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- Feb 1, 2018
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Hi everyone,
I have been getting asked all the time on " Rich I am finding machines to buy, but how can I figure if it's a good used machine and how to discover if the machine I want to look at is a good one?"
As many of you know, I am a professional Machine Rebuilder and have a lot of "tricks of the trade" I like to share. Next time your considering buying a used machine remember the old saying. "Don't assume anything, prove it". In my 50+ years of being a detective and being around a few good used machine dealers and several bad ones. Here are some simple things to look for.
If the machine is not connected and can be run be suspicious there is a reason the owner does not want to run it. Buying a machine and not running it is like buying a used car and not taking it for a test ride.
If you find a machine on Craigslist or Ebay that is on the other side of the country do not believe what is told to you. I have seen people buy a machine that way and many times they get screwed over. One friend I know who is no dummy and owns a multi-million dollar company bought a HBM from a small company in Ohio by only talking to the owner and seeing photo's via email. He sent me pictures and I told him to fly there and see the machine run or hire me or a local machinery rebuilder to go (fly for me) to inspect it. He didn't and said "the guy sounds honest". Bad mistake as I visited the fellow who is near Tulsa OK a few months later and saw the bargain he bought.
It had birds nests inside the electrical cabinet, a hand brushed over dirt paint job that was shinny in email pictures, The electrical pendant was held up with a bungee cord, the machine had to have been sitting in an unheated building for years as everything looked terrible.
He could have spent $300.00 for a coach ticket to fly up and look at it. He didn't and paid $12,500.00 for the machine, another $1000.00 to have riggers load it and $5000.00 to ship it to Oklahoma. He ended up scrapping it. So PLEASE do not buy anything with out looking at it first.
Another friend bought a Bridgeport Mill from a rebuilder who advertised it on another forum and my friend who again is no dummy trusted the guy he met in a forum who asked for a cahiers check and when my friend got in inside his shop and hooked it up...it rattled ...discovering the spindle bearings were in upside down. Horror stories because they were to cheap to go look at it buy paying $300.00 for a coach ticket. I am sure many can tell of how they got a deal and never had a problem, but do you want to take that chance?
If you can go and look at the machine, before turning it one and it has a good paint job look at the Allen screws and see if the paint covers dirt inside the hex wrench hole, look for back lash in the screws, try to slide a feeler gage in under the way wipers, open and smell inside the electrical cabinets. If it smells burnt, walk away.
On a lathe it is so simple to crank the saddle down to the tail stock end and take a flashlight and look at the gear rack. under the headstock the rack is new as it is never worn there and then look at the gear teeth down toward the middle where the saddle is used 90% of the time, if the teeth there are sharp and worn open, walk away. Or be aware the machine is worn a lot. Look if the machine or shop is clean, if the machine is a mess and the area around it is....think about the used car again....want to buy a car that is dirty and full of trash? I will add some more info later and hope others will contribute so everyone can benefit from our experience. Have a great weekend. Rich
I have been getting asked all the time on " Rich I am finding machines to buy, but how can I figure if it's a good used machine and how to discover if the machine I want to look at is a good one?"
As many of you know, I am a professional Machine Rebuilder and have a lot of "tricks of the trade" I like to share. Next time your considering buying a used machine remember the old saying. "Don't assume anything, prove it". In my 50+ years of being a detective and being around a few good used machine dealers and several bad ones. Here are some simple things to look for.
If the machine is not connected and can be run be suspicious there is a reason the owner does not want to run it. Buying a machine and not running it is like buying a used car and not taking it for a test ride.
If you find a machine on Craigslist or Ebay that is on the other side of the country do not believe what is told to you. I have seen people buy a machine that way and many times they get screwed over. One friend I know who is no dummy and owns a multi-million dollar company bought a HBM from a small company in Ohio by only talking to the owner and seeing photo's via email. He sent me pictures and I told him to fly there and see the machine run or hire me or a local machinery rebuilder to go (fly for me) to inspect it. He didn't and said "the guy sounds honest". Bad mistake as I visited the fellow who is near Tulsa OK a few months later and saw the bargain he bought.
It had birds nests inside the electrical cabinet, a hand brushed over dirt paint job that was shinny in email pictures, The electrical pendant was held up with a bungee cord, the machine had to have been sitting in an unheated building for years as everything looked terrible.
He could have spent $300.00 for a coach ticket to fly up and look at it. He didn't and paid $12,500.00 for the machine, another $1000.00 to have riggers load it and $5000.00 to ship it to Oklahoma. He ended up scrapping it. So PLEASE do not buy anything with out looking at it first.
Another friend bought a Bridgeport Mill from a rebuilder who advertised it on another forum and my friend who again is no dummy trusted the guy he met in a forum who asked for a cahiers check and when my friend got in inside his shop and hooked it up...it rattled ...discovering the spindle bearings were in upside down. Horror stories because they were to cheap to go look at it buy paying $300.00 for a coach ticket. I am sure many can tell of how they got a deal and never had a problem, but do you want to take that chance?
If you can go and look at the machine, before turning it one and it has a good paint job look at the Allen screws and see if the paint covers dirt inside the hex wrench hole, look for back lash in the screws, try to slide a feeler gage in under the way wipers, open and smell inside the electrical cabinets. If it smells burnt, walk away.
On a lathe it is so simple to crank the saddle down to the tail stock end and take a flashlight and look at the gear rack. under the headstock the rack is new as it is never worn there and then look at the gear teeth down toward the middle where the saddle is used 90% of the time, if the teeth there are sharp and worn open, walk away. Or be aware the machine is worn a lot. Look if the machine or shop is clean, if the machine is a mess and the area around it is....think about the used car again....want to buy a car that is dirty and full of trash? I will add some more info later and hope others will contribute so everyone can benefit from our experience. Have a great weekend. Rich
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