buy-second-hand
One of the biggest benefits second hand equipment can have for your business is that it frees up cash and allows you to invest funds elsewhere. With the high price demands of new printers, having the cash spare or getting finance isn’t always an option.
Selecting the right printing equipment is essential for any print business so it makes sense that more vigilance is needed. Firms are realising that a £1.5m investment on new equipment can be halved if they opt to buy second hand.
Used machines also have another major benefit to the printing industry in lead time. If your business has just landed a big contract and you need another machine to complete the work, the whole process of finding second hand equipment and getting it installed only takes around three months. For a new machine that timescale can be more than a year.
How efficient are second hand machines?
It’s an understandable concern that buying a used printer limits efficiency and doesn’t have all the latest features seen in a newer model. While having the newest software is an advantage of investing in new equipment, this difference is relatively small.
Printing press technology hasn’t advanced on a massive scale compared to where it was 10 years ago when machines like the Heidelberg XL launched, so it’s likely you would only see minor functionality differences between a press that’s five years old and a brand new one. What you would gain in productivity with a new model will usually not warrant the price difference.
Buying second hand doesn’t mean that you’re missing out. It has its disadvantages but these are generally outweighed by the advantages such as the significant cost implications. With the right research and the right supplier helping you choose the best model for you, second hand is the future for the printing industry.
BBR Graphics is a global market leader with over 30 years of experience refurbishing and supplying used Heidelberg, Man Roland, KBA, Komori, Mitsubishi and Ryobi Presses. With an outstanding reputation for product knowledge, engineering excellence and customer support, give us a call on 01924 263339 to find out how we can help your print business.
