Re: Tough times in the Motor City = Deals on used equipment (slightl y off topic)

Brad,

I was at an auction in the Seattle area couple weeks ago and saw
prices almost as low. The auctioneer told me it was more a
reflection of the overall degree of automation in the shop than hard
times. In other words, if CNC machines had been in the auction high
rollers would have shown up.

Sure makes you want to stock up on machines, huh?

Doug

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "Heuver, Brad (B.R.)" <bheuver@f...>
wrote:

> I was just at a gear maunfacturing co.'s going out of business

auction. It seems that I set up my home shop about 5 years too soon,
as the prices now are about 1/2 of what they were then.

> Good manual Bridgeports, vari speed 1 1/2 hp head machines, with

powerfeeds sold for (all US $) $1000, and $750. A round ram machine
only brought $125. A Monarch EE 10"x20" lathe (complete with all
tooling!) went for $750, and a Cinci-tray top of a similar size
couldn't get a bid at $100. Neither could a 10" universal ID/OD
Brown and Sharpe cylindrical grinder. Suprisingly, an old 9" south
bend model A went for $125, with 1/16" wear grooves in the ways.

> Delta floor standing 17" drill presses (3 phase) sold for $25

each. I picked up 3 diamond grinding wheels for $10 total.

> 6" x 12" surface grinders were all selling for $100-300 each, most

with magnetic chucks.

> If my shop was not so full that its more like a storage barn

than a functional shop, and my promise to my lovely wife that I would
not get three of anything, (I have two of most things already...) I
would have a new lathe, mill, cylindrical grinder, high-lo, and
enough tooling to keep me sorting through it for months.

> Thanks for listening, I just had to express my disbelief at

the going rate for used iron in Detroit. Most of the stuff was in
better shape than my machines, and selling for less! (maybe not if I
consider the riggers fee's...)

>
> Brad Heuver