Where to get cheap test equipment? USA - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 01:29:01 am
content: I am just wondering where, if anywhere, can I get cheap, used equipment. Like surplus sites, sales, eBay and the like? I have OK results with eBay but is there a better place where I can get equipment that just works and is decent? I'm in the market for a new soldering iron, desoldering gun, ultrasonic cleaner, oscilloscope, and variable power supply, stuff like that, to start out my "lab". Where do you guys get it from?Edit: I'm located in the US, Idaho to be more precise.

author: Unknown
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 01:41:58 am
content: Would listing locations where penguins sell their used power supplies on Antarctica be helpful? If not, specifying your location might be a good idea.eBay is an okay place, but prices have been going up in the past years. Local pickup (eg. Craigslist) can sometimes yield good deals.

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 01:53:40 am
content: Well if the penguins are willing to ship, I may be interested.I've pretty much given up with craigslist. Nearest location is 40 miles away with a population of 50,000. Unless power supplies become as popular as 12" subwoofers there's nothing to be had thereTo answer though, I am in the USA. Idaho, actually.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 02:18:02 am
content: As Alm said, its getting more difficult compared to say 2 or 3 years ago, nowdays you need to be patience and persistence, of course a bit of luck will help too.US alone is considered the best place for cheap & used T&M equipment, trust me, many of us who live outside of US sometimes were so envious and drooled seeing those cheap stuffs there in US, international shipping cost alone is a huge limiting factor for us.

author: SLJ
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 02:41:40 am
content: Ham fests are a good place also. Not as many in the winter but you might find one or two a year near you.Here's a calendar by State:http://www.arrl.org/hamfests-and-conventions-calendar

author: PaulAm
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 08:13:31 pm
content: Hamfests are interesting and may be good if you're willing to travel to the bigger events. Even then it's not a guarantee. I try to hit Dayton most years; two years ago I made some great scores, but nothing last year. I'm going to try Fort Wayne this month, I hear that's pretty good.Ebay is OK if you're patient and diligent. I tend to buy items marked as parts or untested to get better deals. Haven't been burned too badly yet, but my hobby is fixing test equipment. Last item was an HP 4262a LCR meter. It was marked for parts, but turned out to be completely functional and I was the only bidder. Some items are quick to find, others I've had to wait for over a year to get at the price I wanted to pay. In general, I would say the prices are trending upward, for the most part.Another avenue is to join specific forums like Tekscopes or HP_Agilent_Equipment on yahoo. Sometimes members trade equipment. I've bought a few items that way at reasonable prices. I picked up an HP 3456A for $50 that way.Any universities, particularly large state run, nearby? Sometimes they have a property disposition department. I bought a repairable Tek 465 with a cart for $50 from one of my local universities. That's still my primary analog scope. You never know what will be there, but sometimes you get lucky.Check for industrial electronics repair companies in your area. You might be able to make a pitch to them. I was in one CNC repair company locally that made a rabbit warren look spacious. The place had 3 floors of shelves stuffed to the gills with equipment. They told me they had already sent off a semi truck load to the scrappers. I bought a pile of Tek 465s off them for repair.If you're adventurous, you can try the military surplus auctions; there may be a site in your state. Plan on picking it up in person, they don't ship, and buy it by the pallet. The condition is not guaranteed until it's in your hands, so you may not end up with what you thought you bought.

author: theonetruestickman
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: November 03, 2013, 06:36:09 pm
content: I'll second the recommendation on Hamfests - also check with local ham clubs, the members may have or know where to get equipment in your area.Craigslist is spotty, but I have gotten some good deals that way - I have a few RSS feeds for things I'm looking for. After you search the site look for the RSS button and you can put that link into a reader. It is a lot of wait and watch, though.

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 02:56:49 am
content: Now back to this... Officially, eBay stinks. Ever try to buy something broken on eBay? It's horrible! Things go for hundreds of dollars more than they are worth. The only way to get a good deal is to either stalk the new listings or stalk other sections hoping something got miscategorized, or the seller doesn't know what they are sellingI've been looking at surplus, unfortunately nothing in my area, or much in the nearest 300 miles from me. Stupid rural areaBeing in high school doesn't help with that either. Just imagine going to a surplus auction. Hey! I drove 300 miles here, I'm skipping school lol, take my bid!Hamfests are nonexistent locally, Salt Lake City would be nearest to me so I'll be stalking that to see if anything happens there. Same for craigslist.Well, rant over I'm hoping to find some good stuff soon on surplus sites and on eBay. Those are about my only options for now, but I'll keep my eyes out on others. Thanks for your help.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 03:35:18 am
content: Still, see the bright side, you should consider your self very-very lucky, compared to rest of us that live "outside" USA, imagine how many days of school/work that we will have to skip in order to cross the oceans or continents to get there.

