Seal 500 T-X

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Phoneguy

Phoneguy

MGF, Master Grumble Framer
Joined
Dec 1, 2004
Posts
678
Location
New Westminster, B.C. Canada
So, there was one on ebay recently that no one bid on. I am inquiring to the owner how much they want for it. I searched through the history here and find some posts from 2001/2002, but nothing newer. What is the value of one of these things, or what should it cost me anyway? Anything to watch out for?
Thanks
James
 
You should check with someplace like United to see what a new one would cost you with shipping. These machines are pretty big and heavy so you will want to make sure the crating is done properly.
 
Make sure the eBay seller has a good feedback rating. I purchased my press on eBay and was fortunate to have bought it from an honest seller. Things to ask about before buying a used one -- does the thermostat work properly, how much wear is there on the pad, is the platen clean, etc. Good Luck.
 
The 500TX is a good press. It is heavy, requires two people to move it and as katman mentioned, must be crated well for shipping. We bought ours 6 years ago and have not had a problem. If given a choice, I would choose the 500TX over the latest version which has "digital" controls that leave much to be desired from a control point of view (my opinion). I have seen the controls set for 150 degrees and have measured the temperature in excess of 200 degrees while the digital indicator never exceeded 150 degrees. That's the short version of the story. Specs are +/- 10 degrees for both the analog and digital versions.

A dirty platen can be easily cleaned; but a scratched platen could be a different story. The pad is easily replaced if damaged. The temperature control is solid state. The 500T-X sold for about $3000 new.
 
A few years ago I responded to an offer (here or on HH, I forget which) for a 500T press FREE, to the first person who would come to Florida and take it away.

A framer friend there checked it out for me. She reported that it was barely used and in good shape, but dirty after a few years of storage in a dusty garage.

About two weeks and $400 later, I had that crusty old 500T in pieces on my shop floor. A week after that, it was shiny clean & fully functional. Still works perfectly. What a deal.
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We've had ours for several years and lots of use - it's a great piece of equipment very well made! When we re-do our workroom we'll have to move it to another area in the building and it will probably take two men & a small boy to do that!
 
Ok, it is really to big for me. I need to be able to manhandle it myself. This unit had an opening bid of $100.00 which nobody bid. I thought it may be worth the difficulty if I got it for a good price (ie less than $100.00 (I Know, cheap b***tu*d))..The emails to the vendor have not been to encouraging. I think he is trying to play me, or maybe his english is just that bad....I won't be chasing this one down any more unless the tune changes..
Really a 210 would be a more appropriate size for me at this time..
James
 
James:

What's the seller telling you?

I suggest you buy the larger press if you can do a deal. Almost everyone needs help to install one of those brutes, but once in place, it's easy to work with. And it will cover nearly all dry mounting requirements. The only thing better would be a 48" x 96" vacuum press, but a 40" x 60" vacuum press is handy, too.

If you buy a smaller press for the one-time convenience of installing it, and it's too small to wserve your dry mounting needs, you may regret it many times over.
 
Jim, thanks for the reply. I hear what you are saying...The logistics of the size of the beast means I would have to permanently set it up somewhere, which means I would have to sacrifice some of my wood shop / hellhole (depends if you ask me or my wife). That would mean I would have to organize my hellhole / workshop....not good!
I am very new to the framing game, and haven't had much call for laminating (yet). A 210 I could put away and pull out when I need it.....I was thinking this might be a steal....then I was interested. The vendor implies that he wants me to bid against some unknown other mystery person privately.....I will not play that game. His Ebay feedback is only a 3! More than anything the tone of the emails he has sent me tend to irk me. If I could go and see the press it might be a different story. It is on the East coast of the US and I am on the West coast of Canada....I don't need it badly enough to get sucked into something that I am not sure about. When I asked the original question I had not yet contacted the vendor to ask about the unit. After 3-4 emails I still don't know the price, or have any idea about the shipping. The vendor has succeeded in irritating me and I guess that does not help the sale!.

This was kind of a ramble!
 
I still think you'd be happier long-term with the larger press, because it is so much more versatile.

With an item such as a used dry mount press, it isn't unusual for the crating/palletizing/packaging & shipping costs to exceed the price of the equipment.

I suggest you look around the west coast for a used drymount press. Check with your suppliers & framing friends, too.

Have you checked with Paul Cascio? He has a thriving business in used framing equipment, in addition to his east & west framing schools.

And he's a Grumbler -- you should be able to find his contact information through the Grumble profiles.
 
We purchased our 500TX from David Griggs at
Like Marjorie, I purchased mine from David too. It was practically brand new... I got a great deal. I also brought my vn2+1 and a couple of smaller items from him. Nice guy to deal with, and very honest.
 
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