I am new! Need help with pricing equipment.

[rbeckwith]

I have a family friend who has had a stroke and can no longer use his machine equipment. I have know him since I was just a little kid (I am 36 now) and he and my father have been friends since right around when I was born. His wife is selling his equipment to help pay for his care and I am considering buying it as I would like to learn how to use the machines. I am an active shooter and would like to be able to chamber/thread my own barrels as well as do some stock work, etc. He has...

Enco 110-2031 Lathe with lots of tooling and multiple chucks. No stand for it.

Enco (Rongfu, I think) ZX 7045 verticle gear head mill with powerfeed table and DRO and tooling

Miller and Crowningsheild Model 3 (I think) horizintal mill with tooling

Plus there are grinders, a metal cutting band saw, drill press, etc.

I know that some people consider the Enco lathes to be of lesser quality....as I was told (in a very rude manner) over on practical machinist but I am not looking to set up a professional machine shop but rather looking for some machines for my own use. Any help that you could offer would be appreciated as She has NO idea what the machines are worth and HE is not is good enough metal capacity to tell us. I do have some photos of the machines if you think that it will help.
























Thank you!

 

[jumps4]

can I have their address and phone number please
just kidding I hate to see anyone get ill
everything there is a beginning hobby machinist dream
the zx45 is anywhere from 1800 to 3000 without the power feed
it's on my wish list
steve

 

[rbeckwith]

There is a lot of equipment there and an awful lot of support stuff. I have no clue as to your financial well being but at the low end, emphasis on low. my guess would be between 4 and 7 thousand for the lot. That equipment is in imaculate condition. Just my nickels worth. Almost forgot, nobody, and I mean nobody will ever be rude to you here. Right guys?

"Billy G" :biggrin:

I like that! I was kinda taken back by how rude the posts were on PM. I got a few private messages from some very nice people on that site, but the majority of them were something like..."Enco is cheap Chinese crap and not something we endorse on this site" or "read the rules, Newby" Stuff like that. One guy even said "don't expect sympathy from me because your friend had a stroke". Now that is just plain rude.

I honestly, just want the lathe at the the present time, so if there is anyone in the Ohio area that is interested in either mill, please shoot me a PM and perhaps we can work a deal. I will even come and help with the loading.

 

[swatson144]

I agree around 5K is a very good deal for you and the low range of fair for them. It seems that selling one item you get better than 1/2 new price for great condition equipment. Start adding to it and the percentage seems to go down because no one wants to shell out that kind of money.

Since it is family friends I'd list the pieces of the equipment and look on Enco for pricing. figure about 1/2 and work it out with the involved parties so no one thinks you took unfair advantage. Then You'd be able to buy what you want and they'd know what to sell the rest for. Or perhaps buy what you want and take the rest and make payments. Don't worry about the little pieces of tooling as they just go along with the equipment generally and sweeten the deal.

You'll figure it out I'm sure.

Sorry your start was so rough! All my equipment is 80's imports so I won't hurl stones in my glass house.

Steve

 

[Redirish]

OK, here is my two cents worth. I agree fully with everything others have said. Wonderful opportunity to help someone in need, and have some really good machinery to use. From what I see, all of it is in excellent condition, apparently having been well cared for. Most likely whatever "bugs" there may have been have been taken care of long ago. As to the people on this site, you will never find a finer bunch anywhere. Some of us were professional machinists, some are "newbies", but we all had to learn, and we are all more than willing to help. Go for it!!)

 

[rbeckwith]

Hello Mr Beckworth,
It is a sad fact that many other forums are controlled by machine tool snobs, that don't bother looking at a machine in order to assess it's quality, Thinking that the name on the badge is all that matters, in fact when discussing second hand machines in this size range, condition is everything, a Chinese lathe that has been ironed out and then looked after will often out perform a high end German toolmakers lathe that has been mistreated.

Enco imports machinery as do many other companies and as a result some of their gear is good and some not so much, What I am seeing though looks to be "old Enco" and as such I guess any of the bugs would most probably been sorted by now, To reiterate, what you have there is a hobby machinist's dream come true, I have personally owned and operated a near identical RF 45 mill/drill and a number of the belt drive lathes of the same design as the Enco pictured, I would highly recommend the machines to anyone into hobby work, in fact I used my RF45 and the geared head version of the same Lathe professionally for eight or more years and the belt drive ones are almost as good if not quite as convenient on speed changes.

Unfortunately as with Real Estate, location is everything when pricing tools and I'm a long way away from you so I won't comment on price at all. The best I can offer is to suggest that you might find out the new prices of similar tools and how those new prices compare to the second hand market in your area, then maybe work it out from there.

I really like that collection of bits and bobs that comes with it, the cast iron marking table is something most hobby guys only dream about, but once you've had one they are sorely missed I can assure you, the horizontal mill is quite cool in it's own right, and the tool sharpening grinders will make learning to grind your own tool bits a snap. There seems to be some measuring tools there as well.

As others have said, No-one here will attack or abuse you for asking any questions no matter how basic and further to that we all get the fact that while we would all like to have a collection of swiss tool and watchmakers machines, they just are way out of our budgets, so we often buy Asian and "Iron out the wrinkles" in order to get the quality we want at a price we can work with, we often discuss our modifications and improvements, Other forums consider this sort of thing to be horrific for some reason, I think they're just not up to sorting the problems out for themselves.

I hope I have been helpful here.
Best Regards
Rick

That marking table is actually granite, or someother type of stone!

 

[jumps4]

off topic
but it might be nice to see what the gentleman made with his tools
a bit of a tribute to another hobby machinist
you might try to ask him
steve

 

[rbeckwith]

off topic
but it might be nice to see what the gentleman made with his tools
a bit of a tribute to another hobby machinist
you might try to ask him
steve

He made a few things for me over the years. Most memorable, a replacement firing pin for and old Springfield side by side 12 ga. shotgun from the early 50's that was my Grandfathers. I am not sure what else he made...but I can see what I can find out from his wife.

 

[Splat]

Rick, I read your thread over on PM and I too was surprised at the responses you got. I don't go to that site too often because it's too high brow for me. Anyway, just wanted to say good on ya for trying to help the guy out. Hope it all goes well and my best wishes to the gentleman.

 

[HSS]

Rick, don't feel too bad about the treatment you got over at PM. They ran me off too. LOL
I like it a lot better here. I think you will too.

Patrick