Need help pricing Grainmaker 116
Hi, everyone.
My wife and I are organizing for a "retirement move" to a place where we just won't have room for our mill. We'll be very sad to give it up, but that's life.
The mill is a GrainMaker 116 with motor and flywheel/crank.
We've had it for about two and a half years (I'm sure Bonnie, at GrainMaker has the exact date on file) and used it, on average, to mill 4-5 cups of flour every week. Occasionally I would use the mill twice in a week, sometimes it would sit for several weeks without milling anything, and now and then I would use it to make cornmeal.
The mill is in pristine condition in virtually every way, including the finish, and I can't discern any wear on the burrs. I'm pretty sure GrainMaker would honor the lifetime guarantee, since there is no "original purchaser" exclusion -- and they are just really fine people.
I'd like to list the mill in the "for sale" section here, where real grain and bread lovers hang out, before selling it on eBay or craigslist, but I honestly don't know what a fair price would be.
I'd be grateful for any advice you can give me. Of course, people who know the GrainMaker mills and don't want to buy this one will be especially helpful. ;^)
I have pretty good photos, if that will help someone offer an opinion.
Thanks for any advice you can give!
~Doug
Doug, I am not familiar with that mill, but have bought and sold numerous used Mills and mixers. In general I would guess around 70% of retail is a ballpark in such good condition and very new. If retail price includes free shipping, which is pretty common, then the used price goes down a bit. It might go as high as 80%, but unlikely, since if a person buys new and does not like it, they can usually return it for free. Much older Mills go for as low as 20% , especially if missing things like a hopper or bags.
Thanks, Barry. That's helpful.
FYI, here's the mill: GrainMaker 116
Here it is with the motor: 116 with motor
Doug that is a pretty impressive set up. Good luck with selling it. Barry
Wow. And I JUST ordered a grainmaker 99! I would have loved this set up
And I would have loved for it to find a home with you, Carolina Girl. Oh, well.
But I'm pretty confident you'll love your 99, also. Those guys just make great products (really, they are extraordinary), and they take wonderful care of their customers.
Happy milling!
~Doug
Oh well. chances are I could not afford it, even at used prices. I didn't order the motor with mine, plan to DIY motorize it. The 99 was already pushing my budget almost to the breaking point. I had planned to get a country living, but once I discovered the grainmaker with its outstanding burr quality and beautiful red chassis, I was sold. I am confidant that you will have no trouble finding a buyer for your gem.
So as far as how you should price it, this is my take generally speaking. if I was looking for something a little outside my budget, I'd jump at the chance to get a well maintained used item. I am very big on warranty coverage though, so I'd want to know the mfg would still cover it as a used mill. If they would, I'd have no issue paying 80% of the new price for a used one. If the mfg would not extend the warranty to me, then I'd probably be looking for something at maybe 60% of new price. I'd look at the replacement burr cost, and see if the motor was repairable locally and take those costs into consideration. I do a lot of auction buying so I love a bargain.
I think your 99 is a much better choice than the Country Living and will make you a happier miller.
When I was researching mills, I ended up with three final possibilities: Country Living, Diamant, or the GrainMaker. In every way, except price, the GrainMaker is, IMHO, superior. Especially with the motor, it is, of course, pretty expensive. I think it's worth every penny.
As long as you pay attention to Randy's set-up guidance, and keep the flywheel speed in the right range, DIY motorization should work well for you. Producing fine flour via hand-cranking is a fair amount of work with any mill.
Thanks, very much for your advice on pricing. I've sent email to Bonnie and Randy asking if they will honor the warranty for a new owner.
Regards,
~Doug
Yes I had read that hand cranking is hard work with all of them. But it's nice to have that option just in case. Hubby is pretty handy with motors and gearing them down so I decided to go that route rather than the expensive motor. There were a few things that sold me on this mill. It was the most expensive of the ones I had researched (diamant was out of my reach so I really didn't study up on it too much). The life-time warranty, the customer service, the color (so beautiful) and the quality of the burrs are the things that pushed me over the edge. I have no doubt that there will be no disappointment.
I think that's a good decision you made -- marrying a guy with real-world skills. ;^)
The dedicated motor is way more expensive than a good DIY job and it sounds like your husband is plenty qualified to do that. You just need to get the equivalent of about 1/3 HP turning the flywheel at about 80 RPM and make sure fingers, kids and pets can't get caught in belts and pulleys.
BTW, I checked with GrainMaker and they do honor the lifetime guarantee on the mills for new owners. They just have to get in touch so they can change the contact info in their records.
Thanks to everyone's advice, I'm going to list my 116 here for 70% of the retail price (I'll post photos) and do an eBay auction with a "buy it now" option at the same price. I guess I'll have to cancel the auction if there's little interest and the high bid the day before it ends is $39. eBay doesn't like that, but . . .
Have a great time with your gorgeous new red machine!
And thanks to all for advice.
~Doug
I know this is an old post, but I just came across this site. Any chance you still have the Grainmaker?