used Yorkcraft YC-8J jointer questions

[Allen Prell]

There's a 1 year old Yorkcraft YC-8J available in my area. The seller's ad states $500/OBO. The seller recently purchased a 15" combo jointer/planer and doesn't need the jointer anymore. This will be my first jointer purchase so when I inspect the machine what should I be looking for? What do you think is a fair price?

[Craig Zettle]

That jointer sells for 599 brand new with all the support and warranty that Wilke Machinery provides. When I look at used equipment I feel as though no matter how nice the machine is, I am taking a risk buying from a non dealer, and expect the price to reflect that risk. 500 does not reflect that risk.

[Jim Becker]

Craig is correct. $500 is a bit steep for this jointer used. If it's in average condition, 50% of original retail is customary; if it's pristine, more. The range is probably $300-400, IMHO.

Ideally, you want to see the unit run smoothly. You shouldn't hear any unusual noises. Check that the guards are all good and that the fence moves smoothly. Jointers are pretty simple machines, so your gut feeling will likely prevail.

[Brian Hale]

I agree, $500 is a bit steep for that jointer. $400 tops.

Slip the belt off and see how the cutter head feels when you spin it. Should be nice and smooth. Wind both tables up and down, they should work smoothly also.

Brian :)

[Chuck Powell]

and it has been very, very good to me. 500 sounds a little high used.

The jointer I have worked very well out of the box. Fence is solid, tables are coplanar, operation is good. Heavy machine. have had zero problems with that machine.

I don't know about 50 percent after 1 year use. I wouldn't take that for mine unless I was bankrupt. If not used in a production environment I'd pay 400 dollars. Less if seller will bend or depending on use.

I believe that machine is equal to the 8 inch Delta in workmanship and performance.

[Allen Prell]

It seems like a used 8" Yorkcraft YC-8J should go for less than $400. A brand new Grizzly G0452 6" jointer can be delivered to my door for around $400. My limit is $400 even though a G0586 or G0490 would be nice. So what would you do -- buy a used 8" or a new 6"?

Here are my considerations:
1. Getting the 8" down into my basement workshop will be a lot more challenging than the 6"
2. My workshop is relatively small (12' x 20')
3. Past discussions on this forum indicate a lot of people either have a 6" and wished they got an 8" or bought a 6" and then later upgraded. I don't want to be in either category.
4. My future woodworking plans include a lot of smaller items so a 6" would probably be good enough but there are certainly the occassional large items, like a bed for my son, where an 8" might be very useful

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks


BTW... The "smaller items" I plan to make are puzzles. Here's a detailed web site where I'm getting most of my plans/ides with a chapter on woodworking techniques if anyone is interested: http://www.johnrausch.com/PuzzlingWorld/contents.htm

[Matt Meiser]

Get the 8". I'd keep shipping cost in mind too with determining a fair price on the Yorkie. If it is in great shape, try to get him close to $400, but even at $500, you are still probably saving $200.

[Chris Haney]

Craig, Why do you think that jointer sells for $599 new? Wilke's website shows it for $689 plus shipping (which I would guess is at last $100 bringing it to $789). Maybe you saw it on sale recently? I'm no expert here and may be in the minority but I think $500 seems like a fair price if it is in good condition (does it come with any extra knives?) If it is the same as the current model, it has built in casters so you wouldn't have to get a mobile base for it.

I see used 6" Jet jointers selling for $300 - $400 all the time on this site and other sites (w/out the mobile base). I see very few used 8" jointers for sale. Assuming it is in good condition, I think $500 is a fair price.

[Craig Zettle]

Chris, you bring up a few good points I would like to discuss. First, Wilke sends me a catalog every year for the past 3 or 4 years (I have purchased from them) and I usually grab the price list first. They have not sent a 2006 catalog yet, hence the 2005 price quote. I recently bought a 8" jointer, and at that time the price of the Yorkie was still 599.
Which brings me to my next point. When I sell an item, I base my asking price not on the current retail value of the product, but what I have in it vs what I want to get out of it. Not that a current inflated price won't help sell the item, it will.
Second, shipping and sales tax both are variables that are out of my control and do not factor in to a used market transaction. I can usually get shipping rates changed because I know how much it costs to ship. Wilke has an ongoing freight discount promo that comes and goes. There are advantages to having a freight company bring an item, especially a heavy one to your doorstep, and remember that is your doorstep they bring it to, not the guy you are selling to seconhand. You are paying for a service, it is not really a part of the cost of the machine. You always have the option of picking the item up.
Is 500 a fair price? I still stand by my opinion. And it is just that. My opinion. You can always say no thanks and keep your hard earned cash. Is America a great country or what!

[Chris Haney]

Craig-
I don't see how you cannot take the current retail price into consideration when pricing an item for sale. Even your own post mentioned (what you thought was) the current retail price and used it as a benchmark to measure the "risk" of buying used. As far as shipping and sales tax, those are real dollars that must also be taken into consideration. Sure, they vary by location but they part of the cost of buying new (and would have to be factored into your "risk" calculation).

Anyway, this thread is not about the methodology you employ when pricing an item for sale but it is about whether $500 is a fair price for purchasing a used 8" jointer. Allen has to decide whether he wants to pay $500 OBO for a year old 8" jointer or pay some other amount for a new or used 6" (or 8") jointer. Since year-old (or older) used 6" jointers regularly sell for $300 - $400 (depending on what is included) on this forum and others, I think that telling him that he shouldn't pay any more than $400 for a year old 8" jointer is not good advice. Sure, getting a year-old 8" jointer for $300 - $400 would be a GREAT deal and I would certainly offer less than $500 (since the ad says OBO) but even if he pays $500 for it (assuming it is in good condition) I think it is a good deal.

Assuming the jointer is in good condition, I challenge anyone to find a used, year-old 8" jointer for sale at 50% of retail. Heck, just find a year-old 8" jointer for sale.

Comparing the GG0452 as a reasonable alternative to the Yorkie 8" jointer is a joke (no offense Allen). The Yorkie has 4 blades, the Grizzly has 3, Yorkie 8" table vs. Grizzly 6" table, 72" table length on the Yorkie versus 46" on the Grizzly, 2hp on the Yorkie versus 1 hp on the Grizzly. There is no question that a good, used 8" Yorkie is worth a lot more than $100 more than a new 6" Grizzly. If I were comparing those 2 jointers, I could easily justify the $100 (or less) difference.

Allen, if you can swing the extra $100 (or less depending on what the seller will take), I would jump on the 8" Yorkie without delay. It would surprise me if that jointer hasn't been sold already. By the way, I have a newer 6" Jet jointer in great condition but if I lived close to Chicago, I would have bought that Yorkie....even for $500. Good luck and keep us posted.

[Allen Prell]

I went to check out the jointer last night prepared to pay up to $450. Some people were saying $400 tops, but Chris had some good arguements which made me increase my limit, just not all the way to $500. The jointer was in decent condition -- it certainly looked used but ran smoothly so I thought $450, 10% off his original price, was reasonable. Unfortunately, we could not make a deal and I walked away without some new iron. It's looking more likely I'll have another green machine in my workshop some time in the future.

I also agree with Chris that comparing a 6" to an 8" jointer on just capability alone is a joke but I have other considerations like:
1. warranty (new 6" versus used 8")
2. limited space (the Yorkcraft has this large rack and pinion fence system sticking out the back)
3. limited funds for a wonderful hobby that consumes time I do not have
4. weight (getting an 8" beast down to my basement would be extremely challenging)

These make the purchasing decision that much more difficult otherwise I would have pulled the trigger on a Grizzly G0490 already.


Thanks to all for your valuable advice.