What's it worth?

M

Mcgyvry

Plastic

Joined

Dec 5, 2018

• Dec 14, 2018

• #1

I've got a friend who's thinking about selling one of his mills. My research here leads me to believe it's a 1hp Bridgeport J head with a date of 1953. It works great and comes with a lot of tooling (vice ,rotary table,collets etc..). He even has a home made 3phase converter for it. He's an older guy and I don't want him to get taken by some of the people looking to buy it.
Thanks

 

michiganbuck

Diamond

Joined

Jun 28, 2012

Location

Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035

• Dec 14, 2018

• #2

Around Detroit 1500 to 3500 with some close to 5K and as low as perhaps 800.
local craigslist is a good source for price

 

N

nihilistic

Aluminum

Joined

Aug 29, 2014

Location

California, USA

• Dec 14, 2018

• #3

Yeah michiganbuck is spot on. Maybe add a bit if it has extra features like automatic collet change, powerfeed, autolube, etc.

 

M

Mcgyvry

Plastic

Joined

Dec 5, 2018

• Dec 14, 2018

• #4

Thanks michiganbuck and nihilistic . There are a couple of people trying to get him to give it up for next to nothing. I'll check the local craigslist never thought of that for machinery. I've looked on line but it's hard to judge what would be fair. I told him I thought $1500 would be a good deal for someone or at least if I had the room what I would give him for it. As for extra's it has a power feed but not much else. There are scales for an old digital readout that has long since disappeared.

 

michiganbuck

Diamond

Joined

Jun 28, 2012

Location

Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035

• Dec 14, 2018

• #5

Signs of scraping on travel makes them worth more,(vice ,power feed, rotary table,colets etc. all a plus.
Table not all hacked up a plus.
Good test for an old timer is to check hand wheel free play at near center and at the out ends..to be much the same and not too much.

 

M

Mcgyvry

Plastic

Joined

Dec 5, 2018

• Dec 14, 2018

• #6

It’s got a lot of light surface rust but is actually tighter than the one he’s been using. When he retired he had both in use quite often. Now for the last couple of years he just uses his other one with a bigger table even though it has a little bit more play. At 83 he says it has less slop the he does and better at getting the job done too.

 

michiganbuck

Diamond

Joined

Jun 28, 2012

Location

Mt Clemens, Michigan 48035

• Dec 14, 2018

• #7

Oil and fine-side stone likely clean up surface rust rust.
Guess I would say try $3500 or better in that market ..not that many to be had...

 

M

Mcgyvry

Plastic

Joined

Dec 5, 2018

• Dec 15, 2018

• #8

I’m going to talk to him and see if he wants me to put it on Craigslist for him. He doesn’t need the money as much as he wants it to clear some floor space and see it go to someone that will use it. That was his first mill and he fussed over it a lot thru the years. The problem is we’re in a rural area and not a big demand for machine shop equipment. I know the people trying to buy it are just going to eBay the tooling and scrap the mill.

 

C

CarlBoyd

Hot Rolled

Joined

Jul 16, 2007

Location

Orlando, Florida

• Dec 15, 2018

• #9

Mcgyvry said:

I’m going to talk to him and see if he wants me to put it on Craigslist for him. He doesn’t need the money as much as he wants it to clear some floor space and see it go to someone that will use it. That was his first mill and he fussed over it a lot thru the years. The problem is we’re in a rural area and not a big demand for machine shop equipment. I know the people trying to buy it are just going to eBay the tooling and scrap the mill.

Click to expand...

Where in Florida? Less than 100 miles or so from Orlando and I might be interested.

CarlBoyd

 

M

Mcgyvry

Plastic

Joined

Dec 5, 2018

• Dec 15, 2018

• #10

Bunnell just north of Daytona

 

H

HWElecRepair

Hot Rolled

Joined

Dec 9, 2013

Location

Fort Wayne, IN

• Dec 16, 2018

• #11

I would disagree that people are looking to scrap it. We have lots of customers in FL who are looking for Bridgeports and cant find any that are in good shape.

Jon

 

M

Mcgyvry

Plastic

Joined

Dec 5, 2018

• Dec 16, 2018

• #12

Unfortunately I know the people trying to buy it and they don’t know thing one about using a mill. One guy talked him into selling one of his welders earlier this year for next to nothing and just flipped it for a quick buck. He told my friend that he was going to use it for his “shop”. The only problem is that he doesn’t have a shop can’t weld and didn’t even know how to turn it on. But my friend threw in a chiller and a bunch of other stuff thinking he was helping him out and they’re doing the same thing with this mill. I don’t doubt that there is a demand to buy a good machine but these guys don’t work like that. They’ll stop at the 1st scrap yard they pass that can unload it and get more than they’re offering him and eBay the rest. It’d kill him to know what they did with the welder and I’m trying not to let it happen again.