A used packing machine can look like the fastest way to automate on a tight budget. Sometimes it is. Sometimes the saving disappears in the first few months of breakdowns, missing parts and a machine that never quite runs your product. This guide sets out the risks honestly and gives you a checklist to use before you buy.
New, used or refurbished: what the terms mean
- New: built and supplied for you, configured for your product, with a warranty and installation.
- Used: sold as it stands, often by a factory that has upgraded or closed a line. Condition varies from excellent to scrap.
- Refurbished: a used machine that has been inspected, repaired and had worn parts replaced. The word is not regulated, so ask exactly what was done.
The real risks of a used packing machine
It was set up for someone else’s product
A packing machine is configured for a product and pack: forming set, filler, jaws, settings. A machine that ran rice perfectly may not run your sticky powder or your bag size without new parts. The price of those change parts, if they are still available, belongs in your comparison.
Spare parts may be hard to find
For an unknown brand, an old model or a machine imported by a supplier who has since disappeared, a single failed control board or sealing part can stop the machine for weeks. Check parts availability before you buy, not after.
Nobody knows its history
Hours run, how it was maintained, what failed and how it was repaired are usually unknown. A machine can look clean and still have worn bearings, tired motors or a patched control system.
The controls may be obsolete
Older machines may use PLCs, drives or touch screens that are no longer supported. Replacing the control system can cost a large share of the machine’s value.
No installation, training or support
A used machine usually arrives on a lorry, and the rest is up to you. Moving, levelling, connecting, commissioning and training your operators all take time and skill.
The checklist before you buy a used packing machine
Before you see it
- Get the make, model, serial number and year of manufacture.
- Ask why it is being sold, what it packed and at what speed.
- Ask for maintenance records, manuals and electrical drawings.
- Check whether the manufacturer or a local supplier still supports the model and stocks its parts.
When you inspect it
- See it running, ideally with product. A machine you cannot see running is a machine you are guessing about.
- Look at the wear parts: sealing jaws, heating elements, forming set, belts, bearings, cutting knives.
- Check the control system: does the screen work, are there active alarms, is the PLC a model still supported?
- Look for rust, cracked welds, oil leaks and signs of improvised repairs.
- For food contact parts, check the condition of the stainless steel and whether it can still be cleaned properly.
- Check the power and air requirements against your factory.
Before you pay
- Test with your product and your film if at all possible.
- List the parts needed to run your pack size, and get prices and lead times for them.
- Add up transport, installation, commissioning and training.
- Agree in writing what is included: change parts, manuals, spares, software.
Comparing a used machine with a new one
Compare total cost, not purchase price. For each option, add up:
- purchase price;
- change parts and modifications to run your product;
- transport, installation and commissioning;
- likely repairs and replacement parts in the first year;
- the cost of downtime while waiting for parts;
- training and support.
A new machine has a higher first line and much lower lines after it. A used machine is the reverse. Which one wins depends on how old the machine is, how well supported the model is, and how much downtime your business can absorb.
When a used machine makes sense
- It is a well-known, well-supported model with parts available locally.
- It already runs a product and pack very similar to yours.
- You have maintenance skills in-house, or a local supplier who will support it.
- It fills a short-term need, or it is a back-up line where downtime matters less.
When new is the better buy
- It is your first machine and you have no maintenance experience yet.
- Your product or pack is unusual and needs a specific configuration.
- The line is critical: if it stops, deliveries stop.
- You need warranty, installation and training included.
Frequently asked questions
Is a used machine from overseas a good idea?
It adds risk: you often cannot see it running, shipping can damage it, and local parts and support may not exist. If you consider one, insist on a video of it running with product, and confirm local parts availability first.
What should a refurbishment include?
Ask for a written list: which wear parts were replaced, what was repaired, whether the controls were updated, and whether it was tested running afterwards. “Cleaned and painted” is not a refurbishment.
Can a used machine be upgraded later?
Sometimes. Coders, checkweighers and conveyors can often be added. Changing the core of the machine, such as its control system or forming set, can cost a large share of a new machine’s price.
Questions to ask the seller
- Can I see it running with product, and can I bring my own product and film to test?
- Which parts were replaced in the last two years, and are the invoices available?
- What failed most often, and how was it fixed?
- Are the change parts, manuals, drawings and software passwords included?
- Who has been maintaining it, and can I speak to them?
A seller who cannot answer most of these is selling a machine nobody really knows. Price it accordingly.
Supported machines, with parts in Malaysia
Whether you buy new or already run a used Hayssen line, parts availability is what decides how long a stoppage lasts. Welpack holds genuine Hayssen spare parts in stock in Puchong, and our after-sales services cover installation, maintenance and troubleshooting. If you are weighing a used machine against a new one, send us both specifications and we will quote a new equivalent so you can compare like for like.