On the list of indispensable woodworking tools, power saws are at the top. Without them, there isn’t much that you can do, just saw away with handsaws until your arm falls off. But, as seasoned woodworkers know, choosing the right power saw can be an uphill ordeal, especially when you’re shopping used saws to save money. In this article, we look at the basic considerations for buying the right used saw for your business, beginning with your production needs and workspace.
1. Production Needs
Woodworking businesses generally go through three phases of power saw buying: buying handheld models, buying commercial grade stationary models, and if they grow large enough, buying industrial grade stationary models. When woodworkers start out as a one-person woodshop, handheld models usually efficient enough to meet their production rate. But, as their client list grows, a rise in production can justify upgrading to commercial grade stationary models; and if their business really booms, one or more commercial grade models could be a necessity. The key, of course, is to being about where your production rate stands today and where it projects to stand a year from now. While under-buying in terms of production capacity could throw a wrench in your gears, overbuying could simply be a waste of money, and space.
2. Workspace Considerations
With the exception of woodworkers that prize the intimacy and control that a woodshop offers, most woodworkers are interested in taking their woodwork to the highest level. But, in their zeal to get there, they often invent in industrial grade machinery before they invest in a commercial grade workplace, ideally a warehouse setting. If you run a large woodshop, chances are that it could accommodate a few industrial machines. But, if you buy a few industrial machines, you’ll probably soon need all industrial machines. If so, prioritize your company’s future by first investing in the thing that ultimately facilitates it: a larger workspace.
Tips for Buying Power Saws Used
Regardless of which type of saw you need, following four time-tested tips for buying used woodworking machinery should lead you to models that offer new machine quality at a used machine prices. The four tips for buying reliable used machines are: (a) only shop with professional sellers of used woodworking machinery, as amateur sellers seldom perform proper equipment evaluations; (b) inspect a seller’s record at the Better Business Bureau, avoiding those that have unresolved customer complaints on their record; (c) request a copy of a saw’s official maintenance record, avoiding those that haven’t been properly serviced at some point; and (d) inspect a saw in person to assess its general state of wear, or have someone knowledgeable of woodworking machinery perform the inspection for you.
