I have been on a journey to reduce inefficiency in my work and storage spaces, and have been posting about my recent surge in progress towards this goal.
A couple of reader have asked questions about how to easily and quickly pass along unneeded tools.
Here’s one of the comments (thank you, Chief!):
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Quick question, where did you donate most of your stuff, like the pack outs? I have several extra tools and storage units and I’ve tried to give some away to the next gen of tradesman and local high school and it’s been met with more drama and unfortunately some tools being resold on marketplace. That kind of stuff bothers me more than I care to admit. Just wondering if you found a better way to proceed.
I don’t sell tools or equipment, although I might have to if or when I get rid of any purchased machinery.
Giving away tools can be hard work.
Yes, there can be drama. And also yes, I want to feel good about getting rid of something.
When you donate or pass along tools or equipment, you cannot control what happens to it. If someone says they need something, but then turn around and flip it for a profit on ebay or similar, that doesn’t feel right.
I purchased a test sample for a contributor once, and then later saw they were selling it. It became theirs to do with as they please, but if we ever work together again, I’m not buying them any tools or gear.
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I donated to Habitat for Humanity a bunch of times. They can be picky and difficult to connect with, but they could use a lot.
STEM clubs, FIRST robotics teams, and maker spaces, clubs, or groups can use a lot of tools that might not fit in well with construction users such as Habitat.
It pays to know people. I tried to donate tool chests and cabinets – the large and hard to transport kind – to the local fire department, but didn’t hear back. Nearby maker spaces were excited about getting some tools and equipment, but no one could answer questions about when or how.
I talked with Home Depot about how to pass along the tool cabinets, and they put me in touch with a local store manager. The manager came with a truck and took a couple of rolling cabinets and workbench and chest combos, and already had connections lined up with local police and fire departments. They rolled up, we loaded the boxes, and that was it.
I have sent tools to readers before, but it takes a LOT of work to run giveaways or to match what I have with reader’ specific needs and wants.
Here’s what I found that have been quick and easy to arrange for, and I feel good about: i) the local high school, 2) the local DPW (department of public works).
Public schools tend to have low equipment budgets, and there are many hoops to jump through to get approval for any kind of bigger purchasing.
7 years ago, this is what the local high school woodshop and STEM coordinator told me:
We would gladly accept any tools you wish to donate.
At the time I had several storage units with older samples I was holding onto for comparison purposes. ToolGuyd had been around for 10 years by that point.
I gave them so much that they had to get board approval for any more.
A few years later, I had built up a bit too much. I don’t remember exactly how it happened, but I brought blow molded cases, failed batteries, or similar to the local DPW yard during one of their regular weekend scrap and recycling drop-off days.
Maybe I also had wire shelving from one of the storage spaces I had emptied.
I noticed that they had pulled to the side anything that still had usable life. “Could you use some tools?”
There are enough people working for the DPW that I was sure tools and equipment would get used. One of the supervisors has been my go-to, and he distributes almost anything. He has contacts with woodworkers, the local police and fire departments, and counterparts at other towns.
Sometimes I get requests and I save things for specific uses. I bought a bunch of tools over the holiday season to check out, knowing the fire department was looking for similar. Otherwise I probably wouldn’t have made the purchase, even for editorial purposes, as I would have waited longer to get more value out of the purchases, or to find their perfect next users myself.
I got rid of workbenches and the awesome Husky Pro tool cabinet. The DPW pulled up with a trailer.
Tools without batteries? With? Tool boxes? They’ll take anything. And if there’s something they truly cannot use, well, there are scrap metal, plastic, and electronic device recycling dumpsters on-site.
It’s quick, easy, and I feel good about it.
What happened to the tools at the high school? My donations equipped the wood shop, drama class/club, STEM, and the maintenance guys were able to use some of the miter saws.
Now that I am able to pass along almost anything to the DPW, I match up what the high school needs.
One of the benefits is that I get feedback on a consistent basis.
Finding long-term testers is difficult. Without continuous incentives, I rarely hear back. I have found that no-strings-attached and long-term communications has resulted in more informal feedback, which is much more valuable than feedback that feels obligatory or forced.
My brother in-law is a union electrician and isn’t familiar with Packout. I recently passed along a structured tool bag for him to test out. Tools like that are hard to part with because they’re so good.
I passed along my Dewalt tool bag from maybe 20 years ago. It was still in great condition. It’s sat on a shelf for the past 10 years, and various shelves before that. I still remember shopping around between Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Sears, and feeling that I was over-spending but getting good quality. There’s emotional attachment there, but my DPW contact assured me it’ll find a good home.
