Want to sell a used tool and cutter grinder? We buy your machine. The programme covers machines that make and resharpen cutting tools: 5-axis CNC tool grinders, eroding and grinding machines for PCD tools, and manual universal tool grinders. Send the nameplate, the control and a few photos and you receive an initial estimate. We organise dismantling and transport; on a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer before pickup.
Already know what you have? For a 5-axis machine go to CNC tool grinders, for eroding machines to PCD tool grinders, and for the logic behind the price to what is my tool grinder worth.
What a tool grinder is
A tool grinder makes cutting tools and resharpens them: milling cutters, drills, step drills, reamers, indexable inserts, profile tools and tools with PCD or PcBN cutting edges. It does not grind the workpiece that those tools later cut. That separates it from the surface, cylindrical and coordinate grinders on our page for general grinding machines.
A milling cutter starts as a cylindrical blank of solid carbide or high-speed steel. It is ground to size and concentricity, then come the flutes, the clearance faces and the cutting edges, and finally chamfers and corner geometry. A modern CNC machine does several of these steps in one clamping because the wheel is guided around the tool in space. That is why the standard machine has five axes: three linear axes and two rotary axes, usually A and C. Some have a sixth, such as the Schneeberger sirius NGS and the Rollomatic GrindSmart 630XS and 630XW.
Resharpening or new manufacture
| Resharpening | New manufacture | |
|---|---|---|
| Aim | Restore the cutting geometry of a dull tool | Make a tool from a blank or round bar |
| Typical tools | Milling cutters, drills, taps, dies, reamers, countersinks, broaches, saw blades | End mills, drills, step tools, reamers |
| What the machine must do | Many different tools in small lots, quick changeover, measuring the actual state | Repeatability in large series, loading and wheel changes without an operator |
| Examples from manufacturer data | Walter HELITRONIC RAPID: resharpening from 3 to 100 mm, production from 1 to 16 mm | Rollomatic GrindSmart 630XS with a loader for up to 1,360 tools |
On the used market the line is not sharp: Walter describes several HELITRONIC series for production and resharpening, and ANCA calls the FX5 a machine for regrinding and production. What counts for your sale is the equipment: diameter range, loader, control and software.
Wheels, drives and measuring: what belongs in the equipment list
High-speed steel tools are sharpened with CBN or corundum wheels, carbide tools with diamond wheels, and PCD edges are eroded or ground with diamond wheels. So the wheel changer, the existing wheel sets and the coolant treatment all belong in your equipment list. Drives are moving from ball screws to linear and torque motors, so state the drive type. Measuring is part of the machine: Walter offers Laser Contour Check as an option on several machines, Vollmer fits a laser measuring system in the VGrind infinity LINEAR, and ANCA’s LaserPlus measures ground tools in the machine and compensates the next ones in a series. Programming runs through the maker’s software: HELITRONIC TOOL STUDIO at Walter, ToolRoom at ANCA, QUINTO at Schneeberger and Multigrind Horizon at Haas, while Vollmer and Saacke name NUMROTO in their data sheets.
Machine classes in the used market
The examples are manufacturer data as of 30 September 2026; dealer statements are marked as such.
