second-hand quickdraws ok to use? (buyer's remorse...)

I recently bought quickdraws that were supposed to have been used only once. I would love to get your opinion on them! 

Is it possible that this wear and tear is caused by a single use?

Do you think they are still ok to use? At what point would you retire quickdraws?

Hard to tell from the pictures, but it looks like that is just the anodization wearing off.  If that is all it is, and there no gouges out of the metal, there is nothing to worry about.  Looks like they haven't been used much...

I would use them only as the hanger side or the gear side biner.

The second one looks a little deeper than anodization wearing off...

carabiners should be retired after 3 to 5 lead falls. the same holds true for ropes smaller than 10mm. I would have these inspected by a professional.

Peter Foster wrote:

carabiners should be retired after 3 to 5 lead falls. the same holds true for ropes smaller than 10mm. I would have these inspected by a professional.

I seriously hope you're joking.

It looks like these have been used on the bolt side of the draw. Probably best to continue using them on that side but you'll quickly find out how annoying it is to have notched biners when cleaning sport routes. Also, cause you said "quickdraws", I won't trust the used dogbones unless I really knew the seller. There's been some accidents of dogbone's breaking because they have been left in the sun for long periods of time.

Peter Foster wrote:

carabiners should be retired after 3 to 5 lead falls. the same holds true for ropes smaller than 10mm. I would have these inspected by a professional.

You are joking right? 

Where did you get that stat? Who told you that?

I am really curious where you got that idea? 

In reality, your metal components are good for thousands of load cycles. Your ropes are fine as long as they pass inspection for flat spots or exposed core. Thats regardless of diameters

dino74 wrote:

It looks like these have been used on the bolt side of the draw. Probably best to continue using them on that side but you'll quickly find out how annoying it is to have notched biners when cleaning sport routes. Also, cause you said "quickdraws", I won't trust the used dogbones unless I really knew the seller. There's been some accidents of dogbone's breaking because they have been left in the sun for long periods of time.

I agree these look like bolt-end biners, and look to me like they've been used more than once.

But why do you find notched biners annoying? How would you keep them from becoming notched anyway?

In my experience, sunbleached draws are pretty easy to recognize. 

But certainly best not to use second hand draws that you do not trust.

Mark E Dixon wrote:

But why do you find notched biners annoying? How would you keep them from becoming notched anyway?

Lol, I meant notched as in gate lock not the hanger grooves but I see how you could have read it that way.

Thanks guys!

They do have indentations and some have sharp edges as well. I definitely won't use them on the rope-end. The worst indentation is almost a millimeter deep, but the edges are raised so that increases the depth. The dogbones and the other biners looked fine but I do not know the seller at all. I'll inspect the dogbones again, anything but fraying that I need to look out for? I'll go show them to a professional to make sure! 

Just take the WHIP

dino74 wrote:

Lol, I meant notched as in gate lock not the hanger grooves but I see how you could have read it that way.

Oops! Reading comprehension fail on my part

Use once by a little old climber from Pasadena. I have quick draw biners that have been used a lot that do not have a grove in them like the last photo.

More than one use. Unless they whipped on every bolt of every route they did that one day. Still good

Peter Foster wrote:

carabiners should be retired after 3 to 5 lead falls. the same holds true for ropes smaller than 10mm. I would have these inspected by a professional.

I'll buy your retired carabiners and put another few hundred falls on them.

Marscha H wrote:

Thanks guys!

They do have indentations and some have sharp edges as well. I definitely won't use them on the rope-end. The worst indentation is almost a millimeter deep, but the edges are raised so that increases the depth. The dogbones and the other biners looked fine but I do not know the seller at all. I'll inspect the dogbones again, anything but fraying that I need to look out for? I'll go show them to a professional to make sure! 

If the biners all look like that (no pitting or sun fade), I personally would use them. Unless I personally know the seller, I’d retire the dogbones (or any soft good) and buy new ones

Definitely used a lot more than once, or as  I suspect used for something non-climbing.  All the biners have the same "wear" pattern.  If they were used for climbing once (one route or one day) the rope side biners should not have wear at all and as others have said it would take quite a whip on every hanger side biner to cause that kind of wear.

They're probably still fine though as they still look sound.  Just make sure there are no burs that could snag soft goods.

Peter Foster wrote:

carabiners should be retired after 3 to 5 lead falls. the same holds true for ropes smaller than 10mm. I would have these inspected by a professional.

First in line for all of Peter's "retired" ropes.

Personally I take a bit of sand paper or hand file (round) and smooth the hanger notches out. As long as minimal material is removed I consider them good as new. But then again I hate falling so...

I'd climb on them after replacing the dog bones

 MP GOLD.. I love to read the other side of the story!