Ekstrom Carlson Edge sander value

[Jacob Tetri]

I'm looking at buying an Ekstrom Carlson 112a edge sander for about $2500, but I'm wondering if it's too expensive. I am currently starting my own shop and trying to build up a tool arsenal. I still work full time for someone else building furniture and the edge sander is one of the central machines of the shop...used for everything (sanding drawers, fitting doors, making tapered legs, veneering, making curved templates, etc.). The sander will take me a couple days to get since it's kind of far away and I will have to rent a flat-bed truck to pick it up, but I feel like it might be worth it? What do people think?

[Phillip Gregory]

A new-manufacture 9" x 138 1/2" oscillating edge sander made in Taiwan and sold by a number of sellers, the least expensive of which is Grizzly Industrial (G9984/G9985), sells for $3300-3400 new before tax and/or shipping. I've laid my grubby paws on a G9985 as I work a handful of blocks north of one of Grizzly's showrooms and visit there on a regular basis, and it is a very nice machine. The EK 112A is a notably nicer machine than the G9985 as it has a longer platen (more useful for sanding longer edges) and is MUCH heavier which leads to better stability and less vibration. $2500 is a decent price when comparing it to something like the G9985 but most older equipment sells for *far* under what it is really worth, because few want to deal with a two ton chunk of cast iron running on 3 phase power. I paid $300 for a running 16" medium arm DeWalt GE with a 7 1/2 hp motor in decent condition. $300 is pretty much what those go for, but it would cost close to $10k to buy a new one from OMGA or the Original Saw Company.

I personally would offer about $1000-1500 for the sander as that's closer to what they go for, but I wouldn't wince at $2500 if it's in good condition as a lesser-quality new unit costs about a grand more.

[Matt Day]

I agree with Phillip. $2500 would be the most I’d pay for a machine that runs smooth and needs no work. They can be had for +\-$1000 in decent condition at Auction.

[Keith Weber]

Hi Jacob,

Welcome to the Creek! I bought a Oakley H6 Oscillating Sander right in your town about 2 years ago. A little smaller than yours, I think, with a 36" platen. It had been restored by a dentist in Madison and he did a terrific job -- everything was clean, no rust, well-lubed, new graphite on the platens, and it was given a nice paint job. I believe that I paid $2850 or something like that, and I'd do it all over in a heartbeat. No regrets whatsoever in buying that machine. So, it all depends on the condition. If it's in really good shape, then I'd say it would be worth every penny of that $2500 and then some. If it's been rotting away outside for many years, then not so much!

There's no comparing that Ekstrom to anything made by Grizzly. For starters, it outweighs the Grizzly sanders by close to 2000 lbs.

[Darcy Warner]

2500 is more than fair for an EC 112 that is functioning properly. I would end the conversation very quickly if you offered me 1500 less than what I was asking.

Good used edge Sanders, Oakley h6, EC 112, Mattison 177, Wysong, are bringing in the neighborhood of 4500 to 5500 ready to wire up and work.

[David Kumm]

Listen to Darcy and if the condition is good, run for it. Edge sanders tend to be complicated machines and time consuming and expensive to repair. The old cast iron machines, if they have flat platens and tables, and good bearings and bushings, do not go cheap as it is mainly informed people buying and selling. The really large heavy ones are harder to sell but the 36" and particularly the 48" are gold. You can't duplicate their build for under 10-15K. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

Listen to Darcy and if the condition is good, run for it. Edge sanders tend to be complicated machines and time consuming and expensive to repair. The old cast iron machines, if they have flat platens and tables, and good bearings and bushings, do not go cheap as it is mainly informed people buying and selling. The really large heavy ones are harder to sell but the 36" and particularly the 48" are gold. You can't duplicate their build for under 10-15K. Dave

Oakley will make you a new H6 with a 68"? platen for the low low price of 30k.

[David Kumm]

If you find one at auction that is plug and play for < 1000, you should have bought a lottery ticket. Odds are about the same. Dave

[Darcy Warner]

If you find one at auction that is plug and play for < 1000, you should have bought a lottery ticket. Odds are about the same. Dave

Good used equipment like this is starting to get hard to find and prices have almost doubled in the last year or so.

[David Kumm]

good used equipment like this is starting to get hard to find and prices have almost doubled in the last year or so.
good. I've got shelves of it.

[Darcy Warner]

good. I've got shelves of it.

I think I have around a 100 machines in my inventory.

[Matt Day]

There’s a Wysong & Miles on the Buffalo CL for $600. Ad states nothing about condition. They’re out there.

[Martin Wasner]

$2500 in good working order is a good price.

I bought an H5 from Darcy for that amount, it needed new graphite, a dust hood, and a little tinkering but it's solid and runs nicely.

I wish I had the time to restore stuff. It'd be sweet to have old stuff with mint condition paint.
I've got a Tannewitz Type U along with the Oakley that I wish I had the time and money to disassemble, media blast and repaint.

[Jeff Heath]

I have taken an EC 112A completely apart, and as others stated, it is an extremely well made, and stout, machine. If it's in excellent condition, not needing much, $2500 is a good buy in today's market. I was at an auction 3 months ago that had two of these for sale in need of a serious cleaning, and the platens on both were well worn, but functional. The cheaper of the 2 sold for $3100 hammer, plus the fee's.

If you have had a chance to use one of these, you know how much better they perform than any of the current offerings from the pacific rim.

[Jacob Tetri]

Thanks guys! I told him I would take it as long as it's in good shape (which it sounds like it is).

[Keith Weber]

That's great, Jacob -- be sure to post some pics here when you pick it up!

[Terry Therneau]

I recently paid 1500 for a 111, the smaller sibling of the 112 (80 x 6 belt, non-oscillating), that had been refurbished by the prior owner. I hemmed and hawed with myself for over a week about the price; but after using it I'd buy it again in a minute. If I had the floor space for its bigger brother I'd probably try to poach your 112 and sell you mine, but alas, I need some floor space for the actual projects I build.
If you don't know already, you can find the manuals for them on vintagemachinery.org.

Terry T.