Replies

1. 
   jimtincher | Jul 17, 2002 04:54pm | #1

   I think this is a good deal....

2. 
   forestgirl | Jul 17, 2002 06:52pm | #2

   It might have been a good deal.  The positives:

   • The seller has exclusively good feedback in their profile
   • They accept PayPal, payment by which would provide some buyer protection

   The possible negatives:

   • This is a new seller, selling a technical piece of equipment they may or may not know anything about
   • The description is vague -- the piece is in "excellent" condition.  No specifics described here
   • No information was provided about shipping -- only that buyer is responsible for all charges

   I've written a couple hundred ads for eBay over the years, and I would never have posted that particular description of this machine.  But then that's me.  As far as buying goes, the only ways I would have bid on this machine:

   • to be in the sellers neighborhood and go inspect the machine personally, or
   • exchange enough email, questions and answers, to assure myself they knew what they were doing and to provide documentation should there be a major difference between what they represented and what I received

   I would definitely have paid via PayPal.  This seller probably could have done much better on this machine had they described it better, and perhaps waited until they had a stronger FB record.  Course then where would they park the car?! LOL. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   3dog3 | Jul 17, 2002 11:18pm | #3

   I inquired about this machine, since I was going to be in LA when the auction ended and could pick it up.  The machine is 3 phase (which ruled it out for me) and had no guard.  Also, parts would be hard to come by.  Final price is not bad however for a 10".

1. 
   forestgirl | Jul 18, 2002 05:12am | #4

   3-phase - yep that's the kind of info that should have been in the ad.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   TheOldCynic | Jul 18, 2002 06:31am | #5

   Does anybody here think that this was a good deal:

   Coulda been, depending on how many LP's you have to flatten

   Doc

5. 
   rslatm | Jul 18, 2002 05:53pm | #6

   It's a good deal and I know this becasue I've been fixing these things up over the years and have dealt with every worst case scenario. No guard...easy fix, make one from plywood and a spring and bolt, three phase...typical of a machine of this caliber. Can be dealt with for as little as a few hundred bucks.  Tables warped, broken and missing parts...easily reground, welded and fabricated. Pretty obvious the seller doesn't know much about this stuff. Guaranteed it weighs more than 300 lbs and who cares about the kilowatts. Length of the tables and how many knives would be more pertinent.  I'm not even familiar with that brand but I'm betting it's a European import. We have a 20" RGA jointer in our shop and I haven't been able to find any info on it yet never mind a parts manual but I'm not the least bit worried. A good deal is only relevent to ones experience in dealing with any problems and being able to forsee the worst case scenario and already having a solution for it.

1. 
   3dog3 | Jul 18, 2002 07:25pm | #7

   RSL:

   It's all relative--isn't it.  Yes, you can make a guard out of plywood.  Yes, you can buy a phase converter for about $300.00.  Yes, you can have the tables re-ground.  Etc., etc.  If you like fixing tools, this might be a good project.  But for $700-800, you can buy a new 8' Grizzly or Lobo, (with warranties and manuals), or find a machine used that does not have these... issues.

   Your post implies that someone who was not willing to tackle these issues connected with this machine was somehow remiss.  The point of my original post was informational only, not a criticism of the machine or the person who purchased the machine.

   That being said, there is a great Powermatic 8" on Ebay, with a guard, 1 phase.  Older machine, 1 hp, with a fix to the fence.

   Michael

1. 
   rslatm | Jul 18, 2002 10:30pm | #8

   Michael...just giving my experiences with buying used and I've I learned a lot the hard way.

   I just thought the Hian was a great deal but it could turn into a nightmare if one isn't aware of certain issues. I wasn't criticizing anyone either. Just giving some insights as to what things are issues with buying from auctions or even used from a private party.  Even if you buy brand new there still is a certain amount of tinkering with a machine whether it's tuning a table saw or changing jointer or planer knives.  Buying new doesn't guarantee anything either. My second jointer was a 6" powermatic brand new from an industrial supplier. I ended up with warped tables and because I bought it from an industrial supplier I had to  deal direct with powermatic over the phone. I ended up buying a straight edge to find the table had a bad casting. I ended up sending it back to powermatic for regrinding.  My point is if you want to just do woodwork and  not rebuild machines buy new or used from a reputable local dealer.  Saving a buck buying used can actually cost more unless you are prepared to deal with the issues I mentioned. 

   Rick

1. 
   3dog3 | Jul 19, 2002 12:20am | #9

   Rick:

   Sounds like maybe you are a dealer in used equipment.  If so, I would be interested in talking to you about some items on my wish/shopping list.  Didn't mean to imply that buying new is a guarantee of flawless equipment.  Only that you have a warranty to fall back on.  Of course, the warranty is only as good as the people who stand behind it.  Whenever possible, I buy used equipment.  There are a lot of good deals out there.

   Michael

1. 
   rslatm | Jul 19, 2002 02:23am | #10

   Michael

   I was a service tech for a tool dealer for 8 years and have been fixing tools before and after that stint so I've seen a lot. I always had a knack for fixing and tuning them so I got to work on them in the shops I've been at. I found I could buy industrial grade stuff often for less than new homeshop stuff. My fourth jointer was an Oliver 16" for $1750. If I had to pay someone else to bring it up to speed I wouldn't have been able to buy it. Knowing how to fix stuff means I don't have to schedule an appointment to bring in a repair person at $30 to $50 an hour. Anyway I think that Hian jointer was a pretty good deal. It will cost more to move it than buy it but that can be a whole new post on moving big iron.

   Rick