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Buying used.....

Low ball and dicker, make sure you get the negative carriers and any other accessories with it. Don't fret over lenses, there are plenty available for cheap. Make sure it lights up, and you should be able to align it and use.
 


What I look for is completeness of the set. Since many have been in storage for so long and folks have lost interest, many times, bits and pieces are missing. Trying to get all that to bring the unit up to usable configuration can be frustrating, time consuming, and expensive.

So I'd check to make sure lens board is there, film carrier is there, condenser lenses are there, and whatever else that suppose to come with the particular model of enlarger are all there.

Functionality wise, these things are so simple, not much can go wrong. I'd look for obvious dent, bent, and crack.

And remember, these things are often worth nothing. Many of them ends up in landfill or curb side for garbage pick up. Make some ridiculous offers.
 
Ask questions about how to use the enlarger, especially ones that you think you know the answer, because you will learn more and pick up important ideas and details. Carry enough cash to give exact change because the one I bought from would not give me $15 back out of over $300, so I took the $20 bill to a coffee shop when the seller got greedy.
 
Have you used an enlarger before? That thing looks kind of complicated. Electronics and stuff! Forget it, give me simple.
 
Do searches on the light source included with that listing - the Beseler/Minolta 45A.

They are relatively complex, the flash tubes are a bit hard to find and expensive (yes, they use flashes for light) and, all together, are probably not a good choice for someone just starting out. In particular, the built in automation is probably much better suited for experienced users in a production environment.
 
The ad actually says "no board" and you can't see a baseboard in the photos. i.e. you can wiggle it and it will fall over becasue there is nothing to attach it to.

It may be that it was wall mounted and you should check with seller if that was the case and if they have the wall mount fixings. Wall mounting is the best way to install an enlarger becasue it stops movement and vibration from floor(if it isn't solid).
However, wall mounting isn't always possible so if you need it bench mounted you will either need a very strong bench you can screw it to or to source a proper baseboard.

And +1 to what everyone else has said.
 
The Minolta head was very advanced at the time and desirable, for color printing, however, over time I think its reputation was it was not reliable. Flash tubes are probabley only available used. Its would be better to get one with one of the more conventional light sourses or heads, such as a condendsor head. The Beseler 45 is a great enlarger & due to the change in photographic values, should be available for a lot less, maybe $50 to $100, in many areas.
 
Ig this helps, The Besler 4x5 ENLARGER without the fancy light source is $50. Maybe more if in exceptional condition. The two I have were $50.
I do not know about the light source shown. My experience with "vintage" electronics is that it does not age well. You want simple, light source.
My experiences in this and other fields is that most people would be better served by the simple product and not have the automatic and special bells and whistles.
You want as complete as possible. Looking at the Craigslist I think there are better choices in your area.

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/pho/5173255563.html

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/pho/5219318342.html
 
the 45a is a great head, the best color printing head made for beseler, easily. Tubes are still available new-old-stock (Ebay) and elsewhere. They last a good long while. It's definitely much more reliable than any of the other color beseler heads (which were notoriously bad, even by standards back then). The color analyzer is sophisticated and useful, and works great once you have calibrated it. Overall that is a good price for the head/enlarger/lens. It would need a baseboard or the wallmount adapter. For beselers, I would mostly check gear lash - if that is worn, it's hard to get it precisely calibrated. THings like the elevation gear train, and the focus gear train (and the gears for the head/condensor area) are what I mean here.

-Ed
 
Used enlargers can be clean, well maintained, and ready for use. Or be dirty, rusty, left in a damp basement. They can be complete with necessary negative carriers, lensboards and other items such as mixing boxes, or be missing items that might be expensive to buy on their own.

Obvious, clean is better than dirty. I believe a "working" enlarger that was recently used, from the photographer that used it, is worth more than the same enlarger that has been sitting around unused.

If you plan to use variable contrast paper, do you want a color head or will you use filters?

What can go wrong? Electronics. Color filters. Gears (esp. plastic). Motors. Wiring. Bulbs that are difficult to find. Worn out bellows.

Using the Omega that jacaquarie referenced as an example:
It's dirty, so will require cleaning
I don't see a baseboard, you'll need to make one or mount directly to table
There are 3 color filters. Are they intact?
It has both mixing boxes.
It has a full complement of negative carriers and 3 lenses

Regarding the Beseler he referenced, I believe that's a very old version of the Beseler 45. So are the bellows OK?
 
Yeah...sorry. I do not get email notifications for some reason
Anyway.....THAT ad (in my OP) was just an example.
I own a Beseler 23C.....like this one. http://www.ebay.com/itm/BESELER-23C...-LENS-EASEL-/262042457497?hash=item3d02f29599
I bought it last year, from CL, for $150.00
It was complete, with a bunch of extra "stuff", and appears to be in good shape. Even the lens has the original Nikon lens cap.
We are in the middle of doing floors and counters in our house, I have not even used it yet.

I do have SOME experience...from 35 years ago. I am just getting back into darkrooms and cameras now.
By this time next year, I hope to be about done with building a darkroom in the backyard.
I would like to get another enlarger, so was wondering what to look for. Our local college has these ... http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-BESELER...and-45-V-XL-/141758212038?hash=item210172a7c6

I have only used it twice, but it seems very nice, so I was actually wondering about buying one. I did not see one (complete) locally at the moment, but I imagine they pop up from time to time.
I guess a new one is quite expensive.?
My only real experience at this point is with Multi Grade, RC, Ilford Paper. The girl I bought the 23 from did include a set of filters that is Almost Complete.
I certainly Do Not NEED another enlarger right now. Just thinking ahead.....what to look for, and what to get. I am not sure if I will ever do more than B&W, 35 mm. But if I DO buy another enlarger, it seems like it would make sense that it can expand with my knowledge/ability.
Thanks Again
 
As has been said, completeness of the kit.
I bought a Durst L1000 for what I "thought" was a good price. But the additional stuff that I had to get to complete the enlarger, and stuff that I still have to get, made that not such a good deal after all. Stuff like negative carriers, lens boards, condenser lenses, etc. etc.
So a $100 incomplete enlarger could easily require $300 or more of additional parts. And some of those parts could be HARD to find, and expensive when you do find them.

In the US, US made enlargers (like Beseler and Omega) will be easier and cheaper to find parts for than non-US gear (like the Italian made Durst). The situation reverses if you are in Europe, then the US enlargers will be more difficult to source parts for.
 
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