What is this Pako Superdrum print dryer worth?

Hi guys,

About a year and a half ago I acquired an entire darkroom's worth of stuff from a career film photographer, including a Pako Superdrum commercial print dryer, a print washer, Omega enlarger, ginormous handmade slide cabinet, 7' long sink and a whole bunch of other stuff that takes up half of my garage. I plan to move soon and need to sell everything, but the problem is I haven't the slightest idea what anything is worth, so I can't advertise until I come up with some pricing. See photos for the Pako print dryer and washer.

Currently there's the same Pako Superdrum dryer on ebay listed for $1200, (https://www.ebay.com/itm/PAKO-SUPER...560501?hash=item3f75fe9df5:g:EvYAAOSw4CFYqj61), but who knows how long it's been on there, and there's no indication of the condition. The dryer that I have has the cover, which I believe has been on it since the original owner acquired it, and the one on ebay doesn't. It also looks like the canvas on that one is pretty wrinkled, and on mine it's flat.

The original owner of my stuff was a photographer who ran a studio out of his garage, and as far as I know, he was the only one who used any of the gear. So he had commercial gear in an individual photographer's studio.

Also, when I picked up everything from the original owner, I tested the dryer and it worked. But I haven't plugged it in since moving it to my garage, and I realized I can't test it because it requires a special adapter. Can anyone tell me what this needs in order to be plugged in? (see photo) I want to make sure that it actually powers on and works before listing it for sale.

I apologize in advance for my ignorance about equipment. I was hoping to get back into film photography after a 30 year hiatus, but sadly life got in the way. And I remember nothing about the darkroom equipment I used 30 years ago.

Thanks in advance for any advice on pricing!

The cord goes to which the washer or dryer? 220V? Have no idea what it's worth, down side is that if's 220V will need to have a 220 outlet put in, the washer needs a drain as well. Both will take up a lot of space, and not at all useful unless printing a lot on fiber paper. Another issue with the dryer is that canvas belt need to keep really clean, at some will need to have one made, doubt they are still available. In the early 70s when the in AF we used both, but we were not printing archival. I have a much smaller water pressure driven print washer that I use on occasion, but tend to use an 11X14 archival washer, for big prints a child's wading pool with 2 Kodak tray washers. To dry FB I have a set of 16X20 screens that sit on top of the other a a 1" space, left on my patio dries in short order.

For RC don't use either, a tray washer for prints, I dry my RC with a hair dryer.

I could be wrong, but I can't imagine any one wanting the print dryer, and have my doubts about the print washer as well.

I have never seen such connector.
Could it be 3phase plus Earth ?


EDIT
Nonsense of course, as I forgot Neutral..,

The dryer probably needs 220, but there should be an information plate that says.
Most likely, the plug is two hot leads, plus neutral and ground.

As for value, it's a great dryer, I've fed thousands of prints through them, but it's not practical for most home darkrooms. That leaves the value to what you could get someone to pay, and given that few people would have a use for it, it would probably be hard to find a buyer. As mentioned, you can't dry RC on it, only fiber prints. If you like glossy prints, it does a great job ferrotyping.

The print washers of that type tend to beat up the prints a bit, because of the big rotating drum, and they are not efficient with water. But I have some 30-ish year old prints that were washed in one of those that still look good.

If you have the space and can afford the electric and water bill those would be fine to use, otherwise, I hate to say it, the greatest value might be as scrap.

Thanks so much for all of the input everyone. Much appreciated.

I've decided to try and give everything away for free (except the enlarger). That is, IF I can find an individual or a school to take it! Which sounds like it may be pretty difficult based on the collective feedback here.

I'll go ahead and contact the local schools that still have darkrooms to see if they are interested.

Last resort will be scrap metal for the washer and dryer, and a dump run to get rid of the sink, but hopefully it won't come to that.

Wish me luck!

bdial said:

The dryer probably needs 220, but there should be an information plate that says.
Most likely, the plug is two hot leads, plus neutral and ground.

As for value, it's a great dryer, I've fed thousands of prints through them, but it's not practical for most home darkrooms. That leaves the value to what you could get someone to pay, and given that few people would have a use for it, it would probably be hard to find a buyer. As mentioned, you can't dry RC on it, only fiber prints. If you like glossy prints, it does a great job ferrotyping.

The print washers of that type tend to beat up the prints a bit, because of the big rotating drum, and they are not efficient with water. But I have some 30-ish year old prints that were washed in one of those that still look good.

If you have the space and can afford the electric and water bill those would be fine to use, otherwise, I hate to say it, the greatest value might be as scrap.

Click to expand...

The dryer is probably 220v single phase. If you already have central air conditioning in your home, chances are you already have 220V single phase coming to the house. Your biggest problem selling is the size. I would use, no less than the ebay price quoted above and the buyer picks the unit up. No shipping. As for the washer, I would sell it for scrap or give it away. They do have a tendency to "beat-up" prints. Whoever buy the Pako dryer might also want a washer........Regards!

But... two hot leads, plus neutral and ground does not make sense either. Why two hot leads?

Over here most kinds of heaters are on 3phase line to yield power.
Could it be 3phase, Neutral without Earth?
Unthinkable over here, but as US 1phase wall sockets long time had no earth either...

SunnySD said:

a dump run to get rid of the sink

Click to expand...

The sink is more likely to attract interest than the washer and dryer.

I had one of those sitting on the garage for a number of years. I got it along with some other items I wanted in a lot at an auction. It ended up at a scrap yard but I took the stainless steel off and sold it separately and the apron found a home at a school in the eastern USA.

