Useful Tips for the Used Press Buyer

By Dawn Greenlaw-Scully

Take it From Them

Chris Anderson, pressman, North Dakota State University. NDSU’s in-plant recently purchased a Ryobi 3302 and a CTP unit from a dealer in Duluth, Minn. Anderson and Manager Monte Kelly spent about five months executing the purchase—from research to testing to negotiation to installation to actually getting the press up and running. He is “very satisfied” with the newly installed equipment.

Raymond J. Prince, vice president and senior consultant, operations management, NAPL, the Trade Association for Excellence in Graphic Communications Management. NAPL (www.napl.org) will conduct a six-point press test for buyers, as well as assist with contract wording. Prince is a 50-year industry veteran.

John Sarantakos, administrator of Printing & Mailing Services, University of Oklahoma. OU installed an eight-color 28x40? Heidelberg Speedmaster 102 perfector in February 2008. The press now runs 24 hours a day, five days a week and has helped increase business by 15 percent. Sarantakos expects a four- to five-year ROI.

Clyde Tillman, founder of PressAccess, a seller of pre-owned printing equipment. Press-Access (www.pressaccess.net) helps buyers identify, inspect and install a quality used press. Tillman has worked with remarketed printing equipment since 1996, including four years with Heidelberg.

THE PRIMARY PRO of purchasing a pre-owned offset press is, indisputably, price. Savings can be tremendous, “half or more compared to the cost of a new press,” according to NAPL’s Ray Prince. Sometimes pre-owned is the only option, especially for an in-plant with limited financial resources.

“The University of Michigan recently had a tight budget for an additional duplicator type of press,” relates Clyde Tillman, founder of Press-Access, a seller of pre-owned printing equipment. “By buying used, they were able to get a very nice late model Heidelberg PQM 46-2 with the automation they really wanted.” Tillman also points out that “buying used ensures that the value of the equipment depreciates at about the same rate as your tax depreciation.”

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