In the current economy, many woodworkers are preserving their equipment budget by buying used machinery, which is causing the market for used woodworking equipment to flourish. For woodworkers, this means that inventories of pre-owned CNC equipment are experiencing high turnover. If you are interested in pre-owned routers that perform like new, now is a good time to shop. Because pre-owned routers, milling machines, and other types of CNC equipment are in high demand, woodworking companies, trade schools, and individuals are motivated to sell their equipment.
Considerations for Buying Used CNC Routers
With their rigid design and long lifespan, industrial CNC routers are highly reliable as pre-owned machines. Be sure to distinguish between used CNC routers that are worth your money, and ones that might not be, by asking the following questions:
Are you shopping with a professional seller?
There are two important differences between an amateur seller of used woodworking machinery and a professional seller—the latter is qualified to assess used woodworking machinery, and has a facility where used machinery is reconditioned prior to being resold. If you buy from an amateur seller, you might end up buying a mystery machine.
Does the seller demonstrate good customer service?
The best way to assess a seller’s customer service is to evaluate its references and check its record at the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Try to speak with at least six references. This will ensure that you contact references that are not at the top of the seller’s list. When evaluating a BBB record, do more than observe the letter grade. Read the file and see if it contains customer complaints.
Is the machine vastly under priced?
An inordinately low sale price is usually indicative of a sub par product. If the price of a router is so low that you cannot compare it to the prices of other routers in its class, the machine probably is not worth buying.
What does the machine’s maintenance record reveal?
A machine’s maintenance record is perhaps the greatest predictor of its future performance. Machines that have a spotless maintenance record rarely experience unforeseen breakdowns, while machines that have a spotty maintenance record experience more frequent problems.
Are you aware of the machine’s previous owner?
Knowing the identity of a machine’s previous owner can help you determine its true age. For example, a router owned by a woodworking business for eight years probably has heavier wear than a router that was owned by a trade school for ten years. Knowing the identity of a machine’s previous owner will help you assess its state of wear.
Call RT Machine for Your CNC Equipment Needs
At RT Machine, we sell a variety of new and used woodworking machines, including used CNC routers. We also perform machine location. Regardless of the machine you need, we can search for it in machine inventories worldwide, and have it shipped to your location when we find it.
Buying a new or used CNC machine is a major decision. Call RT Machine today to learn more about your options.
