Tried and True Tools Vintage Machines

Richard King · Feb 13, 2015

I saw some old machines yesterday at a cool surplus tool shop up in Fridley MN. I took some pic's. They have all sorts of tools and equipment. i bought a set of spoon scrapers, a surface gage and a pull scraper (not pictured).

Richard King · Feb 13, 2015

a few more. When I go there I describe it as a "Kid in a candy store".

maynah · Feb 13, 2015

I like those big double handled nuts in the box. I'd buy those.........just....because.

Richard King · Feb 13, 2015

I think they were marked $5.00 to $20.00 bucks... what a deal. I see they don't have a web site. But I bet they ship UPS :-)

arc · Feb 13, 2015

Wish that we had stores like that in my neck of the woods

[486] · Feb 13, 2015

Used to be a guy named Jeff that worked there. Knew where everything was, and what it was actually worth.
Got the leukemia and doesn't work there any more, retired now I guess.

The owner prices everything himself now, it seems, and he sure knows what he wants for stuff.
I was there so often that they had no issues with me digging around in the back. Haven't been back in months.

JST · Feb 13, 2015

I'll have to check them out next time I'm up there, assuming I remember where Fridley is.... I have not actually lived up there since the 1960s....

There have been a bunch of attempts to do the used tool store thing. I've seen them up there, down here, and heard of them elsewhere. I think every one has gone out of business, and it didn't take too long either. I'm not sure why, but possibly the reason is that most folks who went in the place didn't seem to know what most of it was, at least from what I heard when in some of them.

Atomkinder · Feb 13, 2015

I wish I'd gone there when I only lived a few miles from the place. Just never found the time, and now I live almost three hours away!

Hindsight being what it is...

Richard King · Feb 13, 2015

They told me that Polar Tool went out of business. Polar, I am guessing was open 30 years. I think Tried and True has been open that long too.. Tried and True also has 1/2 the building loaded with wood working tools and 1/2 metal working cutting, grinding and sheet metal tools. Probably a good idea so when one trade is slow they others keeps it open.

Fridley is North of MPLS . Take 694 to University and go north to Osborne Rd. and go west about a block and it's on the left in an old grocery store. I hadn't planned on going there, but when I went up there to look at a lathe for a member who was thinking of buying it and there it was. I had only been there one time before, but will try to go there at least once a month now. Rich

Uglydog · Feb 13, 2015

My experience has been that they are straight forward about pointing out problems with a machine or part. If they are aware of an issue they try to make sure they communicate the problem so you know what you are getting. This is not always the case with many stores and/or ebay.

Daryl
MN

Marty Feldman · Feb 14, 2015

They have no website, and I can understand that for a business of this type, but is there any sort of inventory list that they maintain and would send out? Maybe they are content with just the local trade -- not everyone's after the bigtime bucks.
-Marty-

Richard King · Feb 14, 2015

Marty Feldman said:
They have no website, and I can understand that for a business of this type, but is there any sort of inventory list that they maintain and would send out? Maybe they are content with just the local trade -- not everyone's after the bigtime bucks.
-Marty-

Call them up and ask them.

northernsinger · Feb 15, 2015

Does not look like a good way to make money.

Richard King · Feb 15, 2015

northernsinger said:
Does not look like a good way to make money.

They also sell on consignment so much of the inventory isn't theirs. Polar tool was originally opened by a Journeyman Tool and Die maker who also started a Machine Tool supply company. He retired and sold that company and got bored so he started selling used tools and inspection equipment he bought at auctons and sales, etc. I think he had a stroke and his son Rich took over. I'm not sure it's closed, maybe they moved. T&T guys told me they closed. I always loved going in there as I will now go to Tried and True for the fun of it. They are also near many of my old customers. I need to time it right so I can get there before noon and get an invite for lunch..lol......

b sco · Feb 16, 2015

About 15 years ago I bought a disc sander and a rotary phase converter at Tried and Tru both of these together were less than a new single phase disc sander. Both are still running strong today after daily use through the years. Tried and Tru is a great store.

reggie_obe · Feb 28, 2015

From the images posted, it looks like Tried and True puts the Tool Shed in Worcester, Mass. to shame.

Big B · Feb 28, 2015

We still have some places around Grand Rapids, Michigan that sell parts and machinery. Vander Ziel Machinery Sales This place has lots of machinery and tooling. I have bought from Steve in the past but haven't been to his new warehouse yet./ My brother has been there and tells me it is full of cool stuff for the machine tool fans.

There are also a couple of dealers on the north end of GR that I have dealt with. BTM auctions is one I believe. They advertise on craigslist in the area.

When the bottom fell out of the machine tool market in about 2008 you could buy machinery for about 10 cents on the dollar and these places really loaded up. I just regret that I only had 3,300 sq. ft. to put stuff.

Big B

IronReb · Feb 28, 2015

Its really funny how different people will spend there money and were.

Give your wife $100 to blow and she would probably set an appointment with her hair dresser.
Give it to your teenage kid and off to the shopping mall they would go.

Give it to one of us in this thread that has a store like this close enough and we will spend hours digging around looking for that one piece we just gotta have.

mach2 · Feb 28, 2015

IronReb said:
Its really funny how different people will spend there money and were.

Give your wife $100 to blow and she would probably set an appointment with her hair dresser.
Give it to your teenage kid and off to the shopping mall they would go.

Give it to one of us in this thread that has a store like this close enough and we will spend hours digging around looking for that one piece we just gotta have.

In three weeks the hair dresser work will be gone or faded, the video arcade and pretzel money spent at the mall will never show a return, and in 20 years all my stuff will be auctioned off at twice the cost to the next generation of machinery nuts.

Does anyone else know of a store like that in central Indiana?

jim rozen · Feb 28, 2015

"Give your wife $100..."

Last time I gave my wife 100 bucks it was with the provision that she go
out and buy some new shoes! Hers were nearly worn out.

Tried and True Tools Vintage Machines

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