| Class | Typical tools | Examples from manufacturer ranges | Where we cover it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual universal tool grinders | Resharpening single cutters and drills in the workshop | EWAG RS 15 as a manual machine without CNC (dealer statement); Saacke UW IA and UW II | this page |
| CNC tool grinders, 5 or 6 axes | Milling cutters, drills, step tools, inserts in production and resharpening | ANCA FX, MX and TX Linear, Walter HELITRONIC RAPID and POWER 400, Schneeberger norma NGC, Saacke UW I D, Rollomatic GrindSmart | CNC tool grinders |
| Micro and fine-tool machines | Micro cutters, dental and medical-technology tools | Walter HELITRONIC MICRO (0.1 to 12.7 mm), Rollomatic GrindSmart Nano6 (0.03 to 2.0 mm), ANCA FX7 ULTRA (micro tools from 0.1 mm) | CNC tool grinders |
| Machines for long or heavy tools | Granulate cutters, broaches, large-diameter tools | Schneeberger corvus NGB (cutting length up to 2,800 mm), ANCA TX7 Linear (shank up to 32 mm, length up to 400 mm), Walter FUSION (1 to 260 mm) | CNC tool grinders |
| Eroding and combination machines for PCD and PcBN | Drills and cutters with PCD or PcBN edges | Walter Diamond series, Vollmer VHybrid 260, QXD 250 and VPulse 500, ANCA EDG | PCD tool grinders |
| Laser machines for tools | Cutting edges and chip breakers in superhard materials | Vollmer VLaser 370, Rollomatic LaserSmart 510 and 810XL | PCD tool grinders |
| Blank grinding (pinch and peel) | Cylindrical grinding of tool blanks | Rollomatic ShapeSmart NP30 (0.025 to 25 mm) | this page, on request |
| Machines for gear-cutting tools | Hobs, shaper cutters, skiving cutters | Saacke HG V (hobs up to module 38), ANCA GCX Linear (skiving and shaper cutters), Schneeberger gemini GHP (hobs) | see gear cutting machines |
The seven main makers and their naming traps
| Maker | Company and location | Programme examples (manufacturer data, 30 September 2026) | Naming trap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Walter | Walter Maschinenbau GmbH, Tübingen; sister brand EWAG (Etziken, Switzerland) | HELITRONIC MICRO, MINI PLUS, RAPID, FUSION, POWER 400, VISION 400 L and the Diamond eroding machines | Not Walter AG, the maker of cutting tools |
| Vollmer | VOLLMER WERKE Maschinenfabrik GmbH, Biberach an der Riß | VGrind infinity LINEAR and argon LINEAR, VHybrid 260, QXD 250, VPulse 500, VLaser 370 | Most Vollmer listings are saw sharpeners, which are not part of this programme |
| ANCA | ANCA, Melbourne; German branch ANCA Europe in Weinheim | FX, MX and TX Linear, GCX Linear, EDG | Older machines have no ‘Linear’ in the name; dealers write RX7, TX7 or ‘MX7 / MLX loader’ |
| Saacke | Gebr. SAACKE, Pforzheim | UW I P, UW II F, UW I F, UW I D, HG V | Unrelated to SAACKE GmbH in Bremen, which builds industrial and marine burners |
| Rollomatic | Rollomatic SA, Le Landeron, Switzerland | GrindSmart, ShapeSmart, LaserSmart, Strausak ONE | Older machines appear as ‘Roll-o-Matic’ in listings |
| Schneeberger | J. SCHNEEBERGER Maschinen AG, Roggwil (BE), Switzerland | aries NGP, norma NGC, gemini NGM, sirius NGS, corvus NGB | Legally separate from SCHNEEBERGER AG Lineartechnik, which builds linear guides |
| Haas Multigrind | Adelbert Haas GmbH, Trossingen | Multigrind CA, CB, CB XL, Radical | Not Haas Automation, see Haas CNC |
At Walter the group name changed in July 2025: the group is now UNITED MACHINING SOLUTIONS, UNITED GRINDING is a division within it, and Walter and EWAG are brands in that division. Older pages still say ‘United Grinding Group’. In every case we take the designation from the nameplate, not from a listing title.
Saacke
Gebr. SAACKE GmbH & Co. KG in Pforzheim builds tool grinding machines and precision tools, mainly for gear cutting. A search for ‘Saacke’ often leads to SAACKE GmbH in Bremen, which makes industrial and marine burners; the sources we checked show no link between the two, and burners are not part of this programme. The maker currently lists five tool grinders: UW I P, UW II F, UW I F, UW I D and HG V. The HG V resharpens hobs and is not a universal grinder for end mills. Dealers write the same model as UWIF, UW1F or UW I F, and the UW II D as UWIID; the nameplate decides. For older series we use only designations and years, no technical data.
