BayWatch, go to
www.carwashconsignment.com. That site will get you in the ball park for market value, especially if it is still a current production model and supported by the OEM. It really doesn't matter who made it if you are asking for the "Market Price".
If you are looking for a deal on a reclaim, Mac's comments are valid since your explanation from the seller doesn't make sense. Is excessive preventitive maintenance a nice way of saying it is not dependable and is something to work on constantly? Or maybe the system, tanking, and plumbing was never setup correctly and he is paying the price now and can't take it anymore.
There are always two sides to the story. The actual price paid if you buy it should reflect the cost of continued operation. Reclaim, when used properly, always makes you money, especially in these times. It is a piece of equipment that instead of generating revenues for you, just lowers monthly utility costs.
If you want opinions on what a good price is, you need to tell a little more of the story, or ask the seller a few more questions. I'd say from what I see on your post, .50 on the $1 is high for a 4 year old machine with some questionable baggage.
I would like to know, when you saw the equipment operating: Was the wash using reclaim and what was the percentage. If you are new to reclaim, the wash process may have been on Fresh Water and the reclaim was just circulating water