Craftsman 150 drill press

[rogkw99]

I have a vintage Craftman 150 drill press that I would like to sell.  I've read on other posts on this site that if its in good condition (which mine is) that it should fetch $125-150.    My question is this:  the electric supply cord is a twisted pair of cloth-covered stranded wire.   There is no on-off switch on the drill.  The cord has an insulated alligator clip on it (which I assume a previous owner used for the purpose of turning the unit on and off).  I've thought about installing a new cord with an in-line on-off switch.   Should I do this or would it devalue the unit?    I've never used the drill press and don't plan to.   SEE ATTACHED PHOTO.  Thanks!

[Bill Houghton]

No, putting a proper cord on it would not devalue the press.  Whether the investment in putting the cord on would pay off - hard to tell, although I would not permit anyone to operate that drill press with that cord; and most people want to hear a machine running before they buy it.

The 150 presses are respected machines.  You might wander over to Old Woodworking Machines (www.owwm.org), register, and spend some time on the buy/sell board there, titled "BOYD" for "Bring Out Your Dead," looking at comparable drill presses to get an idea.  Do not ask on the main boards for its value; appraisals are against the rules.

If you plan to advertise it online, you'll need better pictures.

[Papaw]

In my opinion, you have little chance to realize any good price for it, mostly because you can't truly say it works. The original cord is dangerous, and the lack of a switch is even worse.
Follow Bill's suggestions and look around the forums that cover this.

[rogkw99]

Oh, I will definately install a new cord and make sure it is operational before I try to sell it. I have several pics, I just used the one that best showed the condition of the cord.  Thanks for the comments.