Used machine portals: The golden road to the perfect machine?

Used Machines: Portals vs. Dealers

A seemingly diverse range of used machines at attractive conditions at first glance: Large platforms such as Maschinensucher and Co. are the first port of call for many in their search for the right machine tool. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the real bargains, young used machines and machines that are in particularly high demand are often only available directly from the machine dealer. Advice and service included.

Especially in times of rising prices, used machine tools are an economical alternative for many companies to expensive investments in new machines that tie up a lot of capital over a long period of time. The range of used milling machines and lathes, boring mills and machining centers is large, and it certainly takes some time to get an overview of the machines best suited to one’s own requirements. Large trading platforms such as Maschinensucher, Machinio, Resale, Surplex, etc. bundle the otherwise difficult to overview offer with an inventory of sometimes several hundred thousand used machines and are therefore for many the first port of call in the search for a suitable machine tool.

As in other segments, the advantages of large sales portals also seem obvious at first when buying or selling used machines: Buyers find an extensive and diverse range of machines, which are often offered at attractive conditions due to the great competition.
Inquiries about machines from different suppliers can be sent quickly with a few clicks, which makes it possible to obtain a large number of offers in a short time.So the most efficient way to procure the perfectly suitable used machine at low cost?

Disadvantages and growing discontent

Experience shows that, despite or precisely because of the large range of machines on offer, it is often not quite so easy in practice to find the optimum machine for one’s own needs.On the one hand, questions about the machines on offer cannot usually be clarified in advance in direct contact between the interested party and the seller, as sending inquiries is initially usually only possible via the message function of the sales portal. Comprehensive consultation, on the basis of which a well-founded decision can be made for the investment of several tens of thousands of euros, is therefore difficult.

In addition, prospective buyers and purchasers repeatedly criticize the lack of accuracy of fit of the offers that are sent automatically by the portal systems. Reports are accumulating that, although dozens of machines were offered by e-mail in response to very specific search queries, in the end only a few or even none of them met the search criteria and thus the specific requirement.

And finally, another particularly crucial point: For a number of reasons, large machinery portals have also become increasingly unattractive for sellers and especially dealers over time. Repeated massive, sometimes unannounced price increases and a non-transparent price structure on some portals have repeatedly caused growing discontent among sellers, with the result that more and more sellers – even those who were initially satisfied – have now switched to offering their machines elsewhere.Another point of criticism from the seller’s point of view is the disproportionately large amount of work involved in answering the large number of inquiries that are not initially meant, and which can usually only be answered via the platform’s communication channels.

Overall, this development has led to the fact that offers with attractively priced top machines are increasingly rare on machine portals. We already know this from the real estate industry – the most attractive objects often don’t even appear on the real estate portals, but are brokered personally – by the broker, who knows exactly what his customers need, or even through private brokerage by the seller himself.

Advantages of buying from a dealer

The purchase of a used machine directly from an experienced machine dealer is in most cases the most efficient and economical way to the optimal fitting machine tool.

1. Consultation

Experienced dealers determine the individual needs of their customers in personal discussions.The focus is not on selling equipment, but on customer satisfaction and providing manufacturing companies with the best possible supply of high-quality operating equipment.

2. Precisely matching offers

Dealers who always try to sell „the first machine that comes along“ will not last long on the market. Professional machine dealers know the specific requirements of the processes in the manufacturing companies of various industries and are able to offer each customer precisely the machines that are best suited to the individual case.

3. Service

When handling the machine purchase, machine dealers accompany their customers every step of the way – from the inspection, ideally under power, to disassembly and commissioning at the new location. Ideally, this also includes organizing insured transport and, if necessary, supplying spare parts. Dealers with their own service team or a corresponding cooperation partner also offer additional services such as maintenance and repair and are a reliable contact for all technical questions even after the purchase.

In summary, it can be said that anyone who wants to quickly and easily obtain a machine that is optimally suited to their needs at a fair price is well advised to turn to a professional machine dealer with a comprehensive service portfolio, even in times of online second-hand trade.