5 replies to this topic

[Phil Hackett]

I'm posting this link as there is some interest in Levin lathes and this auction has a variety of them up for bid.

 

Levin lathes

 

Tauber-Arons is a reliable auction house: I have purchased equipment through them over the last 30 years.

 

(Edit: I have accidentally posted the link to the 2nd page of equipment. Go back to page 1 and the Levin lathes are lots 18 through 32.)

[Phil Hackett]

I watched the auction for a while before the items ended and most of those Levin lathes with cross-slide and some others with WW collets went for under $500. Most went for $250 to $350.... that also included the table/bench the lathes were mounted on.

 

Insanely low for that type of equipment.

[Dave Crevie]

I've been looking in on the machinery auctions ever since I retired. Sales prices have been dropping off for at least 15 years. It's a sin to see a high tech machine sell for 5 percent of what it sold for new. Phil, with an established and well respected company, you have the chance to really cash in. If only you had some secret knowledge that manufacturing would come back to this country. But I'll bet you don't have that.  

[Phil Hackett]

I've been looking in on the machinery auctions ever since I retired. Sales prices have been dropping off for at least 15 years. It's a sin to see a high tech machine sell for 5 percent of what it sold for new. Phil, with an established and well respected company, you have the chance to really cash in. If only you had some secret knowledge that manufacturing would come back to this country. But I'll bet you don't have that.  

 

There was an auction near the shop a few years ago where there were 2 beautiful Japanese (the name escapes me right now) 5 axis VMCs with pallet changers that didn't sell but were bought after auction for $2500 each. These machines were complete, clean and ready to be used.... it's that they were 1990s machines (and really big!).. and no, they weren't the Japanese machine tool maker who went bankrupt and assets bought by Mazak.....

[Rob Voska]

Buying used industrial machines if checked out & in good working order are a much better buy than the "hobby" lines most places sell.  Yes they are heavy, for a reason.  They have more HP & were made to work not play.   

Give the choice between a new hobby lathe or a used industrial lathe in good repair I would always take the later.  Also a machine cost is only part of the total cost.  Tooling and space is huge part of any machine. They make phase converters to get away from the 3 phase issues.

[Phil Hackett]

Buying used industrial machines if checked out & in good working order are a much better buy than the "hobby" lines most places sell.  Yes they are heavy, for a reason.  They have more HP & were made to work not play.   

Give the choice between a new hobby lathe or a used industrial lathe in good repair I would always take the later.  Also a machine cost is only part of the total cost.  Tooling and space is huge part of any machine. They make phase converters to get away from the 3 phase issues.

 

I learned this lesson the hard way more than once. The "hobby" machine are usually too small for industry-wide "standards" like 5C collet tooling, standard length tools and so on. Because of this the "hobby" machines have  proprietary tooling which barely solves the "too small" of machine AND is expensive beyond reality.

 

There isn't anything Sonic's Monarch 10ee can't do that a Unimat, Taig, Levin or other machines like that can do and it's worth more when it's time to sell.....