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 03:43:44 am
content: Quote from: BravoV on November 20, 2013, 03:35:18 amTruethough I have seen quite a few surplus sales in the UK, and just a couple in Sweden. I guess if you live anywhere else in the EU its though though

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 05:03:33 am
content: The Reuseum near Boise...http://reuseum.com/

author: Bored@Work
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 05:39:01 am
content: eBay in the US is still heaven, compared to the rest of the world. A simple example:Cheapest HP 3478A buy-it-now I can find on eBay is 110 Euro (dogy looking, sort of "working"). It is, of course, from the US. For around 120 Euro there is one looking a bit more trustable, of course from the US (there is one from the well known non-US seller Surplus Tech Mart - we skip that one for the well known reasons). But there are a few more offers between 120 Euro and 220 Euro from the US, some look ok. At around 220 Euro, 240 Euro are a number of offers looking ok - from the US and Israel.First one in Europe: 320 Euro We have learned in the past that eBay delivers different search results to different users, so YMMV

author: retiredcaps
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 05:44:28 am
content: Quote from: TheBorg on November 20, 2013, 02:56:49 amPatience and discipline are required on ebay. It is good practice for other things in your future like buying stocks.

author: edavid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 20, 2013, 06:16:31 am
content: Quote from: Rory on November 20, 2013, 05:03:33 amLooks like a fun place to browse, but the prices on their web site are super high... do they have any better deals at the store?And OP, mark your calendar:http://www.idahostateconvention.com/

author: Rory
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 03:05:58 am
content: Quote from: edavid on November 20, 2013, 06:16:31 amDon't know. Learned about this place from an old buddy that lives in Boise...

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 04:03:11 am
content: Quote from: retiredcaps on November 20, 2013, 05:44:28 amBut it takes so muchtime...Anything from Boise to Salt Lake City is potentially in my range of willing-to-drive-ness. So boise links are appreciated!

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 04:59:37 am
content: There are bound to be Hams in your area.They are usually quite approachable,& some may know who is selling stuff privately.If there is a local club,there is a possibility that they have "car boot (trunk) sales" where everybody piles their surplus "junk" in the back of the car,& sells it at the clubhouse car park.These sales don't usually appear in the Hamfest listings.I'm not sure how much it occurs in the USA,but in VK6,we have a WIA (our representative body for Amateurs) news program on each Sunday,which includes a "Disposals" section,where Hams are clearing out their "Shacks".This usually gives you the first "bite" at newly listed items before they go to eBay or elsewhere.You never know,you may get "the bug" & become a Ham yourself.

author: TheBorg
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 05:14:49 am
content: It's a small town- 5,000 people... Nearest big population center (relatively) is an hour off with around 50,000 folks. There's bound to be a few Hams, right? If there are any, theyre keeping it quiet though... Ill poke around and see what I can dig up. I've partially avoided the ham side of things though because I know I'll probably be bit by the bug

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 02:30:33 pm
content: You're notthatisolated------My daughter teaches school in a Northern West Australian town of 4459 people.The nearest "large" ( pop,35000),centre is5hours South,with another7hours to the nearest city!And the Education Department doesn't class that as "remote"!

author: olsenn
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 03:06:41 pm
content: I contacted LeCroy once when I was still in school (email address on their website) asking if they had any discontinued or working, but QA failed, oscilloscopes they would be willing to part with, and they sent me a free, brand new, WaveAce102 scope. I'm not saying this will work for you, but just keep in mind that unconvenional methods sometimes do produce results.Ebay is good for very old, used equipment. Unfortunately, there tends not to be much markup on new equipment, so the best kind of deal you are going to get on tequipment.net and the such is a ~5% discount.Items like multimeters and soldering irons can often be found at pawn shops.

author: Rutger
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 21, 2013, 03:44:52 pm
content: Local auctions houses are also a good source for used equipment, for example (Denver area);http://www.rollerauction.com/home.aspOr national auctions;http://www.govliquidation.com/Test-Equipment.html(Find your state/country)http://www.hilcoind.com/sales/index.asp#auctions

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 22, 2013, 01:16:07 am
content: Quote from: Rutger on November 21, 2013, 03:44:52 pmI always weep & drool when every times I visited this web site.