Buying machines at industrial auction sites

[Howard Pollack]

Has anyone bought machinery at industrial auction sites? Many interesting machines come up at reasonable prices, but I don't know how to figure out if they are in proper condition. I'd welcome any thoughts. Thanks.
-Howard

[Martin Wasner]

I've bought quite a few things that way. There's usually an inspection day, sometimes I roll the dice and don't go, but bid on something anyways. If it looks rough, it probably is. Most everything is repairable too.

I have not bought anything large on an auction and had it shipped. I don't bother looking at stuff that is more than a days drive.

[Matt Day]

As Martin said its nice to be able to inspect but sometimes there are plenty of pictures to give you a good idea of condition. I would assume that every machine will need some work. And most are 3 phase.

[Joe Jensen]

I bought an SCMI jointer (Branded Rockwell) that was in rough shape but I planned to strip and rebuild so that was fine. I had to negotiate to have it put on a pallet and shipped. The shipper would only deliver to a dock so I had to have it held at the terminal and then pick it up myself. In the end I got a great deal but it was some work and hassle.

[Doug McKay]

Pay attention to whats in the pictures, ask for more if serious. Auction machines can be missing important things like guards, blade inserts, miter gauges, side covers, fences, etc. On a some vintage machine the replacement parts just can't be found.

[Erik Loza]

Pay attention to whats in the pictures, ask for more if serious. Auction machines can be missing important things like guards, blade inserts, miter gauges, side covers, fences, etc. On a some vintage machine the replacement parts just can't be found.


This ^^^....

I will add, though, that most of the time, the seller probably knows nothing about the machine. They probably won't take time to answer questions. "This is what you are bidding on; consult the manufacturer with any questions.". They're an auction house, not a machinery manufacturer or rep. I've talked to guys who got great deals but also talked to guys who ended up with nightmares. You really need to know what you are looking at in order to have a positive experience with this type of sale.

Erik

[David Kumm]

Buying from auctions is not for the first time buyer or someone afraid of machining new parts. The prices need to be low because there are premiums, rigging fees, and freight charges. You can get really lucky or have a partial parts machine. For someone not good with rehabbing old stuff, a reputable dealer or a seller you can talk to and feel warm and fuzzy with are a better option. If you are a good machine guy, there are some real deals out there at auction but usually the heavy commercial stuff, not the hobby Delta type stuff. Dave

[Wayne Lomman]

I have a shop full of machines bought at auction. With every one I had a look on site, researched the new price, set my maximum bid in my head, and went for it. Also works to talk to the auctioneer afterwards as you can get good deals on items passed in.

Also in a previous job I had to organise freight for the heavy (20 tonnes plus) machining centres the boss bought. It was a logistic nightmare organising loading on site and oversize road transport anywhere up to 2000km away not to mention sea freight to Tasmania. Heaps easy if you pick up yourself. Cheers

[Mike Hollingsworth]

Watch out for auctions that are "moved to site for convenience of sale". These are usually the leftovers from on site auctions. Usually broken stuff.
I used to go to bankruptcy auctions. Guy comes into a business, asks everybody to stand up, gather their belongings and leave. Items are left where they functioned.

[Martin Wasner]

Watch out for auctions that are "moved to site for convenience of sale". These are usually the leftovers from on site auctions. Usually broken stuff.
I used to go to bankruptcy auctions. Guy comes into a business, asks everybody to stand up, gather their belongings and leave. Items are left where they functioned.

Not always. It's typically because the real estate was liquidated prior to the sale of the contents. The items are also typically moved by millwrights.

Watch out for what your end cost will be. Taxes, buyers premium and what the millwrights are going to hit you. Small stuff they usually only charge $50-100. Bigger stuff can get expensive. Most places will not let you load your item for insurance reasons unless you can carry it by hand.

It's easy to get carried away and spend $10k on something then realize you owe another $2100 in tax/buyers premium. I figure it backwards, if I want to pay $5000 for something, the auction has 15% buyers premium, and 7.87% sales tax, plus $50 to load, my max bid would be about $3950. It adds up quick!

If you're going for something big, call the riggers and get a quote.

Sometimes I punch that it in day one of the listing. A high bid with two weeks left lets people know you're serious. Or, leave a little room to make another bid. I paid more than I wanted to recently for another SAC shaper, but it came out of a trade school, and it's seen as easy a life as possible. Mint heavy duty shapers for less than $6k are few and far between. New something comparable would be over $10k, and I know that SAC has never seen an 8hr day much less a 40hr week.

[Joseph Fenske]

Can anyone offer any tips for finding auctions or recommend some reputable auction houses. I live in in Seattle. Thank you.

[Jerome Stanek]

I watch IRSAuctions.com they are an industrial recovery service

[Jeff Duncan]

Lots of good advice here already. I'll second the advice to see it in person if at all possible, I've been at auctions where people bidding online were paying crazy prices for busted up junk machines! I've gone to auctions to bid on equipment that looked great in the photos but once you got up close, and more importantly could look inside, they were junkers!

