Choosing between two very different used listings in the industrial robotics and cobot space can feel like comparing a scalpel to a toolbox. On one side is the IAI 2x Axis Screwdriver Linear Robot Arm at $499.99, a compact two-axis unit aimed at a single screwdriving station. On the other is a LOT OF 5 L.J. Electronics ATLAS II 2 Industrial Robot Arms at $5,225.99, a five-unit buy that could fill several workcells or become a spare-arm pool. The decision hinges on how many stations you're outfitting, how much troubleshooting you're willing to take on, and whether you already have the drive components needed to make one of them run. Both are used, both come from surplus settings, and neither is a plug-and-play purchase.
Quick verdict
If you need one robotic axis for focused screwdriving and can add a servo drive, the IAI 2x Axis is the lower-risk first choice. If you need multiple arms for multiple stations and can handle unknown history plus no return rights, the ATLAS II lot gives you far more hardware for a much larger outlay. The $4,726 gap between the two listings is really the difference between buying one unit with a working-history advantage and buying five units with an unknown past.
| Product | Listed Price | Condition | Key Detail | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IAI 2x Axis Screwdriver Linear Robot Arm | $499.99 | Used | 8" Z and 4" Y movement, Yaskawa screwdriver servo motor, CAN controllers, no servo drive for screwgun motor | Single-station screwdriving |
| LOT OF 5 L.J. Electronics ATLAS II 2 Industrial Robot Arm | $5,225.99 | Used | Five arms that power up; no further testing; one unit's front LED doesn't blink; prior usage history unknown | Multi-station or spare-arm pool |
Where each comes out ahead
The IAI comes out ahead on entry cost and focus. Its $499.99 price makes it a reasonable bench experiment, and the two-axis screwdriving design is specific rather than generic. It also names the Yaskawa screwdriver servo motor, so you're not starting from zero on tooling. The ATLAS II lot comes out ahead on scale. For $5,225.99 you get five arms instead of one, which matters if you're building out multiple stations or want spare units to keep a line running. The trade-off is condition risk: the IAI was pulled from a working surplus line, while the ATLAS II units have no known usage history and have not been tested beyond power-up.
IAI 2x Axis Screwdriver Linear Robot Arm
The IAI 2x Axis is the lower-priced way to get a two-axis screwdriving arm onto your bench. At $499.99, it takes up far less budget than the ATLAS II lot, and the 8" Z and 4" Y movement gives you a compact envelope for repeatable screwdriving work. The Yaskawa SGME-01AFNS11 screwdriver servo motor is called out, so you have a concrete starting point for the tooling side. The actuators have CAN controllers, but the seller notes the protocol isn't confirmed, and there is no servo drive for the screwgun motor, so you'll need to supply that before the arm can actually drive screws. It was pulled from a working surplus line, which is a positive sign, but it's still a used unit that you'll want to test before trusting with production. If you already have a CAN-capable controller and a servo drive available, this is a focused, low-cost experiment.
LOT OF 5 L.J. Electronics ATLAS II 2 Industrial Robot Arm
The ATLAS II listing asks $5,225.99 for five used arms, which makes it a volume play for a shop with multiple stations or a need for spare units. All five power up, which gives you a starting point, but the seller is upfront that no further testing was done and the prior usage history is unknown. One unit's front LED doesn't blink, and the lot is sold as is with no return rights, so you are taking on the diagnostic burden. The arms come as pictured, and the lot's total price is over $4,700 more than the IAI. If you have bench space, time, and the ability to troubleshoot five units, the volume could make sense. If you need one arm you can trust immediately, this lot is a much riskier bet.
Final choice by use case
- If you need one screwdriving axis on a tight budget: the IAI 2x Axis Screwdriver Linear Robot Arm is the concrete pick, and you can plan around the missing servo drive.
- If you need multiple arms for a multi-station line and accept the no-return-rights, minimal-testing reality: the LOT OF 5 L.J. Electronics ATLAS II 2 Industrial Robot Arm is the volume play.
- If you need to minimize financial risk on your first used robot arm: the IAI is much easier to walk away from if it doesn't work out.