Why do I always miss these things? And why is it always 2000 miles away? This would look so cool in my spare bedroom / junk emporium. I have a smaller Pako. You can still get belts. If you wash your prints the belts stay clean for a long time. I just bought 3 new belts for my driers that should last me till I'm pushing up daisies. I've managed to get rid of 3 enlargers (down to 6) so I have room. First one of these I saw was gas fired, houses had 40 amp service in the early 20th century ,not enough electricity to power a fully electric beast. So cool
Mike

That's a 3-phase plug. If the motor is 3-phase you will need a phase converter or VFD to run it. Look at the motor plate.

I thought the 3-phase set up was only chosen for delivering the current for heating. Is a 3-phase motor likely?

Most industrial motors are 3 phase. Change direction by changing any 2 motor leads. Also choiliefan is correct, you can use a VFD to change 220 VAC single phase (each phase is 180° of the other) into 3 phase.

A VFD (variable frequency drive) basically changes its incoming power to DC then uses SCR's (silicone controlled rectifiers) to change the DC into AC. It is an industrial motor control which is typically used to change the speed of a 3 phase motor. By controlling the rate of "firing" of those SCR's (one for each phase), it can create 3 phase power from 0 to 400 Hz. However, it is typically used for speed control from 10% to 100% of normal hz (in USA normal Hz is 60). No problems over speeding a typical 1800RPM motor to 70 or 80 Hz.

In 3 phase, each phase is 120° from the other. Single phase motors needs a start winding and/or a capacitor to get it running/started as each phase being 180° apart is like pulling in 1 direction, then pulling in the exact opposite direction. Which way does it go?. Because 3 phase is only 120° apart, the motor will turn in the direction of the next phase. No start winding or capacitor needed.

Well put. If the OP can locate the motor plate it will state whether or not it's single or 3-phase.
I'm surprised if it's 3-phase because a DC or universal motor would allow the use of a pot to control the drum speed.
That's the extent of my knowledge of things electric.

As I recall, the motors on these were Bodine Gearmotors such as shown in their website here;
https://www.bodinedirect.com/category.sc?categoryId=12, and yes, there was a pot on the side of the box under the motor to control its speed.

220 was used for the heater, I can't think of a reason it would need 3 phase power, all the ones I worked with used hot water circulated through the drum with a small pump and a gearmoter as linked above to rotate the drum. Overall fairly simplistic devices with modest HP requirements. I think there were versions that used direct electric heating, but all the ones I encountered were indirectly heated with circulated hot water.

I think bdial solved the mystery of the 4 prong plug. 220 (2 wires) Neutral and a separate equipment ground. With the motor being 120vac, it will use 1 hot and a neutral. The heater 220 will use both hots (no neutral needed), and the ground (usually the prong with the 90° "tang" will be connected to the equipment frame.

Most likely the electric is not three phase, but single phase with a ground. Correct wiring would be black - hot, red - hot, White - neutral, green - ground(chassis grounding). Most modern codes for electric appliances, range and clothes dryers, utilize four prong plugs for this reason.

But single-phase would mean 3 poles, three-phase would mean 5 poles. At least in Europe.

AgX said:

But single-phase would mean 3 poles, three-phase would mean 5 poles. At least in Europe.

Click to expand...

When you say "poles" are you saying "wires" as in "But single-phase would mean 3 wires. three-phase would mean 5 wires"?
single phase 110vac needs 3 wires: hot; neutral; ground
single phase 220vac needs minum 3 wires: Line 1 Hot; Line 2 Hot; ground (lots of older ranges and dryers are like this) However to note as Rick A mentioned. Modern ranges/dryers with their electronics "like/want" a neutral, so it needs a 4th wire for neutral.
3 phase 240/480vac needs 4 wires: Line 1 Hot; Line 2 Hot; Line 3 Hot and Ground.

Lots of industrial plants like to standardize on Brown; Orange; Yellow for the Line wire colors, and Green (of course) for the ground. They use the acronym BOY (brown/orange/yellow) to remember the direction they have the motor wired, so during a motor replacement it can be easily remembered how it was wired. The electrician will remember if motor lead 1-2-3 is wired B-O-Y then it is "boy". If the motor was wired for reverse rotation, they just remember "girl"

250 V 30 A twist lock plug.

I meant with "poles" wires or prongs.


Again, as in some older thread, I forgot that you in the USA got a different voltage supply system than over here in Europe.
You got the Split-Phase system.

As shown above you got
one Neutral (in the center) and two Live (outer) wires
Out of this you get, depending on switching, two different voltages in one phase


We got the One-Phase system
one Neutral and only one Life wire
Out of this we get only one voltage.

However house inlets here, and even some outlets, got the Three-Phase system
one Neutral and three Life wires
Out of this, depending on switching, we get two voltages and up to three phases. Typically one phase (one Life plus the Neutral wire) makes up the One-Phase system at the standard outlet.

In privat homes three-phase outlets typically are used for heating use (oven, flow-heater), in workshops they also feed three-phase motors.


(I left out the Safety Earth in all cases for simplicity. Just add one wire in each case.)

in North America 3 phase power in a house is "un-heard of". And I was quite surprised to hear that you have 3 phase power in your homes in Germany. Our 3 phase power (in my experience) is mostly 460VAC 3 phase (277VAC each leg). There is a 230VAC 3 phase system. With most 3 phase motors being of the "9-lead" variety, they can be wired for low voltage (230 3phase) or high voltage (460 3phase).

But I'm sure we are really off-topic now.

OH, I forgot to comment on mshchem's graphic supplied of the 30 amp plug. THANKS for the drawing. This type of plug is very typical for Boat's and RV's. You get 240 for your water heater, stove (if electric) and Air Conditioning. And because the plug has a neutral, you get 120 for your regular outlets.