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THE MACHINEBLUE BOOKResearch · Market · Ownership
USED MACHINE LISTINGS

Reading a Machine Listing: The Decoder

The Machine Blue Book · Published November 2026

Compiled by Bronto, our AI research assistant, from the sources listed below; checked against them and reviewed by our editor before publication. How we make these pages.

Answer: Machine listings are written in a compressed trade dialect where every phrase allocates risk between you and the seller. "Under power" is an invitation to verify; "ref photos" is a warning that you have not seen the machine; "as-is where-is" moves every unknown onto you. Here is the dialect, decoded plainly.

What do the condition phrases mean?

"Under power": the machine is connected to electricity and can be demonstrated running. This is the single most useful phrase in a listing, because it makes the under-power inspection possible. It is not a warranty; it is an invitation. The Equipment Hub's inspection guide (dealer-authored, August 21, 2026) is blunt about the inverse: if a seller will not power a machine up, walk. See our Under-Power Inspection Protocol.

"Can be seen under power by appointment": currently installed at a working facility. Good sign, but schedule fast; these machines are often still earning until the day they ship.

"Ran when removed" / "runs good": the machine worked at some unverified point in the past, according to the person selling it. Unverifiable by design. Treat it as untested.

"In storage" / "warehoused" / "decommissioned": not under power, usually for a while. Control batteries, seals, and ways all age in storage. Everything is unverified until proven otherwise.

"As-is, where-is": the legal core of used machinery sales. You take the machine with all faults, and you move it from where it sits. Real auction terms we verified say exactly this, in capitals, with "ALL FAULTS WITHOUT EXCEPTION" (Biditup/Maynards 2020 sale terms; see our Auction Field Manual for the full citations).

"Subject to prior sale" / "as available": the seller can sell it to someone else while you deliberate, and the listing may already be stale. Confirm availability before you spend money inspecting.

What do the hours phrases mean?

"Low hours": low relative to what, and which meter? Always ask which counter the claim refers to. American Machinist's buying guide (December 15, 2025) notes that cutting hours differ from power-on hours, and The Equipment Hub recommends asking for spindle hours, tool-change count, alarm history, and whether meters were ever reset.

"Hours showing" / "meter reads": the seller is reporting what the screen says while declining to vouch for it. Purple Wave's auction terms state outright that listed hours may not be accurate. The phrase is honest; read it as "unverified."

"One owner": useful if true, because history is traceable. Ask for the maintenance records that a one-owner machine should have. A one-owner machine without records loses the benefit of the claim.

What do the photo and description phrases mean?

"Ref photos" / "stock photos" / "photo for reference only": you are looking at a picture of a different machine, or the manufacturer's brochure shot. Treat the listing as text-only and ask for current photos of the actual serial number, taper, ways, control screen, and hour meters. Our Serial Number Lookup Guide explains where builders put the plate.

"Specs from manufacturer" / brochure specs: the capability of the model when new, not the condition of this unit. Specifications describe the design; inspection describes the machine.

"Fully tooled" / "tooling included": means nothing until itemized. The Equipment Hub's guide says to get chucks, vises, holders, tailstock, manuals, and anything shown in photos listed in writing. If it is in the photo but not the contract, expect it to be gone at pickup.

"Options: ...": claimed control options. The same guide recommends checking the option screen on the control yourself rather than relying on the seller's list, and flags options claimed but not shown on the control as a red flag.

What do the logistics phrases mean?

"Loading included": the seller will put it on your truck, usually at a dock, usually with equipment they already have. One verified example of how narrow this can be: an International Machinery Exchange sale offered "Simple Loading at Loading Dock; Dock Height Only," with skidding of smaller items at additional cost (terms hosted on the Harry Davis bidding platform). Loading included is not rigging included.

"Rigging at buyer's expense": you hire and pay the crew that disconnects, skates, and lifts the machine. Standard at auctions; the terms we verified make rigging the buyer's responsibility through independent contractors.

"FOB [location]": the sale covers the machine at that location; transport cost and transit risk are yours from there. Confirm exactly what condition it will be in at handoff (disconnected? skidded? dock height?).

"Export crating available": offered at extra cost, often with specific packaging requirements for export shipments (FreightCenter's machinery guide notes export shipments may need ISPM-15 certified packaging).

"Loading by appointment" / removal windows: at auction, a hard deadline with storage fees or abandonment clauses behind it. Purple Wave's terms treat items under 2,000 US dollars left 90 or more days as abandoned.

What do the sale-structure phrases mean?

"POR" (price on request): the seller wants a conversation before quoting. Use it to ask the hours and documentation questions above.

"OBO" (or best offer): the listed figure is an opening position.

"Make offer" / "buy now": marketplace mechanics; Aucto's platform, for example, runs auctions, best-offer listings, and all-in "Buy Now" listings that include fees except sales tax (aucto.com, accessed November 9, 2026).

"Retrofit" / "rebuilt" / "remanufactured": three different depths of work, and the words are used loosely in listings. American Machinist's reference piece on the subject (June 11, 2008) defines a CNC retrofit as replacing the CNC, servo, and spindle systems on an otherwise mechanically sound machine, and notes rebuilds and remanufactures typically include a retrofit plus mechanical work. Ask for the work order: what was replaced, by whom, when, and with what warranty. See our New vs Used vs Retrofit framework.

"Dealer inspected": real value, but ask for the actual inspection report, not the adjective.

FAQ

Is a listing with "ref photos" always hiding something? Not always; some platforms template listings. But you must treat the machine as unseen and inspect accordingly.

Does "under power" mean the machine is good? No. It means you can find out. The under-power inspection still has to happen.

What is the one question that cuts through most listing language? "Can I, or my inspector, see it run under load, and will you show me the hour and option screens?" Every phrase above is a proxy for how the seller answers that.

Sources

Corrections welcome: research@themachinebluebook.com