Tool Talk
Farm and Implement Wrenches and Tools => Farm Implement Wrenches and Tools => Topic started by: skipskip on June 19, 2015, 10:43:19 AM
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I'm not so much looking for an appraisal as I am trying to start a discussion about values.
Ag wrenches are often brittle and poorly designed so they are often found with a broken ear or two.
Now on a $5 wrench that's fatal, and the wrench becomes fodder for the antique mall or low wend swap meet.
But suppose it's a better wrench?
How much does a broken ear de-value the tool?
here are two wrenches
one is a Wiard star wrench the other a Moline WP241
Each with a broken ear.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/387/18770304978_989399592f_z.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/uAEHHU)AJUN 506 (https://flic.kr/p/uAEHHU) by Skip Albright (https://www.flickr.com/photos/skipskip/), on Flickr
the star might be worth $100 if not broken, how much now ?
$50 $10? $90?
the moline is a $40 tool , now it's?
$5 $10 $0?
Opinions?
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I would think 0 or close to it in both cases. I'm sure someone might want one for a collection and may be willing to rebuild those ears, but its more likely they will just wait till a good one comes along.
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My focus is rare adjustable wrenches and my view is if it is something rarely seen or one I have never seen before I would rather have a poor example in my collection that costs pennies on the dollar of a complete or good example, and I'm still in the hunt.
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depends on if it is repairable to almost original condition, is the broken piece included? just weld it? but to make a original looking piece?
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Wiard star wrench = $100+ in good condition, $20 or less with any break. Just sold one myself that was broke.
Moline wrench, might as well toss it. Hardly a $15 wrench now anyway and broken it would be hard to do anything but give it away.
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Takes all the value away for me. Only way I'd buy one would be in a lot with something I wanted. Send the broken one to the scrapyard (It should make the remaining good ones worth more.)
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Some collectors like "space fillers" until a better example comes along.
Ebay could determine the market value.
Collectors are all different.
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Over soaking in things such as vinegar are just about as bad on the farm wrenches. The metal used on the majority of them just doesn't like that process a whole lot.
Overall, Skip, broken ears are a killer on the farm stuff. You can figure on average that it will cut value to 1/5 of a good one. As with everything, there are exceptions to that.
I'd rather have pitted than broken myself.
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I have fixed and resized forged steel wrenches. Welding a part back on or welding a chunk of steel and making it the part. . They cost a lot of work and never look right as even a refiled or stretched example. Add in they are unsellable afterward for being modified. . I stopped doing that a while back and just leave them with a patina of age and whatever form they had.