The sale of woodworking equipment falls into two categories—new sales and used sales. Here, the focus is on the latter, as woodworkers typically have more questions about used equipment than they do about new equipment.
As the economy forces woodworkers to revise their finances, interest in pre-owned woodworking machinery is growing, and so are the options for buying it. When they shop for pre-owned machinery, woodworkers are presented with three buying options:
• Buy from an amateur
• Buy from an auction
• Buy from a professional
Amateur sellers can be found on auction websites like eBay, and catchall websites like Craigslist. Often, these sellers find an attractive piece of equipment at an auction or company liquidation sale, and attempt to “flip” it for a profit. Although the price can be good, buying from an amateur brings the risk of buying a machine that has not been inspected, and may not have all of its papers. Unless you are familiar with the machine and know how to inspect it, you should avoid buying equipment from a non-qualified seller.
Buying woodworking equipment from an auction can be like buying it from a non-qualified seller, especially if the machine lacks a maintenance record, it is unknown how its former owner used the equipment, and you cannot put it through a test run. Buying from auctions can result in good deals, but if a machine is an integral cog in the wheel of your business, the best option is to get a highly reliable machine. On the auction floor, mechanical reliability is difficult to judge.
Companies that sell woodworking equipment often have higher prices than amateur sellers, or final prices at machine auctions, but for good reason. Thoroughly inspecting a machine, testing it, and reconditioning it requires time and money. Unless you plan to perform these actions yourself, it is worth your while to pay a little extra for a company to do it.
What Type of Equipment Should You Buy Used?
Most woodworkers want used equipment that offers great reliability and performance for years to come—benefits that only industrial machinery can deliver with regularity. Hobby grade and mid grade machines can offer fine performance, but their lifespan is far shorter than industrial equipment, and they are not designed to withstand strenuous use.
If you need a hobby grade or mid grade product, buying it new is the best option, but if you need an industrial product, buying it used can save you thirty percent or more off the original price without sacrificing reliability or performance. Due to its excellent resale value, industrial machinery is also easier to find in used condition than hobby grade or mid grade machinery.
RT Machine Carries Used Machinery
Buying used woodworking equipment is a great way to extend your budget without compromising on the reliability or performance of the machine you need, but you have to be careful from whom you buy.
At RT Machine, we sell woodworking equipment that is inspected and reconditioned prior to being resold. Instead of taking a risk by purchasing a machine from an amateur or at an auction, let us sell you a machine you can count on from day one. To learn more about our machinery and services, call us today.
