A used CNC folder is a good buy when the beams are straight, the control is still supported and the tooling you need comes with it. In October 2026, 8-1/2 to 10 foot CNC folders rated for 13 to 16 gauge were listed at about $29,500 to $49,500 for machines built from 2000 to 2017, larger or newer machines at $79,500 to $129,000, and 21-foot long folders from $55,900 for a 1998 machine to $165,000 for a 2019 one. This guide explains the brands you will meet, how capacities are rated, what controls and tooling to look for, what to inspect and how prices break down by class.
Why roofing and trim shops use folders
A folder clamps the sheet flat and swings a folding beam up around it, so the part never slides across a die. Painted coil comes out without scuffs, and long, narrow parts such as drip edge, coping, flashing and fascia are easy to handle. A CNC folder adds a programmable backgauge and beam angles, so a profile with eight bends runs from memory. Up-and-down folders, sometimes called double folders, bend in both directions without flipping the sheet, which saves handling on complex trim.
The brands you will see
Schechtl
The German maker’s MAX series of motorized swivel benders comes in 2,540, 3,100 and 4,040 mm lengths (about 100, 122 and 159 inches), rated for 2.0, 1.5 and 1.0 mm of 400 N/mm2 steel, so the 3,100 mm machine handles roughly 16 gauge. The MAX-F version adds a geometry that leaves extra room behind the pivot for tight caps, and the MAB and MAE families go to 3 and 4 mm. Used machines from the early 2000s often carry a Sigmatek control and later ones Schechtl’s touch control. A MAX-F 310 weighs 3,220 kg, about 7,100 lb. Schechtl also builds a large manual range.
Cidan and Thalmann
Cidan’s FORMA folders come in 3,200 and 4,100 mm (about 126 and 161 inches) at 3.0 and 2.5 mm, with FORMA Z and PRO Z up-and-down versions and the heavier PRO and MEGAPRO lines. Current machines use the ProLink control, an electric drive with an eccentric clamping drive and, on some models, automatic crowning. Older Futura machines turn up on the used market. A FORMA 32 weighs about 4,900 kg, roughly 10,800 lb. Cidan also builds the Swiss Thalmann long folders, which run from about 3 to 12 meters; the TD double folder is a hydraulic up-and-down machine for 1.25 to 2.5 mm.
Roper Whitney and Tennsmith
Roper Whitney’s AutoBrake line covers 10 and 12 foot folders rated from 16 down to 10 gauge mild steel. The AB1014K is the common one: 122 inches, 14 gauge mild steel or 16 gauge stainless, a SYNERGY touchscreen control, a 61-inch backgauge, five-point manual crowning and a weight of 9,132 lb. The 12-foot AB1214K weighs 11,000 lb and runs on 230 or 460 V three-phase. AutoMax long folders reach 21 feet, and EVOBEND is the up-and-down line. Tennsmith, of McMinnville, Tennessee, sells the same family of brands and its own SBS CNC straight folders, such as the 126-inch, 14 gauge SBS126-14 at 9,020 lb, with SYNERGY control and direct-drive beam motors.
Erbend
The Turkish maker sells manual UFA folders, motorized CNC folders (MFG, MFC, MFB, MFH), servo machines (SFA, MFE, MFA) and the DUAL MFA up-and-down folder. Older MFD combi-beam machines rated 126 inches at 14 gauge appear in used listings but are no longer on the maker’s site, so confirm parts support before you buy one.
Reading a capacity rating
Capacity is quoted for mild steel bent across the full length; stainless takes a lighter gauge, as the AB1014K’s ratings of 14 gauge mild steel and 16 gauge stainless show. European makers quote millimeters at a stated tensile strength, and the thickness falls as the length grows, which is why the same Schechtl family is 2.0 mm at 100 inches and 1.0 mm at 159 inches. Buy for the heaviest part you bend often, not once a year. A roofing trim shop working 24 and 26 gauge painted steel has margin on almost any machine; a shop forming 16 gauge coping across 12 feet does not.
