Refurbished/used test equipment

[tuned99]

Does anyone have experience buying used or refurbished test equipment? Where are some good places to go? I've googled a few places but I have no idea if they are refutable. I'm to outfit my lab but don't need (and can't afford) the latest and greatest of equipment. I am geographically in the US.

 

[pennpoint]

Try this:

http://www.testequity.com

Regards

pennpoint

 

[felixc]

Internet more or less killed any hope to find something at a good price in auctions. The refurbished equiment vendors are skimming all the on-line auctions and doing so are controlling the prices. So you will find very similar prices from place to place. Test equity is one of the big places. You may find interestng stuff on Ebay.

 

[SolderingGunslinger]

One thing to remember, the dealers will rarely bid more than the wholesale price at an auction. If they bid more, they are cutting into their profit margins.

I remain,

The Old Soldering Gunslinger

 

[analogkid2digitalman]

Price isn't everything.

Call to make sure you get all the manuals and related documentation, especially if equipment has been outfitted with options.

Has the equipment been tested and guaranteed to work?

Has it been calibrated?

What about warantee?

Most reputable houses (like Test Equity) typically supply all the above.

Wheels within wheels / In a spiral array
A pattern so grand / And complex
Time after time / We lose sight of the way
Our causes can't see / Their effects.

 

[tuned99]

The refurbished market is a little more pessimistic than I thought it would be. Thanks pennpoint for your recommendation and everyone else for their comments.

 

[Higgler]

Naptech and Metric Test are good too.
Don't settle for the price in the website, easily they will come down 10-40% from that price.
We purchased some good stuff;
Used 8720ES VNA for $50K with time domain and 1 hz accuracy
Used HP Spectrum Analyzer for $14K that's good quality up to 22 Ghz.
New Antenna pedestals with GPIB control from M2Inc for $2.5K.

When I was at Raytheon, they purchased a huge amount of government equipment for $1000, including 3 HP 8510 Network analyzers that worked fine(that's $110K each) It was probably two semi trucks worth. My tax dollar tear ducts cried when I saw the waste.

What items are you looking for in your lab.
kch

 

[tuned99]

Higgler,
I am the first EE at our small company and there is no lab. The first thing I was looking for was some simple variable 0-40VDC (approx) supply. Since I wasn't looking for GPIB programmability or high currents, I figured I'd try to save some $$ getting something 2nd hand. (For this I'll probably look at ebay.) Although down the road we'll be looking at more sophisticated equipment with which I'll still want to investigate these companies. Thanks for your recommendations.

PS I too worked at Raytheon and know what you mean.

 

[Higgler]

There are some low cost places.

http://www.pasternack.com

isn't too bad for alot of stuff, very fast delivery.
Try

http://www.allelectronics.com,

they have alot of cheap stuff, their catalog has alot of really cheap stuff.
You don't need to spend alot to get off brand hardware.
What is your primary product?
kch

 

[advidana]

Try buying surplus from the aerospace companies.

 

[jsolar]

I used

http://www.valuetronics.com/faqs.cfm

local to Elgin Illinois. I found it a good idea to buy local when possible. Please note, I also sell through them so I am biased, but for good reason. So, try local first. I have also purchased through Dove bid auctions. You will be buying at what the resellers purchase at, but you will be taking on all the risk. The refurbishers to align and clean and stand by their equipment.
Best Regards,
John Solar