Samantha465 Posted March 23 Report Share Posted March 23 (edited) I am a college student on a budget, looking to buy a used kiln. I have no idea what to look for when it comes to determining worth and ware, so I am coming here for help. The kiln I am interested in is a Skutt 1027 for $450. Seller says the kiln is in good condition and runs well, however, the photo quality isn’t the best so I’m not sure. Maybe I should ask for better pictures of the inside? I’ll attach photos of the kiln below. Edited March 23 by Samantha465 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted March 24 Report Share Posted March 24 The kiln looks to be in pretty good shape for used. There are a few bricks that are chipped, and that is problematic, but fixable. You will notice that one of the elements has been pinned due to the broken book in the one area. I would also ask the seller if it has a setter/controller to aid in firing it. I am sure others will horn in on this, and I would pay attention to their comments as spending that amount for a student is dedication to the craft. . . .good luck. best, Pres Hulk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hulk Posted March 24 Report Share Posted March 24 (edited) I'm hoping the 1027 I had* is still chugging away. Also hoping the lid on your prospective new kiln is in good shape - not broken, nor shedding bits/chunks (don't bang that lid!). Check also the condition of the sitter mechanism. The old stands eventually rust and disintegrate - check that too. How many firings the elements have left, that could be big! A set of elements for that kiln will co$t. Also II, does the kiln come with furniture (shelves and stands) - both essential and expensive? ...any other helpful stuff? e.g. boxes of cones, kiln parts, tools, consumables? *Found well before supply/demand drove used pottery equipment prices up, the former owner included a new shelf set, a box of stands, several boxes of cones, some iron oxide, and a few bits of advice as well. With relatively new elements, my otherwise crumbling 1027 gave me almost five years of service afore I gave it away (not the shelves though!). I'd learned to watch the pyrometer (worthwhile investment) and twiddle the switches to get repeatable firing profiles that worked for me. My (voluminous) notes provided starting points for programming the controller on my new kiln. Edited March 24 by Hulk gram mar Rae Reich 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Longtin Posted March 24 Report Share Posted March 24 Hey Samantha, Welcome to the Forum. The kiln looks great. The outside jacket looks fairly clean and the interior bricks look to be in good shape. The kiln floor looks to be in good shape. $450 is probably a good price these days. It uses a kiln sitter to control the kiln so that's just one aspect that you will need to consider. (You have to manually turn up the kiln throughout the firing process.) I've been firing a kiln, very similar, and have had no problems for 25 years. Rae Reich and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denice Posted March 24 Report Share Posted March 24 I owned that model for 30 years I bought it used, it was from a commercial studio and had been fire constantly so I had new elements and cord installed. I used a Skutt dual digital pyrometer set to do holds and downfire. Getting old so I decided to get a smaller kiln, I sold my old one for 600 dollars. It had a new lid and a couple of shelves, posts, cones and new elements. Make sure the lid isn't cracked. The expansion of a lid can cause crumbs from the crack to fall on your pots ruining any glaze beneath it. I sold it about year ago. Denice Rae Reich and Hulk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Eberle Posted April 4 Report Share Posted April 4 Samantha - That's a good deal on an older Skutt. For the old, manual, KS kilns, there's just not that much that can be wrong with it. Kilns are simply very large toaster ovens. The only issues for manually switched kilns are: Corrosion, element age, and brick decay/breakage. A visual inspection will tell you everything you need to know about the brick and the elements. If the elements are VERY greyed....bulging...sagging...gnarled looking, then you are rolling the dice on those. They're pretty easy to replace, and will run you about 350.00 for a new set...which will last at LEAST 100 firings...and likely a lot more. Corrosion: This can only be seen if you open up the middle box. You want to see what the main terminal looks like where the power cord comes in. You also want to look at all the element leads and the connections back to each switch. Lastly...and especially if you're seeing rust on many of the internals, I would also pull one of the switches and look at its terminals. They can go bad and arc......ask me how I know!...lol. But! They're cheap (about 35.00) and wicked easy to replace. At 450.00 that's a rock solid deal on a good looking kiln. I wouldn't worry too much about the chipped brick. As long as huge chunks aren't missing from the sidewalls...and the lid and floor are solid, go for it. Lastly....if you're patient, you can look around and find a wall mounted controller. THAT is my favorite rig for electric kilns....why? You get the reliability of a cone...but the convenience of a controller! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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