questions to ask when considering a wet grinder

[SharpenADullWitt]

Sure, of course any warranty is an advantage, no one is going to argue with that statement.

A warranty must be accessible and honored to be an advantage.  I once bought a monitor and had it fail within a year, to find out the local warranty place was  within two miles round trip, from my house.
I went there to find out the manufacturer was not paying, or paying on time on warranty repairs, so the shop was not doing them until the manufacturer paid their bill.  My experience leads me to distrust warranties from companies I have no experience with.  (deprecates the difference between new and used)

I consider myself one of the lucky ones, who found a used Supergrind at a bargain price. (sub $200 with turning kit). Most warranty problems I see on products happen early, or just out of warranty.  (either/or)  Those that happen just out of warranty, I frequently see complaints about in reviews.
Several of the Tormek's I have seen for sale, started local (CL) then went to the auction site, simply because they asked way too much, for a lightly used, but not maintained machine (appearance of rusty shafts).  Most were asking close to what the machine was bought for new. (at or slightly about 2004)  If you compare that to what they are now, some I wonder if they are wanting to upgrade and only pay the 55% difference, between these old square frame models and the current model.
I do not see used models for sale, often, in the range Ken said, but there is one currently out there.
Knowledge and experience, well newbies do not have the later, but the web allows them to obtain the former and learn from others experience, before making decisions.  Years ago, and from visiting this site, things went from the warranty would not transfer ownership, to the warranty would follow the machine, not the person.  (serial number)  The warranty has also expanded from my reading.

[Rob]

Rob,

I think you are spot on with your comment, "at the right price". In my opinion, the problem with much of the second hand Tormek market is that the pricing is not logical.

Let's set a minimum risk price point. In the US, a brand new T8 should be readily available from multiple dealers for $699. This price includes free shipping. It also includes the latest SE-77, the zinc drive wheel, the other latest features, TT-50 truing tool and a seven year warranty.


For $600, while supplies last, one can get a new, ten year warranty T7. It will not have the latest T8 bells and whistles. It comes with the older, but proven SE-76. You should get free shipping with this.

For $399, you can get a new, warranteed T4, also with free shipping. The T4 comes with no square edge jig, or jig of any sort. It does not come with a TT-50 truing tool.

My T 7 has served me very well for many years, and I like my T4, also. However, compared with the price of a new T8, I feel both are overpriced. In my opinion, a new T8 represents the best value.

I have nothing against buying second hand, however, most of the used Tormeks I have seen for sale are, in my opinion, priced much too high to represent a good value. With any used object, a certain amount of extra risk is introduced. I do not feel the buyer is being compensated for that risk.

Any T7 in good condition is probably a low risk purchase, as are many SuperGrinds. However, the price should reflect the wear and tear on the machine as well as the grinding wheel. If the machine has been consistently upgraded with improvements, that would increase its value. In previous discussions, I remember US $200 to $250 as being a good buying range for an older T7. I do not remember seeing a T7 offered for sale in that price range.

I do not feel that the pricing is "at the right price" in the second hand market to be a good value.

One should also keep in mind that any jigs included with an older Tormek have probably been replaced with newer models. This does not mean that the older jigs will not work. It does mean that the ir value should not be calculated the same as new jigs.

Ken

I guess if the used market for Tormek's is over priced it's probably simply people trying to recoup as much of the original investment as they can. One has to be ultra careful with that line of thinking though because where it might lead is to an assumption that the new price is unreasonable. That's a whole different debate I guess.