I am preparing to list my 2016 Tormach 15L Slant-PRO CNC Lathe for sale to make room in the shop located in New Jersey, but before listing it, I wanted to get some community advice on pricing, platform reach, and logistics.
For those who have recently bought or sold used Tormach lathe:
Where do you see the most serious buyers? Is direct listing on Practical Machinist, eBay, CNC Zone, Facebook Marketplace/Groups, or local machinery brokers preferred for this specific model?
Pricing Expectations: Given the current market for a 2016 15L, what price range feels realistic for a fast sale? I am thinking about $500-$1000.
I’ve seen Tormach’s for sale on all of those platforms. As for which is “best” it’s hard to say, but for my money, I’d avoid eBay or machine brokers. The fees get quite high and the results don’t seem any better than a private sale.
For a quick sale, price is what matters more than venue. If you want it gone fast, price it as low as you’re willing to go (or maybe lower depending on how urgent your need is). I’ve seen machines list for anywhere from 50-80% of the cost of a new machine but I couldn’t say how long any of them sat before they actually sold. A lot of that depends on location, and if you happen to time a posting right when a buyer is getting in the market.
All of that said, if it’s a 2016, you probably got it for a decent price compared to today’s value for a new machine. I recently sold my 1100MX as I was moving across the country. Because of when I bought it, and the cost of new machines today, I got back almost every dollar I paid for it.
Unlucky timing.. Tormach just announced the 15LX which the 15L is not upgradeable to and EOLed the L (support for next 5 years)
Anyone upgrading will likely also be selling and potential buyers will need enough of a discount to make buying an orphan machine worthwhile. That said, IMO $1000 would be a steal if it’s not clapped out.
Maybe this reply is very basic but should serve as a reference if this topic comes up again on here.
Once you decide upon a listing price and internally decide on the non-public bottom dollar you will accept/negotiate down to, this should not be any different than any other multi-thousand dollar durable good for sale.
You list it everywhere that offers a free advertisement and you consider the cost of advertising on the platforms that are not free in terms of exposure/eyeballs/marketing expense. How much is the insertion fee on eBay and what price covers your insertion fee and platform fee for a sale such that your listing price is above your desired number. On eBay, you may be found by a wise buyer on there who knows you have inflated the price to cover fees and will figure out how to contact you directly without running afoul of their terms and conditions or figure where you have listed it on another platform and find you there at the reduced price. Check eBay’s current T&C about stating an item is listed in multiple places and will be sold to the first valid buyer on any platform.
The major issues I can think of for the transaction are getting a deposit from confirmed buyer and how/when final payment occurs to be careful about accepting payment methods that can’t be clawed back after the sale. For a sale on a free platform (or a referral via a message board) without sales T&C, you want to write up a bill of sale.
In terms of there being shipping logistics, if you are going to welcome a buyer to come into your shop and rig/remove it versus putting it on a pallet and having it ready for pickup, you may want to have some of that info researched before listing and decide upon being willing to deal with that liability if something did go wrong while it was being rigged on your premises. If you look at an auction-house listing for a bigger machine, you will see their terms and conditions are probably the most conservative and more or less require licensed/insured riggers/shippers on premises for transportation.
Marketplace, a few FB groups, and eventually eBay. It wasn’t until after I had taken down the eBay listing that I finally got a real buyer for it. They had contacted me with some questions while the listing was active but never did anything about it. After I took it down they sent me another message and I ended up selling it to him off the platform. Worked out for both of us, I got more than I would have selling through ebay, he got it for less than the ebay price.
I’ve been in the market for a 15L for a few years. Never pulled the trigger. I am also in NJ, and if you have time I’d like to see it in person and possibly buy. Please feel free to let me know what works best for you.