One of the DPW guys had a second job at a local gas station. One time he asked if I had any mechanics tools I could spare. He also mentioned one of the kids working there was starting to work on cars. I went home and brought over some Husky and duplicate Craftsman tool sets.
Back when Home Depot was more actively partnered with tool-related channels, we had a sponsorship where they sent specific tools for review consideration. After a couple of years, when I started progress towards eliminating how much was being idly stored, I realized I had amassed many copies of the same identical Husky tool kit. I don’t recall the count – I think I had 7 of them.
Every Father’s Day, winter holiday season, and maybe in between, they sent the same Husky tool kit.
I saved one for myself, but after sitting unused for a few years, I donated that one too recently.
A local HVAC installer got my Packout room chest/trunk sample – it’s been working out well for them. I wasn’t really using the Dewalt 8V Gyro screwdriver too often anymore, and passed that to another HVAC tech. A duplicate M12 tripod LED light went to an electrician for attic work.
Sometimes large equipment shows up unexpectedly. A Husky mobile workbench went to an electrician who loved it so much they bought another.
My wife’s uncle works in public transportation. He’s my top choice for any blowers or demanding use flashlights.
For things that don’t really fit anywhere, there’s also Goodwill, rummage sales, and “freecycling” events.
I bought a bunch of IKEA kitchen wall rails and accessories. I’m using one as a wire spool and had plans for the others. They’ve been sitting around. I’ll drop them off at the next freecycling event or rummage sale, whichever comes first.
Churches, synagogues, and other houses of worship have rummage sales. Not a member? Who cares. I called the local church, asked if they could use my new unused gardening supplies or great condition baby toys, and they gladly accepted all of it. We had a fine conversation about organic home gardening methods. I also brought my older speakers and some cookware I had been gifted.
I have some purchased Festool tools – an MFT (multi-function table) and vacuum clamp system that I had purchased. Also my PRUSA 3D printer. And a Lee Valley quick-release front vise that has been sitting in a box since I purchased it 2013.
The woodshop teacher indicated yesterday that he was interested in the PRUSA more for himself to build familiarity. Knowing that, I’m bringing some filament next time. He also indicated interested in the bench vise. That makes me feel better about parting with it.
I bought the vise before we moved, as I was planning to build a woodworking workbench. We moved, I had more space, and I still planned for it. I still plan on building a workbench. It has been 12 YEARS.
I also bought other bench hardware. That’s been 2-1/2 years. I have the wood, hardware for the work surface, casters (2 kinds), and have been waiting for both space and time to design the legs.
A few years ago – and I use “few” loosely – I was building a workbench and cabinet in my office. I needed drawers.
See Also: Brainstorming: How to Make Best Use of a Corner for a Workbench or Tool Cabinet
After not getting around to it for a while, I ordered a set of 30 kitchen drawers. I planned to make the drawer fronts. That was 7 years ago. I have drawers but still no drawer fronts or handles. It has worked, and my only regret is not ordering the drawer front faces to be finished like the sides were by default.
What do I do with the unused drawer pulls I bought for that project?
I bought baltic birch plywood sheets and pre-cut sides with the plan of making shop cabinets. Still haven’t. I asked the high school if they want the wood. If not, I’ll figure out something – maybe I’ll build the cabinets and give those away.
A couple of readers brought up the “sunken cost fallacy” and that definitely leads to some reluctance.
With tools and supplies, I have donation destinations where there will be more benefit and maybe more joy than I have just holding on to them.
No, I didn’t want to give up my inefficiently used Packout organizers. But they will get better use in new hands. That makes me feel better.
What if someone sells a couple? That’s where trust comes in. I trust that most will go into use and will be appreciated. If one of the final recipients decides to sell them, so be it.
I pass things along unconditionally.
I have some cheap plastic models new-in-box that I’m not interested in storing. Some will go to the next freecycle event. I have some (recent years) Transformers figures I enjoyed collecting but don’t enjoy storing. I’ll give my son first pick at what he wants me to put away for him (he opened enough already at the moment), and maybe set some aside for my nephew. The rest will go to Toys for Tots because I don’t want to risk them being picked up at a freecycling event or rummage sale for resale. I don’t like the hassle of selling things, and it’s not worth shipping to family members who do sell on ebay or elsewhere.
