Sometimes it doesn't pay to try to select "just the right buyer" for your favourite machines

[TorontoBuilder]

Nonsense. His was not a real objection and was grossly ill informed, and I have 3 other people wanting to buy the lathe

If someone had installed a custom/homebrew ELS, I could see that being a bit more worrisome. An ELS does depend on the mechanism for leadscrew to spindle timing. If it was a homebrew ELS rather than a well known endeavor (such as the Clough42 design) that would be a challenge to debug even for someone with coding experience, if problems came up. Especially if you didn't have the source code. I suspect some miscommunication about this created confusion between VFD and ELS.

A VFD conversion, I would not hesitate, unless it was a no-name knock-off. In which case I would price in a replacement known VFD in the purchase price.

I have a Monarch 10EE lathe that had the electronics replaced with a pretty poor DC controller. I started to work up an improved microcontroller-based DC system which worked well, but then realized the DC motor itself is in rough shape. So I'm sitting on the fence of getting the DC motor repaired or replaced, or doing a VFD conversion. In this case I think a VFD conversion, if done with schematics and to reasonably neat workmanship standards, would be a resale win, but may still pursue the DC option.

There was no miscommunication, I gave him a link to a video series on the VFD installation.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

By the way, the selling price of my lathe is $3000 not $4000, and the going rate for the same lathe with single phase original motor is $2800.
Had I known I was going to be forced to sell this lathe I'd have sold it to an acquaintance who had been looking for a lathe who I helped find a suitable lathe... he paid $2500 for the one he found. I'd have sold to him for $2500.

 

[mmcmdl]

But then some *&$) might get your stuff.

I have 3 other people wanting to buy the lathe as well. I was just trying to find a good home.

I sell to *&$)'s with bad homes all the time , it means nothing to me . As long as they walk away happy why would you care ?

 

[Richard King 2]

I would have said to buyer 1. Send a non refundable deposit of 10 or 20% to hold it for 2 days. Then its cash on the day you pick it up. I refuse even Pay Pal as they buyer can complain you never shopped it or some problem to them and they believe him and not you the seller. A deposit is common on sales today and a serious buyer will gladly pay if they are interested. I have found that being a nice seller guy will bite you in the butt. Also most hobbyists are cheap and want a deal. I use Square Bank on sales. Not pay-pal if I can help it.

I sell a service or I sell my training classes and as soon as I send the info via email and someone says they want to come, if the class is 60 days or less from the class I get 100% payment (non refundable unless I can find someone to take their place, .or (see below, there is a serious issue he can prove)the day the student says he is coming. If It is months away I get 1/4 down non refundable (unless they can prove they are ill, had a death in the family, etc.) and a NRF balance is due 30 days prior to the class. I just did a class down in Nowata OK and I had an old guy tell he really wanted to come but was on social security and could not afford the class.

I felt sorry for him and told him to come and pay me what he could afford. Anyway he came, drove a brand new pick-up, told the other students he owned a BBQ restaurant, and just build a new shop. They got talking about refineries and he told them he made a lot of money last year in the stock-market investing in Refineries. How he just bought x y z new machines. I overheard some of it and said "I thought you were poor"? Then he said " the bank was rich and he was poor" It's a 5 day class, he left after 3 days and paid me less the 1/4 the price the others paid. He screwed me. Because I felt sorry for the old guy on SS. Being nice and felt it was the Christian thing to do. Next time some scmuck plays me again I will feel the same way, screwed!

 

[SLK001]

I, too, love my lathe. However, if I were to sell her, I would simply post her for sale with the price I was looking for. The FIRST person to come by with the money would purchase her lock, stock and barrel. I would cringe, but if they wanted to drag her to her new home behind a Kia Rio, it wouldn't matter to me (although I might follow somewhat behind them and pick up parts that I could resell). If her new home was in the middle of a muddy pasture, I wouldn't care (and probably wouldn't even know, because I wouldn't follow her on social media).

In short, quit anthropomorphizing your cast iron babies. If one must go, one must go. Send it along and just look forward to your new baby.

 

[WCraig]

2 steps to selling
1- post object for sale
2- sell to first interested party that shows up .

Very slight modification:

1- post object for sale
2- tell anyone interested that you will sell to the first person who shows up with cash money equal to your asking price
3- sell to first party that shows up with an acceptable quantity of cash or sends a sizeable deposit ahead of time.

The world is full of flakes with dreams. And scammers. It always has been so but online sales venues just make it easier for them to take up your time. A serious buyer won't have any problems with the above.

I'm not saying to be hostile with potential buyers...just very clear that the plan is to exchange their cash for the object you're selling. ASAP. It's fine if you end up becoming friends with them but that's not the objective. They would be scanning other sections of the online listings if that's what they were interested in.

Craig

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Okay so clearly none of you were scarred by the sale of a antique barnes treadle lathe in near mint condition, or rather finding out the new owner abused it and let water sit on the ways and rust them severely

I'm a minimalist, I buy used almost exclusively where possible. I believe machines should last decades, I know most other people dont share that view and can sell things without guilt or worry, I'm just not one of those people. I get anxiety when I have to sell things I like.

 

[mmcmdl]

That should be in the " sales you regret thread " . I have no problem selling things I like , unlike things I need .

 

[Ischgl99]

Okay so clearly none of you were scarred by the sale of a antique barnes treadle lathe in near mint condition, or rather finding out the new owner abused it and let water sit on the ways and rust them severely

If you got the money you wanted for it, why would you care? When I sell something, I could not care less if they brought it straight to the scrap yard, I’ll be smiling all the way to the bank.

 

[7milesup]

Okay so clearly none of you were scarred by the sale of a antique barnes treadle lathe in near mint condition, or rather finding out the new owner abused it and let water sit on the ways and rust them severely

I'm a minimalist, I buy used almost exclusively where possible. I believe machines should last decades, I know most other people dont share that view and can sell things without guilt or worry, I'm just not one of those people. I get anxiety when I have to sell things I like.

I get what you are saying, but unless the item was a family heirloom, it should not matter. I understand the anxiety when selling things you like and the belief that they should be taken care of forever.
It is somewhat interesting that you mentioned that you are a minimalist. That makes perfect sense when feelings of anxiety creep in due to the concern that the machine is taken care of. It is a good thing that I have limited money and space, otherwise, I would be "saving" machines from "abuse." LOL