Classic Woodworking Machinery: A Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to purchasing classic woodworking machinery, there are a host of options available. But whether you’re looking to invest in a new machine or purchase a refurbished one, the things you should be looking out for are largely the same.
Ultimately, when you’re on the hunt for classic machinery, you should be weighing up your options based on:
- Performance
- Quality & durability
- Value
- Support
- The availability of spare parts
We’ve put together a short buyer’s guide to classic woodworking machinery to help you narrow down your search.
Buy a machine that performs well
Whether you’re a hobbyist or a professional craftsman, the odds are that you’ll be working with your machine on a regular basis. As a result, the performance of your machine should be one of the key factors being considered in the buying process.
A well-performing machine will not only make your job a lot easier when it comes to producing materials, but it’s also likely to minimise the amount of waste materials produced, therefore helping you to keep costs down.
Look for quality materials and craftsmanship
Purchasing a piece of classic woodworking machinery is often a big investment. As such, you’ll be looking for equipment that’s durable, reliable, and built to last.
When it comes to classic woodworking machinery, we’re proud to supply stock from a number of the UK’s best and longest-standing manufacturers, including Casolin and Dominion, and our friendly team are always on hand to provide expert advice on which will be best suited to your needs.
Look for good value, but don’t go for the cheapest
Buy cheap, buy twice, as the saying goes! Whilst it might be tempting to go for the machine with the lowest price tag, doing so can actually end up costing you more money in the long-run. Our advice; set your budget and assess your options, taking into account each machine’s features and functions, but let the quality of the manufacturing be a key deciding factor.
Got a question about any of the classic woodworking machines you’ve seen? Get in touch with our team!
Invest in machinery that will facilitate future production requirements
Business expansion may not necessarily be on your mind right now, but a lot can change in the space of twelve months, and it’s always good to be prepared! We’re not advising to buy the top of the range just on the off-chance that you might eventually need it – quite the opposite, actually. But when it comes to deciding on which machine to go for, by focusing on key qualities such as precision, performance, and craftsmanship, you can make sure you’re investing in a machine that will be able to keep up with increasing production volume as and when you do expand.
Do your research on the supplier
When making an investment such as this, the last thing you want is to buy from a supplier who’s going to try and sell you the most expensive product, take your money, and then forget about you once you’re out of the showroom.
At VWM, we enjoy establishing and retaining excellent working relationships with all of our clients; it’s what we’ve been doing for over 40 years.
And when it comes to support, we’ve got you covered! Whether you and your team need on-site training, help with setting up your machine, tips on how to keep it clean, or even regular maintenance and servicing, we’re here to help you protect and get the most out of your investment.
Think about spare parts
It’s an unfortunate fact that parts do, eventually, wear out and need to be replaced. And if the parts are tricky to source or install, the resulting downtime can end up leaving you out of pocket by quite a large sum of money.
One of the core things to consider when purchasing your new or refurbished classic woodworking machine is the availability of spare and replacement parts, and this is across two levels.
Firstly, you’ll want to check with the manufacturer that parts for the particular model you’re interested in are still being produced, or if not, are still widely available (especially important if you’re investing in a refurbished machine).
Secondly, it’s a good idea to check with the supplier you’re thinking about purchasing from that they have a good range of spare parts in stock should you ever need to call upon them. Whilst a two-week wait while your parts are shipped from overseas may not seem like a long stretch of time right now, when a part eventually needs to be replaced and your machine isn’t able to function because of it, you could potentially lose out on a lot of money by having to wait so long.
A little bit about us…
Established in 1981, at VWM, we’ve been selling, manufacturing and servicing woodworking machinery for over 40 years.
