maxm63•26d ago

Threw $600 at a used spray booth fan and it paid off in a year

Bought a beat up 3-phase exhaust fan off a guy in Tacoma for $600 instead of spending $3k new, just had to rewire it. Anyone else gamble on used gear like that and come out ahead?

2 comments

2 Comments

lewis.charlie26d ago

Threw $600 at a used spray booth fan and it paid off in a year" - yeah, until it doesn't pay off and you're out $600 plus whatever damage it causes. You got lucky this time but that's not a strategy, that's just rolling dice with your money. Used 3-phase motors are a nightmare, I've seen guys bring home "bargains" that ended up needing new bearings, a VFD just to get them running, and then they still started smoking after a month. Plus if that thing seized up mid-job you'd be looking at a week of lost production waiting for parts, which wipes out your savings real quick. I'd rather pay for new and know it'll run without babysitting it every morning.

diana_flores2526d ago

I dropped $450 on a used compressor once that looked fine, sounded fine, then the head gasket blew on day three. That saved money evaporated real fast when I had to pay a guy to come fix it and still missed two days of work. You're right about the hidden stuff too, I had a motor that ran smooth but was pulling twice the amps it should have, cooking itself slow. People see the upfront number and forget that their time and lost jobs are real costs too. New stuff costs more but at least you're not gambling with your schedule.