For sale?

[bwolfie]

Does anyone have a Tormek for sale?

Has anyone purchased a used Tormek?

Have you had to repair your Tormek? What things should I look for when I am buying used?

[RichColvin]

Ben,

I have a T-2000 that I bought in 2002.  I've made some replacements and a few repairs.  But, if I were to buy another one, I would opt for a new one over a used one.  The used ones usually are highly priced.  And, Advanced Machinery will tailor an order for me, not making me buy jigs I already have. 

Some talk about the warranty on new ones, but I would instead urge you to look at the design advantages.  The T-8 is vastly superior to the earlier models, especially the T-2000. 

The jigs work on all machines.  So used options seem like a good idea, but they probably aren't. 

• The SVD-186 is a huge improvement over the SVD-185, and
• the new TT-50 is no comparison to the old ADV-50D.

So, if you get one used, be sure it is at a greatly reduced price ... or go new. 

Kind regards,
Rich

[Elden]

https://forum.tormek.com/index.php?topic=929.msg15644#msg15644

The above was posted in 2016. I still feel the same way except it would now be a T8 (or T4) instead of a T7 I would recommend.

[Ken S]

Welcome to the forum, Ben.

Rich and Elden have shared some very solid, honest advice with you. I hope you will carefully read all three pages of the linked thread in Elden's reply. It is time well spent. It started in 2009, and includes "from the trenches" advice from many of the forum's heavy hitters. Incidentally, I reread it as I started to reply. It was time well spend.

Ken

[John_B]

If I saw one that was reasonably priced in good condition I would probably get a second T-8. However, it seems very few come on the market at a discounted price. I am guessing one of the reasons is that very few people buy them on a whim. Buyers seem to all have a solid need for the tool that does not go away. Another thing to look at if you do happen to find a used one is the size of the SG-250 grinding wheel and the condition of the leather wheel. You are looking at about $260 US to replace these if they are worn out.

[RickKrung]

I have a different perspective on Tormek units that some have bought and don't use.  I've talked to a number of people, both in person and online, who have tried a Tormek and found it not to their liking.  It is sort of one of those "love/hate" kind of things.  Some are die-hard "other system" users, such as Worksharp.  Some totally hate the Tormek.  I don't know how that translates into what they do with the Tormeks they don't like.  Whether they just keep them or sell them. 

I do agree that they seldom seem to come up at reasonable/low prices.  Maybe that is because they cost so much, hardly get used and the sellers don't want to "give" them away. 

Not much help, I'm sure, just my perspective.

Rick

[jeffs55]

   On the subject of buying a used Tormek. It is going to be hard to find a good deal on a used model. Some reasons are the initial high cost of the Tormek and second the cost of shipping the item. It is going to cost an arm and a leg to ship it and someone has to pay.
    This is the way I would approach it if I were in the market. Take the cost of the used Tormek with included accessories and subtract that from the cost of a T8 with the exact same accessories. Determine that you actually need the accessories as well. Some things you must buy or already have like a stone grader and a stone truer. Some things like a stainless shaft and EZ lock are not required only useful. You take the used item "package" and subtract its cost from the new item package. Is the difference worth not having a warranty as your used item most likely will not have a warranty. On the other hand, all you are dealing with is an electric motor that has never ran at high speed in its life. Anything can fail but these are some of the least stressed motors out there. I say all that to say that the warranty is seldom needed on a Tormek. So, if the difference is say $100 between a used Supergrind or T2000 I would buy the new one. If it goes much over that then a line by line cost assessment is needed. How much stone is left on the old model is a large factor as well. Jeff Farris the former marketer said that 200 mm is about the end of life on a stone for the T8 or similar.
     If I could save $350 or thereabouts on the exact same package with 230 mm of stone, I would buy the used model. I would not pay over $400 for the used one though based on a new one for $729 on Amazon. That is me based  on minimal usage of the Tormek. I have the original stone after more than 12 years of occasional use. That would be from a trusted source as well.

[Ken S]

Rick,

If you as a knowledgeable and price saavy Tormek user, wanted to buy a particular used Tormek, how much would you want to pay? A second hand Tormek is not like a second hand car or truck, which one expects to use for only a few years. As such, the market is, in my opinion, much too high.

Jeff,

I appreciate your logic, however, I think your price differences are too tight, especially for beginners. In addition to the obvious improvements, there are also more subtle improvements.  The drive wheel has been redesigned and is now zinc instead of plastic.
The T8 has the same machined zinc top as the T4, which boasts a 300% increase in precision.

I believe a new user is best served by the protection of a new machine with a warranty.

Ken