Used Ironworkers: Tonnage, Stations, and the Tooling a Bare Machine Leaves Out
A used ironworker is four machines in one frame: a punch, a flat bar shear, an angle shear and usually a notcher, driven by one hydraulic cylinder or one flywheel. That is why it is worth buying used, and easy to buy wrong. The tonnage on the side describes the punch station. It does not describe the shear, the throat, or whether the tooling is in the crate.
This guide covers what each station is rated to do, the throat and stroke numbers that decide fit, the tooling bill a bare machine leaves out, and the order to check one at a viewing. Prices are asking prices observed on eBay on 3 November 2026, not sold prices.
Why Used Works
The mechanism is serviceable. An ironworker is a hydraulic cylinder pushing a linkage, or a flywheel and clutch driving a ram. Pumps, valves, hoses, seals and pins are standard industrial parts, and the American brands still support them.
The discount is real. A new 55 ton Edwards with PowerLink lists at $16,443 in single phase. On 3 November 2026, used 55 ton Edwards machines were asking $8,490 and $12,450 on eBay. That is half to three quarters of new.
The tooling is where the value hides. Ironworkers often sell at auction with a cabinet of punches, dies and blades the auctioneer does not itemize. A machine with a full round set, an angle blade and a notcher is a different purchase from the same machine with an empty tool table.
What actually fails. The frame welds at the throat, the pivot pins, the cylinder rod seal, the pump and the blades. A cracked throat weld is a frame repair, not maintenance. Worn pins show up as a ram that rocks before it loads. The discipline is the same one that applies to a used surface grinder: inspect the parts that carry the load, not the paint.
Brands Worth Buying
Scotchman (USA). The reference American ironworker. The 4014 is the 40 ton machine and the 6509 is the 65 ton. The 4014-CM sheet lists a 6 inch throat, a 1 inch punch in 1/2 inch plate, a 14 inch flat bar shear, a 3 x 3 x 5/16 inch angle shear and a 3 HP motor. The 6509 sheet lists 65 tons, 1-1/16 inch in 3/4 inch, a 9 inch throat, a 24 inch shear, and 58 strokes per minute at 1/4 inch stroke against 26 at 3/4 inch.
Edwards (USA). The 55 ton IW55 is the common small shop machine. Edwards publishes the numbers that matter: 1-1/16 inch in 5/8 inch mild steel, a 7-1/2 inch punch throat, an 11-3/16 inch open station throat, a 1-1/4 inch stroke, and a 5 HP motor drawing 14 A in three phase or 23 A in single phase.
Geka (Spain). Geka’s page shows why tonnage is not one number: the Hydracrop 55 is rated 60 US tons punching and 110 US tons shearing, and the Hydracrop 110 is 120 tons punching and 180 tons shearing.
Piranha and MegaFab (USA). The P-50 through P-140 line. The brochure lists throat depth from 5 inches on the P-50 to 12 on the P-110 and P-140, and motors from 3 to 15 HP at 230/460 V three phase.
Mubea (Germany). Heavy machines with their own tooling standards. Cleveland Steel Tool’s Mubea chart assigns H1 and H2 shanks by model, so a Mubea punch and die set is not a Scotchman set. A Mubea without tooling is a project.
Buffalo, Peddinghaus, Metal Muncher, Uni-Hydro, Ironcrafter. All appear regularly and all are usable. Buffalo and Peddinghaus mechanical machines are flywheel units with different behavior and often odder electrical requirements.
Approach carefully. No-name imports with no manual and no tooling standard. Any machine missing a station, because angle tables and notchers are the parts that get removed and lost. Any “rebuilt” machine where rebuilt means paint. And any 550 V or 575 V machine, which is a transformer problem before it is a bargain.
Inspection Checklist
Do these in order, and stop when one fails badly enough that the price no longer matters.
Paperwork, plate and frame
Read the model and serial plate first. Write down voltage, phase, horsepower and tonnage, and ask for the manual and wiring diagram. A seller with the manual usually has the machine’s history.
