Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Used mills [John S.]

"John H." wrote:

> First: www.gandmtools.com <-- Quite possibly THE worst run site you'll find.
>
> Hi John,
>
> I read your recent post about not looking on places like ebay for used
> machinery and how it's actually easier to find cheaper stuff over here.
> Since then I've had a look around on places specifically selling things like
> gear taken from shut downs etc. I've read my free sample issue of Machinery
> Mart also [Wonders how many free samples is enough]. I'm not kidding you at
> all, every single vertical mill I saw was over the 2k mark, even really
> beaten up old manual BP's and worse. So now I realise I must be looking in
> the wrong place for sure as you said.
>
> You mentioned that you had bought BP's and the likes for far less than
> 1k and that to find them a bit of phoning around was necessary. I'd like to
> know what sort of places you would call to find them. I've been looking out
> for places I think might have something going and yet have only thought of
> one place which _might_ and that is the very small jig and machine buisness
> down the road from me. I'm asking one place about local machinery auctions
> but could you give me an example of a places you might call when you're
> looking for these mills and lathes?

One way is to poke around shops and talk to the manager/foreman. Many
shops have a couple old machines that are not being used. Some are
due to slowdown, some due to requiring repairs, some kept for backup
or spare parts when a (new) CNC machine came in, etc. Eventually,
they get rid of these machines. If you can find someone that has a machine
in this kind of limbo, and let it be known that you'd pay cash on the spot
whenever they decide to get rid of it, and maybe stick a business card
into a crevice so that it is pretty obvious, you can get a call back.
Sometimes, they are in a bind, like "There's a new CNC machine on
a truck, and we need this old machine out of here in 3 hours". If you
can be there in time, you might be able to get the machine for $50.
(Pounds for you, but I don't remember the code to make that currency
symbol.)

These are the tricks the machinery brokers use to get old machines for
next to nothing, and you need to use the same tricks to beat them at their
game. there are a LOT of machines out there, but if you wait until they
are advertised, you pay a higher price.

Jon