Monitors: new or reburbished??

[Mule]

Is it better to get an OK brand spankin' new monitor with a 3-5 year warranty or opt for GREAT a refurbished 90-day warranty monitor from those well known auction sites? I had bought a refurbished monitor before and it had blew up on me, but others have had success.

Or should I take the "safe" route and get an extended one year warranty on those refurbished monitors.

What do you guys recommend. I would love to get a great monitor for a great price, but is it really worth the risk?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Neutroner]

The Price of New monitors is low, a good 17" for $150.00. plus a good warrenty. You get what you pay for. do you trust the seller of the used ones? I've done it both ways, but I've personaly had better luck with the new ones.

 

[LXi]

If that "ok brand" is Samsung, then get new. Samsung is more than just an OK brand anyway.

 

[Mule]

I was looking at a new Samsung 955DF for about 250, but a SONY E400 looks really nice at sub 350, but it is refurbished.

Not saying that samsung is an "ok brand", just that a SONY E400 is much better, I've seen is personally and I love it, but that retail price tag just ain't for me.

 

[Toolman]

With refurbished chances are you won't get it shipped in a factory carton w/ factory packing and it'll be almost a certainty it will be packed by someone with sh!t for brains who could care less about it arriving intact and in good working order.

I honestly believe they over-insure the monitors with the hope they won't make it so they can collect on the insurance money.

Save your money and buy new, unless you live close to the auction shipping site or a refurbisher.

 

[MaddDogg2020]

mule: just built a new system and picked up a kickass Dell 991 monitor for $375. That is a 19" Sony Tritron FLAT screen. It came with a one year warranty, retail packaging, and online disc. Got it on a Friday, it died on Sunday, called Dell on Monday, had one delivered to my door on Tuesday(kept the manual that came with the replacement and the original disc), shipped the bad one back on Wednesday -- all at Dells' expense. This is one crisp monitor and the screen is dead flat. Games and graphics are astounding. Beats the snot out of my old 17" Tritron flat screen(that is pretty flat)

 

[vi edit]

I'll second Dells 19" Trinitron for $375. But, be very, very careful when buying refurb monitors off of auction sites. I bought a "refurb" monitor off of one that ended up being 6, yes SIX years old!!!

You really don't know what you are going to get.

 

[Tominator]

But new from a reputable dealer like buy.com or onvia....

I bought a new Samsung 955df from buy.com....scratch in screen...THEY paid for all shipping! I used a coupon and rebate as well. Can't do that with a refurb...

 

[jamarno]

Unless I knew that the monitor was refurbished by its manufacturer, I'd prefer a so-so brand new one over a refurb any day because many refurbs have merely been repaired rather than actually refurbished, meaning that many of the high-failure parts that appear to be working don't get replaced, as is done routinely by manufacturers. Manufacturers can also run their monitors through machines that measure a lot of the signals and can thereby detect parts that are just slightly worn.

A lot of cheap monitors actually have very good pictures, including those 17" Pixies that Staples was selling for $70-80 after coupon and rebate a few months ago.