This paper re-examines recent postal surveys of the stock of machinery in the metal-working industries of Britain, Germany, France, Japan and the United States. Japan has the youngest stock; Britain's stock has a lower average age than those in France, Germany and the United States. Numerically-controlled machines are rising rapidly in importance in all countries, but were less frequent in Britain and France. Questions are raised as to the unduly short-life of machinery assumed by national accounts statisticians; and suggestions are made for the improvement of future machine tool surveys.