Used Ophthalmic Equipment Basics
There are many distributors of ophthalmic equipment who offer
both new and remanufactured or refurbished machines. Some of the
more common types of remanufactured equipment are slit lamps,
phoropters, chairs and stands. It is typically higher-end
equipment, which are remanufactured or refurbished and offered
for resale. The reason being, that they can be offered at a
substantially reduced price compared to new ophthalmic
equipment, and the distributor still makes a reasonable profit.
However, it is generally unwise to consider purchasing used
surgical equipment, as many procedures require critical,
flawless performance, which used equipment generally does not
offer.
New practitioners that want to keep costs down are typically the
buyers of remanufactured or refurbished equipment. It is not
unusual for these practitioners to purchase more than one piece
of equipment, in an effort to set up a fully equipped
examination lane. It is quite easy to see the cost savings at
this level, and with huge debt to begin with, this is the ideal
way of starting out.
It is important to distinguish between used, refurbished, and
remanufactured equipment. The bottom line is that whether it is
refurbished or remanufactured it's still used equipment and just
like buying a used car, you need to protect yourself. Keeping
this important point in mind, can you get yourself a good deal?
Absolutely! Just do your homework before deciding to purchase
any ophthalmic equipment.
Private individuals who sell their used ophthalmic equipment
usually offer no warranty so you may be stuck if the used piece
of equipment has problems as soon as you set it up in your
office. Calibration may be off, as well as unseen worn parts.
This is the riskiest way to buy used ophthalmic equipment. In
general, unless the equipment is an expensive, high-end machine
that is still it the box and offered for next to nothing, you
should probably stay away from it.
Remanufactured ophthalmic equipment of any type is taken
completely apart, repaired, rebuilt to the manufacturer's
original specifications and then reassembled. The end result is
generally a used machine that is as good as a new one, but
selling for much less. Equipment more than 2 years old are the
usual candidates for remanufacturing. It is not cost-effective
to go through the process for newer machines. This equipment
tends to have a limited warranty.
Refurbished ophthalmic equipment is typically less than 2 years
old, and can be done either by the manufacturer or an ophthalmic
equipment dealer. The machine is cleaned up a bit, and any
broken components are replaced. However, it does not undergo the
same rigorous tear down and rebuild that goes into
remanufactured equipment. As a result, the machine may look a
bit used depending on its original condition.
Remember, when making your decision weigh the final price,
quality of the work, and length of the warranty. All things
being equal, the best choice sometimes turns out to be
manufacturer-refurbished equipment, they offer the longest
warrantee, and a competitive price. If you're willing to invest
a little time doing some research, used ophthalmic instruments
can look, and function just like new.