Used Scrap Metal Shear: Inspection Points
A used shear at the right price is a legitimate purchase, and the inspection is what makes it legitimate rather than hopeful. This article is the inspection list for the mid-range buyer — eight points, in the order they should be checked, with the Q91-315 class as the reference. None of it requires a specialist; all of it requires attention, and the points are ordered so the cheap disqualifiers come first.
Point One: The Frame
Start with the structure, because frame damage is the most expensive thing to discover late. Look for weld repairs — fresh weld bead on older paint is a repair, and a repaired gantry frame is a machine with a history you have not been told. Check the columns and upper beam for straightness with a sight line, and look for cracks radiating from weld joints, particularly around the blade carrier mounts. A frame that has been overloaded shows it in the welds before it shows it anywhere else.
Point Two: The Hydraulics
The hydraulic system tells you how the machine was treated, and oil condition is the honest witness:
The oil itself. Level, colour, smell, and whether there is evidence of overheating — darkened oil, varnish on the dipstick, a burnt smell from the reservoir. Overheated oil means the machine ran past its duty, and a machine that ran past its duty has worn seals and a tired pump.
The pump and valves. Cycle the machine and listen — a whining or growling pump is experiencing internal leakage, and slower cycle times on a warm machine confirm it. Watch the valve response: sluggish or drifting valve behavior means wear that a rebuild will address but that the price should reflect.
The cylinders. Rod condition, seal leakage at the glands, and evidence of rod damage. The main shear cylinder is the expensive one, and rod scoring is a rebuild rather than a polish.
Point Three: The Blade Seats and Blades
Blade seats are where maintenance discipline becomes visible. Look at the seat condition — a damaged or worn seat means blades were changed carelessly, and careless blade changes mean the gap was never calibrated properly. Inspect the blades themselves for chipping, cracking and edge profile, and ask how many edges remain unused. A blade set with two edges left is a near-term purchase; a seat in poor condition is a hidden rebuild.
Point Four: The Control System
Cycle the machine through its presets and watch the control system behave. PLC condition, screen responsiveness, the emergency stop and the remote control all get tested rather than demonstrated. A control system with a readable service history is an asset; one that has been bypassed or partially disabled is a machine whose safety systems are optional in practice.
Point Five: The Feed and Hold-Down
The pushing cylinder, the hold-down and the feed guides decide cut consistency, and they wear in ways that show. Cycle the feed and watch for smooth, consistent travel; jerkiness or hesitation means wear in the guides or the cylinder. The hold-down should clamp firmly and release cleanly — a weak hold-down means the machine has been cutting material it could not hold, which tells you something about how it was fed.
Points Six to Eight: The Records
6. The service history. Operating hours, blade rotations, hydraulic services, and any major repairs. A machine with a readable history is priced on evidence; a machine without one is priced on hope, and the discount should reflect the difference.
7. The duty it actually ran. Ask what material it processed and on what shift pattern. A 315 quoted for two shifts and run on one is a different machine than one run on three — the wear tells the story the seller’s description will not.
8. The support path. Spares availability for the specific model, documentation, and whether the original manufacturer still supports it. A used machine without a spares path is a machine with a countdown, and the current range is the comparison the purchase has to survive.
The Inspection, Priced
Every point on this list converts to money, and the conversion is the purchase decision. Frame damage is a structural question. Hydraulic wear is a rebuild line. Blade seats are a near-term purchase. The control system is a safety and documentation question. The records are the discount. Add the lines honestly and compare the total against a new machine’s quotation — the class comparison guide covers the new-machine side of that arithmetic, and the answer is sometimes the used machine.
The Guide Rails and Feed
Two mechanical areas decide cut consistency and are cheap to inspect. The guide rails: check for lateral play — a blade carrier with play produces a drifting cut, and the drift shows up at your customer’s furnace before it shows up in your maintenance log. The feed and hold-down: cycle the pushing cylinder and watch for smooth, consistent travel, and test the hold-down’s clamp — a weak hold-down means the machine has been cutting material it could not lock, which tells you how it was fed.
Both areas are wear items rather than defects, and both are priceable: rail shimming and a hold-down rebuild are known costs, and they belong on the refurbishment line rather than in the surprise column. The total cost guide covers how the inspection lines convert into the purchase decision.
The Inspection Report
Write the inspection as a priced report rather than as impressions: each finding with a cost, each cost with a confidence level, and the total as the refurbishment line. The report is what you compare against a new machine’s quotation — the inspection lines plus the purchase price against the new specification, and the answer is sometimes the used machine.
Send us the findings if they are ambiguous. We will read the frame, hydraulic and seat findings against the class your material needs and tell you honestly whether the refurbishment total survives the comparison — including when it does not.
The Hydraulics, Detailed
The hydraulic inspection is where a used machine’s history becomes readable, and three observations carry most of it. The oil: level, colour, smell, and evidence of overheating — darkened oil and varnish on the dipstick mean the machine ran past its duty, and the seals and pump have the wear to prove it. The pump: cycle the machine and listen — a whining or growling pump is experiencing internal leakage, and slower cycles on a warm machine confirm it. The cylinders: rod condition, seal leakage at the glands, and evidence of rod scoring on the main shear cylinder, which is a rebuild rather than a polish.
None of the three requires a specialist, and all three are priceable: oil and filter service is a line, a pump rebuild is a line, a cylinder rebuild is a line. The lines belong on the refurbishment estimate rather than in the surprise column — and the total cost guide covers how they convert into the purchase decision.
The Inspection as a Purchase
The inspection is not a due-diligence chore — it is half the purchase. The findings are the refurbishment line, the refurbishment line plus the price is the total, and the total compared against a new machine’s quotation is the decision. A used machine bought without the inspection is bought on hope, and hope is not a specification.
The total cost guide covers how the inspection lines convert into the decision, and the honest outcome is sometimes the used machine — a clean inspection, a matching duty history and a live spares path are a legitimate purchase at a real discount.
Buyer FAQ
What is the first thing to check?
The frame — weld repairs, straightness, cracks at the blade carrier mounts. Frame damage is the most expensive discovery to make late, and it is visible before anything else.
How do I know if the hydraulics are tired?
Oil condition and cycle behavior. Darkened oil, a burnt smell and slower cycles on a warm machine mean the machine ran past its duty, and the seals and pump have the wear to prove it.
What does blade seat condition tell me?
Maintenance discipline. A damaged seat means blades were changed carelessly, and careless changes mean the gap was never calibrated — the machine’s cut consistency has been drifting for years.
Is a used machine without service history worth buying?
Only at a discount that reflects the uncertainty, and only if the spares path exists. A machine without a readable history is priced on hope; the records are part of the purchase.
What should I compare the total against?
A new machine’s quotation at the class your material needs — the inspection lines plus the purchase price against the new specification, and the mixed-yard guide covers what the new machine’s duty rating buys. Write the inspection as a priced report rather than as impressions, and compare the total against a new machine’s quotation — the answer is sometimes the used machine, and the report is what makes that answer defensible.