and tools from before I shut down 6 years ago LOL

[HurricaneWayne]

I never sell tools. Replacement cost is double, and no sooner than you sell it, you will need it 2 weeks later. Another thing I used old tools for is dummy tools if there is a breakin. I have a cargo storage container outside. I put all the burned up grinders, drills, outdated stuff in there, on a shelf by the door. Its been broken into 1 time in the last 5 years, and the majority of things taken, if not all, didn't work.

[topshop]

Keep them as a backup as long as you have the extra room. Lately, I have been using all the stuff I didn't need when I was in business before and parts of broken tools come in handy to fix stuff.

[Chris Mills]

I agree with the majority. I would keep it and put it away in case you ever need it....you have it. On the other hand, if you need the cash then sell it.

[GuyboR]

I guess I'm not fully seeing the logic in keeping the backup.

Does everyone keep their old cars/trucks when they buy a new one....you know, to use it when you take the new one in for an oil change or when it has a flat? Probably not. You trade it in or sell it as soon as you get the new one because 1) the new one should work (or you wouldn't have bought it) and 2) the earlier you sell it the higher the sale value of it is.

Now with that said, we do have our share of "backup" tools in our shop. More of an issue of laziness in selling as opposed to a deliberate choice of holding

[Dan R.]

we never sell a work truck. Some die eventually, but if they have utility and we have space.....
Currently, I have too many personal vehicles (5).
Guy, has inspired to sell my 1986 Volvo, my second car out of college.....
If I transfer one to the business category, does that count as "a purge"?
If, not, as far as the other 4, back off

It is an art to get rid of things.....
I sent a Twister Router to Chris (DieselMan) Vernor in Texas a few years ago. After a few years, he sent it to my nephew. 2 years later it is back in duty at our shop (occasionally). Granted it was never sold, but it did travel a bit. I did not send it off, because of space or money, only that someone could use it. It is kind of funny that it came around full circle to solve a problem for us, after 5 + years.

If you have replaced it with a better tool and you see no use for it, then sell it. $1150 seems like a steal based on actual price!