Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover checking a used instrument from the listing to the first power-on, what a “calibrated” listing actually proves, which classic Tektronix scope to start with, decoding HP, Agilent and Keysight badges, and the order to build a bench in. New to used test gear? Start with how to check it.
How to Check Used Test Equipment Before You Buy
What a used scope or meter listing does and doesn't tell you, from self-test codes and blown fuses to the line-voltage selector, old capacitors and packing.
Read the guide →What "Calibrated" Means on a Used Test Equipment Listing
What a cal sticker, a "calibrated" title and a real certificate each prove, why DMM specs run a year, and which old instruments lose their calibration.
Read the guide →Tektronix 465 vs 2465B vs TDS 540: which classic Tek scope to buy first
Tektronix 465, 2465B or TDS 540? What each classic Tek scope is good for, analog vs digital storage, what fails on each and what to check.
Read the guide →HP, Agilent or Keysight: what the badge on used test gear tells you
HP, Agilent or Keysight on the front panel? What changed in 1999 and 2014, why one model wears different badges, and where to find manuals and support.
Read the guide →Building a Used Electronics Bench: What to Buy First
The order we'd buy used bench instruments in, and why: a handheld DMM, a scope, a bench supply, a bench DMM, then RF generators and analyzers.
Read the guide →