Microsoft Surface Refurbished, Worth Trying?

bargainsteve on 25/02/2024 - 12:54

I was thinking of getting a new Surface for work use, and then I realised even the cheapest Surface is now extremely expensive. Since when is the RRP for a base model that expensive!??

I mainly would use it for coding on Visual Studio, emails, browsing, and a great bonus if it could run 3D modelling, but I understand that would push it into high-spec territory.

I am eyeing some refurbished Surface Pro 5 for $300 or Pro 6 for $400. In lieu of getting the current Pro 9 for $1800…

There are also some dodgy 'brand new' heavily discounted Pro 7 from online-only stores like OzMobiles at $850.

Any thoughts or experience?

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Comments

  • Nillionaire on 25/02/2024 - 13:28
    +1

    There are also some dodgy 'brand new' heavily discounted Pro 7 from online-only stores like OzMobiles at $850.

    I don't know about OzMobiles but I bought a brand new Surface Pro 7+ last year for ~$650 from this deal: https://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/763855

  • Jimothy Wongingtons on 25/02/2024 - 13:29

    Emails and browsing definitely fine if you don’t mind some imperfections

  • AustriaBargain on 25/02/2024 - 13:40

    It's not cheap to make high quality tech. There's a reason why other companies don't just copy Apple's specs and quality and charge 1/4 the price. If you don't have Apple's supply chain, manufacturing and inventory innovations, you probably would need to charge even more than Apple does.

    If I could be sure the battery was fine I'd buy a used Surface Pro. As long as it wasn't the gimped Surface RT or whatever.

  • CyberMurning on 25/02/2024 - 13:45
    +2

    if you search surface pro on the top right box you will see a lot a lot a lot of us getting surface pro 5 for $200 here. happy reading….

  • trustnoone on 25/02/2024 - 13:49
    +1

    Me and a mate bought a surface pro 5 near the same time. We live in different cities though and both of ours the battery ended up expanding large enough to pop the screen off. I checked online and there's quite a few people online who have noted the same. IMO I would definitely not touch the Pro 5 and would go a version or two above them as I think they started making changes to make them safer at that point?
    Not sure if it does 3D modelling though (not sure if you need a good graphics card for it?)

    • KnetD on 26/02/2024 - 01:34

      Last year, my Surface Pro 5 experienced battery expansion issues, leading to screen displacement and the dreaded blue screen of death. When I took it to the Microsoft Store in Sydney for a repair assessment, the consultant promptly involved the store manager. To my surprise, the manager asked me to remove the machine from the store immediately on safety grounds and dispose of it. I explained that I had stored six months' worth of MA research on the SSD and asked if there was any way of retrieving and backing up data but was told NO. I think they felt sorry for me because as a goodwill gesture, I was offered a trade-up to a Surface Pro 7 i7 512GB for $650, which I accepted. However, the replacement device presented arrived in a plain cardboard box, with no option to keep any packaging. It was clear Microsoft was aware of the Surface Pro 5's battery issues, making it wise to avoid it altogether, regardless of any deals offered.

  • Switchblade88 on 25/02/2024 - 15:43
    +1

    Refurb Surfaces can be good value if you know what you're getting - they're terrible for upgrading and repairs so if you treat it like a disposable Chinese no-name device then your expectations will be in line.

    • bargainsteve on 25/02/2024 - 17:39

      if you know what you're getting
      This is the problem though? I can't check the battery health or the conditions other than the one line description that says 'Grade A' 'Grade B'

      • Switchblade88 on 25/02/2024 - 19:05
        +1

        Then you really don't know what you're getting, and you should be paying appropriately i.e.many dollars less.

        If the seller has a good reputation and 12 month warranty, that's different to a no-name private seller with 'no returns' on the listing.

  • bargaino on 25/02/2024 - 17:26

    check how much RAM you need for coding. Surface cannot be upgraded.

  • tanksinatra on 25/02/2024 - 18:21

    The biggest issue with Surfaces is they eventually die from battery failure, and the battery can't be replaced (at least according to Microsoft).

  • samcro on 25/02/2024 - 19:51
    +1

    Yeah, I've bought 2 surface pro 5s refurbished (I dropped the first one). Smashed the screen and it still works. Bought through ACTraders, very happy. Typing this on it now.

  • Repposh on 01/03/2024 - 10:45

    I have a refurb 5. Only use it on short trips when I can't be bothered lugging a full size laptop around. It's small and thin so perfect if you've only got a carry on bag. Battery lasts around 6 hours as long as screen brightness isn't all the way up. If you need to use it longer, the power cord isn't that big. Of course I wouldn't use it all day every day though. For every day you need a proper PC or laptop.

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