Guest Article provided by Mar-Dustrial Sales, Inc. a provider of power transmission products and repair since 1947.

When buying industrial parts, it can be quite helpful to start off with some pre-shopping research. Here are acquisition tips to aid you in finding the best surplus gear reducers for your plant.

Buying Surplus Gear Reducers: Key Considerations

1. Sourcing Obsolete Parts

Due to the constant changes of industrial technology, plant managers can find themselves needing a part that is no longer in production. For example, the paper and pulp industry uses technology that changes especially quickly. The gear reducer that used to be mainstream a few years ago might not be widely available currently.

There are two options if you find yourself in this predicament: You can rebuild the surrounding machinery (cost-prohibitive) or you can buy a surplus replacement part. For the latter route, here are a few important questions to consider:

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Can the surplus gear reducer provide the performance and power that you require?

Will the surplus gear reducer connect smoothly with surrounding parts?

Will the surplus gear reducer fit in the physical space of the gearbox envelope?

2. New vs. Refurbished Surplus Gear Reducers

When looking for a surplus part, you will notice the several different usage levels offered for surplus gear reducers out there. They include:

  “New” surplus. New surplus gear reducers were previously bought, but were not put into service. It can be possible to save up to 70 percent over normal prices by choosing these new surplus gear reducers.

Refurbished, guaranteed surplus. This kind of surplus gear reducer has a warranty that shows that the supplier has improved the part to good working condition.  These parts can derive from plants that were closing for economic or other reasons, but the gear reducers were still working well at the time production stopped.

Though it is possible, it is not recommended to purchase surplus gear reducers without a warranty. The ideal thing to do is work with a dealer who offers the options listed above.

3. Customer Service of Surplus Gear Reducer Dealer

A surplus gear reducer supplier should ideally be friendly and helpful and should provide fast and convenient delivery. They should be established enough to pull from a global network of suppliers so that you don’t have to do any of your own sourcing work. Lastly, make sure to check your supplier will provide thorough information regarding repairs and installation for your engineers.

4. Wide Selection of Surplus Gear Reducers

The supplier of your surplus gear reducers should provide you with an extensive collection of parts for you to choose from. This is a good indicator that you will have an easier time finding a replacement in the future.

5. Easy Lubrication Testing

Lubrication samples are the best way to test out your gear reducer operation performance. Regular lubrication sampling is very important and will help prevent failure and will minimize replacement costs. You should look for a surplus gear reducer that will facilitate easy oil sampling.

6. Dealer Certification

The last thing you should consider is asking each potential surplus gear reducer supplier whether or not they are certified by manufacturers, such as Falk, to repair broken parts. If yes, you will have more luck dealing with failed parts. This is also a good indication that your supplier is properly trained and can rebuild the surrounding gearbox to fit a more modernized gear reducer.

Keep these 6 tips in mind as you shop for surplus gear reducers and you will achieve a more positive and superior purchasing experience and overall outcome.