What to do with your old machinery

By Emma Peterson. 

Getting new machinery feels like being a kid on your birthday again, but what can you do with the machine you’re replacing? 

In Season 1, Episode 31 of MetalCast™, Ken McLauchlan and Stephen Gosk from MetalForming come to talk with Heidi J. Ellsworth about how to incorporate used machinery into your day-to-day operations. This is becoming an increasingly common consideration as the metal market continues to grow, demanding that contractor’s businesses also expand and become more efficient. 

You can keep your older machinery in the shop. Ken explained that it can have benefits to hold onto it if you have the space. He shared that he often asks: “Do you want some redundancy? Is your business going to grow? Because if you're making one 10-foot piece, could you make two 10-foot pieces at a time? It's a little bit of a backup. Do you have the space for it?” Keeping space for those older machines alongside the new ones you purchase allows you to build a more efficient set up.  

However, there are times when getting the new equipment is important for safety or the new capabilities it offers and there isn’t space to keep both. In that case, you can sell the machinery secondhand. Stephen explained that, in response to the growing market for metal, “There is a quick turnover on used equipment, so it has a high demand.” When it comes to selling the machine, there are multiple routes available.  

There are private sales, through listings on places like RoofersCoffeeShop®, but there are also cases where a company like MetalForming might buy one of their older machines back. Ken explained, “We're going to give you a number. We're going to take it. We're going to refurb it, tear it all the way down and repaint it. It will leave looking like a new machine and we'll sell it with a warranty.” This is one of the ways MetalForming supports contractors who are moving forward to new technology and contractors who might need a more affordable, traditional option. 

Read the transcript, Listen to the podcast or Watch the video to learn more about getting the right equipment for your business.