Mismatched screws are always a red flag for me—never know if it’s just laziness or someone covering up a bigger issue. I hear you on hand tools; a little rust is nothing compared to the headaches you get with old motors. As for cordless nailers, I’ve found most sellers barely charge the batteries, so even “testing” them isn’t much help unless you’re willing to hang around for an hour. Honestly, unless you can see it fire a dozen nails without jamming, it’s a gamble. Sometimes it’s just not worth the risk, especially with the price of replacement batteries these days.
That’s a good point about batteries—sometimes I wonder if it’s even worth buying used cordless stuff at all, given how pricey replacements are. Has anyone had luck finding decent aftermarket batteries, or is that just asking for trouble? Also, when you spot mismatched screws, do you ever open things up to check inside, or do you just walk away? I always debate whether it’s worth the hassle, especially if the price is right...
- Aftermarket batteries are a total gamble in my experience. Sometimes they work fine, sometimes they’re duds or don’t last long. I’ve had one that puffed up after a month—kinda sketchy.
- If I see mismatched screws, I usually peek inside if it’s easy. If it looks like someone’s been “fixing” with duct tape or glue, I’m out.
- Price has to be really low for me to risk it. Otherwise, I’d rather save up for new and skip the battery roulette...
I get what you mean about battery roulette. Had a drill that came with an off-brand battery—worked fine for a couple months, then started losing charge super fast.
Same here. If it looks like someone’s been in there with glue or tape, I just walk away. Sometimes saving a few bucks isn’t worth the headache later.“If I see mismatched screws, I usually peek inside if it’s easy.”
That glue and tape trick gets me every time. I once picked up a used orbital sander at a yard sale—looked fine at first, but when I got it home, I noticed the backplate was held on with two different screws and a dab of what turned out to be hot glue. Opened it up and found a mess of wires twisted together with electrical tape. Ended up spending more time fixing the thing than I would’ve if I’d just bought new. Lesson learned: mismatched screws are usually a red flag for me now, too.
I do get tempted by a good deal, though. Sometimes you find gems—like the old Makita jigsaw I scored for $15 that’s still going strong after five years. But yeah, batteries are a gamble. I’ve had those off-brand ones swell up or just die out of nowhere. Now I try to stick with original batteries, even if they cost more.
Curious if anyone here ever tries to refurbish old batteries? I’ve seen some folks online swapping out cells, but it looks fiddly and maybe not worth the risk. Or maybe there’s a trick to spotting when a battery’s on its last legs before you buy? I usually just look for swelling or corrosion, but sometimes they look fine and still don’t hold a charge.
What’s everyone’s take on cosmetic fixes? Like, if you see fresh paint or new stickers covering up scratches—does that make you more suspicious, or do you figure it’s just someone trying to clean things up? I’m always torn between thinking “nice effort” and “what are they hiding?”