Gebr. SAACKE also has a used machines section on its website, with technical inspection, function test and overhaul with original parts. We are not affiliated with Saacke, so you can ask the maker and us and compare.
Schneeberger
J. SCHNEEBERGER Maschinen AG in Roggwil (BE), website schneeberger.swiss, builds the tool grinders. SCHNEEBERGER AG Lineartechnik, which builds linear guides and measuring systems, is a different company; according to a newspaper report that the linear-technology group publishes itself, the two have been independent since 1989. If you advertise a machine, name J. SCHNEEBERGER Maschinen AG as the maker.
The current series are aries NGP (the smallest 5-axis machine for resharpening, about 1,700 kg), norma NGC (production and resharpening of cutters, drills and gear-cutting tools), gemini NGM (series production), sirius NGS (six axes, inserts and profile tools), corvus NGB (long and heavy tools) and gemini GHP (relief grinding of hobs). The five main series run on a Fanuc 31i-B5 control with the QUINTO Qg1 software. QUINTO is software, not a machine series; a listing that says ‘Quinto 4’ describes an older software state. Legacy dealer names such as Sirius HPM, Gemini DMR, Corvus GDS or Norma CFG are not confirmed by the maker as predecessors of the NG series, so we do not equate them. The maker lists machine overhauls with control updates, and a documented overhaul helps in a sale.
Haas Multigrind
Adelbert Haas GmbH in Trossingen builds the Multigrind tool grinders and has nothing to do with Haas Automation, the US maker of CNC mills and lathes (for those, see Haas CNC machines). Listings name the maker ‘Adelbert Haas’, ‘Haas Schleifmaschinen GmbH’ (the earlier company name) or just ‘Haas Multigrind’; the sources point to one company.
The maker’s overview lists the Multigrind CA (compact 5-axis centre, workpieces up to 260 mm diameter and 450 mm long), CB (larger workpieces), CB XL (large workpieces in one clamping) and the Radical (an ‘all-in-one’ tool grinder); the CU appears only on a technical data page. The grinding software is Multigrind Horizon, also used in the retrofit of older machines. The maker describes four retrofit categories: control and software upgrade, automation, process adaptation and modernisation. A documented retrofit is a value factor of its own, so keep invoices, acceptance reports and the list of replaced components. For the older AF and AF1 the maker published no data in the sources we checked, so we quote none.
What decides the value of a tool grinder
The year alone does not set the price. Two machines of the same series can be placed very differently if control, loader and accessories differ. A buyer sets the final price, so we give no figures without seeing your machine, and an asking price on a listing is not a sale price.
| Factor | Why it matters | What to have ready |
|---|---|---|
| Control and software version | Decides whether a buyer can still program the machine with current software and whether spares for control and drives exist | Control type, software version, operating system, licence papers |
| Tool diameter and length | Defines which tools a buyer can make; micro and large-tool machines have their own buyers | Manufacturer data sheet or nameplate |
| Axes and drive type | Linear and torque motors shape dynamics and accuracy | Drive type, axis configuration |
| Spindle and spindle hours | The state of the spindle is a major cost for the next owner | Operating hours, date of the last spindle service |
| Loader and wheel changer | They allow unmanned running and show some of the biggest differences between machines | Loader type, capacity, number of wheel positions |
| Measuring system | In-machine measuring and probes shorten setup times | Type of measuring equipment |
| Eroding or PCD option | Opens the PCD market, see PCD tool grinders | Generator type, electrode equipment |
| Cooling and extraction | Coolant treatment and oil mist extraction are part of the machine | Type and condition of the units |
| Series and year | The series decides which software and service options exist | Nameplate |
| Accuracy reports and maintenance | They show the real condition better than the year | Test reports, service records |
| Weight and installation | They set the effort for dismantling and transport | Weight, foundation plan, access route |
| Accessories | Collets, holders and wheel sets make the handover easier | Accessory list with photos |
The control example: Walter offers a Windows 10 upgrade for all Walter and EWAG machines with a Fanuc control, with a new operating computer (32 to 64 bit), and a machine that already has it is easier to take over. At Saacke the current models run NUMROTOplus or NUMROTO X, while older machines carry a NUM control or Sinumerik according to dealer listings. The control sets the circle of possible buyers.
