Selling a Myford Super 7 – advice sought

[ruthwParticipant @ruthw]

I am looking to see my father’s lathe, but we really don’t know where to start! He’s had it for over 65 years and it’s still in good working order with lots of accessories (as per pics). Any advice would be most welcome in terms of what we should ask for it and where to put on sale. Thank you!

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Two thoughts.  One is eBay but though it will get a lot of exposure and bidding can go very high, you may not get much value from the accessories. Worth browsing S7s on eBay to get an idea.

You could also look at lathes.co.uk a website run by an enthusiast.  He could probably give you a good idea of valuation and also runs a classified column.

[Roy BirchParticipant @roybirch29994]

If you look at ebay at the moment some of the prices for Myford items that have sold have been on the low side, it appears that supply is beginning to outpace demand and with the Chinese imports the market has been very well supplied. At my model engineering club we are starting to see workshops come up for sale very frequently.

[Roy Birch]

On Roy Birch Said:

At my model engineering club we are starting to see workshops come up for sale very frequently.

So are we at our club. We have a backlog of tooling waiting to be sold and few buyers. Most club members have got what they want and many new members don’t want the full workshop experience.

The lathe in the picture would not be a particularly desirable one without the gearbox. We would struggle to sell it for a meaningful price.

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

Welcome to the forum ruthw, and so sorry for the reason.

Valuing lathes is tricky because it depends on condition, accessories, how many people want it, location, and how quickly you have to sell.

Price Guidance:

• Have a look at  Myford Lathes (asking £6000 for a posh S7) or Myford RDG, asking £4674 for a refurbished Super 7. Don’t expect to get dealer prices!!!   Dealers provide a warranty and have many overheads.
• lathes.co.uk advertise private sales, so lower than dealers.  Not selling any priced S7s at the moment.
• ebay – watch for an auction to see.  Past prices range from £450 for a machine in poor condition up to £1400 for better examples.  Tend not to sell when priced above £1500.  But, auctions, sometimes start a feeding frenzy: two or three enthusiasts might go all the way for it.   Or no-one wants it.   Don’t take auction prices too seriously: sales may fall through, as when someone wins the auction and then rejects what they get.
• Lathes sometimes show up at live auctions.  I don’t know if this is good or not, my guess is low prices unless lathe purchasers have spotted it in the catalogue.
• House-clearance firms tend to bundle workshops with other household goods.  Low prices!
• A scrap metal merchant might ask you to pay him to take it away.

You can advertise here or in Model Engineer & Workshop for free.   Either at a fixed price or offers in the region of and see what happens.

If the lathe must go quickly, sell low.   If you have time, space and emotional stamina, ask for more money.  You might have to offer it several times.

Accessories and a stand bump the price up. so list them carefully.  Many buyers will want to see and test the machine before buying, so have it plugged in ready to go, if you can.

Condition is hard to assess from photographs.   Not seen one for a few years, but tarted up Myfords used to be a hazard – badly worn and damaged machines stripped, cleaned and painted by chaps with little experience of machine tools.  Conversely, lathes in good mechanical condition often look tatty.  What you have looks like an honest machine to me.  Less likely to be worn if dad used it infrequently.

“Collection only” sales push prices down, but the seller taking responsibility for shipping is a pain.  Selling to a dealer will get a low price but he will take it away.

For a reasonably quick sale getting a reasonably good price, I’d offer it for £700-ish.  Best price likely from ebay, because so many people see it  Low starting prices get people excited, as does lots of competitive bidding.  Starting a Myford at £1500 might cause the machine to be ignored, whilst starting the same lathe at £400 lifts off and sells for more than £1500.

Quite a lot of bereavement sales in the Magazine, but we don’t know what prices they get.

Dave

 

 

 

[DMRParticipant @dmr]

Looking at it from a different angle. You need to list it’s serial number which starts SK????? (?=numbers) which is stamped under the bed rails at the left hand end. A picture of the lathe bed under the chuck for any damage is also called for. It’s power is via a Dewhurst switch which is now obsolete and prone to failure. It has raising blocks under the feet which is an add.

It does not have a gearbox which is a minus, but it does have cogs. You need to open up the door at the left end and picture what is inside which I guess is more cogs on a quadrant piece (a holding frame in literal terms).

It has basic tool holding facilities only which is a minus, but lots of high-speed-steel (HSS) cutting tools to get a beginner started.

Within the other bits in the picture on the table, There is what looks like a chuck back-plate at centre bottom. The round item to it’s right is a catchplate and there are two other round Faceplates at the back, 6inch and 9 inch. At about 2 o’clock from the back plate are the 3 external holding teeth for the cog fitted to the lathe. At about 10 o’clock from the back plate is a magnetic chuck which has value itself. At 3 o’clock on the table is an old style 3-slot Swiveling Vertical slide which does not have much value, and towards the centre behind the backplate is a toolrest which could be used with a gravure for metal scraping or a wood turning accessory.

Behind the Vertical Slide is something electrical. It seems to have a square fitting to go into the square tool holder on the lathe. You need some better pictures of that and the plug end suggests it is not mains driven so may have a separate power supply somewhere.

The dial gauge in its own picture needs to 0.0001″ to useful and have value.

Any other feedback like this would help ruthw.

Dennis

[Grizzly bearParticipant @grizzlybear]

Hi Ruth,

If it hasn’t been mentioned. Where are you situated approx.?

Good luck…………

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Two mag chucks !!!!!!!

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Regarding lack of gearbox.  Adding an Electronic Leadscrew I have found far more useful than a gearbox (although my Boxford lathe does have one). Being able to change from metric to imperial to Ba, at the touch of a switch beats greasy hands searching for the correct gear combination to make the imperial gearbox work as metric etc.  I love ELS and now so affordable.

Bob

[DMR]

On DMR Said:

…..

The dial gauge in its own picture needs to 0.0001″ to useful and have value.

Any other feedback like this would help ruthw.

Dennis

Why? I’ve got a tenths clock, it hasn’t been out of it’s box in years

[Author]

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