Had to pick between a used spray booth or a new one for my shop

Last month I was setting up my little body shop outside Nashville and had to choose between a used spray booth for $3,500 or a new one for $8,000. The used one was a 10 year old model from a shop that closed down, but it needed new filters and a light bulb. I went with the new one because I didn't want to deal with hidden problems like bad seals or a weak fan. So far it's been solid, painted three jobs with no dust nibs. Has anyone else gambled on used equipment and had it work out?

3 comments

3 Comments

uma_taylor4711d ago

My buddy Greg bought a used 8 foot downdraft booth for his mobile detail gig. It worked great for about six months until the control panel fried and he couldn't find a replacement board anywhere. He ended up spending more on repairs than if he'd just bought new from the start lol.

nora11011d ago

Wait, he couldn't find a replacement board ANYWHERE? That's wild, I would have thought there'd be a generic or aftermarket part for a major brand's booth.

eva_thompson11d ago

Honestly feels like that's kind of a worst case scenario though. Most used booths I've seen around here just need new filters and maybe a belt, not a whole control board dying. Seems like your buddy Greg might have just gotten super unlucky, or maybe he didn't test it enough before buying. A lot of those mobile detail guys are moving stuff around in trucks and vans, things get jostled loose. Not sure I'd write off all used equipment because of one bad story like that.