After determining that the seller has a trustworthy reputation, it’s time to determine the dependability of the machine that you need to buy. As is the case with evaluating a used car, the efficiency and dependability of a used woodworking machine depends largely on how its previous owner cared for it. The best way to determine a machine’s previous maintenance quality is to request an official coy of its maintenance record. Companies that value the quality of their machines will always keep a logged service record for each machine. If you encounter a seller who can’t produce a maintenance record, it might be because the machine doesn’t have one. Even industrial grade machines that aren’t properly maintained can end up costing you time and money in repairs. If you’re purchasing a machine that you’ll be using on a regular basis, never put your money on the counter without first seeing an official record of maintenance.

None of us like to think about accidents at work, and many people see health and safety concerns as something of a chore – but by abiding by the simple PUWER guidelines you can make sure that your staff and your workshop are as safe as possible.

– Are there any obstacles that could be a tripping hazard?

Before they purchase equipment, woodworkers are wise to take a refresher course on how each grade of hardware is meant to be operated, and why.

All equipment, large and small, is covered by the PUWER regulations, including hand tools such as hammers and knives, larger machines and saws, lifting equipment and even ladders and photocopiers.

Auction sites such as eBay are great places to find super deals. The only major issue I see with this option is that you don’t know how dependable those machines are since they are not sold by serious woodworkers. Also you don’t really know how reliable an online seller is since you can’t really check their real feedback from other people. However one thing I’ve learned is that if you find a good source at such online auctions who is specializing in cheaper machinery, and you found them to be reliable, stick with them and don’t hop over to somebody else. A good source is always worth keeping for the long term since it can effectively save you lots of money.

However if you’re just starting now with it, you need to find equipment which is cheaper so you don’t overspend. Getting a good source of machinery and equipment will also give you the best choices in terms of finding your tool from a wide variety of options available to you. You can this way easily compare the several pieces and find the one which you really need.

Conclusion

Most woodworkers buy a secondhand machine without speaking to the former owner. They buy it from a seller of used woodworking equipment, who may not know the owner’s identity. In most cases, speaking with a previous owner isn’t necessary to assess a machine’s history. Simply knowing the owner’s identity is usually enough to make correct inferences about how the machine was used. If a seller doesn’t know the owner’s identity, you can discover it by presenting the machine’s serial number to the manufacturer, who should have a record of the machine’s original buyer.

Conclusion