I'll admit that I have also bid on machines without having inspected first. My criteria is that it has to be a machine I know and that I could really use for an absurdly low price. Usually they're too far away to justify the inspection trip. I've lucked out and gotten some amazing deals this way, but these are large pieces of equipment and always 3 phase. Consumer grade stuff never goes cheaply enough to be worth my time.

good luck,
JeffD

[Brian Backner]

Can anyone offer any tips for finding auctions or recommend some reputable auction houses. I live in in Seattle. Thank you.

www.bidspotter.com/en-us

[Howard Pollack]

Thanks everyone, helpful advice!
-Howard

[J.R. Rutter]

Always assume:
- that there has been no maintenance in the past few years at least, since that is what struggling companies defer
- that what maintenance it has had has been done incorrectly.
- that there will be parts missing
- that it will cost more to ship than you think
- that there will be broken parts, sometimes repaired well, sometimes not

Best if you are familiar with the machine and can get an idea from the fuzzy pics what you will be fixing. Know how to adjust and set up everything, because odds are it will need it.

[Erik Loza]

Just thinking about horror stories I've heard over the years. Your safest bets are probably shapers and jointers. Not much to go wrong or not be easily replaced. Sliding table saws are somewhere in the middle, primarily due to the crosscut fence (which always seems to me missing flip stops or something). IME, the two machines guys need to be REALLY careful with are edgebanders and widebelt sanders. I can think of number of cases where the buyer would have come out ahead by just purchasing a new machine. One time, we sent a tech out to look at this guy's "auction gem" bander because it wasn't running right and there was water in the pneumatic system. I guess the previous owners must have been running it off a small compressor and didn't think a water separator was important. I think the owner went back to the hand iron, LOL.

Erik

[David Kumm]

I budget about 2000-2500 for repairs when buying sight unseen. As Erik said, parts for saws can cost more than a whole used saw. I've bought two to make one and sold the excess. I would caution that shapers can be expensive as well. Older heavy shapers often had oil bath precision bearings with lubrication systems that still need to work, and I am surprised at how often old spindles are bent a few thou. Enough to cost for replacement or straightening. Fences are insanely expensive to replace to they need to be intact. Planers can get expensive too. Dave

[Justin Ludwig]

Unless you can inspect, it's almost always a gamble.

I've purchased:
95' 4hp OMGA RAS listed as 3~ but when arrived was 1~. It's been running in my shop for a few years. Totally cost shipped in the door and running: $500

Old Ritter FF/Door clamp table. I got lucky and had new heads machined before Ritter closed shop. Initial bid, shipping, and replacing all heads, hoses and connectors, and one rebuilding door clamp: $3200 ($650 was shipping from CA.)

TigerStop TS-12: Was listed as TS-10. I researched the serial number and found out it was upgraded software with Optimizer and such. $5200 in the door and built my own tables. Works like a dream. I still giggle when I can cut 100ln ft of cabinets frames and doors in about 4-5 hrs.

I recently bought a Bostitch 16g Framing nailer for $56 including S&H. I love auctions for spring clamps, F and K clamps, floor mats, etc. PENNIES on the dollar.

I'm always on the lookout for shapers, bigger jointer, widebelt, forklift, etc. I live in an area where travel to auctions is a 3 day affair so I take my chances and research like a mad man.

[fran tarkenton]

There aren't many topics on this site that I feel qualified to comment on so I just lurk but in this arena I have some experience.

Dont even think about auction machines unless you feel like you can honestly take the thing apart completely and put it back together. Some people are great at woodworking but not great at machinery breakdowns. Always assume something is wrong. I have only once or twice got a straight machine ready to use. They all need at least a tune up, lube, belt, bearing replacement, new blades etc... And always figure out if the machine is set up for 3-phase.

After the auctioneers "buyers premium" (15-20%!), and freight, the "deal" is often lost. I never buy anything more than an hour and a half away and I always load the stuff myself. (easy for me since I'm in lost angeles). Inspect when possible.

Know the item's actual value. Generally speaking, saving 20% or 25% off the list price of a machine isn't a good deal at an auction considering its used hard, not hardly used, equipment.

I have upgraded my machinery considerably over the last 10 years through auctions. And I always sell the machines for much more than I paid for them. The only machine I bought new was my powermatic pm2000 table saw and I was able to buy that with the profits I made off auction machines I picked up and repaired.

im a one man shop so buy the "small stuff" that is hidden amongst the larger, industrial machines. As always, caveat emptor... Auction machines aren't for the faint of heart or those who aren't inclined to use wrenches.

off the top of my head, in the past 5 years I've bought:
5-6 drill presses
2 table saws
5 band saws
2 jointers
3 planers
4-5 disc sanders/belt sanders
3 lathes
2-3 scroll saws
3-4 shop vacs
dust collector system
and untold numbers of clamps, material, wood, hardware, etc etc...