The high school woodshop/STEM contact told me another teacher was extremely excited about the VEX robotics system I offered them. I bought 2 starter sets and a bunch of additional components when they went on clearance at Radio Shack around 18 years ago. I used it a few times over the years, but ran into limits where it didn’t perfectly fit my prototyping needs. It’s finally gone to a good home.
If I hadn’t found great contacts at the local high school or a great contact at the DPW, I’d probably still be holding onto too much. Well, I’m still holding onto too much, but I’ve been making great progress.
What really worked for me was finding donation destinations that are i) quick, ii) easy and hassle-free, and iii) free of regret.
And occasionally I go out of my way to equip others where I know there’s specific need, or sometimes I need a specific long-term tester.
For example, a local STEM teacher recently emailed me, and I’ll be offering them a soldering jig that’s a bit too elaborate for cramped benchtop use, and maybe a couple of other third hands-type setups. I didn’t want those thrown away or sold, and I think the right opportunity just lined up.
Sometimes I can wait for the right opportunity or match, a lot of times I cannot or at least should not. The worst option has been to simply say “I’ll wait,” because that leads the pile to grow and grow.
Knowing that I have destinations lined up allows me to purchase far more tools to test out than otherwise, especially over holiday shopping seasons. Regarding power tools, there are a lot of “special buys” where brands ship direct to retailers and don’t hold any warehouse inventory. Meaning, it’s quicker for me to order one myself, otherwise it’s a brand ordering on my behalf from Home Depot, or a request being fulfilled months later.
Having found quick, easy, and trusting donation destinations has been one of the best things for my workshop, and has produced tons of informal field testing feedback.
I generally don’t entertain reader or audience requests, because this leads to a full inbox. Please don’t ask.
That said, I will occasionally part with things I don’t want to. For example, I sent Tom my Triangle Tools ratchet test sample. If not, I’d likely still have it today.
I do owe a reader a Milwaukee Hardline knife test sample, but couldn’t quickly find the email or comment. I am 99% certain it’s earmarked for Koko, and if I can’t find it they’ll get something as good or better, as I’m about ready to start clearing my EDC backlog.
MT_Noob
Great post. I think there is a minor typo: Toys for Toys
It is fascinating how hard it can be to let things go, I recently gifted a friend an impact driver after the charger for their old one died and it didn’t make sense to replace it. Even though I had a newer brushless impact driver, I still hard a hard time letting the old one go even though it has just been collecting dust for year.
Stuart
Thanks! *fixed*
Years ago I couldn’t drill a centered hole, so when I attached a plastic disc to a servo as a robot wheel, it wobbled.
I rounded over the edge of one of my first furniture pieces with a rotary tool and sanding drum.
I saved up for a Lego set and then it was discontinued before I could spare the budget.
I love understanding choices, love exploring different engineering approaches to the same problem, and don’t like having to buy twice.
It’s hard to let things go, and ToolGuyd lowers the barrier to accumulation and raises the barrier for release.
This is the best/worst “job” someone like me can have. I couldn’t decide between two types of [tool]. ToolGuyd solution: buy them both!
I bought a hand tapper that I thought I needed for projects. ToolGuyd voice: “yes, give it a try!”
If I could learn to part with things, anyone can.
JoeR
Thank you Stuart for this. I will bookmark and reference. Without sons and my only nephew far away and not DIY inclined, I know my daughters will need to find places to donate ‘dad’s mess o tools’, similar to how I had to donate my father’s. I’ll make sure the firearms disposal process is safely & legally defined. My Angels MLB stuff, I’m sure well find a trashcan as will all the F1 stuff.
I had asked you once before about this process. This post is comprehensive and has answered so many questions. I too found Habit for Humanity a bit too picky for my liking, especially with my father’s tools. Perhaps I had not ‘divorced’ myself fully from the emotion of it being “my dad’s stuff”.
Now I have some insight as to where to pass along perfectly usable corded tools and feel good about it. Thank you!
Stuart
It’s good to hold onto things for sentimental reasons, but there’s a limit. My grandfathers tools and tool box were just things to him. The tool box isn’t functional, and I can’t use any of the spare parts. The tools maintained his bakery and home, but are too worn to use. I got them because no one else wanted them. I have the tools in a single ToughSystem tool box, and will likely keep them. The tool box full of junk? Probably not.
Usable cordless tools? Find a one-stop place. If your town has drop-off junk/appliance recycling, bring them there, hand then over, and drive away. If there’s use, someone will take them home. If not, they’ll be recycled. There’s joy in not knowing. That’s also a benefit of Goodwill drop offs.
“It’s perfectly usable” leads to hoarding.
