Cross Border Used Equipment Purchases

[TorontoBuilder]

At this point, being within an easy easy drive of Detroit - Toledo corridor, and Buffalo - Erie - Cleveland rust belt cities in decline, it may be worth the effort to look south of the border for a lathe, despite their weird choice of voltage.

So this raises a few questions.... have those cities which long ago went bust still have any decent machines worth considering? How much paperwork is involved in importing used machine tools.

Am I silly to assume I can just roll up to the border with a bill of sale showing USD purchase price and just be handed a simple bill for the HST without any delays, or may they insist on seeing CSA approval for the electrical component of the equipment?

After seeing the VAT on used equipment in the UK I'll happily pay the 13% HST here.

 

[YotaBota]

If you don't have them already these are two sites I look at,

Results for 'lathe' - govdeals.com

GovDeals' online marketplace provides services to government, educational, and related entities for the sale of surplus assets to the public. Auction rules may vary across sellers.

www.govdeals.com

Public Surplus: Search an auction

www.publicsurplus.com

Public surplus has a bit older than you're looking for but it also says the ways are worn and the auction ends today.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

If you don't have them already these are two sites I look at,

Results for 'lathe' - govdeals.com

GovDeals' online marketplace provides services to government, educational, and related entities for the sale of surplus assets to the public. Auction rules may vary across sellers.

www.govdeals.com

Public Surplus: Search an auction

www.publicsurplus.com

Public surplus has a bit older than you're looking for but it also says the ways are worn and the auction ends today.

Thanks. I used to look at gov deals all the time.

I had to stop because I kept weeping as deals passed me by for simple lack of storage. for instance a lot of 5 or 6 surface grinders sold from a single college for a song...

I have started looking there again but so far just crap

 

[TorontoBuilder]

If you don't have them already these are two sites I look at,

Results for 'lathe' - govdeals.com

GovDeals' online marketplace provides services to government, educational, and related entities for the sale of surplus assets to the public. Auction rules may vary across sellers.

www.govdeals.com

Public Surplus: Search an auction

www.publicsurplus.com

Public surplus has a bit older than you're looking for but it also says the ways are worn and the auction ends today.

I just may have to bid on this...

if it sold for 1600 USD it would be 2400 plus gas costs of maybe $200-250 and a day's time

 

[TorontoBuilder]

Just before we bid my brother called me to ask "Got your passport?"

Damn lucky or he'd have been going by himself. I let mine expire because I don't normally travel internationally during a pandemic and I only travel as a Canadian

 

[TorontoBuilder]

If you don't have them already these are two sites I look at,

Results for 'lathe' - govdeals.com

GovDeals' online marketplace provides services to government, educational, and related entities for the sale of surplus assets to the public. Auction rules may vary across sellers.

www.govdeals.com

Public Surplus: Search an auction

www.publicsurplus.com

Public surplus has a bit older than you're looking for but it also says the ways are worn and the auction ends today.

This lathe sold for 3100 USD, with the premium, exchange, HST upon import this would have been a $4900 and well within our budget even with the gas food and perhaps lodgings required to pick it up. The price did not change after this screen cap.

It was apparently too high a price for the equipment dealer who swooped in during last 20 minutes to try to steal this.

 

[Doggggboy]

So the "would have been" means you didn't win?

 

[TorontoBuilder]

So the "would have been" means you didn't win?

We did not even bid... I don't have a current passport to allow me to cross the border. I'd forgotten that I'd let it lapse. My brother declined on the idea of me driving to Windsor and then waiting there until he went the rest of the way past Ann Arbor and back.

We would have won if I had a passport.

We know from my watching the market for years that the lathes are out there so we really dont need to rush into one that is too onerous to pick up, or that lacks all the features we want. That lacked a foot brake, and coolant system, and was older than we'd have liked. The only attractive part was the price

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I guess we're just going to have to make do with my lathe for now.

 

[Doggggboy]

We did not even bid... I don't have a current passport to allow me to cross the border. I'd forgotten that I'd let it lapse. My brother declined on the idea of me driving to Windsor and then waiting there until he went the rest of the way past Ann Arbor and back.

We would have won if I had a passport.

