If you want to sell a boring mill, we make you a concrete, non-binding offer after review; on a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer before pickup. The boring mill is the niche machine tool par excellence: highly valued by those who need it, but extraordinarily hard to sell on your own once it’s no longer in use. The local market is narrow — shops that need a boring mill already have one — but the European and international market is active and steady.
Table-type boring mills
The most common configuration industrially. The workpiece is fixed on a table that travels in X and Y. The spindle head moves in Z (vertical) and W (quill extension). Allows machining a workpiece from multiple angles without re-clamping.
Key parameters: Spindle diameter (typically 90, 110, 130 or 150 mm), W-axis travel (typically around 500–900 mm), table size, and maximum permissible load.
Reference brands: TOS (Czech Republic) with the WH, WHN, WHQ series — the historical European market reference. Fermat (independent manufacturer, founded 1990). Union Chemnitz (Germany), with an excellent reputation in the energy sector. Juaristi (Basque Country, Spain), globally recognized in the high-precision segment.
Most active models internationally: TOS WHN 90, WHN 110, WRD 130, WRD 150, and their Fermat WFT/WFC equivalents.
Floor-type boring mills (Floor Type / Planer Type)
The workpiece isn’t mounted on a table: it’s positioned directly on the floor or on a floor bed. Head and column travel on floor-anchored rails. For enormous, heavy workpieces that can’t be mounted on any conventional table.
Brands: Waldrich Coburg (Germany), Wotan (Germany), Union Chemnitz (Germany), Parpas (Italy). High unit value. The market is very specific, but internationally active in energy, marine, and heavy industry.
We coordinate the pickup of these machines, with industrial rigging and specialized transport where needed. The seller doesn’t need to coordinate anything.
Vertical turret lathes with boring capability (VTL with boring)
Large-diameter vertical turret lathes with boring capability are a highly valued hybrid category in energy, foundry, and heavy capital goods. They allow turning and boring very large diameters in a single setup.
Brands: Doosan VTL, TOS Hulín, Berthiez, Tos-Varnsdorf. The presence of a boring head on a vertical turret lathe significantly increases its value over the turning-only version.
CNC boring mills vs. conventional boring mills
CNC boring mills with a modern control (Heidenhain iTNC 530/640, Siemens 840D, Fanuc 18i/31i) have significantly higher demand in the international market than conventional machines. Well-maintained conventional boring mills from recognized brands like TOS or Union Chemnitz, however, retain value in emerging markets and industrial maintenance sectors, where precision matters but CNC programming isn’t necessary.
Spindle diameter
The most important classification parameter. The most common ranges: 90 mm and 110 mm (common on the market), 130 mm and 150 mm (niche market, but with significantly higher prices). The larger the diameter, the greater the rigidity, the wider the application range, and the higher the price.
Spindle bearing condition
The most critical factor and the hardest to assess visually. A flawless spindle is the main reason to pay a premium price. A spindle with excessive play or abnormal vibration can require a costly rebuild, which directly affects the offer price. Our technical assessment always includes checking spindle condition.
W-axis travel (quill extension)
Typically between about 500 and 900 mm on standard table-type boring mills. A W-axis travel at the upper end of this range significantly expands the ability to machine deep cavities and has a positive effect on market value.
CNC control and generation
- Premium: Heidenhain iTNC 530 or TNC 640 adds significant value. The most sought-after control among European buyers.
- Standard: Fanuc 18i, 21i, or 31i. Broad market, available support, positive for valuation.
- Outdated: proprietary 1990s controls (NUM, Bosch Rexroth, Sinumerik 810) reduce value but don’t eliminate the market. Many buyers carry out a control retrofit and keep the mechanics.
Rotary table and its parameters
Size (mm × mm), maximum permissible load (kg), angular positioning accuracy, and condition of the rotation spindle. A large-diameter rotary table in flawless condition significantly increases the overall value.
Market statistics for used boring mills
- Boring mills are a niche segment of the European machine tool market, with particularly strong demand in the energy sector and shipbuilding.
- A large number of boring mills remain in active service worldwide; fleets are regularly modernized, which continuously brings used machines onto the market.
- Premium boring mills (TOS, Union Chemnitz, Juaristi) typically lose value noticeably more slowly than more common machine types, due to the scarcity of available units.
- Without an international network, selling a boring mill on the secondary market typically takes noticeably longer than for more common machine types.
- A significant share of the boring mills we buy is exported abroad — to Turkey or India, for example — where the reference price is significantly above the local market.
“The boring mill is the machine most underestimated in industrial liquidation processes. Managers unfamiliar with the international market set the scrap value, while buyers abroad are willing to pay significantly more for the same machine. We close that gap and guarantee that the seller gets the fair price of the real market.”
— Marcel Brockmann, CEO and co-founder of webuyyourmachinetools.com
Common reasons for selling
- Workshop upgrades. The old boring mill is traded in against new equipment — see Workshop upgrade and trade-in.
- Plant closure or relocation. Entire machine fleets that include boring mills, often combined with other heavy machinery — see Plant closure and machinery liquidation and Plant relocation.
- Insolvency. Our purchasing process is designed for insolvency proceedings: payment before pickup and complete documentation for the insolvency estate. See Insolvency and machinery liquidation.
Request a free valuation of your boring mill
Request a free valuation. No-obligation response based on basic data and photos alone. For machines over 15 tonnes or with an estimated value over €40,000, we coordinate a free technical visit wherever the machine is located.