Are you considering purchasing woodworking machinery because you need to expand on the machinery that you already have and add a new machine to your workshop? Or do you need to replace an older machine that is no longer working as well as you need it to? If so, you’ll face the age-old dilemma – should you buy new or would it be better to purchase refurbished?
Cost
One of the biggest considerations that may factor into your decision, and never more so than in the current economic climate, is the price of woodworking machinery. Understandably new woodwork machinery will be more expensive than refurbished machinery. However, you may well find that for the same price, you can purchase a refurbished machine that is a much better model than you might be able to afford if you are purchasing new.
If you have a good budget and can afford to purchase a new machine, then you should also consider that the cost of such a machine will often include a good manufacturer’s guarantee. This should be taken into account as well when making your decision because it could ensure that you avoid expensive repair costs later down the line should something go wrong with the machine that you have purchased. Refurbished machinery often comes with some form of a guarantee as well, but this will likely be shorter in term, and may not cover every eventuality.
Something else you may want to consider in terms of cost is that if you should choose to sell your woodworking machinery at a later date, newer machinery will have depreciated at a great rate than a refurbished machine. Whilst this is not something that everyone considers important, if you do not intend to hold onto the machine for a good amount of time, then it is certainly worth thinking about.
Parts
When you purchase new woodworking machinery, you do so with the hope that nothing will go wrong with it. However, if something should go wrong and a replacement part is needed, or some form of repair is required it should not be too difficult to source these. A refurbished machine will be older, and there is always the possibility, depending on its age, that sourcing replacement parts may not be so easy. This means that if you can purchase a replacement part, it will likely be much more costly.
This is something that may have a significant impact on the decision that you make.
Latest technology
If you want the latest technology, then obviously new woodworking machinery will offer you access to this. However, it is worth remembering that new technology can soon be overtaken by something even newer that offers more features.
If you do not need the latest technology from your woodworking machinery, than you will probably find that a refurbished machine will suit your needs just as well.
Environmental considerations
Greener environment growth is becoming something that more and more people consider when it comes to a great range of things, and the purchase of machinery certainly falls into this category. A piece of machinery that has been refurbished to the highest standards will provide years of service in a more ethical way than purchasing a new machine. It saves machinery from landfill, helps the environment and helps the buyer to feel good about doing their bit, however small, for the planet around them.
New machinery, on the other hand, is manufactured with the latest technologies, and this can often mean that it is also more energy efficient and therefore doing its own part to help the environment.
