I think I'm going to need to replace my Sears table saw soon and I've
had there have been several occasions where a band saw would be
useful also.
I'd like a more useful table saw (better rip fence & more sturdy / less top
heavy).
A contractor style saw would probably best suite my needs, as would a 14" or
so
band saw.
I'm considering buying decent used ones, if I can find them instead of
waiting
for the cash to buy good equipment.
What should I look (out) for when buying used equipment?
Are there any band saws whose blades are difficult to find?
What should I expect to pay (save), compared to new, assuming good
condition?
Know any good sources of used equip in southwestern PA? ;)
Have a great New Year All,
ThankX,
Ron
Ron wrote:
>What should I look (out) for when buying used equipment?
This by itself could take days to answer. A quick "in 'n
out" answer would be:
No cracks in any of the castings.
No missing or broken parts.
Nothing worn to the point of replacement.
No binding in the workings.
Dirty/rusty/bad paint isn't anything to be annoyed by unless
it contributes to the performance.
Actually used machines can be a deal even with some of the
violations above. "Some people" would even say that buying
and rehabilitating used machines is as much fun as
wooddorking in the shop. Some machines only require some
cleaning and they are performing like new again. Others
will require multiple hours and days of disassembly,
cleaning and re-painting before they are fit but once done
you really have a machine that's in the same condition as it
was when sold. Life don't get no better than that.
>Are there any band saws whose blades are difficult to find?
No. Band saw blades (and sanding belts) can be gotten
custom made. Now, if you are wanting to pop down to
Woodcraft/Rock-a-lars/Sears/Ace/Home Depot/Lowes to buy your
blades then stay with something that will take a
93 1/2" blade (Delta and the Delta clones).
>What should I expect to pay (save), compared to new, assuming good
>condition?
Once upon a time I sat and actually dumped all this
information into a spreadsheet like "What I Paid (1)", "What
I Shoulda Paid (2)", What It Woulda Cost New (3)". I'll
spare you the complete outcome but there was a healthy
spread amongst what I had at that time. Some I paid 20% of
new and some I paid 75% of new. It's all dependent on
condition and the seller. Some sellers are under the
impression that machines stored in salt water are very
valuable because "they don't make them that way anymore"
while others don't have a clue. The rest are strung out in
between.
>Know any good sources of used equip in southwestern PA? ;)
Oh God! Are you serious? You can't swing a dead cat on
eBay without hitting a seller from Pee A. There are two
sellers located just off the ACE but I'm sworn to super
secrecy and all.
If you are serious about buying used (vintage) machines you
might want to visit the OWWM and maybe sign up for the
forum.
http://owwm.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/oldwwmachines
>Have a great New Year All,
So far so good.
(1) $7,000
(2) $12,000-$14,000
(3) $20,000
UA100
Iturra Designs Winter 2003 Bandsaw Catalog has pages 87-90 of all text (
52 lines a page) devoted to advice on the subject "Purchasing a Used
Bandsaw." The catalog is free.
Unfortunately, they do not have a web presence; I'd offer their catalog
on a website were it not copyright, it's that good.
Iturra's toll free number: 888-722-7078
Ron wrote:
> I think I'm going to need to replace my Sears table saw soon and I've
> had there have been several occasions where a band saw would be
> useful also.
>
> I'd like a more useful table saw (better rip fence & more sturdy / less top
> heavy).
> A contractor style saw would probably best suite my needs, as would a 14" or
> so
> band saw.
>
> I'm considering buying decent used ones, if I can find them instead of
> waiting
> for the cash to buy good equipment.
>
> What should I look (out) for when buying used equipment?
> Are there any band saws whose blades are difficult to find?
> What should I expect to pay (save), compared to new, assuming good
> condition?
>
> Know any good sources of used equip in southwestern PA? ;)
>
>
> Have a great New Year All,
>
> ThankX,
> Ron
>
>
Unisaw A100 wrote...
> Once upon a time I sat and actually dumped all this
> information into a spreadsheet like "What I Paid (1)", "What
> I Shoulda Paid (2)", What It Woulda Cost New (3)".
...
>
> (1) $7,000
> (2) $12,000-$14,000
> (3) $20,000
Damn. I've done better than I thought.
HAPPY NEW YEAR, indeed!
Jim