How to Sell a Broken Jigsaw Tool

A broken jigsaw tool is still worth selling — typically £5 to £28 at For Parts, against £20 to £110 in working order.

Can you sell a jigsaw tool that does not work?

Yes. Repairers, people replacing one component and buyers who want a project all shop deliberately at this end. None of them will accept a fault they discover after paying.

What actually goes wrong with jigsaw tools

These are the faults that move a jigsaw tool down the grades, and the first things a buyer will ask about:

Worn blade clamps that drop blades
Bent base plates preventing square cuts
Failing speed controls
Cheap unbranded jigsaws

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £9 to £50. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £5 to £28. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the fault properly rather than guessing at it:

Fit a blade and check the clamp holds firmly
Lay the base plate on a flat surface
Run it through the speed range

Photographing the fault

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The jigsaw from the side, whole
The blade clamp and guide roller close up
The base plate, showing the tilt scale
The cable or battery, plus the rating plate and any crack or wear

What to state in the listing

Alongside the fault itself, buyers of broken jigsaw tools want these confirmed:

Brand, model, and wattage or battery voltage
Maximum cutting depth in wood and metal
Whether it has orbital action, variable speed and a tilting base
Whether blades, a case or dust extraction adapter are included

Brand, power and features: “Bosch Jigsaw, 650W, Orbital Action, Tool-Free Blade Change”. Orbital action and tool-free blade change are both real searches. On cordless, say the battery platform and whether cells are included.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Does the blade clamp hold properly?”

Fit a blade and try to pull it out. A worn clamp drops blades mid-cut and it is the main functional fault.

“Is the guide roller worn?”

Look behind the blade and photograph it. A worn roller lets the blade wander and produces cuts that are not square.

“Are blades included?”

Say how many and what type. Blades are cheap but a mixed set of wood and metal blades is a genuine convenience.

Is it worth repairing first?

Usually not, unless it is cheap and you can evidence it. What lifts the price is condition and completeness, which a repair rarely restores:

Tool-free blade clamps that grip firmly
Flat, undamaged base plates
Recognised trade brands
Variable speed and orbital action

If the work would cost more than the gap between £28 and what a sound one fetches, sell it as is broken and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Lifts in spring as projects start and before Christmas as gifts. Trade brands sell within days.

Getting it to the buyer

Remove the blade before posting and tape it separately, or ship without one. A loose blade cuts through packaging and is dangerous to handle.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list it? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full jigsaw tool selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Is a broken jigsaw tool worth anything?

Yes — typically £5 to £28 at For Parts against £20 to £110 working. Repairers and people harvesting one component buy deliberately at this end. Worn blade clamps that drop blades

Should I repair it before selling?

Usually not, unless the repair is cheap and you can evidence it. The things that genuinely lift the price are tool-free blade clamps that grip firmly and a repair rarely restores those.

What do buyers ask about a faulty jigsaw tool?

The fault itself, in detail. Fit a blade and try to pull it out. A worn clamp drops blades mid-cut and it is the main functional fault. The listing that answers it before being asked is the one that sells.