Why German used machines are a genuinely good buy
Three properties of the German used machine market work in the buyer's favour, and they are structural rather than cyclical:
- Documentation survives. Most German machines are sold with maintenance records, and VDMA-member dealers are used to supplying them. Service history on a German machine is often genuinely traceable over 10-15 years.
- Spare parts still exist. The German machine tool installed base is large enough that parts for 20-year-old machines remain catalogued and available. This is not true of every market and it is the main reason German used machines hold residual value.
- Service networks persist. Several OEMs still service machines built in the 1990s, and the independent German service trade is deep.
The counterweight is control obsolescence, and that is where used German machines get expensive. The rest of this guide is largely about managing that one risk.
Read the two hour counters, not one
Every CNC machine has at least two counters, and the ratio between them tells you more than either number alone.
| Counter | German term | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Spindle operating hours | Spindelbetriebsstunden | Time the spindle has actually been rotating. This is the wear counter |
| Machine operating hours | Maschinenbetriebsstunden / Einschaltstunden | Time the machine has been powered on, including idle, setup, probing, programme dry-run and waiting |
| Cycle hours | Zykluszeit / Bearbeitungszeit | Time actually cutting |
The ratio tells you how hard the machine worked. Spindle hours below 55% of machine hours means the machine spent a lot of its life idle, setup-bound or in light production - typically a job shop or a research environment. That is good: low spindle hours means low spindle wear, which is the component most expensive to replace. Above 75% means continuous two- and three-shift production, and you should assume spindle replacement or at least a rebuild is within the next few thousand hours.
Control obsolescence is the whole game
| Control | Status in 2026 | Risk | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sinumerik 840D sl (active version) | Current | Low | Buy. This is what you want |
| Sinumerik 840D (older, without sl) | End of life | Severe | Avoid. Migration to 840D sl requires S7 1200/1500 and new hardware, EUR 40,000-90,000 |
| Sinumerik 802D / 810D | End of life | Severe | Avoid entirely |
| Heidenhain TNC 640 | Current | Low | Buy. Modern, well supported, common on high-end machines |
| Heidenhain TNC 530 / 620 | End of life / near | Moderate-severe | Price the control replacement. TNC 530 to 640 migrations run EUR 25,000-50,000 |
| Fanuc 0i-F / 0i-MD | Current | Low | Buy. Very long service life and excellent parts availability |
| Fanuc 0M / 0T | End of life | Moderate | Usually manageable, Fanuc parts still plentiful |
| Fagor 8055 | End of life | Severe | Avoid. Effectively no support channel |
Ask directly: which Sinumerik version, and is the licence still valid? A 840D sl machine still needs a valid Windows licence, and an expired licence is a EUR 5,000-15,000 fix that catches people out. Ask for proof the licence has not lapsed, or for the cost to renew it stated in the quotation.
What to actually test at inspection
Spindle vibration analysis
Not a listen. A spectrum. Look for bearing defect frequencies, an unbalanced spindle signature, and any growing trend. A spindle that sounds acceptable and vibrates at the 4th-order bearing frequency is a spindle with a known lifespan measured in months, and it will fail after you have paid for the machine.
Ballbar test on every axis
This is the objective test for ballscrew wear and axis geometry. It takes under an hour, produces a printed circle plot, and any deviation from a clean circle is a measurable defect. A machine that fails ballbar at inspection will fail it worse after transport and installation, and the cost of a ballscrew on a linear axis is EUR 3,000-12,000 plus the labour.
Laser interferometer on positioning accuracy
If the machine is a high-value 5-axis, insist on this. It measures actual positioning and repeatability in real machine coordinates rather than inferred from the control. For a EUR 200,000+ machine the inspection cost is trivial against the risk.
Hydraulic system condition
On a machine over 12 years old, the hydraulic system is frequently the weakest part and frequently the most expensive. Check for pressure decay with the pump off - that tests for internal leakage through worn seals and valves. Check the oil for water content and for metal particles. A full hydraulic rebuild on a 5-axis is EUR 25,000-60,000. Ask when the system was last rebuilt and whether the oil was ever changed; on most used machines it was not, and the oil degrades regardless of use.
Way cover, chip conveyor and coolant system
These are the three areas where German machines are most often found degraded, because they are the least glamorous and the most expensive per unit of value. Pull back a way cover and look for corrosion. Run the chip conveyor through a full cycle. Check coolant concentration, filtration and whether the tank has been cleaned. A machine that has been standing damp will have way covers that are corroded through and a hydraulic system full of water. This is normal for a machine that has been idle for years and it is priced in - but it must be priced in.
Control backup and parameter set
Before you pay, have the seller export the complete machine data backup: machine data, NC data, PLC data, option parameters, and the servo and spindle configuration. Without this, a failed control board ends the machine. This takes ten minutes and it is the single most valuable ten minutes in the whole inspection.
Cut a test part
Ask the seller to cut a part in your material with your fixture. It proves the machine runs, proves the axes move correctly, and gives you a surface finish and dimensional result to judge. If they refuse, ask why.
Where to buy
- OEM refurbishment programmes - DMG MORI, GROB, HERMLE and TRUMPF all run certified used programmes with warranty. Higher price, materially lower risk, and the machine history is known.
- VDMA-member used dealers - verified, established, and it is reasonable to expect complete service records.
- General industrial marketplaces - tec-forum and similar. Huge selection, entirely variable quality, and you must do the inspection yourself or commission one.
- Machine auctions - genuinely cheap, almost never sold with spares, documentation or a functional guarantee. Only appropriate for buyers who can absorb a total loss on a part.
