Attachment value

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

General feelings of the real value of various lathe attachments

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

Hi all, I’ve recently bought myself a new to me lathe (harrison L5) which came with some bits I’m thinking about maybe selling but have no idea what would be a fair price. You know so im not ripping anyone off or giving it away kinda thing….fair.
The attachment is the taper attachment for the L5 and also a spare 127T change wheel (the lathe came with two! I don’t need two, do I?) So thought I’d ask for others opinions. And the general topic of the real value of this kind of thing….the dreaded bay has prices that would make you think the things were made of gold or produced some kind of dizzying high! Thanks for ang and all input

[alan-lloydParticipant @alan-lloyd]

I should think the taper attachment would fetch between £300 to £500

[David ColwillParticipant @davidcolwill19261]

If you do a search on eBay you will see, in the top right hand corner, the word advanced. If you click this, you can scroll down to "sold listings" check this box and you will see all results for that search and the prices that they fetched.

In my opinion this is the best guide for how much something is worth.

Regards.

David.

[ManofkentParticipant @manofkent]

A couple of years ago I sold an L5 taper turning attachment for £200 on the bay.

Don't forget the attachment needs the splined cross slide screw as well which may be the one you have on the lathe.

Good luck

John

[StueeeeParticipant @stueeee]

I'm sure both of those items would sell almost instantly on ebay or elsewhere; but are you sure you won't ever need to cut a long taper or need the metric/imperial conversion for screwcutting from the 127T wheel?

Within reason, IMO, it's almost impossible to have too many attachments/accessories for any machine, as long as you have the storage space available. But if you thought that it would be almost impossible to walk across my workshop without stubbing your toe on some bit of "I'll need that one day" equipment you would probably be correct

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

Thanks for the input guys….thats a brilliant idea, I always forget about the advanced search! I still find it a little difficult telling if the item sold or just ended with no bids? I’ll have a look-see thanks David!
John, the tta seems to be complete, with the splined screw and spare nut (this allows the handwheel to remain engaged right?)
Stueeee,
I am very new to this hobby and am still trying to work out exactly what im likely to need! What’s the longest taper possible without the Attachment on an L5?
I am pretty sure I’m going to want to do metric screw cutting but I only need one 127T gear for that right? The Lathe had two of them with it both in v good condition so was going to sell one on to someone who will use it…..which leads to another question, I’d prefer to sell to someone who will use the items not a dealer who will hoard it in storage unused with a hefty price tag. How do i sniff those guys out
Thanks again for the input peeps
Benjamin

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

One could arrive at a realistic asking price and offer items on the forum sales? Avoid giving epay about 13.5% and saving someone on here some cash?

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

I think that’s the best bet, everybody wins

[Nathan SharpeParticipant @nathansharpe19746]

For a commercial price for a one off order look on Tony's site "Lathes.co.uk". I would like one but not at that price! That is more than a 1/10th of the price I paid 20+ years ago for the lathe. So like and need are different beasts! I've managed so far by using lathes owned by friend's , but it would be nice to find an affordable 127t . Nathan.

PS. I'm NOT knocking Tony!

[StueeeeParticipant @stueeee]

Posted by Benjamin Day on 31/12/2017 13:10:46:

Stueeee,
I am very new to this hobby and am still trying to work out exactly what im likely to need! What's the longest taper possible without the Attachment on an L5?

The longest taper from a continuous cut will be whatever the stroke is of the topslide on your lathe. You were very lucky to get two 127T wheels with your lathe -but that will be good luck for someone else when you pass one of them on.

Original accessories like changewheels, headstock bushes and steadies are often lost as machines go from owner to owner in my experience.

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

Nathan, thanks for that, i keep hearing about this “Tony” guy lol… as for the price of the new 127gear from that site, its practically ?1 a tooth! So can i assume ?70-odd would be judged a fair price by most for a good condition original?
I did do a search on the bay for sold listings to try and pin down a price for the tta but i can only find myford stuff…there are two Hardinge tta’s for sale at the moment, that look very similar in design to the Harrison but are missing the screw, both listed around….sit down for this….?800ish!!
I know they are sturdy with plenty of gravity in ’em but c’mon now thats just silly! They cant possibly sell at that price….so far the estimates for the tta range from 2-?500 (200 being a real sale, 3-500 being an estimate)
Thanks again everyone

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

I have a virtually unused item in my garage that I intend selling. I see them listed at £1000, bar the odd quid or so, on epay. They never sell (well, not to anyone sensible). Likely those vendors are either looking for a mug or are offering the same thing at what might be a huge apparent saving (cf the £1000 item) but still at more than the realistic price that most people are prepared to pay. It’s called wheeling and dealing. Mugs watch out!

