Universal Testing Machines (UTMs) are reliable workhorses—they can run hundreds of tests each day, seven days a week, sustaining the energy from test specimens breaking at loads up to 5 kN, 50 kN, even 600 kN and beyond. However, just like a real workhorse with years or decades of service, they will eventually get old, wear down, and not be as reliable or perform as well as newer alternatives—but do you put it out to pasture? Or can you update it with a retrofit and keep it reliably running—perhaps even better than ever?