Replies

1. 
   woodstock16 | Mar 08, 2022 11:45am | #1

   Just an opinion. If equipment is very gently used then 25% off current. If it is more typically used 50% off current price. Heavy use or older models 75% off. But you can always use craigslist & ebay to see what things are going for. Make sure you look at actual sales not just for sale.

2. 
   _mj_ | Mar 08, 2022 07:51pm | #2

   If it has been sitting for over, say 2 years without use everything should be questioned. If it was being used last week I'd say half of new at best. Delta ain't what it used to be, and it feels like the man has no interest in moving it.

   The router table and planer are probably the gems. I'd start by asking what he wants. The opening number is the weakest position in any negotiation when someone obviously wants to sell.

3. 
   rob_ss | Mar 08, 2022 07:54pm | #3

   Value is very hard to determine.
   The best way to be sure is to look at the market in your locale and see if the gear is going for a similar price.
   That having been said, if you are happy that what you are paying is a good use of the money then it's a fair price regardless. The key is to ask if you would rather have spent that money on something else and if you would get more enjoyment from it that way.

   A word to the wise though - people underestimate the opportunity cost of time - how much for instance, would I have to pay you to drive somewhere dull and back again? How many hours are you willing to spend searching through listings and traveling to save a small sum? If you can save $200 but have to drive for 5 hours, was it really a saving?
   Having all the gear in one hit will save a lot of time, but if you are not going to use it, the space and cash taken by a machine is wasted. Ditto the time taken to sell it later.

   Most people are happy to negotiate a very low price for a single sale of everything - take it all and you should get a bargain. About the only dog there is the 6" jointer, but even that is good for a start.

4. 
   thebardowl | Mar 09, 2022 08:58am | #4

   As I’ve gradually upgraded or gone different directions over the last couple years, I’ve sold a few things on craigslist, including a DeWalt 12” 15A compound double bevel miter saw with a compass in the stock and this thing which tells time…. For said miter saw, I got $275, in spite of obvious wear, but with plus of good care and condition. Worn, but not abused/broken, etc. Another $50 for the stand.

   I think I’ve learned that very good condition used machinery, of good name brands, has a starting point of about 50% of current retail. Better condition, and/or more desirable machinery/tools, price goes up. (The Jet mini lathe, in excellent condition, I sold for asking price of 50% of retail about thirty minutes after the listing hit the ‘net, and I got lots of inquiries afterwards. Clearly could have gotten more.)

   But I’ve also learned that I don’t like to try to squeeze every last nickel out of a sale. Life is better when both parties are pretty satisfied with a deal. If one party is ecstatic, the other begins to suspect he (or she) has been “had”.

   Several of the machines listed are potentially excellent deals. The DeWalt planer, for instance, is a well-known and well-appreciated home shop workhorse. The Jet bandsaw, the router table, the table saw, possibly the drill press (oh, and the miter saw!)—all are, I’m gonna bet, good machines. The jointer? Meh. But that’s me.

   If you can get model numbers, you might be able to get some reasonable comparisons online.

   Finally, a standard reminder: don’t let Plato’s ideal derail the perfectly good.

5. 
   JT_NM | Mar 09, 2022 09:20am | #5

   Personally, I would rarely pay more than 50% of current prices. That's also probably why I have so little used equipment.

   I keep my eye on the local used market and the vast majority of items I have any interest in are priced so close to new that I would never pay the asking price. Nonetheless, they seem to sell. It doesn't make sense to me but apparently there are plenty of people willing to pay 70-80% or more of new prices for equipment that is often 10-30 years or more old.

   I would price new (especially the bandsaw as modern versions have some real advantages to older hobbyist models) and decide how much off is necessary to justify the uncertainty, lack of warranty, wear, probable replacement blades, etc. It's really a personal calculation.

1. 
   john_c2 | Mar 09, 2022 12:50pm | #6

   This is how I look at used equipment. If something was available new, I wouldn't pay much more than about 50% of new prices. If it was 80% of new I wouldn't even consider it.

   Things that are not available any more I treat differently.