Buying used power tools on Marketplace without buying someone's stolen kit

Used power tools are the easiest good deal on Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist: contractors retire a platform, hobbyists give up, estates get cleared, and a Milwaukee M18 kit that cost $800 new shows up for a fraction of it. They are also the easiest way to end up holding stolen goods, because tools walk off job sites every night and land on the same marketplaces. Here is how to tell the two apart, what to test, how to judge the price, and how to be first to the listing.

Before you drive out

• Ask why they are selling and what else they have. A contractor switching from DeWalt to Milwaukee has a story and a pile of DeWalt. Someone with one new-in-box impact driver and no story does not.
• Ask for a photo of the serial numbers and the batteries' date codes. Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita batteries carry a manufacturing date; a battery from five years ago is near the end regardless of how it looks.
• Ask whether it is the brushless version if the model has both. Same name, different tool, different price.
• Ask if you can test it on arrival. The answer should be yes.

When you get there

1. Run every tool under load. A drill spun in the air tells you nothing. Bring a scrap of 2x4 and a few screws, drive a lag bolt with the impact, make a cut with the saw. Listen for brush noise on brushed motors, grinding in the gearbox, a chuck that will not hold.
2. Check the chuck and the anvil. A drill chuck should close concentric with no wobble; an impact anvil should have no play.
3. Batteries. Put each battery on the tool and run it hard for a minute; a battery that drops a bar in that time is tired. Check the fuel gauge on each. Look at the terminals for corrosion and the case for cracks or swelling. Batteries are often most of the value of a used kit.
4. Charger. Plug it in with a battery and watch for the charging light.
5. Serial numbers. Match the serials in the listing photos to the tools in your hand. Tools with serials ground off or stickers torn away are not tools you buy.
6. The case and the extras. A kit in its original case with the manual, side handle and depth rod belonged to someone who owned it. A bare tool in a grocery bag may have too.

The stolen-tool problem

Tools are stolen from trucks and job sites constantly and sold the same week. The signs: several identical new-in-box tools, retail stickers still on them, priced well under the others, a seller who cannot say what the tool is for, a push to meet in a parking lot far from home, and "my buddy's a contractor, he gets them cheap." Pawn shops and police use serial numbers; so can you. Some brands let you register tools by serial, and a seller with the tool in their name and receipts is a seller you can trust. Buying stolen tools is not a bargain; it is a crime with a receipt.

Meet in daylight, in a public place if the seller prefers, and pay in person.

Is the price good?

Used tool prices depend on the brand, the generation (the brushless M18 Fuel line and the older brushed M18 are priced far apart), the battery count and age, and the area. The honest comparison is with the last several listings for the same model and kit near you. Deal Scanner does this automatically: once a search has seen a few listings, each new one gets a Deal Score showing how far under the typical asking price near you it sits. A kit far below typical is the contractor retiring a platform, an estate, or a problem, and the checks above tell you which.

Getting there first

Set one search in Deal Scanner for what you want ("Milwaukee M18 Fuel", "DeWalt 20V", "Makita LXT", "table saw"), your town and how far you will drive, and a price range with a real low limit to keep the $20 "brand new" impact drivers off your phone. Deal Scanner watches Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist from that one search, with the app closed, and buzzes you when a listing is posted, Deal Score attached. Three searches are $3.99 a month, and you cancel anytime in your phone's subscription settings. Only need it for the month you're looking? Cancel when you've got it. It works for the person building out a garage one tool at a time and for the person who buys estates and resells.

Searches that work: brand plus platform ("Milwaukee M18", "DeWalt 20V") rather than "drill". Sellers list by brand. A second search for the specific tool ("Sawzall", "Packout") catches the ones listed alone.

FAQ

How do I know if used tools are stolen?

Several identical new-in-box tools, retail stickers, a price well under the others, ground-off serials, and a seller who cannot say what the tool does or why they are selling. Ask for serial-number photos and a reason. A seller with the original case, receipts and a story is the one to buy from.

Are used Milwaukee tools worth buying?

Yes, with a test under load and a look at the batteries. The tools last; the batteries are the wear item and often most of the kit's value. Check battery date codes and run each one hard for a minute.

What should I test on a used drill or impact driver?

Run it under load (drive a lag bolt, not air), check the chuck or anvil for wobble, listen to the gearbox, and run each battery hard for a minute to see how fast it drops.

What is a fair price for used power tools?

Whatever the same model and kit is asking near you right now. Deal Scanner's Deal Score compares each new listing with the typical asking price your search has seen in your area.

How do I get alerts for tools listed near me?

Set a Deal Scanner search for the brand and platform, your town, a radius and a price range. It watches Facebook Marketplace, OfferUp and Craigslist and buzzes your phone when a match is posted.

Sources checked

Milwaukee, DeWalt and Makita support pages on battery date codes and product registration; Facebook's, OfferUp's and Craigslist's own safety pages on meeting and payment. Checked October 26, 2026.