Old used plumbing tools from car boot

[zanwan]

Are these worth buying? I walked around a car boot the other week and saw some old tools which looked like pretty decent bits of kit. Hammers, chivels, spanners, they look heavy, solid and good old fasioned quality tools. Would anyone buy such tools from a car boot?

 

[Paul Barker]

If you work with tools you get to know what's good. When you seee it you snap it up.

Rather than a bad workman always blames his tools, they should say a good worman knows a good tool when he sees one.

If you need to ask this question you don't work well with tools, yet.

So what you need is experience with tools. For which buy these tools but more importantly put them to work.

 

[JohnD]

some old tools are bad. Modern steels can be much better. This is noticable on cutting tools, drills, chisels, and tools that have to fit, like spanners and screwdrivers. Beware of hammers with loose heads that may fly off. Cast iron and clumsy construction suggests tools that were cheap when they were new.

Modern cheap tools are very cheap new, and mostly not much good.

you will get a clue from an old tool that has been well-used and well-cared for, that's a good sign. With practice you will recognise something that was fine quality when it was new, and is still in good condition.

 

[TicklyT]

Tool manufacturers are usually happy to put their name on their products. Expect little of the brands aimed at the 'cheap and cheerful' end of the market and beware of unbranded tools. Reputable manufacturers generally made decent products - they had their name to protect.

 

[glasgowgas]

and the next time yer vans broken into and yer tools are missing...........

guess where they will turn up......................................

yup down the car boot sale!