This machine was the deal of the century for me. I bought it for $100 from a guy who bought the building that used to house a
sign shop. I cleaned it up, replaced the cutting strip, bought new blades and did some minor repairs. The previous owner was using some tape to hold the right bale arm down. New springs and an allen screw fixed that. Honestly, the machine cuts well. I ran a job for 3000 4x6 logos and lost about 6% to the problem I described above. A drop of oil in the pen seemed to fix the problem.
I do not think it is the belt or lack of lubrication. I cleaned the rails and bearings with 3 in 1 oil initially. I have no idea how often I should do this however.
The cover for the blade holder I have needs to be taped into position for the correct exposure. The threads are barely in place on the aluminum pen. I think the plastic cap is a bit stripped. I am still cutting and making money with the machine. So far, it does not seem $150 bad. I guess I will buy it anyway. I would hate to go down.