You see it all the time on auto mart – the same vehicle up for sale at slowly diminishing offer price until someone takes the bait and bites. It’s called fishing, a Dutch auction or (by computer) phishing?

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

Posted by not done it yet on 01/01/2018 19:10:09: ……..

You see it all the time on auto mart – the same vehicle up for sale at slowly diminishing offer price until someone takes the bait and bites. It’s called fishing, a Dutch auction or (by computer) phishing?

No, not really, phishing is "The fraudulent practice of sending emails purporting to be from reputable companies in order to induce individuals to reveal personal information, such as passwords and credit card numbers".

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

I think that’s just it, for a professional machinist or whatever who’s making a living doing blah blah it might not be a massive investment, but those guys are looking at new, modern equipment… this is 60odd year old equipment! How can you expect similar prices?!
Number 1, hasn’t the L5 and the like had its day? I mean worn right out or never used, it had its commercial chance as it were but times change and number 2 aren’t there appropriately priced more desirable modern tools for a pro shop to use with all the new bells an whistles? surely the people interested in these machiens are at a hobby/non pro level and probably aren’t making money from it? I feel its unfair to compleatly price out inquiring minds

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Benjamin Day on 01/01/2018 21:11:06:
I think that's just it, for a professional machinist or whatever who's making a living doing blah blah it might not be a massive investment, but those guys are looking at new, modern equipment… this is 60odd year old equipment! How can you expect similar prices?!
Number 1, hasn't the L5 and the like had its day? I mean worn right out or never used, it had its commercial chance as it were but times change and number 2 aren't there appropriately priced more desirable modern tools for a pro shop to use with all the new bells an whistles? surely the people interested in these machiens are at a hobby/non pro level and probably aren't making money from it? I feel its unfair to compleatly price out inquiring minds

It's the simple equation of buying and selling, any item is worth whatever someone is prepared to sell it for, and what someone is prepared to buy it for.

Many factors may influence that – supply and demand, how many are selling, how many are buying etc, but the equation stays the same.

Unfair? Well, that of course depends on whether or not you are buying or selling, and there is always the option not to buy.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I think you would be a fool to sell it. With the lathe it enhances the value and saleability. If you are that hard up that you need £200 then you can't afford this hobby as you stand and would be better off selling both lathe and attachments and getting a smaller one within your means.

[jimmy bParticipant @jimmyb]

Posted by Bazyle on 02/01/2018 13:30:19:

I think you would be a fool to sell it. With the lathe it enhances the value and saleability. If you are that hard up that you need £200 then you can't afford this hobby as you stand and would be better off selling both lathe and attachments and getting a smaller one within your means

Not sure where you are coming from??????

Jim

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Agreed Jim, an extraordinary post. I thought he was thinking of selling parts that he considered of no use to him, so surplus to his requirements – now or in the future – not that he was hard up for a couple hundred quid.

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Deleted – double posted!

Edited By not done it yet on 02/01/2018 15:48:33

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Posted by Benjamin Day on 01/01/2018 21:11:06:
…

Number 1, hasn't the L5 and the like had its day? I mean worn right out or never used, it had its commercial chance as it were but times change and number 2 aren't there appropriately priced more desirable modern tools for a pro shop to use with all the new bells an whistles?

…

No, an L5, or any other older lathe in good condition certainly hasn't had it's day. Amateurs like them, but so does the sort of commercial user who needs a economical basic lathe. I know of a local engineering business with about 30 CNC machines doing most of the work. They also own two old manual lathes for short-run jobs that don't justify setting up a CNC run. Rarely used yes, redundant no. I once met a chap who repaired agricultural equipment in a barn. He too had an old lathe and I can't imagine him spending big money on a new one. On the other hand education and business have been selling basic machine tools off on a large scale – they aren't as useful as they once were.

As David Standing said, it's only worth what someone is prepared to pay for it. At worst, scrap value, or you have to pay to have it taken away. At best two or more people are desperate to buy and happy to pay big money.

Prices can change in a flash; the value of your 127 toothed gear would fall spectacularly if a government surplus sale dumped 100,000 on the market tomorrow. Or the price would shoot up if few professional users needed one in a hurry to meet a contract and yours was the only one on offer.

There's a big difference between retail and second-hand prices. A business has to charge customers VAT at 20% and they also need to make a profit. It's not uncommon to see a 40% difference between what you get as a private seller and what the same item will cost you as a private buyer. Or more.

If you want to sell privately to like minded people, an Ad on this forum is a good a way as any. Offer it at whatever price you think reasonable: if no-one bites, drop the price and try again.

If you want to make a profit, an auction site like ebay will maximise the number of people who might fight a bidding war.

