What records should I ask for when buying a used machine?
Manuals, parameter backup, maintenance logs, repair invoices and alarm history. Gaps shape your offer.
Ask for anything that shows how the machine was used, maintained and repaired. A seller with good records usually had a machine worth recording.
The core list
- Manuals: operator, maintenance, electrical and parameter manuals
- Parameter backup on a storage device or printout
- Maintenance log: oil changes, filter swaps, way lube, coolant
- Repair invoices: spindle rebuilds, ballscrew replacements, drive repairs
- Alarm history photographed from the control
- Original sales or option sheet showing what was fitted
Why the parameter backup matters
CNC controls store machine-specific settings. If they’re lost, through a dead battery or failed memory during the move, getting the machine running again can be slow and costly. A current backup is one of the most valuable things a seller can hand over.
Reading the gaps
No records doesn’t automatically mean a bad machine. Small shops often keep little paperwork. But it shifts the weight onto your inspection and test run, and it should shape your offer.
Next: seeing it run under power.
Research a used machine tool before you buy it