Rockwell BS & Parks 15" Planer - Value?

[Gary Stamper]

I'm going to look at a Rockwell bandsaw this weekend. The guy says he thinks it's about a 15" saw. It has a 2 speed gear box. He also has a Parks 15" planer with a 5 hp motor on it. He said both items were purchased new by his father and were used very little. Also they have not been run in about 15 years. He has had an ad in the paper for about 3 weeks on the bandsaw. The $850.00 price may have scared most people off.

I was wondering what a good price for each of these items would be. I may make an offer on both if they look decent. Thanks for any help.

Gary Stamper

[John Weber]

Gary,

Not sure exactly. The Bandsaw is likely a 14". If it's a true wood/metal saw then it would have a gear box and a step pulley for about 8 speeds total. They are nice and in good conditon it is a great saw. After sitting so long, you may need to check wheel tires, motor, and rust, make sure everything works smoothly. A new top of line 14" Delta bandsaw sells for around $900 with a fence. I don't think the wood/metal saw is sold any longer. They can bring more used, but depending on condition top dollar for a wood/metal saw might be in the $650 range in very good conditon. After sitting so long the saw you are looking at would be closer to $350 (all depends on condition).

I'm not sure Parks made a 15" planer, my guess is it's 12". They were made in Cincinnati and great little planers. Some parts are still available if you do some research. I think they typically sell for under $500 (which I think is a good buy). Again condition is the key, however the planer will be more heavily deducted for missing parts.

If your seller is asking $850 for the pair, his might be on target. However with used tools, the cheaper you can get them the better. Restoration is fun and enjoyable, but can cost more then people think, especially when you want to completely restore a tool with original parts. Getting tools that work great is a lot less expensive then restoring them.

Good Luck - John

[Steve Stube]

Personally I'd much rather have the older Delta (wood and metal) saw than any saw Delta offers today in that size. If it is in very good condition then $850. is not too much in my opinion. I saw a used gearbox sell for $350.00 alone.

Here is a semi-recent sale of a Parks 12" planner on eBay. It sold for $650.00. Interesting also is the questions and answers in the auction.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=67229&item=3843330 114&rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW

This doesn't mean that you should not attempt to negotiate a GREAT deal for yourself, just be careful not to cut your own throat. That is if you appreciate good old iron.

Also, if you only need a wood cutting band saw the combination saw might be overkill. Delta 14" wood cutting saws sometimes go at bargain prices, for example. $207.50
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...843956309&rd=1

[Bob Aquino]

I agree with Johns assessment except that Delta still makes the wood-metal cutting model. It is well over a grand new. I had one of these saws, probably about a 50's vintage and I agree, in decent condition with all the parts it should bring somewhere around 300. As for the planer, from what I can find on oldwwmachines.com, they never made a 15" model so it is most likely a 12" machine. If the 850 is for both machines, I would say that may be on the high end of things considering that both have not been used for quite a while and may be a bit rusty...

[John Bush]

Hi Gary,
I have a Parks 12" 5hp planer. It's a great machine, very solid and with lots of power. It has a clutch mechanism that starts/stops the feed rollers. It's easy to adjust and I have the video done by Robert Vaughan(sp) demonstrating new blade placement and adjustment. Only downside is width, sometimes 15" would be nice. Not much to go wrong on the machine,but I would check the wear on the infeed roller. I,ve had to remill the edges to improve the grip of the roller. Good luck and let me know if you need the video info. John