If it was mine, I'd keep it the taper attachment. Chaps often find a need for tools and materials a week or two after selling them. You will kick yourself if it happens to you – obsolete attachments don't grow on trees.

Dave

 

 

 

 

Edited By SillyOldDuffer on 02/01/2018 16:00:23

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

Hi Bazyle, thanks for your input/concern. a smaller lathe more within my means you say?……like a Myford you mean?….thing is, I have two of those……..

To clear up any confusion, "not done it yet" hit the nail on the head. Two 127t gears and a taper attachment came with a lathe I bought. One of the gears is definitely surplus to my requirements, and I am as yet undecided about the tta. as it stands I have no real clue how to price these items IF I even decide to sell them on. I feel I should point out that when Nathan Sharpe showed me the price of a newly machined 127t gear, I could have added to that price, reasoning that mine is original, the real deal more collectable blah blah an' all that noise…..I instead nearly halved that price….because I need the money of course.

Dave, thanks for your insight, I've never been in a bonafied machine shop myself but would have guessed everything was cnc in a modern opperation……I suppose I just didn't think about it too hard lol but I am glad I'm wrong! That chap in the barn though, I think he is the sort of guy I imagined to be the market for this kind of older machinery, a wee bit more than a hobby I concede but not exactly making millions. As far as making a profit on the items is concerned, I still wouldn't know how to break down my purchase to work this out so Its kind of a moot point.

As far as I can tell, they both seem to be pretty rare. I've never seen/cant find previous sale info on the Taper attachment bar John Hilton's experience at the begining of this thread. similar (hardinge) but incomplete tta's are on the bay as we speak for silly money (one "buy it now" £813.16 and the other for £887.08) waiting for aforementioned mugs and the only 127t gear was again pointed out in this thread By Nathan Sharpe, and it is a new copy as it were, not an original. If I put them on the bay as an auction I feel that 100% a dealer will spot it and get the winning bid, and no one will ever get to use them. If I can find its "real" value……what real people will be able to afford/justify to the budget troll in the kitchen then sweet, I can pop it on a site like this knowing Karma aint gonna be lookin' at me while avoiding the dealers all together……if not I guess the bay is the only way…..its just a shame is all.

thanks again everyone, I do appreciate all the help.

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Posted by Benjamin Day on 02/01/2018 19:50:29:

As far as I can tell, they both seem to be pretty rare. I've never seen/cant find previous sale info on the Taper attachment bar John Hilton's experience at the begining of this thread. similar (hardinge) but incomplete tta's are on the bay as we speak for silly money (one "buy it now" £813.16 and the other for £887.08) waiting for aforementioned mugs and the only 127t gear was again pointed out in this thread By Nathan Sharpe, and it is a new copy as it were, not an original. If I put them on the bay as an auction I feel that 100% a dealer will spot it and get the winning bid, and no one will ever get to use them. If I can find its "real" value……what real people will be able to afford/justify to the budget troll in the kitchen then sweet, I can pop it on a site like this knowing Karma aint gonna be lookin' at me while avoiding the dealers all together……if not I guess the bay is the only way…..its just a shame is all.

thanks again everyone, I do appreciate all the help.

I really can't understand your view on this. Either the two TTA's on eBay will sell, or they won't.

Where do 'mugs' come into it? If someone wants to pay that money for them, they will. If they don't, they won't.

Nobody is holding a gun to any bidder/'mug's' head and forcing them to purchase.

Why won't anyone get to use them if a dealer buys them? A dealer is just that, a middleman that will sell them on. If he thinks there is a profit to be made, he will buy, if not, he won't.

If you put them on eBay and a dealer buys them, but you get the price you want, so what?

Selling on eBay is simple. Put things on at 99p, and you take your luck.

Put items on at what you think they are worth, and either they will sell, or they won't. What could be simpler than that?

[Benjamin DayParticipant @benjaminday94198]

David Standing 1, I am sorry I managed to offend you with the “mugs” remark. In my rather weaj defence I was paraphrasing a previous comment from another member. Again I apologise. As a response I would say you may have missed the sentiment of this thread. Again probably my falt.

[David Standing 1Participant @davidstanding1]

Benjamin

No apology required, you haven't offended me at all, but thank you all the same.

But yes, I am struggling to understand the point you are trying to make.

If it is that you don't want to sell on eBay in case a dealer buys, then the only answer is not to sell them on eBay. eBay is a public auction, you cannot control who buys from you (unless you block bids).

If you are worried about what happens to them after you sell, then the only answer is, don't sell.

If it is simply that you don't know how to price them, enough clues on pricing have been given by other posters.

[Author]

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