That’s also why this is “story” format rather than a list. Getting rid of things is a lot easier when you want to. Other obstacles are much smaller in comparison.
Wayne R.
Here in Denver is a tool library (https://denvertoollibrary.org/), they’re always eager for more.
Jonathan OAF
That’s really neat!
KokoTheTalkingApe
I used to volunteer for them. Great organization! Tons of classes as well as tools.
Mopar
Since so few people seem to read dead tree books these days, my local library has expanded to include a “library of things”. Mostly things many people don’t need or want to store for the very occasional use. Need a popup canopy for a picnic? Borrow it from the library. Garden overflowing? Borrow a dehydrator or pressure canner from the library. They have some basic hand tools; I bet they would love a donation of some power tools. Perhaps other readers also have a local library like that.
MFC
This would be a fantastic resource. Unfortunately, something like that wouldn’t work around here. It would get stolen 100%… Where are you located?
Yadda
Great details and ideas on how you pass along items. Kudos for sharing both your thoughts and your tools.
Nate
I live in Denver, and I take my used tools to Charlie’s 2nd Hand Store downtown. They buy used tools, but I usually just give them my stuff. I’ve bought a lot from them too over the years. They’re the kind of large old-timey used tool store crammed to the roof with tools that I remember from my childhood. It’s the only store like it in Denver that I know of.
I use them as a sort of recycling center for things that need to find a new home, since I don’t have time to sell things myself. They sell on ebay as well as their store, and the family that runs it are good people. Website is usedtoolsplus.com, and their ebay store is “usedtoolsplus”.
Jim
Great post! You are correct about the hassle in trying to find good homes for extra tools.
I was a mechanic for over 40 years as well as an avid DIYer. I had/have duplicates of so many tools. Selling them online can be a pain, shipping is expensive, etc. I’m over Facebook flakes and Craigslist Kooks. I don’t want most people around my house and waiting at the corner 7-11 is a waste of time.
Try getting rid of a torch rig.
The habitat restore gave me the first degree to the point I was seriously pissed.
I gave it to the father of the landscaper that installed my fake grass. It was sooooo appreciated.
I certainly didn’t need two 1/2” drive air impacts. I gave one to the shop helper of a friend that runs a car restoration shop. The kid was borrowing my friend’s tools constantly. I sent a bunch of stuff along with the air gun. The kid was blown away.
Give a gift with warm hands is my new motto.
Another source of giving away has been my bug man.
Hard working kid that I don’t think has had many breaks.
I’ll get a box together for him with one rule, you take it all and I don’t care what you do with what you can’t use. It does my heart good to see my old road box, hand carry type in the rear seat area of his truck.
I hadn’t used that box a half dozen times in the last 25 years since I quit installing auto glass part time.
Jim Felt
Great ideas and even better results. Thanks for posting.
MFC
The tools you gave away have proved to be very useful to me over the years and opened my eyes to things I didn’t know existed. I know that tool giveaways can be time consuming, however, I think if you did a “receive a tool for a review” it could be both beneficial for a tradesman/diyer, as well as for your readers.
You can only test things so far, whereas an Electrician/plumber/carpenter could really put something through its paces. And they wouldn’t need to write a whole editorial. You could take three or four tools, the reviews of the those that received them, and then compile them into a single write-up.
Or, and again this isn’t easy, but you could begin a whole new side of your website labeled something akin to: Recommended Tools, and have sub-categories for each trade…
Of course it wouldn’t be anywhere near exhaustive at first, but over time you could have hundreds of recommended tools. You wouldn’t have to put your name on anything so as to miff your sponsors, though obviously you could as well.
Maybe it seems like an outlandish and difficult journey, but it’s how Amazon has gotten millions of reviews. If we needed decent, and reliable reviews ever, it’s now…
Stuart
I have done a couple of “here’s a tool, can you review it?” arrangements, and it doesn’t work without additional incentives.
I sent a box of stuff to an electrician apprentice. I’ll check back with him at some point – “what did you like, love, hate?” Most people aren’t sure how to provide feedback. But over time they will chime in about things they loved or hated. A general contractor hated the hook on the Ox Tools tape measure. Hilti’s Nuron cordless concrete saw is amazing. EGO blowers are fantastic. “[tool] is great, but I wish the battery charge lasted longer.”
One electrician I know doesn’t see the point in right angle drills like the Super Hawg. Others swear by it.
I gather tons of feedback. Sometimes I’ll give something away and never hear back. That’s okay too. Obligatory feedback requires a lot of work on everyone’s parts.
