roadside.tools

Tool stands on the side of the road Puestos de herramienta a la orilla del camino

A hand-painted roadside sign A plywood sign on two wooden posts, painted marigold, reads HAY HERRAMIENTA, NUEVA Y USADA, with a turquoise arrow. Two small boards hang under it: CAMBIOS on pink and PRUEBE AQUÍ on turquoise. HAY HAY HERRAMIENTA HERRAMIENTA NUEVA Y USADA CAMBIOS PRUEBE AQUÍ
Illustration. Hay herramienta: tools here. Cambios: trade-ins. Pruebe aquí: try it here.

Tiendas, pulga rows and tailgate stands, where framers, drywall hands, electricians and mechanics buy drills, nailers and saws, cash in hand.

We're building one list of them, from tips by the people who shop them, and showing how to test a tool before you pay.

Tell us about a stand Test it before you pay

The stand list La lista de puestos

A stand goes on the list only after it has been checked in person and the owner says yes. No stands are listed yet.

This is the layout every listing will use.

Example listing, not a real stand

Puesto de Ejemplo

Where Dónde
Frontage road, north side, past the feed store. Anytown, TX
Days Días
Saturday and Sunday, early until about 3
On the tables En la mesa
Cordless drills and impacts, framing nailers, SDS hammers, cords
Testing Para probar
Charged batteries, a scrap of 2x4 and an air line
Pay Pago
Cash
Trade-ins Cambios
Ask
Checked in person Revisado en persona
MM/DD/YYYY
Owner's OK Permiso del dueño
Yes Sí
Example listing layout with placeholder details. Puesto de Ejemplo is not a real stand.
Run a stand? Get it on the list. ¿Tienes un puesto? Ponlo en la lista.

Tell us about a stand Cuéntanos de un puesto

Your note comes to us at roadside.tools. Nothing you send goes on the site by itself. Privacy

Tu mensaje nos llega a roadside.tools. Nada de lo que mandes sale en la página por sí solo. Privacidad

Pick one Escoge una opción

No name? Describe it: blue canopy by the car wash. ¿No tiene nombre? Descríbelo.

Can you test a tool there? (optional) ¿Se puede probar la herramienta ahí? (opcional)

Email or phone: one is enough, so we can reach you. Correo o teléfono: con uno basta, para poder contactarte.

Test it before you pay Cálale antes de pagar

Six checks you can run at the table with a charged battery and a scrap of wood. A seller who wants your business will hand you both.

Seis pruebas que puedes hacer en la mesa con una batería cargada y un pedazo de madera. El que quiere venderte te da las dos cosas.

Safety. Ask the seller before you run anything. Wear eye protection, point every tool away from people, keep hands and cords clear of the blade or the nose, take the battery off before you touch a chuck or a blade, and run a generator outdoors only.

Seguridad. Pídele permiso al vendedor antes de probar algo. Ponte lentes de protección, apunta cada herramienta lejos de la gente, mantén las manos y los cables lejos de la hoja o de la nariz, quita la batería antes de tocar un chuck o una hoja, y prende una planta de luz solo al aire libre.

  1. 1 Battery seat and terminals La batería y las terminales

    Slide a charged pack onto the tool. It should latch with a firm click and no rocking. Look at the terminals in the foot: no green crust, no burn marks, no bent blades.

    Pass Clicks in tight, clean terminals.

    Mete una batería cargada. Tiene que entrar con un clic firme y sin juego. Revisa las terminales: nada de sulfato ni quemaduras, y ninguna lámina doblada.

    Pasa Entra firme y las terminales están limpias.

  2. 2 Sink a screw Mete un tornillo

    Drive a 3-inch structural screw into a 2x4 or a 4x4. It should run in steady to full depth. If the motor bogs, grinds or slips, the gearbox may be on its way out.

    Pass Drives to full depth without stalling.

    Mete un tornillo estructural de 3 pulgadas en un 2x4 o un 4x4. Tiene que entrar parejo hasta el fondo. Si el motor se ahoga, rechina o patina, puede que la caja de engranes ya vaya de salida.

    Pasa Entra hasta el fondo sin atorarse.

  3. 3 Chuck and runout El chuck

    Put a long bit in the chuck and run it slow. The tip should spin true, with no wobble. Then take the battery off, grab the chuck and rock it side to side: play can mean worn front bearings.

    Pass Spins true, no side play.

    Pon una broca larga y córrela despacio. La punta tiene que girar derechita, sin bailar. Luego quita la batería, agarra el chuck y muévelo de lado a lado: si tiene juego, puede que los baleros de enfrente estén gastados.

    Pasa Gira derecho y sin juego.

  4. 4 Smell the motor Huele el motor

    Run it at full speed for five seconds, then smell the vents at the back. Warm air is fine. A sharp electrical smell or burnt plastic can mean cooked windings.

    Pass Warm air, nothing burnt.

    Córrela a todo lo que da cinco segundos y huele las rejillas de atrás. Si nomás huele a aire caliente, está bien. Si huele a quemado o a plástico derretido, puede que el embobinado ya se haya quemado.

    Pasa Nomás aire caliente, nada quemado.

  5. 5 Nailer: driver return Clavadora: que regrese la cuchilla

    On a framing or roofing gun, fire three nails into scrap. The driver blade should snap back flush every time. If it hangs down or needs a tap to reset, something in the return is worn or dry. Keep your free hand off the nose.

    Pass Snaps back flush on every shot.

    Con una clavadora de framing o de techo, dispara tres clavos en un pedazo de madera. La cuchilla tiene que regresar a su lugar cada vez. Si se queda abajo o hay que darle un golpecito, algo del regreso está gastado o seco. Mantén la otra mano lejos de la nariz.