What we need from you
- Nameplate: series, serial number and year of manufacture.
- Control and software: type, version, operating system and licences, and whether the licence and program library go with the machine.
- Hours and history: spindle hours, last spindle service, service records, accuracy reports and any test grinds.
- Equipment: loader, wheel changer, measuring system, eroding option, plus the accessory list.
- Photos: overall view, work area with spindle and wheel changer, loader, control cabinet and screen.
If you do not know something, the nameplate is enough to start; we clarify the rest with you.
How the purchase works for a tool grinder
We buy your machine; on request we also sell it through our buyer network. You do not have to choose in advance.
- Purchase: we take over the machine ourselves. This suits machines where type, age and equipment fit.
- Sale through our buyer network: we introduce the machine to a buyer in our network. This suits a machine when one particular buyer fits it better, for example because that buyer needs its control or its eroding option. Sale through our buyer network: commission stated upfront; you are paid before pickup.
We see which route applies after the first estimate. For you the process changes little: we organise dismantling and transport, on a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer before pickup, and whether those costs are included is stated in the offer upfront.
A manufacturer overhaul is a third option if the machine is to keep running in your plant: Walter has rebuild and retrofit services, ANCA offers overhaul and conversion, Schneeberger lists machine overhauls, Adelbert Haas has a retrofit programme and Saacke sells overhauled used machines itself. We act independently of these makers. Sellers usually come to us when they move to a newer machine generation, give up the tool room or outsource resharpening, close the business, or face a control so old that a retrofit does not fit the budget.
How the sale works
- Send the data: nameplate, control with software version, spindle hours, equipment and accessories.
- Add photos: overall view, work area, loader, control cabinet and screen.
- Receive the estimate: you learn how we place your machine.
- Offer: once all information is in. If the machine must leave quickly, an on-site visit is possible, usually within 48 to 72 hours on working days.
- Dismantling and transport: we organise both and agree date and access with you.
- Payment before pickup (direct purchase): no machine leaves your site without confirmed payment. The whole process usually takes 7 to 15 working days on a direct purchase.
A tool grinder is heavier than it looks. According to manufacturer data the Schneeberger aries NGP weighs about 1,700 kg, the ANCA FX7 ULTRA 4,500 kg and the Saacke UW I D about 5,200 kg. Before dismantling, coolant has to be drained, and loaders, wheel changers and measuring systems are secured separately. Keep the foundation plan, manual, wiring diagrams and service records ready, because buyers ask for them. The general process is under how it works.
What we do not buy
- Saw blade sharpening machines for circular and band saws. Vollmer builds both families under one name; its tool grinders carry names such as VGrind, VHybrid, QXD, VPulse and VLaser.
- Knife grinders for wood and kitchen use, and hand grinders.
- Grinding wheels and accessories as stand-alone items. Accessories that belong to the machine can be sold with it.
- General precision grinders, meaning surface, cylindrical, internal and coordinate grinders, on our page for grinding machines.
- EDM machines without a tool link, meaning die-sinking and wire machines for mould making, on our page for EDM machines.
If you are releasing several machines, for example a whole tool grinding department or a mixed fleet, put them into one enquiry.
Sources
Manufacturer data as of 30 September 2026:
- Walter Maschinenbau: tool grinding machines, eroding machines and Windows 10 upgrade.
- VOLLMER WERKE: product finder.
- ANCA: product overview and company page.
- Gebr. SAACKE: tool grinding machines.
- Rollomatic: cutting tool grinding products; J. SCHNEEBERGER Maschinen AG: machines.
- Adelbert Haas: Multigrind series and retrofit.