Unique Original Articles » Purchasing Used Survey Equipment - Key Factors To Look Out For

There are many reasons why purchasing used survey equipment is becoming the preferred method for substituting out-of-date or damaged instruments.

It's not just the current economic climate that encourages buyers to study the used survey equipment option. Speedy technical advances are increasing the rate at which new models and enhanced features are released by the manufacturers. This in turn encourages a greater flow of surveying instruments into the used market.

But what are the key elements you must think about when sourcing used survey equipment? We list here our most important 5 things to contemplate.

1. The Physical Condition

You can get a good indication of how well a piece of equipment has been treated by the condition of the paintwork and glass. So it often pays to do a full visual inspection.

Survey instruments should always be handled with care and respect. So if you see signs of rough treatment for instance scratches and chips in paintwork it may be worth looking elsewhere.

It is especially important that you request good close-up photos of the instruments if you cannot physically see them.

2. The Year of Manufacture of the surveying equipment

The manufacture date is usually presented on the instrument and will show you the age and capability of the instrument.

The year of manufacture is an important factor going forward for the availability of servicing and spare parts.

If the equipment is being sold online it is worth asking for close-up photographs of the manufacturers identification mark. As this will contain all the evidence you require to exactly identify the survey equipment.

3. The Model Number of the equipment

This is essential as it will pin-point the exact capabilities of the instrument are – this is similar to version number of a mobile phone. For example the specification for a piece of surveying equipment manufactured in 2005 may include two different model numbers each with different capabilities.

4. The Official Software on the instrument

Some instruments use onboard software these days and this is a important area to pay attention to. Total Stations come with a large variety of available programs all with differing capabilities. So you should check this aspect. The higher end GPS systems have to interface with other devices so it is worthwhile checking that there are ongoing software licenses in place.

5. The Service History and Warranty of the equipment

The leading manufacturers of surveying equipment have registered electronic repair workshops who can provide you with the full service history of instruments.

Sourcing second hand surveying equipment from a registered dealer of the manufacturer usually means that a warranty will be included. Some dealers are more generous than others in this respect.

Get new and used survey equipment from SCCS the UK 's technical authority on surveying equipment and surveying solutions.

Talk to the SCCS Your Measuring Partner Today for all your surveying equipment needs.

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Rich Sale (Richard S Sale) for UK based SCCS Your Measuring Partner.
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