Price for a used Hare & Forbes WL46 Lathe

[davore]

I'm looking to get into some woodturning and there is a used Hare & Forbes WL46 Lathe for sale, locally. It's about 4 years old, appears to be in good condition with a little surface rust on the bed and according to the owner has only done about 10 hours work. I was wondering what would be a fair price to offer the owner for this machine? It doesn't come with any extras i.e chucks/chisels. I am well aware that this is not a beginner's lathe and it's well beyond my capabilities, but I am planning on eventually turn some banjo rims and snare drum shells which will be anywhere between 8 - 15 inches. After speaking to some of the guys from the local woodturner's club they suggested I needed a substantial machine to be able to do this.

Any advice from greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Davore

[artme]

A good machine!! Lucky you if you can pick it up second hand!!

As for a beginner's lathe - There is no such thing!! Your first lathe is your beginner's model!!

Just remember you can turn large things and small things on a large lathe. You can only turn
small things on a small lathe..

Some of the most delicat turnings you will ever see are done one large lathes.

[Treecycle]

It would be hard to put a figure on what this lathe is worth at the moment, but about the time that one was purchased they were about $1500.
They are a good reliable lathe and have plenty of grunt. Being made in China, the quality is not first class like a Vicmarc, but you get what you pay for.
I have one and haven't had a problem with it. I use it fairly regularly, and I know of another one that gets used extensively every day, and he has had very few problems with it. The electronic variable speed works well and is very handy.
This doesn't help with your price, but should give you some idea of what you can expect from it, should you end up buying it.

[Paul39]

I'm looking to get into some woodturning and there is a used Hare & Forbes WL46 Lathe for sale, locally. It's about 4 years old, appears to be in good condition with a little surface rust on the bed and according to the owner has only done about 10 hours work. I was wondering what would be a fair price to offer the owner for this machine? It doesn't come with any extras i.e chucks/chisels. I am well aware that this is not a beginner's lathe and it's well beyond my capabilities, but I am planning on eventually turn some banjo rims and snare drum shells which will be anywhere between 8 - 15 inches. After speaking to some of the guys from the local woodturner's club they suggested I needed a substantial machine to be able to do this.

Any advice from greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Davore


My rule of thumb on used stuff is 1/2 of new if in good working condition. I was told long ago by a friend in the used furniture business to always let the seller set the price. That way the seller can never argue that the buyer took advantage of the seller.

If the WL 46 indeed has only 10 hours, it is not even broken in. Sometimes a persons concept of time is a little faulty.

My technique for buying anything, cars, professional camera equipment, tools, lathes, whatever; is to carefully inspect the thing in question, be sure all the accessories are included, put a price in your head of what the maximum you will pay, go to the seller with cash up to the maximum and with smaller bills to be able to make a lesser amount.

Be ready to load and leave as soon as you have paid. Ask the seller "what is the absolute least you will take for this, as is where is, in cash, right now?" If it is at or less what you have in mind, pay, load and go.

Be sure that you have carefully inspected and preferably run the machine because as soon as money changes hands, it is yours, bad bearing, missing parts, cracked casting and all.

If it is more than what you have in mind, tell the seller that is more than I can spend, thank the seller for his time, and leave. You might leave your name and phone number in case the item is reduced in price.