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.