    Pasa Regresa a su lugar en cada disparo.

  6. 6 Badge, label and serial number Marca y número de serie

    Compare the logo, the label and the serial number with the same model on the maker's site. A serial number ground off, a label that doesn't match the tool, or a logo that looks stuck on are reasons to walk. A ground-off serial can also mean a stolen tool.

    Pass Logo, label and serial match the model, nothing ground off.

    Compara el logo, la etiqueta y el número de serie con el mismo modelo en la página del fabricante. Un número de serie borrado, una etiqueta que no cuadra con la herramienta o un logo que parece pegado son motivos para dejarla. Un serial borrado también puede ser señal de herramienta robada.

    Pasa El logo, la etiqueta y el serial cuadran con el modelo y nada está borrado.

The test bench, on your phone La mesa de prueba, en tu celular

At the table with a tool in your hand? Pick the tool, run its load test, and mark each check as it passes or fails. Nothing here is saved or sent.

Safety. Ask the seller first. Eye protection on, tool pointed away from people, generator outdoors only.

Tool on the table

Load test Drive a 3-inch structural screw or a 1/2-inch lag into dry lumber.

Battery latches tight, with no rocking.

Bit or socket seats snug in the hex or anvil, with no slop.

Drives the screw with fast, even impacts and no stalling.

No burnt smell from the vents after a hard run.

Tip If the forward and reverse switch sticks halfway, it's packed with dust. Ask the seller to blow it out.

Mark each check: pass or fail.

Marca cada prueba: pasa o no pasa.

Read the signs Lee los letreros

Here is what the signs on these stands say.

  • Hay herramientaTools here. The sign that marks a stand from the road.
  • Nueva y usadaNew and used. Ask which is which before you talk price.
  • Pruebe aquíTry it here. Ask for a charged battery and a scrap of 2x4.
  • Se aceptan cambiosTrade-ins taken. Bring the tool clean, with a charged battery.
  • Solo efectivoCash only. If a stand says it takes Zelle, know that Zelle payments usually can't be reversed, so pay that way only after you've tested the tool.
  • Se compra herramientaWe buy tools. The stand buys used tools, too.

Words at the table Palabras de la mesa

Tienda
Spanish for shop. Here, any stand that sells tools, from a canopy on a lot to a tailgate.
Pulga
Flea market. The tool stands are often one row among many.
Puesto
A stall. One table, one booth, one seller.
Cálale
Go ahead, try it. What you hear when a seller hands you the tool and a battery.
Bare tool Herramienta sola
The tool with no battery or charger. Cheaper up front; price the battery in.
Platform
The battery system a tool runs on, like M18, 20V MAX or 18V LXT. Stay on the one your crew already carries.
Open box
New, but the box has been opened. Check that everything that should be in it is.
Trade-in Cambio
A working tool traded toward another tool or a battery.

What buyers in each trade usually look for. Stock turns over week to week, so read it as a menu, not a promise.

Framing and carpentry Carpintería y framing

  • Cordless and air framing nailers, 21 and 30 degree
  • Worm-drive and sidewinder circular saws
  • High-capacity battery packs
  • Cross-line and rotary lasers

Concrete and masonry Concreto y albañilería

  • SDS-plus and SDS-max rotary hammers
  • Rebar cutters and tiers
  • Breakers and chipping hammers
  • Diamond blades and tuck-point wheels

Drywall Tablaroca

  • Cut-out tools and collated screw guns
  • Taping knives, mud pans and hawks
  • Sanding poles with dust shrouds
  • Step-up benches

Electrical and mechanical Electricidad y mecánica

  • 1/2-inch and 3/8-inch impact wrenches
  • Portable band saws and conduit benders
  • Clamp meters and non-contact testers
  • Knockout sets and cable cutters

Generators and jobsite power Plantas de luz y extensiones

  • Inverter and dual-fuel generators
  • Multi-bay battery chargers
  • 10/3 and 12/3 cords with GFCI
  • LED work lights

Before you pay for any of it Antes de pagar

Run the six checks on whatever you pick up, or read our table guides: cordless tools and batteries, nailers and compressors, and spotting clones and bad serials.

For tool brands Para las marcas

Have a tool you'd like us to look at? Send one.

What happens next
We read the note. If a tool looks like a fit, we write back by email and say what comes next.
What we disclose
If we ever write about a tool we got free or at a discount, it says so at the top, with the brand's name. Sending a tool doesn't buy a good word.
How to send one
Pick “I'm with a tool brand” in the form, or email hello@roadside.tools. We answer by email if it's a fit.

Questions Preguntas

What's a roadside tool tienda?

A stand that sells tools to the trades from a lot, a pulga row, a trailer or a tailgate. They sell things like new and used cordless tools, air nailers, saws and generators.

Can I really test a tool before I buy it?

At a good stand, yes. Ask for a charged battery and a scrap of wood and run the six checks. If a seller won't let you run it, that tells you something too.

Are prices lower than the big stores?

Sometimes, on bare tools and open-box stock. Not always. Look up the store price on your phone before you pay, and add what a battery and charger would cost.

Do stands take trade-ins?

Some do; ask. Bring the tool clean, with a charged battery so it can be tested, and expect an offer that leaves the stand room to resell it.

How do I know a tool is genuine?

Check six in the field test: compare the logo, label and serial number with the same model on the maker's site. A ground-off serial or a logo that looks stuck on is reason to put it back.

How does a stand get on the list?

Someone tells us about it with the form, it gets checked in person, and the owner says yes. Nothing from the form goes on the site by itself.

I run a stand. How do I get listed?

Pick “I run a stand” in the form and tell us where and when you set up. Nothing goes up without your OK.