Used test equipment pricing increase over the last few years - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 03, 2023, 01:03:37 pm
content: What's the reason behind the massive spike in used test equipment prices in the last few years ? Looking for a used 34410a but the cheapest I could find is more than $1000 USD, well beyond my budget at the moment. It's close to double or thereabouts than the 2019/20 prices (when I last looked for one)

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2023, 01:12:21 pm
content: we had debates here on some threads, simply put, they try to rip you off

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 03, 2023, 01:16:18 pm
content: sigh, capitalism at its finest.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2023, 01:50:25 pm
content: What do you need in the 34410a you cant elsewhere? I paid a lot less than that in Oz a couple of years ago for a 34461A (pricing on them has gone up too) but they are not a lot more than the older 34410a having a very quick look.Worth a go but figure out on evilbay.com who the larger Korean sellers are and drop them a message P&A into Oz is often better than ex USA and they have more inventory than they list in a lot of cases.

author: bdunham7
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2023, 04:02:02 pm
content: It seems to be a combination of demand (EEVBlog 'Dave effect', COVID,), drying up of supply, inflation and also, IMO, the fact that 3-5 years ago some things were just fantastic deals when comparing capabilities of old high-end instruments to what was available new. Fluke 189s for under $100, HP 34401As in good condition with the later hardware/firmware for under $200, things like that where the deals were...a deal. Now you pay that for for junk that looks like a truck ran over it. Somewhere in between there is probably a fair and reasonable price for this stuff.34410As seem to be actually selling for $600 on eBay, and IIRC, I think there was a member here selling some from Vietnam for a bit less? That seems reasonable enough for what they are. You have to be a persistent hunter to get decent deals on this stuff these days. You're not going to find it at a Hamfest for $100.

author: CosteC
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: September 03, 2023, 06:01:40 pm
content: I would say most important were broken supply chains which caused massive supply issues for basically all suppliers of measurement equipment. So companies start buying refurb and stopped selling "old units". Smaller companies star buying used equipment and eat it out from market for amateurs... This is my hypothesis.COVID driven explosion of "at home" activities may play a role too.

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 04:38:36 am
content: Quote from: beanflying on September 03, 2023, 01:50:25 pmSure I'd like to have a 34461a or 34465a. I thought given 34410a is obsolete, it might be cheaper as labs offload it. I'll keep an eye on fleabay, may have to wait and be more patient I guess. I don't mind taking a gamble on non-working units that I can try to repair, but even a nonworking 34465a sells for more than $2000AUD

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 04:39:43 am
content: I think COVID has become a nice excuse to rip people off

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 06:28:44 am
content: Quote from: deepfryed on September 04, 2023, 04:38:36 amAlso add Advantest into your searches you might get a deal there too. Waiting then having a lump of $$ at the right time can work too Iwonstole an Auction for my 34461A out of Canberra for just under $1k (Feb 2019) but interesting apart from the fancy features my 34401A is more stable.

author: EggertEnjoyer123
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 06:30:43 am
content: Hamfests are generally a much better deal than fleabay.For one, there's no shipping or ebay fees. Also, people there are generally nicer.

author: dophuc
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 10:28:57 am
content: I am in Vietnam, last week there is a store in Hanoi selling and liquidating some Keysight devices, all of them are on display in the store, almost new, with full accessories. Some things are very good prices compared to buying completely new, there is a Keysight 34461A multimeter version without GIPB for about 17,300,000 VND converted to USD about 721USD, this price is very good because the machine is almost new, full of accessories , and sold very quickly after that. The 34461A version with GIPB has a calibration certificate in May 2023, obviously a few months old product, priced at about 23,100,000 VND (~963 USD). See the store's reference price list image, in the 4th column is the selling price (VND), you can convert to USD by dividing by 24,000 (exchange rate), price includes tax of about 10%.

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 12:10:06 pm
content: Quote from: EggertEnjoyer123 on September 04, 2023, 06:30:43 amThere are a few meetups here in Australia, but not a lot of good meet and swap type gatherings afaik.Quote from: dophuc on September 04, 2023, 10:28:57 amIt might be good if the seller lists them on ebay, at least there's some kind of purchase protection for both parties. It's well above my budget anyways, thanks though.

author: Wallace Gasiewicz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 01:02:13 pm
content: Here in US at Hamfests, I think some test equipment is actually less expensive than in the past.I recently saw a working Tektronics 475 for $50 at a Hamfest, it did not sell and was at the next Hamfesr, I did not buy it because I already have one.Of course, this is old stuff and at the current prices of Rigol scopes (et Al) maybe not as valuable as before.

