Restore or Refurbish

[snapmom]

Do you think a tool should be restored to original or refurbished to good usable condition.   

I use to try to restore,  but now I think refurbish.  Its like I do not want to use a restored tool,  but heck,  what is a tool for?

[bill300d]

I'm not a fan of taking all the patina off an old tool.

[J.A.F.E.]

Interesting question. Depends on the tool but in general I try to do the minimum required to make it useful and usable.

It's not that a restored one would be treated any different but in my mind it's just I would rather have something as it is.

The exception are two Snap-on ratchets I bought new in my teens and the chrome has seen better days and I've been considering rechroming them but then I plan on taking them with me rechromed or not.

[Lookin4_67GalaxieConv]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

[highland512]

From my experience anything that is fully restored yourself, your afraid to use due to possible damage.

Thats my experience from restoring tractors anyways.

[fatfillup]

Don't know that I have ever restored a tool.  If I did, it would likely be for show not go.  I am not a big collector though I do own a lot of cool old tools but they will all get a price tag on them at some point. 

I do refurbish a lot of tools either to keep or sell.  I get (as I am sure a lot of you do) a sense of satisfaction of bringing a tool back to life.  Not always worth the effort but certainly the end result is reward enough

[bonneyman]

If a tool is a collectible, than I leave it as is or do as little as possible. If it's going to be a user than who cares what it looks like? I do the minimum to bring it back to good function.

That being said I love to fully restore things. lol

[goodfellow]

Mostly "refurbish" for my use and purposes. I hate dirt and rust, and will do my best to eliminate them and repaint when appropriate, but other than that I don't mess with the tool that much. 

[DeadNutz]

Any rust on a tool and it gets put in Evaporust. The biggest pain is cleaning sockets packed with grease and dirt. Clean the tools and make them users.

[fatfillup]

Sockets packed with grease are easy if you have a hot water washer

I just put them on a socket rail, spray a little degreaser the pressure wash them.  You will get a little blow back but they will be clean quick

[slip knot]

I usually dump dirty sockets in the parts washer and let them soak.

So what would running a wire wheel over them and oiling it down count as? refurbished or just cleaned? I still haven't gotten around to the evaporust stuff.

[jabberwoki]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

Bam !

[J.A.F.E.]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

For me that line is blurry I really try to use them all. Some maybe very gingerly but I want the experience of using them. I have my primary users but mix in what I can. Some I doubt I'll ever use - I have yet to find a use for my 1 1/2 drive ratchet and have no sockets to fit it but I'd love to if I could.

[snapmom]

Depends if it's a collectible tool or a user.

For me that line is blurry I really try to use them all. Some maybe very gingerly but I want the experience of using them. I have my primary users but mix in what I can. Some I doubt I'll ever use - I have yet to find a use for my 1 1/2 drive ratchet and have no sockets to fit it but I'd love to if I could.

Maybe if you did not have those little tiny arms.

[Andrewhr]

Sockets packed with grease are easy if you have a hot water washer

Or dishwasher and a wife away for the weekend