Pre-owned and ProductiveByRaymond D. Matkowsky
About 10 years ago, I purchased a snow blower for my personal use from a local lawn and garden retailer. In my mind it was one of the best purchases I made. At the time of purchase, the owner of the shop said that beyond first five hour oil change, he never changes the oil in his unit. I found this comment odd, but I never thought twice about it until I read the maintenance section of the owner’s manual. The owner’s manual stated that the oil should be changed every 50 hours of operation. Most of us change the oil in our cars using mileage as a yard stick but most equipment is rated in operating hours. I operate my snow blower for about five hours a season. After 10 years, it is still going strong. I have heard of one person that has had his gas powered outdoor equipment for 26 years without ever having it repaired. This made me think that in industrial operations, there are many pieces of equipment that is used sparingly. Even equipment that is used regularly never reaches the end of its useful life before it is discarded. There is also equipment that can be repurposed from its original application easily.
Sometimes repurposed equipment can be purchased for a slight premium over scrap metal. Let me give you a real life example. Early in my career, I had technical responsibility for a guar gum subsidiary in Georgia, USA. Guar gum was utilized in the carpet manufacturing. At the time, we purchased a wrecked cement mixer specifically for removing its mixer and remounting it in the plant. The equipment was used to blend the guar gum powder to specifications. The remainder of the wreck was resold for scrap further lowering the overall cost.
Many pieces of equipment have a long life expectancy. The medium life expectancy for various air conditioning components is 12 to 40 years. Building components and processing equipment has a life expectancy in excess of 60 years. Doing better than the average is very doable. Like anything else life expectancies depend on environmental conditions, exposure to salt and humidity, and airborne particles. Due diligence is required.
If you buy from a dealer you may even get a warranty on your purchase. You made be able to buy from someone who no longer has any need for the equipment. This is quite common. If you only have a short need for the equipment, you may be able to rent the usage. You can buy or rent almost anything you can think of.
Either way you will be able to save a substantial amount on your capital equipment budget. I remind you again a penny saved goes directly to your bottom line as profit!
Do you have any other suggestions, please share them with your fellow readers. Email me at rdm@datastats.com.
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