author: coromonadalix
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 04, 2023, 02:13:17 pm
content: with the more recent ones with a failing spear 3 mcu, i would touch them, its absurd that keysight did not adress this properly, they know this mcu may or will faili would thrust more an 34411a or 34410a than some of the 61 65 seriesmy 2 centsan oldie is a goodie

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 05, 2023, 12:17:54 am
content: Quote from: coromonadalix on September 04, 2023, 02:13:17 pmGood to know, I have a 34401a but thanks to @beanflying I might have another one for a relatively bargain price.I made an offer of $140 on a possibly broken unit on fleabay and seller accepted it, so $330AUD at the end. I suspect it's got a faulty display module or related circuitry, so it will need to fixing. I'll post the photos and my progress when I get the unit. Hopefully not an expensive repairI'll keep an eye out for 34410a on ebay or here, but it looks like I may need to be patient and wait a while.Thanks everyone.PS: one that irks me that HP hasn't or doesn't want to release the firmware source for a 30yr old unit. It would've made it more serviceable / upgradeable for hobbyists and got them some extra brownie points.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 05, 2023, 01:15:42 am
content: Good price and hopefully you get lucky and something has just come loose and looking at the rear shots it has taken a knock at some time.The shots that show the display lit with reading show the digits fine but are missing the text bits so unplugging and replugging the display from the PCB might even 'fix it' if you get lucky

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 01:29:27 am
content: Quote from: beanflying on September 05, 2023, 01:15:42 amPerhaps a loose display connector ? Worked fine when I turned it on, self tests pass. The display is a bit dim but usable, I might recap and replace the vfd at some point but overall functional and some quick checks indicate it's in-spec compared to my existing 34401a.Lucked out I think

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 02:16:04 am
content: maybe it means its still useful? when people sat down to actually do something during covid they figured out the quality is there for a reason, especially if you fix it upalso the term obsolete is very nebulous. Plenty of labs consider 5.5 digits advanced. how much work do you do that actually uses 6.5 digits?the applications for ultra precision are just not common. its specialized.Right now the biggest things are motors and power storage. Robots, portable power, etc. The development problems with these kinds of technologies do not requires the highest precision.I would say there is a power electronics revolution in the last 10 years. Its kind of like 'what amazing tool can you make with a battery' and 'how can advanced motors make our life easier'.Motorized crimp tools? power tools that rival or surpass the corded version? batteries that allow for actual quality of life while traveling?I would say that pure 'smart' devices turned out to be a damp squid. IOT was supposed to knock our socks off but it turns out its rather annoying, privacy concerns, reliabiltiy concerns. However.. power electronics equipment is changing things. EV cars too, their actually good.. .and solar. The implementation of micro processors in everything turned out to feel like a troll. But high quality batteries, power convertors, etc.. their changing lifeIf you develop such things, the old equipment is actually super.. professional and handy. And the sub revolution of 3d printers that require motors and medium accuracy electronics is also blossoming.For instance like if you are trouble shooting a motor drive, or a welding machine, that are becoming prevalent and.. intrinsically useful.. having real equipment makes you feel alot better about your work.i.e. lawn mower repair in the last 5 years may even require a professional oscilloscope now (and IMO not a bad thing, compared to dealing with blasted small engines)

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 03:09:52 am
content: Very usable.I agree that even 5.5 digit may be overkill for the usual day to day work. I work on a few things that do benefit from having an accurate 6.5 digit DMM, especially when I have to double check some ADC measurements or trim the designs. The big use case for me is having meters that I can trust and also have a scpi interface, so I can do automated measurements and validation.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 03:19:03 am
content: Quote from: EggertEnjoyer123 on September 04, 2023, 06:30:43 amThat's what I have found, too.Certainly, in the Australian version of eBay, pickings are thin, & overpriced.Many in Oz who have reasonable prices are "pickup only" or quote highish shipping costs.There are relatively well priced units in the USA, but the shipping costs quoted, at best, double your outlay, & at worst, are figures in the thousands of dollars (obviously sellers who don't want to sell outside their home country).Sellers in some other countries, like Japan, often quote free shipping, but double their prices to make up for it.China is a mixture------small, "El Cheapo" stuff is cheap, but new Rigols & Siglents are often similarly priced to those from the local representatives. (Or sometimes, more expensive)Walk into a Hamfest, & "it is what it is"------if there is any attractive test equipment there, you can buy it & take it home then & there.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 03:39:20 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on September 21, 2023, 02:16:04 amI've never worked out why small engines seem to be designed to fail.A big old multi cylinder car, truck, or stationary engine will rumble on for decades, but "hold your face wrong" & lawnmower engines that had been happily running will stall if you hit a thick bunch of grass, then refuse to start for the rest of the day-------and those stupid pull cords!!!My first rotary lawnmower was a secondhand "Rover" brand, with a 4-stroke motor, & a really clever starting system.There was a fold out handle on top, which you used to wind up a large spiral spring, refolded the handle, & tapped it briskly on the top.This released the energy in the spring, spinning the engine up to speed, where it would almost always start first try.This system was standard amongst Australian rotary mowers, until suddenly they all went to the damnable pull cords!

