How to sell tools and power equipment online (garage and workshop cleanout)
Tools are one of the few used-goods categories with a real shipping wrinkle — lithium batteries — and a resale-value story that runs on battery platforms more than on the brand name alone. Here’s where to actually sell, what you can safely ship, and what holds value once the garage or workshop gets cleared out.
Last updated October 2026
What's the best way to sell used tools and power equipment online?
It depends on how much time you want to spend versus how much you want to net. Cash-for-tools buyback sites and pawn shops pay fast and skip photography and shipping entirely, but they’re buying to resell at a markup, so the payout is reliably below what the same tool fetches from a buyer who found it in a normal listing. Listing it yourself on eBay or Facebook Marketplace nets more but takes longer per item. A practical split: sell small, easy-to-ship tools yourself for the better price, and reserve a buyback service for bulk lots or items you genuinely don’t have time to list — not as the default for everything in the garage.
Can you ship a cordless power tool with its battery still in it?
Usually, yes, but it isn’t treated like an ordinary package. eBay’s own Seller Center guidance warns that almost any rechargeable device, power tools included, contains lithium batteries and may require a hazardous-materials declaration when shipped. A 2022 USPS rule specifically covers used, damaged, or defective electronics containing or packed with lithium batteries: the package must be marked “Restricted Electronic Device” along with a surface-only statement, meaning it can go by truck or rail but never by air. New and manufacturer-refurbished devices are exempt. Leaving the battery installed in the tool (rather than shipping it loose) is the simplest way to stay compliant, and taping over any exposed terminals is standard practice either way.
Is there a battery size limit for shipping a cordless tool?
Yes — U.S. DOT hazmat rules (49 CFR 173.185) draw the line at 100 watt-hours (Wh), a figure usually printed on the battery’s own label alongside its amp-hour and voltage rating. Packs at or under 100 Wh, which covers the vast majority of consumer cordless tool batteries, qualify for simplified handling. Above that limit the shipping rules get stricter, and FedEx’s guide treats lithium-ion batteries over 300 Wh as fully regulated Class 9 hazardous material, which needs special packaging and paperwork most casual sellers can’t provide. FedEx’s own lithium-battery shipping guide adds a separate cap when a battery ships installed in or packed with its equipment: no more than the number of cells needed to run the tool, plus two spares, in a single package.
Should you sell the battery and charger with the tool, or list them separately?
Consider both. Major cordless brands (DeWalt’s 20V MAX, Milwaukee’s M18, Ryobi’s ONE+, and others) run dozens of different tools off one shared battery platform, so a lot of buyers already own batteries and chargers and are specifically searching for a “tool only, no battery” listing — often at a lower price than a full kit, which is exactly what they want. If you have spare batteries or chargers from tools you’ve already sold, listing them on their own can net more combined than bundling everything with one tool. Either way, disclose a battery’s age and whether it still holds a full charge — unlike the tool itself, a lithium battery’s capacity degrades with use and buyers factor that into what they’ll pay.
What tools and equipment actually hold resale value?
Recognized brands on a battery platform that’s still actively sold and supported hold value best, because a buyer is really paying for a spot in that ecosystem, not just the one tool. Generic or discontinued cordless brands sell for little, even in great condition, once replacement batteries stop being made. Corded tools tend to hold steadier, if more modest, value than cordless ones simply because there’s no battery to degrade or go obsolete. Large stationary equipment — table saws, air compressors, generators — can be worth real money but is a local-pickup sale almost by default; shipping cost and weight make mailing it impractical for anything over roughly 50–70 lbs.
How do you price a used power tool, and what can't you list?
Price from eBay’s own sold listings for the same model number, matched on completeness — our guide to checking eBay sold prices covers the exact filter steps — because a bare tool, a tool with its original case, and a full kit with battery and charger routinely sell at three different price points for the identical tool. For what you can’t list: Meta’s official Marketplace safety guidance prohibits hazardous items and any product under an active recall, and a gas-powered tool shipped or sold with fuel or oil still in the tank is both a carrier hazmat violation and a real safety risk — drain it first and say so in the listing.
The short version
Sell small, easy-to-ship tools yourself rather than defaulting to a buyback service, but expect to ship cordless ones ground-only, and know that most consumer tool batteries stay under the simpler 100 Wh handling tier anyway. Decide whether to bundle the battery and charger or list them on their own, disclose battery age either way, and price from matched sold comps rather than the tool’s original retail price. For heavy stationary equipment, plan on local pickup from the start — see our broader guide to shipping used items without losing your profit for the general carrier and box rules this page builds on, and our guide to avoiding scams before meeting a local buyer for something expensive. Reclaim handles the rest from one photo: identifying the tool, pricing it from real-time eBay sold data, and publishing the listing to eBay and Facebook Marketplace under your own accounts. For everything else, see our full library of selling guides.
Clear the workshop and get paid for it.
Free to download. Highly rated on the App Store.
Check your item’s value