The frustrating hunt for machines

MontanaLon said:
Oh, I have the cash. Even told a guy I was on the way to pick up a machine in Wisconsin on the phone. I saw it at noon on lunch and it was the third one on the page so hadn't been up long, called the guy said I wanted it, called my boss and took a half day off, called the guy back and said I was on the way and would be there in 4 hours, loaded up the tool box and started driving. Hit the bank on the way out of town and took out $2,000. It was a very nice SB10 with all the original accessories and a bunch of tooling including the milling adapter QCTP and collet chuck for $1,900. It wasn't pristine but it had obviously been taken care of. Guy said he had bought it in the 70's and had used it in the farm shop until he retired in the 90's and then it had set in the shed since unused.

Got 2 hours from home and got the call from him another guy showed up and gave him $200 more for the machine than he was asking when he told him it was already sold to me.
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I had this same exact thing happen to me with a no7 Cincinnati mill and a WM Sellers horizontal boring mill. Guy sold the boring mill to someone else for $200 more then the agreed upon price.

But it all worked out in the end. I got a better HBM then the Sellers.
 
I listed a trailer on CL a couple years back, and had a guy call me who wanted to buy. The guy lived around 2.5hrs away, and said he couldn't pick it up until Saturday morning. I told him that was no problem if the trailer was still available Saturday, that he should check back with me on Friday to make sure it hadn't sold. He wanted an address where we could meet, so I gave him a location not far from my house...again telling him to check with me by Thursday or Friday to make sure I still had the trailer. Another guy called ended up calling me Thursday with cash in hand, so and ultimately came by and bought the trailer. I immediately started calling the other guy, to let him know the trailer had sold. No answer, so I left him a message. Didn't hear back from him, so I called again that evening. Still, no answer. Friday rolls around, and I call him multiple times and leave two more messages. Never did hear back from him, so I assume he's just moved on to another deal once he got my first message. Wrong. I get a call Saturday morning, this guy has driven over 2.5hrs to pick up a trailer that had been sold. I explained that I had called and left multiple messages, to which he never responded. He was irate, and I felt terrible for the guy, but not sure what else I could have done.
 
MontanaLon said:
Oh, I have the cash. Even told a guy I was on the way to pick up a machine in Wisconsin on the phone. I saw it at noon on lunch and it was the third one on the page so hadn't been up long, called the guy said I wanted it, called my boss and took a half day off, called the guy back and said I was on the way and would be there in 4 hours, loaded up the tool box and started driving. Hit the bank on the way out of town and took out $2,000. It was a very nice SB10 with all the original accessories and a bunch of tooling including the milling adapter QCTP and collet chuck for $1,900. It wasn't pristine but it had obviously been taken care of. Guy said he had bought it in the 70's and had used it in the farm shop until he retired in the 90's and then it had set in the shed since unused.

Got 2 hours from home and got the call from him another guy showed up and gave him $200 more for the machine than he was asking when he told him it was already sold to me.
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On the plus side, if the guy agreed to sell you the machine and was talked out of the sale for a few more bucks that easily, I'd question his character. Wonder if he was truthful in describing the state of the machine. He was in it just for the money and wouldn't hesitate handing you a problem. "Oh, I didn't know the qcgb gears were missing teeth"

Bruce
 
jwmay said:
I have had lots of trouble with people wasting my time on there. Me being the seller, or sometimes giver of things. I’d post something as a free item, and then have people calling and asking a million questions. It’s free! Come get it! If you don’t like it, give it away, just like I’m doing! The item is free, but my time costs money. I don’t advertise there at all anymore actually. It seems a very mistrusting and combative environment.
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Agreed. Decade or so ago, I was making a big move and had a pile of stuff I didn't want to take with me, but didn't care to try and make money on. By then I'd had it with CL people, so I posted on Freecycle. Everyone I dealt with was friendly and grateful. Totally different crowd. Most of CL seems to be people trying to make a quick buck one way or the other, especially in urban areas.

Something I've said before and will repeat here: make friends with the seller when you call. Ask why they are getting rid of it, talk about machining, complain about the weather, make fun of the next town over that you both hate, joke a bit. They'll be more likely to hold the machine for you if they like you. Also, if the seller doesn't have time, or doesn't want to gab on the phone about nothing, and is just a straight-to-business type ... well, they're also the type that will sell it for a hundred bucks more while you're on the way there. So either don't deal with them, or go in knowing it may fall through without warning.
 
I've sold many machines on CL with minimal problems . I advertise them as I call and see them . The machines I buy , sell and keep come from past employers who know I'm a serious , interested machinist . They call me . If I like it , I keep it . If not , I'll unload it and make $100-$200 profit for my time and gas money . I don't respond to Emails and post this in the ads . I do not respond to Rebecca or Jasmine as to the condition of the item . You want to see it , you come to the garage , period .

Next months items are a 12 inch Atlas , 12 inch Clausing , 9 inch Jet lathes , 48" BP and that little WM bench mill . Do I need them ? Nope . Do I know the market value and offer the sellers close to it ? Yes . There is a trust factor in the transaction . Sometimes I lose my butt , but it keeps me active and in touch with past employees and friends ! :)
 
I guess the one good thing about auctions is that once you have won it, it's yours. Usually.
M
 
And the one bad thing about auctions is you don't know the history of the machines . I don't do auctions . :grin:
 
If I had the room for another lathe, Id be looking at this one. Nice rigid machine and this one has a variable speed drive on it, also looks like its set up with a collet closer. In my experience the sub $2000 machines for sale in the area are projects rather than machines. Thats fine if you have the tools and the time but to me ending up with a Craftsman/Atlas that I have to work on is just not what I wanted.
 
I have a craftsman 109 with a 4jaw chuck and tailstock that I'll sell you for $100.... but detroit might be too far of a drive for you.... lol....
 
Cooter Brown said:
I have a craftsman 109 with a 4jaw chuck and tailstock that I'll sell you for $100.... but detroit might be too far of a drive for you.... lol....
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Got pictures? I actually have family all over south eastern Michigan who would be happy to see me.
 
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