Buying used machinery

[Jon Endres]

I've been given a lead on a widow who is looking to sell all of her late husband's woodworking machinery. From the description I was given, it's all over the place in terms of quality, age and condition. The guy was a contractor and builder so I suspect the equipment is pretty well used. Where should I start in terms of making an offer for buying any of it? Any discussions on this topic that I've been able to find, say that 50% of the new price is a good starting point - but what about an old drill press or table saw, for example, that's 50 or 70 years old? How about a cyclone dust collector that I'd have to completely disassemble and remove myself? Or a brand new machine that might have less than 20 hours of use on it?

I've bought used machines before but it's always been something at auction or with a tag on it. This is a new experience for me. I should also add that there is nothing I absolutely need to have. Any machine I buy would be an upgrade to a current machine. I'm looking for a good 15" heavy planer, the aforementioned cyclone DC and a 6x48 belt sander. This guy apparently had all three.

[Harold Weaver]

One thing to keep in mind especially with "estate" type situations is that they are sometimes looking to unload the whole lot to a single buyer vs machine by machine. Just something to keep in mind. I have never bought a new machine, I prefer the USA made stuff and age is of no consequence to me. But, not everyone has the same idea. If they are plug and play machines though, it's a better buy. Price can vary significantly based on condition, type of machine, and your need. I generally keep my offers on the low side and work my way up. My rule is if it is a machine made in the Far East, I won't even make an offer on it. They can be had new for not much more than some want for used. Just not worth it to me.

There is no set formula to this. Inspect the machines very carefully for broken parts etc and make your offers based on what you see in the machine. But, remember this, in a situation like this with a deceased loved one, chances are they may think the items are worth more than they really are because it belonged to her husband. Don't be afraid to walk away.

[Matt Day]

Unfortunately, it all depends. Condition, age, make/manufacturer, desirability, etc. And in this case you might have emotional attachment that could skew pricing, or the opposite where the widow just wants it ALL gone. If it were me, I'd be prepared to buy it all and resell, but I enjoy that kind of thing.
A thread like this was active a few months ago, so do a search and you'll find some more info.

[Dick Strauss]

Harold has a lot of good insight in his note.

Sometimes the older stuff is better than new, even with 50 years of wear. Also watch out for 3-phase equipment that may have been at a commercial shop and are now at home once the shop was closed. Look at the plugs to help identify possibly 3-phase equipment.

[Harry Holzke]

About 6 months ago, I went out to look at a Unisaw listed on Craigslist that was a part of a whole shop for sale. I liked the saw but the guy wanted to sell everything together as he was moving out of the country. Everything had been stored in a huge spec house he never completed and as a result, everything had a pretty good rust patina. I spent about an hour going through and turning things on and decided to take the leap although I didnt need everything and thought I would just re-sell what I didnt want. All machines were from about 1998.

Delta Unisaw, Delta 14" bandsaw, Delta shaper, drill press, Delta 6" jointer, Jet 15" planer, Safety Speed SR5 panel saw/ router combo, Jet air filter, Delta dust collector, Delta bench top grinder, a bunch of accessories for all this stuff and a pile of materials too long to list. $3500

Hope this helps you.

[David Kumm]

Widow deals are tough as guilt usually over rides my judgement. I'd go look at stuff and then go home and research and think about what makes sense and then get back to her. I'm not into lowballing the bereaved but buying stuff you don't really want doesn't make sense either. I'd not make an offer unless there is something I really wanted and then I'd pay a fair price based on my research. Dave

[Myk Rian]

Old 14" drill presses - approx $100-$150
Old right tilt table saws - approx $250-$400
Old 14" band saws - approx $100-$200

These are assuming the machines need some upkeep and restoration, and may reflect what YOU might get for them upon resale.

[Frank Drew]

Not machinery related, but there was an interesting thread on here some years ago from a fellow who went to look at some lumber a widow was selling; she didn't know what it was but she told our poster that it was many decades since her late husband had bought it. Turns out it was some fabulous rosewood (Brazilian? East Indian?), in good condition, and our guy knew it was worth a great deal more than the peanuts that the widow was asking. He got in touch with a buyer from the Martin guitar company and found out how much they'd pay for it (a lot, since the thickness and quality was no longer available and hadn't been for a long time), so he bought it from the widow, insisting that she take quite a bit more than she'd been asking (many multiples more), made some money when he sold it to Martin, who were thrilled to get it, and everyone went home happy.

[Steve Mellott]

I've had to do this and have a couple thoughts. First, you should ask how quickly she wants to sell the items. For example, if she wants to sell everything over a 1-2 day sale, you may need to price the items lower than if she wants top dollar and is willing to show the items individually to various strangers over a period of several months. Second, pricing can vary significantly from one geographic location to another. Personally, I don't think the "50% rule" applies in a lot of cases. I think the best strategy is to check Craig's list or other internet sites to see the pricing for similar tools (if you can find any). You may want to print the internet listings so you can explain how you came up with your suggested prices. If the tools are older, they may have lost significant value because of recent improvements in dust collection, safety, or overall quality (e.g. old Craftsman radial arm saws.) In some cases, you may need to bundle tools together to sell them as a package or even donate some to a charity such as Habitat for Humanity. Good luck.

[Mike Cutler]

Jon

Unfortunately, there is no standard answer. 50% is a good rule of thumb, but there are some machines that are more desirable than others.
One thing to remember is that it is you that is entertaining all of the risk. None of these machine comes with a warranty, you can't return them and may not be able to get certain parts for them.
If the machines are all in working order, have all of the accessories they were sold with, the manuals, and any additional accessories and or jigs that fit them properly than they have more value. I'd ask her what she wants for specific items, and then ask the price for the whole lot. It would really help if you had a list of the machines.

I've only bought two "used" machines. A Delta Shaper and 16" Jointer.
The Shaper came with every OEM item, the manual, was in working order, and had extra cutter heads with it. I gave the guy selling it, what he asked for it.I'd been looking for one for a couple of years, and knew that finding one with all of the parts, and working properly, was not easy.
The Jointer is a "project", but it too came with all of the parts and "worked" the day I bought it, which is not bad for a 100 year old jointer, but it definitely needs some work.
The cutter head replacement itself might cost me a grand, and any machine work to the tables will be costly. I could haul the jointer to the metal salvage yard and get most of my $$$ back just in scrap weight.
As far as I can tell, I've only found two other examples of a working Kane and Roach Jointer, both smaller than mine. So I'm going to restore it simply for the "uniqueness" of it.

You really need to itemize what is in the estate sale if at all possible.