Then look at the throat, the C-shaped opening where the weld works hardest. Look for a crack, a weld ground and painted over, or a plate bolted across the throat. Check the base for anchor damage. A cracked frame ends the inspection.
Stations and throat
Count what is on the machine, and write down which stations are present. Four station means punch, flat bar shear, angle shear and notcher. Some are three station, some five with a bar shear or coper. The angle table and blades are often removed and lost, and a replacement table is a fabrication job.
Measure the throat with a tape. It is the distance from the punch centerline to the frame, and it sets how far from an edge a hole can be placed. Edwards lists 7-1/2 inches at the punch and 11-3/16 inches at the open station on the same 55 ton machine. Piranha lists 5 inches on the P-50 and 12 on the P-110. A 6 inch throat, as on the Scotchman 4014-CM, cannot reach the middle of a plate wider than 12 inches.
The shear bed is the other limit: the 4014-CM has 14 inches of flat bar shear and the 6509 has 24, so a 20 inch piece does not fit the smaller machine.
Punch ram and tooling
Look at the ram, punch holder and die block. The ram should be keyed and should not rotate; rock it by hand with the machine locked out. Look for a seized punch, a welded die block and a bent stripper plate.
Open every drawer and box. A 12 size round set from 5/16 to 1 inch lists at $597; a five piece MetalPro set for a 40 or 45 ton machine lists at $282. A machine with no round set needs one before it can make a hole.
Blades, pins and hydraulics
Shear blades are consumable. Cleveland Steel Tool lists in-stock ironworker blades from $156.45 to $1,500. Look for chips, cracks at the screw holes and a blade ground past its edge.
Grab the linkage and pivot pins. A greased machine has tight pins; a dry one wears the pin and bore, and the ram comes down out of alignment. Check the cylinder rod for scoring and the seals for weep: a damp rod is a reseal, a scored rod is a new rod. Listen to the pump and look at the oil for milky or burnt fluid.
Electrics and safety devices
Read the motor nameplate against the power in the building. A 5 HP 230 V single phase machine draws 23 A; the three phase version draws 14 A. A 460 V machine needs a transformer, and a three phase machine on single phase service needs a converter; American Rotary lists 5 HP units at $599 to $1,098.
OSHA 1910.212 requires point of operation guarding and names shears. The Scotchman 6509 lists an electric remote foot pedal as standard. Any pedal needs a guard against accidental stepping and falling objects, the requirement in 1910.217(b)(4)(i). A two-hand trip must require both hands and keep them out of the danger zone, per 1910.217(b)(6)(i). On an auction machine, expect the pedal to be present and the pedal guard, the point of operation guard and the e-stop to be missing.
Under power
Cycle the punch through a full stroke, then punch a test hole in scrap of known thickness and measure it. Cycle the flat shear and look at the cut edge; a torn edge is a dull or misadjusted blade.
Time a few strokes. The Scotchman 6509 is rated 58 strokes per minute at 1/4 inch stroke and 26 at 3/4 inch stroke: a long stroke for thick material costs cycle time. A slow, noisy machine may need oil and a filter, or a pump.
What to Pay
These are asking prices observed on eBay on 3 November 2026, in a search for “used ironworker” filtered to used condition with a $1,500 floor. They are not sold prices and not a forecast. The count moved between 241 and 243 across reloads.
| Class | Typical observed asking | What the money bought |
|---|---|---|
| 18 to 35 ton | $2,070 to $4,250 | Older hydraulic machines, often three phase, sometimes missing a station; one 35 ton asked $8,950 |
| 40 to 50 ton | $2,995 to $9,180 | Small shop class; most $4,000 to $6,675; two 50 ton machines asked $19,950 and $21,000 |
| 55 to 70 ton | $6,675 to $25,000 | Newer American and imported two cylinder machines; most $8,490 to $16,850 |
| 85 to 120 ton | $8,500 to $28,500 | Production machines; most $12,500 and up, with older 90 to 120 ton units from $8,500 |
The spread is mostly tooling, age and electrical configuration. Two 40 ton machines sat on the same page at $2,995 and $4,099.50, the second listed with punch, shear and angle tooling. The difference is $1,104.50. A 12 size round set at $597 plus one replacement blade at $156.45 is $753.45 before freight, so most of the gap is tooling, not iron.
