Used Komori Lithrone vs. New Press: Which Path Costs Less in 2025?

Not a simple answer. Here's how to find yours.

I've been handling offset press procurement and maintenance for a commercial shop for about eight years now. When I first started, I assumed the choice between a used Komori Lithrone and a new press was straightforward: if you have the budget, buy new. Simple, right?

Three major equipment decisions and roughly $45,000 in avoidable costs later, I can tell you it's not that simple. The right answer depends entirely on your shop's specific situation.

This isn't a 'one-size-fits-all' guide. I'll break down the three most common scenarios I've seen—and lived through—so you can figure out which path makes sense for your operation.

Scenario A: The budget-constrained production shop

This is the scenario I know best because it's where I started. You need six-color capacity. You need it to run reliably for 10+ hour shifts. But your capital budget is tight, maybe $150k–$300k. A new press is out of reach.

The obvious move is a used Komori Lithrone. And honestly, for many shops, it's the right call. I've seen well-maintained LS40s from the mid-2010s produce exceptional quality at speeds that rival newer machines. The KHS control system, even on an older model, is still a solid piece of engineering.

But the catch—and I learned this one the hard way—is that 'used' doesn't mean 'cheap to run.' A used press that needs $50,000 in parts and service within the first year isn't a bargain. It's a liability.

When I first got into this, I assumed any used Komori in decent shape would serve us well. The trigger event that changed my mind? A $3,200 order for a client's annual report. We'd bought a used Lithrone S40 that looked clean, ran okay during the test, and then threw a roller bearing issue on day three of production. The job bled into overtime, the client was furious, and we ate the cost.

After the third such incident in Q1 2023, I created our pre-purchase inspection checklist. That checklist has caught 12 potential deal-breakers in the last two years. Not ideal, but workable.

If you're in this scenario, here's my recommendation: buy a used Komori Lithrone, but budget 15-20% of the purchase price for immediate refurbishment. And get an independent technician to inspect it before you sign. The Komori parts ecosystem is robust—I've never waited more than a week for critical spares—but you need to know what you're inheriting.

"I once bought a used Lithrone LS440 that needed a new dampening system after six months. Checked it myself, approved it, processed it. We caught the error when the first job came out streaked. $8,700 in parts and a two-week production delay. Lesson learned: always test under production conditions, not just a quick demo."

Scenario B: The high-volume, high-certainty shop

This is for shops where every hour of downtime costs real money. Maybe you're running 24/5 or 24/7 shifts. Maybe your clients are demanding 48-hour turnaround on complex jobs. In this world, reliability isn't a nice-to-have—it's the price of entry.

I don't have hard data on industry-wide downtime costs, but based on our five years of tracking, losing a press for a week costs us about $12,000 in lost billable hours and client penalties. For higher-volume shops, that number could be triple.

In this scenario, a new Komori press—specifically a new Lithrone G40 or G37—starts to make more sense. The new Komoris run the KHS Hyper System for automated makeready, which can cut waste by up to 30% on short runs. They also come with a warranty, which matters when a roller failure could cost you a week of production.

But here's the counterintuitive part: a new press isn't always the answer, even for high-volume shops. The big caveat is that digital printing has improved dramatically since 2020. For runs under 1,000 sheets, a high-quality toner-based machine can match offset quality at a lower cost per sheet, without the makeready overhead. I used to think digital was an inferior technology for our kind of work. Now? It has its place.

What you're really buying with a new Komori is time certainty. The value isn't just the speed—it's knowing that the machine will run, that parts are guaranteed, and that if something breaks, you have a service team on call. For shops where a day of downtime equals a lost client, that certainty is worth the premium.

Scenario C: The small shop testing the market

Maybe you're a small shop or a startup commercial printer. You're not sure if you'll need six-color capacity next year or if you'll pivot to wide-format or digital. You want to keep your options open.

In this case, I'd recommend going used—but with a twist: look for a four-color or five-color Komori Lithrone, not a six-color. Why? Lower acquisition cost, simpler maintenance, and easier resale. A used four-color Lithrone S29 or LS29 can be had for under $80,000, and they hold their value because they're in demand for label and packaging work.

I made this mistake myself. When I first started, I went for a six-color because I thought more stations meant more capability. What I learned is that complexity adds risk. A four-color press with a solid track record is often a smarter bet for a shop that's still finding its footing.

But—and this is important—if your plan involves printing on uncoated stock or specialty substrates, skip the older used machines. The dampening systems on pre-2010 Komoris can struggle with uncoated paper, which means more waste and more frustration. That's a boundary where I'd recommend a newer model, even if it stretches your budget.

I'm not an equipment engineer, so I can't speak to the technical specifics of dampening system design. What I can tell you from a production standpoint is that our used LS440 handled coated stock beautifully but was a nightmare with 100# uncoated. If uncoated is your bread and butter, factor that into your decision.

How to figure out which scenario you're in

Here's a quick framework I use now to guide our own decisions. Ask yourself three questions:

• What's my primary constraint? Is it budget? Volume certainty? Capability flexibility? Your answer determines the starting point.
• What's my tolerance for risk? Can you absorb a week of downtime? Two weeks? If not, new (or a certified pre-owned) is safer.
• What percentage of my jobs are under 1,000 sheets? If it's over 30%, consider hybrid solutions—digital for short runs, offset for longer ones.

There's no universal answer, and anyone who tells you otherwise hasn't lived through a failed press on a tight deadline. The best decision is the one that aligns with your constraints, not some textbook recommendation.

Bottom line: a used Komori Lithrone can be a fantastic investment. So can a new press. The difference is in the details of your particular operation. Be honest about your constraints, and you'll make the right call.