
I bought three plotters yesterday...one on auction and two from a guy who is no longer doing side jobs that require blueprints and floor plans. The guy told me that he'd bought these machines from another refurbisher, so he was sure they were in great shape. I checked quickly and saw they both had new carriage belts so I was pleased to think I wouldn't have as much work as I normally do. Once home and in much better light, I saw that there had been a serious ink spill in the one machine and the other had belt crumbs everywhere. I removed the covers and was amazed at what I saw. These machines had NOT been refurbished, they had only had their belts replaced. Refurbishing means stripping the machine covers, cleaning the inside of the machine, lubricating the rails, changing the belt if necessary, and running the standard tests and calibrations for that model. If these things aren't done, then the plotter has NOT been refurbished. So, when you are looking for a plotter, open the window, use a flashlight and look to see if there is dust, dirt, ink and/or debris under the cover. If there is, you aren't getting a refurbished machine.