Frequency counter: Old stuff goes by different names. I had a 3 band (AM/FM/SW) tube Blaupunkt radio that had then m the dial in wavelength, not frequency. Also kc and Mc for Kilocycles and Megacycles and cps before the "change". Within the past few years, I picked up a Keithley good to 100 MHz which was respectable in it's day. The pre-scaller option "/256" is missing. Some tact switches need to be replaced and i have them. I did dig it out because, I wanted to measure the oscillator frequency of a remote control I was building.
Otherwise, I can't remember the last ime I used a frequency counter - at work or otherwise.
I have an HP200C (One of HP's first products **broken link removed**) I have 4 scopes, 3 needing repairs. Two are tiny Tek CRT based 100 kHz scopes. One is a Kiksisui 100MHz and one is a 100 mHz DSO. I've upgraded from a "recurrent sweep" scope and an old Dumont that I had when I was in my teens. The military HP scope weighed 150 lbs. The recurrent sweep came from a warehouse cleanout and (Don't ever tell, the Dumont came from high school electronics instructor) The tiny scopes I'd love to get working. The Tek TDS340 is on borrowed time. It's calibration could die any day. It's stored in a Dallas chip with a built in battery. SO, plans are to replace the floppy with USB (Have parts) and to replace the Dallas chip "Have parts". The process is unsolder, read chip, transfer to another and install i a socket and hope for the best.
The point is, your needs change and so does life's responsibilities. Hobby time is few and far between for me and it more like work, I have an elderly mother in a wheelchair.
My long-term focus is to rebuild a few antique radios. I have the FM tuner carcus from a 1950's Magnavox that I want to restore someday. The radio is AM/SW. I did focus on high power amplifier repairs. So, I have to "collect" equipment to do antique tuners,
A shorter focus is a design I want to sell on ebay for a remote control. The real remote sells for about $150 when available. The effort is slightly beyond reach because of old technology.
So, yea, I have some broken test equipment that was acquired cheap and mostly working, some in an unknown condition because it hasn't been unboxed. I did use the 5 digit DVM once. I finally acquired an AC/DC current clamp (checked out) and a differential isolation amplifier (Not checked out). I have a few pieces of stuff that need minor repairs: A voltage source works without the IEEE-488 board connected, A dead current source (have parts), A zero resistance ammeter (Fixed), an autoranging ZRA ( fixed for $5.00), frequency counter (could try to add a /256 prescaler, need to replace some switches), Two 5 digit DVM's (Work), One system DVM (Calibration issues- NVRAM?), IR thermometer, Multi-type TC thermometer, transistor checker, RF voltmeter (unknown), AM/FM Stereo signal generator (Unknown condition), Differential isolation amplifier (unknown condition), Scopes (as above), Home built variac/isolation transformer, Phillips frequency generator (Unknown condition), handheld frequency generator, Tube testers (one highly coveted), One idea sure test, Two handhled DVM's, insulation tester, a time domain reflectometer, telco/ethernet wire mappers.
Some repairs will require breaking out the relatively new solder/rework station which is always a worthwhile investment.
Lately, I've been doing a fair amount of mechanical stuff. The conversion to digital TV was a royal pain. Car troubles. Drainage system design/build, stucco. Every time something happens, you have to respond to it and then something else happens. My health gets in the way too. Physical/mental abilities primarily vary with the "weather".
I like keeping old stuff running if I can and usually it ends up better than before.