Key Factors to Buying the Right Used Woodworking Equipment

Used woodworking equipment is typically purchased under one of two conditions: when person is beginning woodworking as a hobby or when a professional woodworker needs to upgrade his or her woodworking tools to industrial grade woodworking machinery. In either case, the decision to buy used woodworking equipment instead of new is usually based on cost savings. 

 

 

However, the cost value of used woodworking machines is based entirely on how well they perform and what needs they serve after you buy them, which means that you'll need to take some measures to ensure that you're buying a machine that will both suit your needs and perform according to your expectations. To these ends, the following is some valuable advice for purchasing used woodworking machinery.

Choosing the Right Seller

While both domestic grade and commercial grade woodworking machinery can be purchased at flea markets, auctions, from Craigslist and on eBay; if you depend on your machinery for your livelihood, you should only purchase used woodworking equipment from companies that specialize in selling it. 

In some cases, buying a used woodworking machine from one the above sources can result in getting a barely used machine at a new machine price. But it can also result in purchasing a machine that has several internal problems that its current owner might not be aware of, in which case a machine's low cost can be negated by the expensive repairs that eventually ensue.

Reconditioned or Not?

Some sellers of used woodworking machines will take decrepit machines and recondition them, meaning that just because a woodworking machine is over a decade old doesn't means that it's going to perform like it's a decade old. In most cases, sellers will be quick to point out a machine's reconditioned state. 

But you should always ask what parts of the machine have been reconditioned and what parts haven't. For example, a reconditioning of a machine's non-mechanical parts won't extend the machine's lifespan, while a machine with a fully reconditioned motor and other critical operating parts can essentially offer new machine dependability at a used machine price.

The Right Machine for the Job

The most understated tip for buying the right used woodworking equipment is a rather simple one: buy machinery that suits your needs and not machinery that over-anticipates your needs. For example, buying a $40,000 used CNC router doesn't make sense when your current output necessitates a lower capacity router that can be purchased used for around $10,000, and the same holds true for other types of industrial woodworking machinery. 

For professional woodworkers who are growing their private woodworking business, customer demand is the most reliable indicator of what machinery to purchase. While you might dream of one day operating a woodworking business that needs interstate shipping solutions, there's no reason to misspend your hard earned money until you actually get there.