What used folders are listed for
New prices are quote-only at every one of these makers. The figures below are dealer asking prices seen in October 2026, not sale prices.
| Class | Machine | Asking price |
|---|---|---|
| Project machine | Fasti 10 ft hydraulic CNC, listed as not working | $9,500 |
| 10 ft CNC, older | Schechtl MAX310/CNC, 2000, 122 in, 16 ga | $29,500 |
| 10 ft CNC, older | Roper Whitney AB1014K, 120 in, year not stated | $29,999 |
| 10 ft CNC, factory rebuilt | Roper Whitney AB1014K, rebuilt by the maker in 2013, 14 ga | $39,500 |
| 8.5 ft CNC, newer | Cidan Futura 25, 2017, 102 in, 13 ga | $49,500 |
| 10 ft CNC, heavy | Cidan Futura Plus, 2011, 122 in, 11 ga, 400 V | $79,500 |
| 13 ft CNC | Cidan FX40, 161 in, 14 ga | $89,500 |
| 13 ft CNC, nearly new | RAS Turbo2plus, 2023, 157 in | $129,000 |
| Long folder, older | Roper Whitney AM2116, 1998, 21 ft | $55,900 |
| Long folder, newer | Roper Whitney AM2116E AutoMax, 2019, 21 ft, 16 ga | $165,000 |
Age matters less than control generation, drive condition and tooling. A 2000-era machine with a working control and straight beams can earn its price in a year of trim work; a newer machine with a dead control can be worth less than its scrap and rigging.
Controls and tooling
- Control generation. Note the control brand and version at power-up and ask the maker, with the serial number, whether parts and software support continue. Used listings include machines with older controls, and one was offered with an unfinished control upgrade.
- Axes. Count the CNC axes: backgauge only, or backgauge plus programmable beam angle and clamp height.
- Tooling. List every clamping segment and the upper and lower beam tools. Segmented tooling is what lets you form boxes and pans; a combi or Kombi beam adds a second tool profile.
- Crowning. Some machines crown automatically and some by hand; the AB1014K uses five manual points. Manual crowning that has never been set will show in uneven angles along the bend.
What to inspect
- Bend a full-length test piece in the gauge you use most and measure the angle at both ends and the middle. A consistent angle means straight beams and good crowning.
- Check the backgauge by running the same part several times and measuring flange widths.
- Look at the drive. Hydraulic machines need oil, filters and leak-free cylinders; one dealer’s schedule changes oil and filters about every 2,000 hours. Electromechanical machines need quiet motors and gearboxes. Tennsmith says chain-driven folders suffer torque fade compared with direct drive, so listen and watch the beam under load.
- Confirm the power supply. US machines are usually 230 or 460 V three-phase; a European machine wired for 400 V may need a transformer.
- Test safety devices: light curtains, footswitch and guards. One Schechtl listing excluded the safety fence, which is worth pricing in.
- Ask for the rebuild history. Roper Whitney’s remanufacturing strips, repairs, repaints and tests a machine and adds a 90-day warranty, which is worth a premium over an unknown history.
Moving and installing it
Most 10 to 13 foot CNC folders weigh roughly 7,000 to 13,000 lb and heavy-duty models far more, so plan for a rigger or a forklift rated well above that at the actual load center, a flatbed, and a level floor. Ask the seller for the shipping weight and lifting points before you agree a price; our shipping and rigging guide covers trailers, securement and insurance. Roper Whitney and Tennsmith service the machines they build and offer yearly preventive maintenance visits, which is worth asking about for any machine they made.
Frequently asked questions
Is a 20-year-old CNC folder worth buying?
It can be, if the maker or an independent specialist still supports the control and the beams bend a consistent angle end to end. Budget for a control upgrade if support has ended, and price the machine accordingly.
Do I need an up-and-down folder?
Only if you form complex trim with bends in both directions often enough that flipping parts costs real time. Single-direction folders are cheaper to buy used and simpler to maintain.
Can I finance a used folder from a private seller?
Usually, with a written price, the serial number and photos, and sometimes an inspection or appraisal. See our equipment financing page.
Browse all used CNC folders, or see Schechtl, Cidan and Roper Whitney listings.
