Used cnc lathe tooling

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Tooling for cnc lathes is getting more and more expensive nowadays. Granted, the cost of everything goes up because of inflation one might argue, but small machine shop owners seem to be finding it more and more difficult to pass on these increased costs of cnc lathe tooling to their customers. And cnc lathe tooling is a big part of the operating costs of small machine shops everywhere. With the result that more and more shop owners, foremen and purchasing agents are looking for used cnc lathe tooling. And that is actually a good idea when implemented properly. As in everything, the idea is a good one, but the implementation is critical. For if the implementation is done haphazardly, then purchasing used cnc lathe tooling could end up biting you worse than simply getting into buying new tooling.

In my opinion, this is what I would suggest. First evaluate the price of the new cnc lathe tooling. Negotiate with the supplier to see if any discounts can be obtained. When the final price has been nailed down, go looking for used cnc lathe tooling. If you find a good bargain, insist that you will pay and buy only after physically evaluating the hardware. There are many salesmen with questionable reputation that will sell you used cnc lathe tooling that is not even fit to be sent to the scrap dealer. This is especially true of tapping heads and miniature boring bars. And not to mention cnc lathe tooling collet chucks. You might think you are getting a great deal on a used 5C collet chuck from a used cnc lathe tooling salesman who is located in the other end of the world, you pay for it and when it arrives you find nothing but gouge marks in the internal diameter and suddenly you are not able to reproduce the diametrical tolerances any more. Don’t blame the lathe, the blame needs to fall on the cnc lathe tooling.

So buying used cnc lathe tooling is a good idea, but the implementation of the purchase needs to be thorough and carefully orchestrated to prevent problems down the line. Being pennywise and pound foolish is not worth it.