--- title: Refurbished IT Hardware - Definitions That Lead to Success description: Refurbished IT hardware and why it is so important to define it to ensure success along with minimal exposure. image: https://www.toptenusa.com/hubfs/Service%20Page/faq-img-d.png --- [Hardware](https://www.toptenusa.com/resources/tag/hardware) # Refurbished IT Hardware - Definitions That Lead to Success ![](https://www.toptenusa.com/hubfs/Service%20Page/faq-img-d.png) ![](https://www.toptenusa.com/hubfs/Pro-Capture%20One%203482.jpg) ##### [Anthony Landolfi - Owner/Principal](https://www.toptenusa.com/resources/author/anthony-landolfi) Share: Having previously talked about the IT parts lifecycle and how refurbished IT hardware gets into production environments (if you haven’t read that post, take a look at it here), it bears mentioning that not all companies define “refurbished” the same way. Today, we are going to take a look at some of the specifics on what constitutes refurbished IT hardware, as it pertains to both direct consumers as well as Third Party Maintenance (TPM) vendors. Typically, when you hear the term “refurbished” coming from the IT hardware industry, you think of equipment that has previously been used in another user environment and then being decommissioned for whatever reason. And on that single point, there is truly no differentiation between different companies that sell or use refurbished hardware. The differences start to make themselves known when you look more in detail at what a company does with this hardware after its decommission but PRIOR to it being reused or resold. For some companies, refurbished just means they take the hardware and ensure it doesn’t have any major damage or cleanliness issues, sometimes power it on, and then it’s for resale or reuse. Other companies will take it a step further and at least run some type of low level diagnostic on the equipment, for example they will load a tape into a tape drive and ensure it comes ready and then ejects the tape properly. Still other companies will actually use software to run some more midlevel diagnostics on the hardware, such as free OEM tools that are made available for just that purpose. This would be the type of diagnostic you would see an OEM run that would call a product “certified refurbished”. However, none of the above truly encompasses what refurbished actually means. Here are the qualifications for what we define truly refurbished hardware to be: - Free from any major physical damage (light wear and tear is acceptable given this is still used equipment – minor scratches, etc may be present) - Taken apart down to a component level (if applicable – we don’t disassemble hard drives or any other closed circuit equipment) and cleaning thoroughly - Any worn out components (bearings, motors, gears, etc) are replaced - Equipment is reassembled and tested to the fullest extent possible (full write/read passes on hard drives and tape drives – as well as simulated production testing in native environment for any hardware component) - Any hardware that carries a configuration or meta data should be wiped clean electronically and set back to factory defaults. All of the above is required in order to have good quality refurbished IT hardware that can be expected to work comparably to factory new equipment. This is the goal of the IT hardware industry – repair and maintenance of IT hardware in a comparable fashion to OEM but at a fraction of the cost. Now, as stated earlier, not all companies follow the above standards for refurbishment. So, how do you go about minimizing your exposure and ensure you receive the best quality parts every time? - Ask questions. Find out what the company defines as “refurbished” and what their testing practices actually are for their hardware. - Ask for test results for any hardware you are purchasing, ensuring serial numbers are clearly shown on both the hardware and the test results. - Confirm what the warranty period of the hardware will be. The longer the warranty, the more the confidence you will have that the company stands behind what they are selling you. - Weigh your options – we understand price and value are a concern for everyone. But is getting a part for 20% cheaper really worth the risk if it only carries a short warranty and is going into a production environment? As you can see, there is a lot to consider when buying refurbished IT hardware (or choosing a vendor partner), whether it is for direct consumption or if it is being used to service your maintenance customers. I hope this article has given you a little more insight into how the refurbished IT hardware industry works and also helps you avoid some of its pitfalls so you can have the best experience possible. Be on the lookout for the next article on our new refurbished IT hardware e-commerce platform and how it can make that parts buying experience even better! 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