We know from my watching the market for years that the lathes are out there so we really dont need to rush into one that is too onerous to pick up, or that lacks all the features we want. That lacked a foot brake, and coolant system, and was older than we'd have liked. The only attractive part was the price

Not that I do a lot of spur of the moment international travel but, honestly, I'd feel kinda naked without a valid passport.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I was more "why the hell would I renew my passport, I'm too busy building a secret bunker!"

 

[Six O Two]

Am I silly to assume I can just roll up to the border with a bill of sale showing USD purchase price and just be handed a simple bill for the HST without any delays

That was the case when I picked up my lathe on the US side and drove it home. Just paid the GST and PST on the invoice amount and off I went. That's for personal use, mind you. If you buy it as a business entity, I'd imagine there's more hoops to jump through.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

That was the case when I picked up my lathe on the US side and drove it home. Just paid the GST and PST on the invoice amount and off I went. That's for personal use, mind you. If you buy it as a business entity, I'd imagine there's more hoops to jump through.

only personal use in our garage shop

 

[garageguy]

I bought a wheel balancer from the US not knowing what was required when bringing it back to Canada for my business.. Not a real big deal thanks to understanding customs guys, but if it's for a business, have your ducks in a row.

 

[Hacker]

I guess we're just going to have to make do with my lathe for now.

View attachment 28019

Nice lathe

 

[Susquatch]

I bought my lathe in the US 10 years ago. Yup, just rolled up and declared it. They asked what it was and what it was for and then they just waived me through. I didn't even pay the HST.

I have not done anything like that recently though. However, my neighbour just bought a combine transmission in the US and had no trouble bringing it home.

Why not just call customs and ask? Make sure you get a name and number though in case the next guy doesn't agree with the first guy.

I'm not sure you actually need a passport to go the USA. You should check on that.

 

[TorontoBuilder]

I bought my lathe in the US 10 years ago. Yup, just rolled up and declared it. They asked what it was and what it was for and then they just waived me through. I didn't even pay the HST.

I have not done anything like that recently though. However, my neighbour just bought a combine transmission in the US and had no trouble bringing it home.

Why not just call customs and ask? Make sure you get a name and number though in case the next guy doesn't agree with the first guy.

I'm not sure you actually need a passport to go the USA. You should check on that.

Thanks, I knew your lathe was not purchased here.

I will check with customs if we do decide to pursue a US lathe.

I know you now need a passport as a Canadian. I disavowed my US citizenship so yeah passport or no entry

 

[Darren]

Hey John, I bought my Emco off of govdeals from a college in Ohio . No problem crossing the border. You'll need your passport, but you can pay a few bucks and get a renewal in 24hrs. Thankfully no more vax , but when I went there was no worries as I was commercial. Remember to bring tarps and bungee cords because the snowflakes are falling. I soaked mine down in fluid film before tarping.

 

[Mcgyver]

There is no issue rolling up with a US made machine. You declare the value and pay the HST. I've done it. They do not care about CSA. Even if you cared, its entirely possible to buy something and retrofit it here, i.e. its not an importation/border issue.

A couple things to think of.....going across with a bunch of tools can be a problem, in their brains tools means you doing work there. Just don't take any tools and make sure the seller has everything needed to disconnect and load.

Secondly, duty is based on country or origin....bringing in a machine made somewhere other than the US might have trigger a duty. Its country by country.

I have no idea about any regulations on traiilers, loads etc, don't know what I don't know but I'd want to check that out. Probably fretting about nothing, but I'd not want to be pulled over and told I'm told going anywhere by some humourless trooper

 

[Gearhead88]

Hey John, I bought my Emco off of govdeals from a college in Ohio . No problem crossing the border. You'll need your passport, but you can pay a few bucks and get a renewal in 24hrs. Thankfully no more vax , but when I went there was no worries as I was commercial. Remember to bring tarps and bungee cords because the snowflakes are falling. I soaked mine down in fluid film before tarping.

Mmmm fluid film , good stuff , but ......when I worked at the crane shop (Lampson) , fluid film was like Frank's hot sauce , they put that shit on everything . It reminds me of cat vomit and the smell .............yuk ! , never cared for it