- Direct from the owner - a plant closure or a machine being replaced is often the best value available, because the price reflects disposal rather than margin. The risk is that nobody has maintained the machine in 24 months.
Realistic price bands
Indicative European used market prices for machines in good mechanical condition with a current control, 2026. These assume a functional test has been carried out.
| Machine | Age | New price | Used range | Condition note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3-axis vertical machining centre (e.g. DMG MORI DMU 50, Hermle C40) | 10-14 yr | EUR 130,000 - 220,000 | EUR 45,000 - 90,000 | Widest market, easiest to inspect, parts are plentiful |
| 5-axis machining centre (e.g. HERMLE HSC 400, GROB) | 8-13 yr | EUR 300,000 - 600,000 | EUR 120,000 - 260,000 | Condition-sensitive. Inspect the rotary axes specifically |
| Vertical turning centre | 10-15 yr | EUR 220,000 - 450,000 | EUR 80,000 - 180,000 | Strong demand, good retention |
| Horizontal machining centre | 10-15 yr | EUR 250,000 - 500,000 | EUR 90,000 - 200,000 | Check the B-axis and pallet changer wear |
| Universal cylindrical grinder (STUDER, WALTER) | 12-18 yr | EUR 200,000 - 450,000 | EUR 70,000 - 180,000 | Grinding accuracy degrades slowly and visibly; a well-kept grinder is a great buy |
| Turn-mill centre (DMG MORI, INDEX) | 8-12 yr | EUR 300,000 - 700,000 | EUR 130,000 - 300,000 | Sub-spindle and turret condition is the value driver |
| Fibre laser 3-4kW (TRUMPF, BYSTRONIC) | 6-10 yr | EUR 220,000 - 400,000 | EUR 70,000 - 150,000 | Beam source condition is critical and is expensive. Inspect the source hours, not the machine hours |
Total cost of ownership, honestly
A used machine has a lower purchase price and a higher expected maintenance cost. The crossover is usually around year 6-8 on a 3-axis. Model it as purchase price plus expected refurbishment plus annual maintenance plus the risk of one major failure, against the new machine purchase plus commissioning and lower maintenance.
For a 3-axis machining centre, buying a 12-year-old machine at EUR 65,000 with EUR 15,000 of immediate refurbishment and EUR 8,000/year of maintenance, versus EUR 170,000 new with EUR 4,000/year of maintenance, the used machine is ahead by roughly EUR 8,000 in year 1 and the gap closes around year 7 - after which the new machine wins on cost. If you will keep the machine beyond 7 years, new is usually cheaper in total. If you will replace it before then, used wins immediately.
There are two reasons to buy used anyway, and they are not financial: delivery time (a new machine is 8-14 weeks away, a used machine is a truck move away) and capability you cannot otherwise justify (a second 5-axis for a specific programme, without a seven-year payback requirement).
Tell us the machine type, the control you need and the budget, and we will identify German-built machines currently available, with their condition and hour counts. Free for buyers.
Related reading
- German CNC machine tool suppliers
- German CNC suppliers compared by machine type
- Buying used German industrial machinery 2026
- German CNC machine brands
- German machine tool services and refurbishment
Frequently asked questions
Is buying used CNC machinery a good idea?
Yes, for a defined need and a machine bought from a known source. The used German machine tool market is unusually healthy because documentation survives, spare parts are still catalogued for 20-year-old machines, and the service trade is deep. The crossover point is usually year 6-8 on total cost of ownership for a 3-axis machining centre, so used is clearly right if you will replace the machine inside seven years or you need capability within weeks rather than months. Buy new if the machine will stay beyond seven years and you value predictability.
How many hours should a used CNC machine have?
The absolute number is far less informative than the ratio of spindle operating hours to machine operating hours. Below 55% indicates light production and a well-preserved spindle. Above 75% indicates continuous multi-shift use and you should assume a spindle rebuild or replacement is due. On an absolute basis, a 3-axis machining centre with under 15,000 spindle hours and a 5-axis with under 8,000 are generally well-preserved, but counters can be reset, which is why a spindle vibration spectrum is the more reliable evidence.
Is Siemens 840D still supported?
Not in any useful sense. The 840D platform without the sl suffix reached end of standard support years ago, and migration to 840D sl requires new S7 1200 or 1500 hardware plus software, typically EUR 40,000 to 90,000 on a used machine. Any machine you consider should be on Sinumerik 840D sl, and you should ask for proof the Windows licence has not lapsed because renewing it costs EUR 5,000 to 15,000. Heidenhain TNC 640 and Fanuc 0i-F are the other two current platforms to look for.
What should I test on a used CNC machine inspection?
Five things: a spindle vibration spectrum rather than a subjective listen, a ballbar test on every axis to measure ballscrew wear and axis geometry, a laser interferometer measurement on a high-value machine, a hydraulic pressure-decay and oil analysis on a machine over 12 years old, and a test part cut in your material with your fixture. Also demand the complete machine data backup including machine data, NC data, PLC data and option parameters before you pay - without it, a failed control board ends the machine.
How much does it cost to move a CNC machine?
EUR 8,000 to 25,000 to rig, disassemble, transport, reassemble, align and electrically connect a 5-axis machining centre, plus EUR 4,000 to 12,000 for commissioning and operator training. On a EUR 120,000 used machine that is 10 to 30% of the purchase price and it is the most commonly forgotten line in used-machine budgets. Also budget disconnection costs at the seller's site, since many machines need a wall or roof opened and the seller may charge for making good.