Date Codes for Jet Machines

[Dick Strauss]

Does anyone know the date code system for Jet machines? I want to buy a used Jet 3 speed AFS-1000B but can't tell how old it is. I would prefer one that is not more than 3-5 years old so that I can get some life out of it. What date codes (serial numbers) should I be looking for something that is say 3 years old versus 6 years old?

Thanks in advance,
Dick

[Raymond Fries]

I bought mine a couple of years ago. There is a sticker on the top and the date is just above the serial number. 2012/01 is on mine. If that is missing, I bet you could get a date from Walter Meijer if you have the serial number.

Good Luck in your search.

[Tom Henderson2]

Is machine age really significant?

A 2-year old machine that has been heavily used may be in worse shape than a 20-year old machine that has been lightly used.

So look for condition rather than age...

My $0.02

-Tom in SoCal

[Keith Weber]

I agree with Tom. Condition is King, not age. I've picked up a lot of tools that were over a decade old, but were basically never used. I'd much rather have them, than a tool that's been used and abused around the clock by shift workers that was only a year or two old.

Inspect the tool the best you can, look for wear on the moving parts if you can see them (although, it hard to see much with an air filter), run it, and listen for unnatural noises and vibrations.

A lot can also be learned by paying attention to details. If I see an ad for something that I want, I look at the background in the pictures the seller posts. If the shop it's sitting in is full of neglected rusty junk, stuff piled on top of other stuff without consideration of damage to the stuff underneath, etc... you can probably safely assume that the owner has put the same amount of care into the tool he is trying to sell. In cases like that, I'll often just pass and wait for something else. If the shop is neat, well-organized, clean, and is obviously well-cared for, then that goes a long way in my purchase decision (especially when it might not be possible to fully-inspect something.)

The other big warning flags are the last-minute paint jobs. You see that a lot with old, used, metal-working machines. The seller will take a can of glossy, spray paint and paint a rusty, worn-out piece of junk in the hopes that it attracts buyers. They also manage to paint over the labels, the gauges, the wires, and even the pallet under the machine.

I recently drove a couple of hours to look at two-man, scissor lift advertised on Craigslist. The seller said it was in great shape, and sent me pictures that represented it as a nice, shiny, new-looking lift with a great price. The first thing I noticed when I got out of my truck at his house was the smell of fresh paint. The wooden deck was rotten from sitting outside, there were numerous broken welds all over the cage, a lot of damage from driving it into things (or driving things into it). It was leaking hydraulic fluid, the battery compartment was completely rusted out, and the tires were delaminating. It looked new in the low-res pics, and from across the street, but it was just an abused, busted-up piece of junk that I wouldn't have given him $500 for, let alone the $2500 he was asking for it.

Condition is king!

[Myk Rian]

Does anyone know the date code system for Jet machines? I want to buy a used Jet 3 speed AFS-1000B but can't tell how old it is. I would prefer one that is not more than 3-5 years old so that I can get some life out of it. What date codes (serial numbers) should I be looking for something that is say 3 years old versus 6 years old?

Thanks in advance,
Dick
3-5 years is old? Most of the machines in my shop are 50+ years old.
Buy decent machines that will last in the first place.

[Dick Strauss]

Raymond,
Thanks for your reply. The one that I was interested in didn't have a date code sticker like you mention.

Most of the responses here don't really address my original question. I've got a 60's PM61500 DP and a 70's PM66 TS so I'm in agreement about older tools usually being better (with the exception of 2000's Deltas that have no parts available). I'm willing to entertain other ideas but don't see anything availbale to me that will suit my needs. I'm in the Midwest and probably have better access to these older tools than most folks here. Can you tell me the name of air filter built before 1990 that is readily available, has 1 micron filters, and has a timer to continue cleaning while you go inside for dinner (rather than letting all the dust settle out on everything)? I know I can add a light timer on the outlet for $20...I can add a remote to the outlet for $40...I can retrofit a filter close to 1 micron ($?)...but that's not what I want.

If those that talk about older tools can direct me toward an older alternative, I thank you in advance!