My policy for passing things along “no strings attached” comes from experience.
I did freelance work as a contributing editor for Make Magazine a while back. Just before that, I spoke with my editor there about one of my pieces. They made a bunch of edits and reformatting, and I said I could have done that to save them the trouble. They said it’s often easier for him to do that himself.
When I stepped into their role and managed the tool and gear review section, I learned exactly the same. A lot of people have experience, but it’s difficult to articulate feedback in a way that can help others. Molding feedback into shareable form takes a bit of back and forth, and that’s a lot of added work.
The main reason I haven’t expanded ToolGuyd over the years is because I enjoy creating content and don’t enjoy managing people. Finding contributors to work *with* rather than manage is extremely difficult and very time-consuming.
Even asking for bullet points has been difficult.
Remember “ToolSelect”? Their focused their entire business model on collecting reviews from tradespeople and their audience. They put out press releases, had a huge studio and staff, and convinced tool brands to send them tons of equipment. They only lasted a couple of years.
It’s a good idea, but one that requires far more work than most people realize until they try it.
There’s also the matter of exposure. While I don’t use many tools in the same way of frequency as tradespeople, I have extensive experience and push myself to gain varied exposure. Handing someone their first pliers wrench might produce very different feedback if it’s their first one ever, or the fifth brand they’ve tried. The one I find to be the worst-performing among modern competitors might be an amazing must-buy to others who haven’t tried better models.
For review content or feedback in a shareable format, that really requires an active relationship, rather than passive “here’s a tool, send me your thoughts” type of arrangement – which also tends to result in unnatural-sounding points if obligatory.
MFC
Yes, I figured you’ve thought through all of these things, but I obviously haven’t tried to run an online tool blog so it’s a good reminder that things are almost always more difficult than we initially realize. Anyways, you don’t seem to run out of things to cover or introduce, and if this is your “happy place” then more power to you.
Andy
Cool article, and the recent series about cleaning up and donating your unneeded tools has definitely provoked some good thought on my end.
For the handful of tools I have but (probably) don’t need anymore, my first choice would be to donate them to the Historic Albany Foundation. They not only run an excellent architectural salvage warehouse for building supplies, but also have a tool library – you have to spend $20 on a membership in order to borrow tools.
Not sure every city or area will have something similar, but felt it was worth mentioning in case your area does.
Brian
For me, this is a sobering post. I’ve been saving excess serviceable hand tools for a few years now, storing them in sealed buckets until the right recipient comes along – a relative who needs a few screwdrivers, a budding car mechanic looking for a cheap start in the trade, or a non-profit looking for donations. Sadly, it looks like most of those venues are really not interested in give-aways. To the landfill they go…
Stuart
Goodwill, rummage sale, freecycle, sign at the curb “free tools.”
I only throw away tools that are so bad they’re unfit for use by anyone.
I hire a junk trunk on occasion (sometimes too any pallets come in for regular break-down and gradual disposal) and once had a piece of equipment I couldn’t donate. “Can we fix it up and use?” Sure.
Al-another-Al
I put older hand tools in a separate bucket and leave them out with my scrap metal. Either they get used and distributed or scrapped.
I’m currently going through old pliers, wrenches, prybars. In some I have 3x the number of tools needed because of starting out free/cheap and upgrading over the decades. Some were impulse buys because it looked nice in a catalog, some were well-intentioned gifts, but turned out to be junk tools made for gifting.
Just got a small Vessel basin screwdriver from HJE that allowed me to scrap two giant rusting wide-blade screwdrivers that had no other purpose than bolts in sinks, toilet tanks, and toilet seats.
CJ Ging
I would be happy to give a solid review of any tools if you send them to me! I’m a bit of a tool nerd but on a young family budget. I work in a welding shop for a job, but my dad and I have renovated several houses. I worked for 3 years on the house where we live now. My wife and I will be building a house starting next year for ourselves and our children. I’m 36, and have a good base of tools, but could use more in the house building process. My brother manages a thrift store that supports a camp for needy boys, so I have passed on my unneeded tools to that cause.
Stuart
Thanks, I will keep this in mind!
Ron
Habitat for Humanity ReSale Stores policies must be really regional. The one a mile from me will take just about anything but clothing. Heck I dropped off 5 sheets of cracked cement board though I did tell them I would haul it home rather than drop off trash. The other two I occasionally visit are the same. Always a number of tools, most “home owner vintage” and nothing to get excited about, but there are the random surprises.