Used and refurbished equipment suppliers provide used and refurbished equipment and instruments. Some suppliers have personnel and/or equipment for overhauling and rebuilding damaged machinery. Typically, used and refurbished equipment is cleaned, repaired and recalibrated prior to sale. In some cases, used equipment includes a warranty for parts or service. Many different types of used equipment and refurbished equipment are available. Examples include refurbished medical equipment, refurbished office equipment, used network equipment, refurbished semiconductor equipment, used lab equipment, refurbished test equipment, and used ultrasound equipment. Tanks, generators, pumps, compressors, and chillers are typical process equipment that can be purchased used

Used and refurbished equipment ranges from complex medical devices to simple office equipment. Refurbished medical equipment includes CT scanners and MRI scanners. Refurbished lab equipment includes electron microscopes and mass spectrometers. Used and refurbished test equipment includes signal generators, signal analyzers, telecom test equipment, power meters, and electrical test instruments. Refurbished ultrasound equipment includes equipment for full-system diagnostics and repairs, full interior-and-exterior cleaning, and the reseating of all circuit boards. Used network equipment includes equipment such as SSL accelerators, routers, switches, and LAN servers. Refurbished office equipment comprises devices such as fax machines, copiers, scanners, and printers.

Used and refurbished equipment should be thoroughly tested before resale. A physical inspection of the equipment helps to ensure that damage was not sustained during shipping. Refurbished office equipment with minor, repairable damage may simply need new screws or mounting brackets. Used network equipment that does not have intact tamper stickers must be opened and scrutinized. If the main board or other internal components are missing, units should be returned to the seller or completely refurbished by the supplier. Until these diagnostic steps are complete, used and refurbished equipment may not be salable.

Used and refurbished equipment is used in many applications and industries. Some products are suitable for home, office, hospital, or industrial use. Other are designed for information technology (IT) or networking applications. According to some studies, the cost of used and refurbished equipment is generally 30% less than new equipment; however, these cost savings can be erased if machinery experiences frequent downtime and requires expensive repairs.