High-Z S400 from 2008, gift horse or old nag?

[lucan07]

I will leave it to those with more experience to advise you but personally I wouldn't dream of spending £1000 on a machine that I could build better for same money, I looked at many and decided to design/build my own and as a result I have a mill converted for £680 including new purchase price I used for my build (I did not like idea of extrusion personally), and a Router with 750x420x100mm work area 2.2kw VFD and spindle, extremely solid 12mm DOC in MDF 1/4" bit at 1500mmpm and had plenty left, and £1000 covers everything even pricing aluminium at the Ali Warehouse as I got most of it very cheaply. Add in my Mach3 Licence and I am still well under £2000 with two machines working well and doing all I require, if you use extrusion you would not need the mill and even cheapest supported rails would be better than the unsupported ones I believe these come with looking at site. I would offer him £300 and take a chance but once I got near cost of a half decent build I would run!