Used Gear?

Mangoes · Oct 12, 2004

Let us see if I can open up another can of worms like the one in awakenings.

What are the opinions out there about buying and selling used gear? Myself what I discard gets destroyed so that it is no longer usable, (carabiners get cut, webbing finds itself in little bits)If I don't really want it in my gear bag it gets stored in a 'retired' gear bag in my shop. I refuse to sell my used gear and I really don't feel that someone else's level of care and diligence is worth betting my life on. But thats just me. /forum/images/graemlins/santa.gif

Tom Dunlap · Oct 12, 2004

I'd rarely sell any of my smaller soft goods. Slings and cords are too cheap. Hardware is different. Bigger and longer ropes, etc. still could have a second home. There are many folks that I know that I would have no problem buying gear from. My brother is climbing on many of my hand-me downs.

Another time this topic came up and someone had a great insight. We buy used cars all of the time. Fly used planes with regularity. Our lives are trusted to a lot more complex things than simple carabiners. Think of food production.

That said, would I buy used gear from an unknown? Hardgoods, sure, I've saved piles of money. Softgoods, not likely.

Tom

Mangoes · Oct 13, 2004

Very insightful response Tom. One event that has led me to excercise caution was the sale of my first harness. Wish I hadn't would've been nice to show grandchildren. It was a Buckingham butt strap with a sliding D, green and brown thing. I got for free from a college where I was enroled, they stopped teaching climbing after an 'incident' and I got a harness. Pretty cool for a 20 year old kid. Sold it to a guy that I knew did side work, thought I'd help him out. I later found that the harness was performing well in his fall protection system. Harness, lanyard and FIREHOUSE. His lifeline was a FIREHOSE. I was in disbelief. To make matters worse he was rigging with his second firehose. I'll just keep my gear to myself for now.

NickfromWI · Oct 13, 2004

I have no qualms about buying used from a trusted source. Proper inspection is a necessity, just as with new equipment. Like the footlocker ascender I sold here. I used it only a few times and decided I didn't like it. Can't return it, so at least I could pass it on to someone who could get some money's worth out of it rather than just having it collect dust until I discard it.

love
nick

Treetech · Nov 21, 2018

Tom Dunlap said:
I'd rarely sell any of my smaller soft goods. Slings and cords are too cheap. Hardware is different. Bigger and longer ropes, etc. still could have a second home. There are many folks that I know that I would have no problem buying gear from. My brother is climbing on many of my hand-me downs.

Another time this topic came up and someone had a great insight. We buy used cars all of the time. Fly used planes with regularity. Our lives are trusted to a lot more complex things than simple carabiners. Think of food production.

That said, would I buy used gear from an unknown? Hardgoods, sure, I've saved piles of money. Softgoods, not likely.

Tom

Would you consider making a donation of any used rigging line to use as tag lines?

theatertech87 · Nov 22, 2018

Soft goods are rarely passed on, occasionally to coworkers, but generally I use them until there's nothing to use anymore.

Hard goods, I have no problem with buying used or passing on. They are easily inspectable. Damage is obvious, proper working behavior (springs, bearings, etc) is easily tested, wear components are obvious to inspect, and testing proper/safe function is easy enough.

Even used rigging goods are alright in my book. Again wear/deformation are easy to check for and any soft goods there is any concern about are easily respliced with new as needed. Even things like a grcs are inspectable if you know where to look.

Buying things without being able to inspect then in person is a risk financially, but it's up to you to choose whether to use it or not once it arrives. Not that much different than buying new and finding out you don't like how something works

Tom Dunlap · Nov 22, 2018

Treetech said:
Would you consider making a donation of any used rigging line to use as tag lines?

I've got a bunch of short climbing lines. They were damaged in the middle and made two short ropes. I'd use any of them for short trees if I needed more than one short rope.

They're all for sale.

CanadianStan · Nov 22, 2018

I think it depends entirely of the sellers background. I know I wouldn’t buy a single piece of gear that my boss has used haha.

Treetech · Nov 22, 2018

Do you have anything in the 5/8 range?
Send me pics n prices.

Treetech · Nov 22, 2018

Tom Dunlap said:
I've got a bunch of short climbing lines. They were damaged in the middle and made two short ropes. I'd use any of them for short trees if I needed more than one short rope.

They're all for sale.

Can you send me pictures?
Sizes and prices?
Interested in any trades?
Also looking for a 5/8 rigging line