Used Equipment: Vetting Value
He adds that a few photos taken before things are disconnected, plus a small label maker, can make a big difference in that department.
Another thing a photo can show is the hour meter, says O’Connor.
“Once you have that, you can call the factory and find out what are the things that go out on that particular model and the cost of replacement parts,” he says. “If the spindle life is 2,000 hours and the machine has 1,800 hours on it, you’d better figure on including the cost of a new spindle in your purchase price.”
If the manufacturer isn’t that cooperative, Kruschke says perhaps the company will at least provide the names and phone numbers of some other shops that run the same machine. You can then call them and pick their brains regarding how the machine operates and particular problem areas.
One thing photos may not reveal is whether a particular machine suffered structural damage when it was disassembled.
“You’d like to think that nothing dropped and hit the floor,” says Jackson. “Structural damage is one of the most-difficult things to get past.”
Salem’s Spears offers a specific example of just such a problem. The company was called to take back a piece of equipment sold by its glass division to an owner who shut his doors and walked away from his business.
“The landlord needed the building to be emptied, so he hired a rigger to come and hook onto the piece of equipment and drag it outside,” Spears relates. “We disassembled it and brought it back here, and that’s when we found breakage to several parts that wouldn’t have broken if the machine had been handled properly.”
EXTRA, EXTRA
Then there are the extras – not all of them options – which a new machine will come with, and that may or may not be included in the sale if you’re buying used.
“You need to ask, ‘What are the extras you’re getting with the machine, and are all the parts there?’” says O’Connor. “For instance, if it’s a CNC machine that uses vacuum pods, but it comes with none of them, that’s a problem. Or, how many tool holders does it have? If there are 10 and you need 12 just to start it, that can add up.
“Many machines require specialized wrenches. You can pay $80-$100 for a wrench and you may need four or five of them. Those costs add up.”
He adds that other niceties, such as calipers, indicators and a tool-height gauge typically aren’t stored with the machine, and may become separated from it in a hasty sale conducted by someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.