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 03:46:31 am
content: The move up to 6 1/2 for me at least initially was I wanted better validation/certainty on my current meters and sensors I was using for work and in the shop, what followed was a trip down the Rabbit holeThey do very occasionally come up locally at ok to good prices, the trick is to have the $ 'then' and take no prisoners if you really want/need it.I picked up was a 100V Japanese version Advantest 6871E out of Melbourne here for what I considered a very good price (seller is also a member here) off evilbay pricing was clearly set with the voltage thing in mind. Apart from that there was the 34461A mentioned earlier, I went in hard LATE on an Auction and got a 'bargain'.I am also sitting on a project 3458A I hope to get to early next year and again I had the $ knew the downside and scored it for under $2k AUD with a bid on evilbay. The calculation here is worst possible outcome will be I get a chunk of that back as parts or another hefty bill from Keysight to get it going (battery/memory/ram issues).The last Hamfest of any sort I darkened the door of was populated by every cliche you can think of and almost all of the test gear was nearly as old as the HAMS selling itIf you want to buy fixer uppers then sure go for it but I won't waste the fuel again.The rest of my toys have been mainly USA sourced (when affordable freight was offered) with a few bits from Korea or Israel (not the tank squashed/dragged variety)

author: deepfryed
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 04:12:10 am
content: $2K for a 3458A is a bargain, keep us postedI really wouldn't have any use for it other than as a transfer standard but wouldn't mind having one around if I can afford it

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: September 21, 2023, 12:16:57 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on September 21, 2023, 03:39:20 amyeah I had so many experiences with the pull cord I don't want anything without a starter motor anymore. awful.

author: beanflying
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 10, 2024, 08:38:24 am
content: At the risk of offending a 'member' here get your hand off it!Sure it is a nice example of it but upping the anti and separating the probe into a second additional overpriced listing shows you are a real dumbass. Going rate for a 410C with a probe is maybe $300USD if you are lucky.Just because it is 'old' and has a valve in it doesn't make it worth 3-10x pricing!

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 10, 2024, 12:21:26 pm
content: Quote from: beanflying on April 10, 2024, 08:38:24 amMy 410C (with probe) cost me $A40.00 a few years ago at a Hamfest.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: April 11, 2024, 04:33:53 am
content: i think hes hoping for thedrunkyoutube + ebay customerI noticed the price of some equipment i wanted sky rocketed. but guess what for every high there is a lowI can switch to optics till someone realizes I am not going to buy that spring brass for 6x value... LED sure got interesting in the last few years. UV? Far red? Deep IR?Explore new technologies if someone tries to gouge you on something. I feel like they only win if your really obsessed with somethingI said fair price, meaning worth your while and cost of shipping, not get rich price. I was thinking more a long the lines of a power supply being worth more then $12And the way I wrote my post, I mean its good if you service it. I don't think you can consider that stuff good unless it gets some extensive service, cleaning, etcAlso when they part it out its kinda playing with emotions to double the stakes of someone buying the other part. If something is having ALOT of trouble selling then it makes might sense to see if you can part it out, because MAYBE someone is willing to pay less to keep it working. But if it does not have trouble selling its just someone trying to pull on your heart strings lol... make you feel anxious that someone is gonna get the probe if you want the meter. Anxiety = higher chance of you buying it. Ebay is anxious enough because its known to accept offers, you never know. This is just blasting the drama... and same with limited time offers... right... your so busy and successful you can only do it once.Also I say 60% chance that the seller will say the listing was incorrect if you JUST buy the probe too. Because he wants a anxious customer to buy both. I have seen this bait and switch happen with the most bizarre thing... sharpening stones?! He damn well knows the only way he can possibly get that money is if someone is drunk frustrated and worried, buys both at the same time to feel immediately comfortable.But in efforts to start a war, I think that unit is stupid because the probes are hard wired to a huge box. IMO failWanna bet they are spring formed to the shape you see in the picture? Perhaps a little cable pull machine workout?