Pricing
What a used injection molding machine costs — and the total landed cost
What actually drives the price inside a tonnage class, every line between the workshop door and a machine running in your plant, and the costs first-time importers reliably forget.
Six things set the price
- Clamping force. The headline variable. Price rises faster than tonnage — a 1000 t machine is far more than four times a 250 t one.
- Year of build. Inside the same tonnage, a recent machine and a decade-old one are different markets, not different prices.
- Drive type. A servo machine commands a clear premium over a fixed-pump hydraulic of the same size, and earns it back in electricity.
- Running hours and condition. Screw and barrel condition alone can move a price by a significant fraction of the machine.
- Controller generation. A controller whose spares are still available is worth real money; one that is obsolete is a discount you should take knowingly.
- Configuration. Robot interface, mould temperature controller, dryer, spare screw, T-slots — fitted before shipping, these are cheap; sourced afterwards, they are not.
Indicative bands
Broad market bands for recent-year used machines, EXW China. They are a sense of scale for budgeting, not a quotation — condition, year and configuration move them substantially.
| Clamping force | Indicative used band (USD, EXW) |
|---|---|
| 90 – 160 t | Low five figures |
| 200 – 320 t | Low to mid five figures |
| 380 – 470 t | Mid five figures |
| 650 – 800 t | High five figures |
| 1000 t and above | Six figures, quoted case by case |
Current prices for machines actually in stock are on their own pages, with year, hours and photographs beside them.
Total landed cost, line by line
machine price (EXW) + inland haulage + export declaration + sea freight + insurance + duty + VAT + port handling and lifting + inland delivery + rigging and commissioning
| Cost line | What decides it | Commonly forgotten? |
|---|---|---|
| Machine (EXW) | Tonnage, year, drive, condition, configuration | No |
| Inland haulage to port | Distance and machine weight | Sometimes |
| Export declaration and documents | Fixed per shipment | Sometimes |
| Sea freight | Container type, route, season | No |
| Marine insurance | Typically a small percentage of cargo value | Yes |
| Import duty | Your tariff line for HS 8477.10 | No |
| VAT / GST on import | Charged on value plus freight plus duty | Yes — and it is often the largest single line after the machine |
| Port handling, demurrage, lifting | Port tariff; demurrage if clearance is slow | Yes |
| Inland delivery and rigging | Crane hire, distance, access to the plant | Yes |
| Foundation and services | Concrete, anchors, cabling, water | Yes |
| Commissioning and trial | Local contractor time | Sometimes |
Two lines catch nearly everyone. Import VAT — recoverable in many countries but payable in cash at the border either way — and rigging at your end, where crane hire for a large machine is not a small number. Budget both before you commit to the machine.
Reading a quotation properly
- Which incoterm? EXW, FOB, CFR and CIF are not comparable prices. Get every quote onto the same term before you compare.
- What is in the machine price? Refurbishment scope, screw configuration, accessories, manuals, spares — itemised, or assumed?
- What is the warranty, exactly? Which components, for how long, and how a claim is handled in practice.
- What is the lead time, and what happens if it slips?
- Is the year of manufacture stated in writing? If it is not in the contract, it is not a term.
A quote that is materially cheaper than every other quote for the same tonnage and year is not a bargain to be seized. It is a question to be asked.
Where the money is actually saved
Not usually in haggling on the machine price. The savings that matter are structural: buying a machine one year older but far better maintained; fitting the screw, the dryer and the robot interface before shipping rather than after; getting the duty classification right the first time; and choosing a machine whose spare parts you can buy locally instead of importing individually for the next ten years.
The cheapest machine to own is rarely the cheapest machine to buy. Parts availability, technician familiarity and resale value are all part of the price, they are just not on the invoice.
Keep reading
Related guides
Ask for a landed figure, not a machine price
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