Strategic Equipment Buying: Where to Save and Where to Spend

Strategic Equipment Buying: Where to Save and Where to Spend

Whether you’re opening a brewery, expanding capacity, or upgrading aging equipment, every equipment buying decision impacts your budget, operational efficiency, and long-term growth.

Determining what to buy new and what to buy used isn’t always straightforward. While used equipment can significantly reduce upfront costs, certain categories often deliver greater value, reliability, and performance when purchased new. The most successful brewery projects are rarely built with all-new or all-used equipment—they’re built with the right combination of both.

At ABS Commercial, we’ve helped breweries of all sizes navigate these choices. With access to both new and used equipment, we help customers evaluate their options and develop solutions that align with their operational needs, budget, timeline, and long-term objectives. Because every brewery is different, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all recommendations. Instead, we focus on helping each customer find the right equipment for their unique operation.

Buying Used: Where It Makes Sense

Not all brewing equipment ages the same way. Stainless steel can provide decades of reliable service when properly maintained. Unlike equipment with complex electronics, moving parts, or rapidly evolving technology, stainless steel tanks are relatively simple assets that often retain their functionality and value for many years.

That said, condition matters far more than age. A well-maintained older fermenter may provide better performance and reliability than a newer one that has been poorly cared for. When evaluating used equipment, breweries should look beyond the manufacturing date and consider factors such as overall condition, maintenance history, weld quality, pressure ratings, fittings, and any signs of corrosion or damage. With proper inspection and due diligence, used stainless steel equipment can offer substantial cost savings without sacrificing performance or longevity.

Equipment to Consider Buying Used:

• Fermenters: A well-maintained fermenter can perform just as effectively as a new one, making it one of the strongest candidates for buying used.
• Brite Tanks: With relatively simple construction and long service lives, brite tanks are often excellent used-equipment purchases.
• Hot/Cold Liquor Tanks: Liquor tanks typically experience less wear than process-critical equipment, making them strong candidates for the used market.
• Grain Silos: Used grain silos can offer significant savings compared to new installations and often represent excellent value for growing breweries.

Identifying equipment that fits your brewery’s needs—and is worth the investment—is often the challenge. Through our brokerage services, industry network, and access to one of the country’s largest inventories of used brewing equipment, ABS Commercial helps breweries source quality equipment that fits their production goals, facility requirements, and budget. From equipment evaluations and logistics to expansion planning, our team helps breweries maximize value while minimizing risk.

Buying New: Where It Pays Off

While used equipment can provide tremendous value, there are certain categories where modern technology, efficiency improvements, and manufacturer support make new equipment a worthwhile investment. Equipment with complex electronics, moving parts, automation, or rapidly evolving technology often benefits from the performance, manufacturer support, and long-term serviceability that come with purchasing new.

New equipment can also provide access to the latest innovations, improved energy efficiency, stronger warranty coverage, and readily available replacement parts. For many breweries, these advantages help reduce risk, minimize downtime, and support long-term growth.

Equipment to Consider Buying New:

• Controls and Control Panels: Modern controls offer improved reliability, remote monitoring capabilities, enhanced data collection, and easier troubleshooting than many older systems.
• Packaging Equipment: New packaging equipment can provide greater reliability, efficiency, and manufacturer support for one of the most complex areas of brewery operations.
• Glycol Systems: Updated glycol systems often deliver improved energy efficiency, modern controls, and dependable cooling performance that protects product quality.
• Pumps: New pumps offer improved sanitary design, better efficiency, readily available replacement parts, and reduced maintenance concerns.
• Automation Upgrades: Modern automation solutions can improve consistency, reduce labor requirements, and provide valuable operational data.

When purchasing new equipment, breweries gain the opportunity to build a system designed around their operation. ABS Commercial works with breweries to evaluate production needs, facility constraints, growth plans, and budget considerations to recommend the right equipment and ancillary systems. In addition to brewhouses and process equipment, we provide control panels, pumps, maintenance parts, and other critical brewery components that help keep operations running efficiently. Whether you’re purchasing a single piece of equipment, upgrading a brewhouse, or building a complete turnkey facility, our team helps create solutions designed for long-term success.

The Best Solution Is Often a Mix of Both

The most cost-effective equipment strategy isn’t always buying everything used or everything new. It’s identifying where used equipment can deliver substantial savings and where investing in new equipment can improve reliability, efficiency, and long-term performance.

The right combination depends on your brewery’s production goals, growth plans, facility requirements, and available capital.

At ABS Commercial, we help breweries evaluate the complete picture. With access to both new and used equipment, we can recommend solutions based on your brewery’s needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. From equipment sourcing and brokerage to turnkey brewery projects, our team helps breweries build systems that support both current needs and future growth.

For more information, contact us at sales@abs-commercial.com.