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Used capital equipment for businesses: collaborative arms, warehouse AMRs, agricultural drones, professional cleaning robots. Higher tickets, serious due-diligence — and serious savings against list price. Used UR5e cobots from £12,000. Dobot MG400 desktop arms from £3,200. KUKA KR series from £8,000.
Buying guide: How to Buy a Used Cobot UK
Used · ExcellentCollaborative arm · Warwick
Used · GoodIndustrial arm · Derby
Used · ExcellentWarehouse AMR · Milton Keynes
Used · GoodAgricultural drone · Lincoln
Used · GoodCleaning robot · Hounslow
Used · GoodCommercial mower · Stirling
Used · FairDelivery robot · Cambridge
Collaborative arm · Coventry
Warehouse AMR · Slough
Hospital logistics robot · Glasgow
Market context4.66 million industrial robots are in operation worldwide. UK SMEs now have grant support via Made Smarter and Innovate UK's £52M Robotics Adoption Hubs — and the Annual Investment Allowance covers 100% of qualifying cobot cost in year one.
Used cobots and industrial robots are how UK businesses buy serious automation at non-serious prices. The Universal Robots UR5e — the most widely deployed collaborative robot arm in the world — retails at £28,000 new with controller; documented used UR5e units trade at £12,000 to £17,000 on the UK secondary market. That is a 40 to 60% saving on a platform with a global installed base, the largest cobot integrator ecosystem, and parts availability that will outlast most alternatives. Entry-level cobots like the Dobot MG400 start as low as £3,200 used, making desktop automation accessible to SMEs for the first time.
UK businesses have never been in a stronger position to buy used cobots. Innovate UK's £52 million Robotics Adoption Hubs programme (announced September 2026) and the Made Smarter scheme both provide grant support for first-time cobot deployments. The Annual Investment Allowance gives 100% first-year tax relief on qualifying robot purchases — a £14,000 used UR5e generates a £3,500 tax saving at 25% corporation tax. Cobots available on the UK used market include Universal Robots UR3e, UR5e, and UR10e; KUKA iiwa and KR series; Dobot MG400; Kinova Gen3 Lite; FANUC CRX; and ABB GoFa.
KUKA industrial robots — KR 6, KR 10, KR 16, KR 60 HA, KR 120, and KR 210 — are among the most frequently traded used industrial robots in the UK, sourced from automotive and electronics plant upgrades. The key check on any KUKA purchase is controller generation (KRC4 is strongly preferred over KRC2) and the teach pendant condition. The five checks that protect any used cobot or industrial arm purchase are: controller generation, operating hours, axis gear health, software licence status, and teach pendant condition.
Integration cost is the variable most buyers underestimate. The arm itself is typically 30 to 50% of total deployment cost. End effectors, mounting, safety risk assessment under UK PUWER regulations, programming, and commissioning add £8,000 to £40,000 depending on application complexity. For a used UR5e at £14,000, full first deployment budget is typically £30,000 to £50,000. The investment case holds because a single shift of displaced manual labour at £30,000 per year pays back a fully integrated cobot in 12 to 24 months.
| Type | Used price range | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Entry cobot (UR3e, Dobot) | £4,000–£9,000 | UR3e, Dobot MG400 — light assembly, table-top |
| Mid cobot (UR5e, UR10e) | £12,000–£17,000 | UR5e — 5 kg payload, most popular used cobot in UK |
| Heavy cobot / industrial arm | £18,000–£35,000 | UR16e, KUKA iiwa — heavier payloads, precision work |
| Warehouse AMR | £8,000–£22,000 | 6 River Systems Chuck, Fetch — pallet / tote movement |
| KUKA / Fanuc industrial arm | £6,000–£25,000 | Price varies widely by model, age, controller generation |
Prices benchmarked against the Robot Resale Index. Battery health above 85% assumed.
A used Universal Robots UR5e with controller typically trades at £12,000–£17,000 in the UK, compared to a retail price of approximately £28,000. That represents a 40–60% saving on a platform with a global installed base, broad integrator ecosystem, and parts availability that will outlast most alternatives. Pricing varies significantly with joint cycle count, service history, and whether a calibration certificate is included.
Request the PolyScope joint cycle count and runtime hours (Settings → System → Robot), a full service log, the original CE declaration of conformity (required for legal deployment in UK production environments), and a current calibration certificate. Budget £500–£1,200 for recalibration if a certificate is not included. For purchases above £12,000, commission an independent inspection from a qualified robot service engineer.
No. The robot arm itself is typically 30–50% of total deployment cost. End effectors, mounting hardware, safety assessment, programming, and commissioning add £8,000–£40,000 depending on application complexity. Always factor the full integration cost into your budget before evaluating whether used represents the saving it appears to.