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I think in this case "old" is a relative term. Given that these machines are for sale by Government Liquidators means they were more than likely from a military installation. The military (at least in the past) believed that very few pieces of equipment should be retained beyond half their expected service life. This was to insure that in the case of a national emergency all equipment would be capable of performing for extended time periods at full operating capacity. This philosophy may have changed in recent years given budget problems, but it was the standard for decades.
Many government entities operate on budget that includes replacement of capital equipment and perishable tooling on a scheduled basis. When a piece of equipment has reached the age where it is deemed cost effective to replace it, the machine is replaced regardless of its condition. It's another of those Catch 22 situations. If you don't spend the money in the year it's budgeted for it won't transfer to the next budget cycle. The money is "lost", and the next annual operating budget is reduced by that amount. So now the money is no longer available the piece of equipment may or may not last until the next budget cycle. Rather than take a chance that the machinery will make it to the next budget cycle the common practice is to CYA and replace it as scheduled, period. In many cases machines are left unprotected outside to further justify that they are indeed in poor condition and warrant replacement.
Most commercial operations would not consider machines of this age "old". They would be in the prime of their productive life, and expected to produce for another 15 years or longer. Frankly these machines are newer than all the machinery in my shop. The oldest machines in my shop date to the early 1900's. Several others are from the late 1930's to the late 1940's. With the newest machines ranging from the 1960's to the late 1980's.
I think in this case "old" is a relative term. Given that these machines are for sale by Government Liquidators means they were more than likely from a military installation. The military (at least in the past) believed that very few pieces of equipment should be retained beyond half their expected service life. This was to insure that in the case of a national emergency all equipment would be capable of performing for extended time periods at full operating capacity. This philosophy may have changed in recent years given budget problems, but it was the standard for decades.
Many government entities operate on budget that includes replacement of capital equipment and perishable tooling on a scheduled basis. When a piece of equipment has reached the age where it is deemed cost effective to replace it, the machine is replaced regardless of its condition. It's another of those Catch 22 situations. If you don't spend the money in the year it's budgeted for it won't transfer to the next budget cycle. The money is "lost", and the next annual operating budget is reduced by that amount. So now the money is no longer available the piece of equipment may or may not last until the next budget cycle. Rather than take a chance that the machinery will make it to the next budget cycle the common practice is to CYA and replace it as scheduled, period. In many cases machines are left unprotected outside to further justify that they are indeed in poor condition and warrant replacement.
Most commercial operations would not consider machines of this age "old". They would be in the prime of their productive life, and expected to produce for another 15 years or longer. Frankly these machines are newer than all the machinery in my shop. The oldest machines in my shop date to the early 1900's. Several others are from the late 1930's to the late 1940's. With the newest machines ranging from the 1960's to the late 1980's.
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