Is a used robotic palletizer worth it? Hours, spare parts and refurbishing

A robot on three shifts, six days a week and 50 weeks builds up 7,200 hours per year (Target Robotics calculation: 24 x 6 x 50). On one 8-hour shift it builds up 2,400. If you are asking whether a used robotic palletizer is worth it, start by dividing the hours in the ad by the robot’s age in years.

A public listing on Machineseeker offers a 2007 KUKA KR 180-2PA with 46,000 hours (checked November 3, 2026). Divided by 19 years, that is about 2,420 hours per year, roughly one shift. At three shifts, the same hours build up in a little over 6 years. The maintenance log tells those two stories apart. Ask the seller for the log that backs up the hours.

A disclosure: Target Robotics builds new palletizers. Read this knowing which side I write from, and check it against what the seller of the used machine tells you.

How many hours is too many for a used robot?

We did not find a manufacturer figure that sets a limit, and you should be wary of anyone who gives you a single number. Two robots with the same hours can arrive in very different condition depending on what they carried.

iGAM, which sells used robots, puts history first: whether there were crashes or overloads, what the robot was doing, whether it worked within its rated payload and what environment it was in. AX Control, which sells spare parts, adds the maintenance log, maintenance dates and performance test results (2021). Both sell in that market and they still ask for that review.

What to ask the seller before going to see the robot

The fourth row gets expensive when it is overlooked: iGAM recommends buying arm and controller as a pair. If you are sold the arm alone, the controller is a separate expense.

On the visit, ask to see it run in automatic with a weight similar to your case plus gripper. Check for grease leaks at the joints, play in the wrist, cable condition and the controller’s alarm history. If the seller has already measured repeatability and backlash, ask for the report.

Refurbished: who did it and what did they replace?

The word covers a lot of ground. iGAM calls refurbished a robot inspected by a technician and repaired where needed, with a possible short functional warranty. A listing from a seller in the Netherlands spells out much more for a 2011 FANUC R-2000iB/125L with R-30iA controller: new oil and grease, new batteries, cleaning, a 77-point test and measurement of repeatability, accuracy and backlash (checked November 3, 2026). When someone offers you a “refurbished” robot, ask for the list of work done in writing.

There is also the complete cell with a refurbished arm. Atlas Robots, a manufacturer in Spain, says its arm is always refurbished from top brands and that the company itself designs the gripper, safety and integration. It publishes prices from 50,000 euros, 115,000 to 130,000 euros in the double version, excluding VAT, installation and transport, and delivery in 3 months (checked November 3, 2026). The pages reviewed do not mention Mexico; take it as a price reference.

How much do you save if only the arm is used?

We did not find a reliable public price for a used palletizing arm in Mexico, and almost every listing we saw says to inquire. The ceiling on the savings can be calculated.

Mexico bought US$192 million of robots under tariff code 8479.50 in 2024 (Data México) and installed 5,600 robots that year (IFR, 2025). That gives about US$34,000 per robot, as an order of magnitude: there are robots under other codes and a heavy palletizing arm can cost more (Target Robotics calculation with assumptions).

The latest IFR figure is already for 2025: robot installations in Mexico declined by 7%, to fewer than 5,200 units, which makes three years of decline (World Robotics 2026, press release of September 24, 2026). The division above keeps the two 2024 figures so that it compares the same year.

Against a US$100,000 cell, if the arm were free, about US$66,000 would remain for gripper, conveyors, safety, control panel, engineering and installation. With 2 people per shift, at MXN 14,000 to MXN 19,000 per person per month (2026 minimum wage and Tetakawi, October 2026), 71% fewer operators (average target on HowToRobot, March 2026) and 18.5 pesos to the dollar, these are the months to payback, labor only (Target Robotics calculation with those assumptions):

At 3 shifts the used arm shortens payback; at one shift, even for free, the cell takes years to pay for itself. To try your own numbers, use the payback calculator with Mexican wages.

Are there spare parts for a used FANUC robot?

FANUC writes that it gives its products lifetime support, that it sells new or refurbished spare parts with serial numbers and that the parts it replaces carry a one-year warranty. It also describes itself as the only authorized repair facility in the Americas (January 23, 2026). That article argues for FANUC’s own service, so ask in writing for stock and lead times for your model. The model options are on FANUC palletizing robot.

For KUKA, CAV Robotics publishes spare parts for at least 15 years from the date of sale. With a 2007 robot that count reaches 2022, so you have to ask part by part.

Ask whether your model’s reducer, motor and cable can be sourced in Mexico and in how many days. Target Robotics has more than US$100,000 in robot spare parts (company figure) and an annual 24/7 maintenance contract; ask any supplier for its figure in writing. FANUC robot preventive maintenance covers what a night stop calls for.

What the arm does not bring: gripper, safety and program

An arm pulled from another cell arrives without the stacking pattern or the risk assessment for yours. If it comes with a gripper, that gripper was built for another case. Check the software too: FANUC lists PalletTool and PalletPRO; confirm which options are active on that controller and whether it supports the safety functions your risk assessment calls for.

Safety gets done from scratch. NOM-004-STPS-1999, Mexico’s machinery safety standard, requires the employer to prepare a potential risk study of the machinery (section 5.2) and a specific operation and maintenance program (5.3) and to provide training (5.4), and it requires preserving safety conditions when a machine is modified or rebuilt (7.2.2). ISO 10218-2, 2025 edition, covers the integration of the cell, from design to maintenance. Buying the robot used leaves you with the same safety work as a new cell. Palletizing cell safety requirements lists the documents.

Does a used robot qualify for the Plan México deduction?

The January 21, 2025 decree behind Plan México, the federal government’s industrial investment program, gives an immediate deduction to new assets, and defines those as assets used for the first time in Mexico. In food and beverage it is 67% in 2026 and 62% from 2027 to 2030, with a certificate (constancia).

A robot that already worked in a Mexican plant falls outside that definition. An imported one that never operated here can be read differently, and that question is for your accountant; the 2027 federal budget and tax package (Paquete 2027) can change the rules. This text does not constitute tax advice. The full math is in Plan México immediate deduction.

Is a used robotic palletizer worth it for your plant?

If you decide to move ahead, before signing ask for the counter photo, the list of work done, a test with your case and the warranty. Then compare it with a new machine, line by line. And if your line runs one shift, remember the table above: with a free arm, the minimum was 45 months.