Seeking Recommendations on a Punch Press Machine $1000 or Less

Dear Moderator: I was not sure where to put this post. If necessary, please move it the most appropriate subforum. Thank you.

Hi, Everyone. I’m looking into acquiring an entry-level punch press machine, preferably hydrolic, for my small manufacturing company – new or used, but my upper budget limit is $1000. I always prefer to buy used (especially ancient overbuilt machines that run forever), even if I have to wait awhile for the right one to pop up.

I could start exploring this approach with a manual machine in the beginning, although my sense is that I could first run a small test with a local punching company, then buy my own machine if this approach worked for my application.

I will never cut anything other than plastic, mainly Delrin and Ultem, and I’ll be needing to cut all the way through the material, but no greater than about .080".

I look forward to the great advice I always get from people on here, and I thank you in advance for your recommendations and suggestions.

Have a Great Weekend,

I was looking into automation for my side project and came across a compact setup here: https://www.urmachine.com/liquid-capsule-filling-sealing-machine. It’s not a punch press, but the way it’s built gave me ideas about small-scale equipment within budget. If your goal is building a production workflow with minimal space and cost, checking out these machines might give you new ideas or even comparisons for features you’d want in a press.