A new Edwards 55 ton in single phase was listed at $16,443 the same day. A used 55 ton at $8,490 has half the capital at risk; at $12,450 the warranty must be worth it.
Accessories to Budget
A used ironworker rarely arrives ready to work. Put these on the same sheet as the price.
| Item | Why it is on the list | Observed price |
|---|---|---|
| Round punch and die set | Most bare machines have none | $282 for five pieces, $420 for eight, $597 for 12 sizes |
| Shear blades | Chipped or ground-out blades are common | $156.45 to $1,500 per Cleveland Steel Tool listings |
| Phase converter, 5 HP | A three phase machine on single phase power | $599 to $1,098 |
| Foot pedal and guard | Frequently missing at auction | Price as a repair part |
| Point of operation guard | Required by OSHA 1910.212 | Price as a repair part |
| Forklift or drop deck | An ironworker is not a two person lift | Local rigging quote |
| Hydraulic oil and filter | Unknown service history | Confirm at checkout |
A 40 ton machine with a full round set and good blades is a working machine. The same machine with a welded die block and one dull punch is a machine plus a $600 order plus a blade order. Ask for the tooling list in writing before the bid.
Electrical and rigging costs belong in the bigger budget on the home shop setup cost guide, and the welding side of the same shop is priced on the welding setup cost guide.
Where to Find Inventory
eBay. The widest national net and the easiest place to compare asks. The search below is filtered to used condition with a $1,500 floor, where the machines start. A $1,200 floor was tested the same day and admitted a $1,320 Geka laser positioner, which is an accessory, not a machine; $1,500 removed it and left 243 listings. The link carries no category id: adding eBay category 11804 at the $1,200 floor returned the same 251 results with the same leading titles, so it was dropped.
Browse used ironworkers on eBay
Used machinery dealers. Higher asks and sometimes a short warranty, because someone has run the machine. Ask what the warranty covers and whether the tooling is included.
Plant auctions. The deepest discounts and the least information. The machine is as-is and rigging is the buyer’s problem.
Private party. A retiring fabricator selling a Scotchman with a cabinet of tooling is the best package. It is also the sale where the machine has not run in two years, so the inspection matters more, not less.
Who This Is NOT For
- Buyers who need a press brake. An ironworker bends with an optional attachment, but it is not a press brake. Forming work belongs on a used sheet metal brake.
- Buyers with only 120 V power and no plan. A 3 HP or 5 HP three phase machine needs a converter or a service. Budget it before bidding.
- Buyers who need one clean cut per day. A cold saw is cheaper and easier to feed. The ironworker earns its floor space when punch, shear and notch work repeat.
- Buyers who cannot inspect. An auction machine bought from a photograph is a frame, a pump and a question mark.
FAQ
Is a 40 ton used ironworker with no tooling a better buy than a 50 ton one with a die set?
Usually not. A bare machine still needs a round set at $282 to $597 and blades at $156.45 and up. A 40 ton machine with a complete set can cost less than a bare 50 ton plus tooling.
How much throat depth is needed?
Measure the work, not the tonnage. Throat depth runs from the punch centerline to the frame and sets how far in from an edge a hole can be placed. Edwards lists 7-1/2 inches at the punch and 11-3/16 inches at the open station on the same 55 ton machine; Piranha lists 5 inches on the P-50 and 12 on the P-110.
Can a three phase ironworker run on single phase power?
Not directly. A three phase motor needs three phase power, and the usual fix is a converter sized to the motor. American Rotary lists 5 HP converters at $599 to $1,098. A 460 V machine also needs a transformer.
What should a buyer check on an auction machine that cannot be run?
Assume the consumables are gone. Confirm all four stations are present, the punch ram and die block are in the machine, the blades are not chipped, and the pedal and guard come with it. Look for throat weld cracks and hydraulic weep at the rod.