I was looking to buy a certain pj and found a good price, but found out it was a factory reburbished unit. Any experiences or suggestions when it comes to these? The seller says it carries a full warranty from the manufacturer. It's a pretty recent model.

Thanks!

not on PJ. PJs are a very...fickle technology. Many things can go wrong and if it hasnt been treated right, things can go VERY wrong. there's a lot of tech packed into a very small space.

also, with prices at a record low for HD projectors, why not buy new?

I've bought 2 reburb pj with no problems at all. I paid less than half the value of a new unit. I used each one a full year and then sold them a year later for more than I paid originally.

Just make sure you get a warranty and understand the return policy. Also, ask if the lamp is new or used. (Both of my pj's came with new lamps)

Already did. My second digital, a 4805, was a refurb at Staples a while back and it cost mabout $500.

I bought a refurb iMac. I would only if it was truly refurbished by the original manufacturer, packaged and warranted by them. Then you will probably have better luck than a new one. I would stay away from open box deals.

I've had excellent luck with factory refurbs. I would be somewhat leery of projectors because of the bulb. But if it was a true factory refurb, I'd go for it.

Jim

Thanks guys. It's great to hear first hand experiences instead of assumptions, because just the word refurbished can scare a lot of people away. I'll make sure it's a true manufacture refurb and go from there.

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I would stay away from open box deals.


Why?
There are a few legitimate eCommerce companies who will open up new projector boxes for a "shootout" or just to test how the unit functions.

Why would you not want to take a (in some cases I've seen) 10-20% discount on a brand new unit with full warranty (and rebate available in most cases) just because an industry professional turned on a unit for a couple hours?

I'll use a "neutral" source for example. ProjectorCentral opens up an AX100U for their projector review. They run it for 6 hours. What then? Sell it as an open box!
Why would I be afraid of the guys at ProjectorCentral running my unit for 6 hours?
If nothing else, I know what I receive will be working flawlessly!

I can see treading lightly in the area, but to stay away altogether is a bad idea IMO. There are some great open box deals out there.

I bought 2 factory refurbs a year apart from ubid....both zero hrs on the bulbs and both looked brand new and both backed by factory warranty. No problems at all. If the savings are significant, I would go for it.