this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2026
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But you cost money monthly, require insurance, taxes, food, human rights.
Machine is a one time purchase.
Machines require upkeep. Shit wears out, shit breaks down, shit needs a constant stream of lube oil, coolant by the barrel coming in every month, waste coolant shipped somewhere else all the time, shit stops working for no reason. Shit needs to run to make back any money. You'll have to hire and pay somebody with human rights and an empty stomach since you already know all there is to know about machines. If you think machines don't break go ahead and open yourself up a machine shop and see how long it lasts with a $0 maintenance budget. Speedrun turning a million dollars into a pile of rusty scrap metal.
In my experience it varies wildly in how reliable something is and how much work has to be put into it. From all the different kind of stuff I have worked with the most unreliable equipment was usually the new stuff that is packed with all sorts of electronics and sensors. If you have a high quality machine build back in the days of the GDR maintenance is usually not really needed (except lubricating from time to time).
We once had a robot that was so god damn unreliable, that in the end it was a 5 digit number in reparations just to keep it going. Nothing ever worked and the contractor who sold and maintained it was A completely incompetent shithead. In the end we were able to repair most of the stuff ourselves, but we rarely went a single week without someone having to come and fix something. It also exclusively broke down on the weekends or IB The middle of the night, where its extra expensive for someone to come out. Eventually we threw it out and went to a different brand and now everything works like a charm. No random breakdowns in the middle of the night and the whole system us much more refined.
You are assuming that capitalists will actually think that far ahead.
This is so wrong it's absurd. I work on machinery. Heavy equipment, I've dicked around with industrial robots and hell I even have and use a 3 axis cnc mill from 1986.
Most of the stuff that's out there is reliable as time with very little maintenance required. Oil or grease movable joints. Top up oils, change oils every 1000hrs. It's not hard or expensive to keep up on maintenance. Pay a premium and replace gear oil with PAG type oil, and you will never have to change that oil in your life.
Machines just work, they don't have feelings, they don't take sick days, they don't take lunches. And why they fuck are you buying equipment with out way to pay it off first. Build it, and they will come. It doesn't work all too well when everyone and their grandma has a cnc shop these days.
I am a real machinist. Not gonna debate with a hobbyist.
Right, I’ve never once had to fill a cars tank with gas, or change the oil, or pay for any other maintenance on one.