What to look for in a used upright print washer

Hi Everyone,
Tomorrow I'm going to look at a used 11x14 upright print washer. I don't know the brand. The last time I looked at such an item, I had no idea what I was looking at expect for a wet pile of plastic panels and tubes. In the event this washer is not assembled, what do I look for to see that it is complete and of good quality? I know there is the tank, the panels that keep the prints separate and the tube that runs from my faucet into the tank. That seems like that's about it. Am I missing anything? Thanks for replies.
Regards,
Marc

That's impossible to answer without knowing exactly which type! I wonder why it's disassembled.... It's not like it'll take any less space that way.

One of the things I looked at was that outside shell (the container) was leak free and there were no cracks. Just about everything can be fabricated but damaged outside shell will be a bit difficult because of weight and pressure involved.

Is it THIS one?
http://versalab.com/

Can you take a photo of it and post?

The integrity of the "case" is paramount. Pretty much anything else can be repaired. Personally what I look for in an 11x14 print washer would be in 16x20.

I'm not sure of the brand and yes, I'd rather have a 16x20 but those are even harder to find. The seller is asking $100 for the 11x14 so if it's in good shape, it's worth it to me to buy it until a 16x20 comes around again. I can always sell the 11x14.

marcmarc said:

I'm not sure of the brand and yes, I'd rather have a 16x20 but those are even harder to find. The seller is asking $100 for the 11x14 so if it's in good shape, it's worth it to me to buy it until a 16x20 comes around again. I can always sell the 11x14.

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For a $100 bucks, by all means, if it looks to be in good shape.

I recently bought a used Zone VI washer; I think it's representative.

The other shell should have slots for dividers and you should have a divider for each slot. On my Zone VI, the 2 outer dividers (1 on each side) are taller than the other. There are 3 or 4 crosspieces on the bottom that the dividers rest on (on the zone vi, they are removable). There is a plexiglass top that rests on the 2 outer dividers (to keep prints from floating up). That's pretty much it. So I guess the main thing is whether there's a divider for each slot, plus the top.

You'll have an input tube with a fitting (typically female hose) and an output tube. If the washer has a drain, you should have a plug for that drain. If missing, these should be easily sourced.

I agree with tkamiya that the integrity of the shell far outweighs anything else.

I went to look at this washer this evening. It was a Prowash by Dunwright & Vogel. It seemed to be in fairly good shape, but was incomplete. No hoses, no instructions, I had no idea how many of the thin plastic rods there was supposed to be. I passed on it but told the lady I would try to find some more info online. There doesn't seem to be much except a one page diagram that really didn't seem to informative at least to my eyes. I asked her what the best she would do on the price but she was set on $100. I couldn't see spending that without at least the manual that I could take into a plumbing supply store that would make it easier to buy the hoses and fittings and give me some idea of what goes where. I mean there was one large tube near the top of the case and three smaller tubes (with threading) near the bottom and one of these bottom tubes had a cap screwed onto it. Really, I had no idea what I was looking at and there isn't much online to go by. Maybe I'll wait a week or two and call her back. If she still has it, she may be more inclined to accept an offer.