Second-hand tools & DIY in Chicago typically sells for $20 to $675. A full kit in its case with every accessory is worth considerably more than the bare tool, since replacing the pieces separately is expensive. Anything that has been on a building site has done far more hours than the same age suggests at home.
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Buying tools & DIY in Chicago
Chicago has real winters and generous pre-war apartments, which is an unusual combination and it shapes what sells.
Tools are heavy, valuable for their size and awkward to post, so almost all of the second-hand trade in them is local. Buyers also want to hear a motor run before they hand over money, which settles the question immediately.
What to check in person
Run anything with a motor for a few seconds and listen for bearing noise or a burning smell. Check the cable along its whole length for nicks and repairs, look at the chuck or blade mount for play, and ask whether the battery still holds charge.
Collecting it in Chicago
It needs a car boot rather than a bag, so agree somewhere you can actually stop for a few minutes. That is easier away from the centre than in it.
The L covers the city well and is how most small items move. For furniture, the alley behind the building is usually the practical loading point, and winter is a genuine obstacle — nobody wants to carry a couch through snow, so prices soften.
Selling your tools & DIY in Chicago free
Leases across much of the city turn over on common dates, which concentrates moving into a few weeks and floods the market at once. That is the best time to buy and the worst time to be selling something ordinary.
List every bit, blade, case and charger that is included, and say plainly what is missing. Be honest about a worn chuck, a tired battery or a repair, and make sure guards and safety fittings are in place before you hand anything over. Busiest through spring and summer, when outdoor and building work picks up.
Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.
Tools & DIY worth listing in Chicago
Same region (Illinois)
If nothing in Chicago suits, Joliet, New York and Los Angeles each have their own tools & DIY page, and a seller will often meet part of the way for something worth the trip.
More in Chicago: everything second hand in Chicago, or Tools & DIY across the United States.
Prices converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate; sellers set their own price.