Like the old cliche goes, buyer be ware! There is nothing wrong with buying from ebay, just do your homework & all should be fine. I've surveyed everything from remote boundaries, factories, military airfields, Navy & Coastguard ships & everything in between. I love state plane coordinates but for that you either need to traverse to control or use GPS. The right tool for the job comes to mind. You can't beat a rover with a stick on a cleared construction site with thousands of points to deal with but it is pretty worthless under heavy tree cover. Most remote rural boundary surveying doesn't involve a lot of data. Remember, you may find yourself carrying equipment long distances down cut lines & through water. Most surveyors I've talked to that do this kind of work combine GPS with conventional surveying. It's a lot easier than running a traverse 10 miles to a control monument & is great for checking a traverse point in the middle of nowhere. There was an article in POB recently, can't remember the issue but it should be pretty easy to find. The guy is running a one man show & makes some very good observations. Excellent read for anybody starting a new surveying business.
I would like to emphasize, there is surely nothing wrong with taking advantage of a "deal" when you find one but a good dealer/repair guy can be a great asset & save you a lot of money. They are not always easy to find but in my humble opinion, well worth the effort it takes to find them.
For GNSS, I would recommend looking into JAVAD's Triumph 2- Victor LS (as the complete system runs less than a newer used "T" rover with data collector.
Precision-geo-inc, post: 322269, member: 9801 wrote: ....
Final word on used equipment: avoid anything from South East Asian websites ...
Something I've learned here on SurveyorConnect - that if you buy GPS equipment from offshore - even if the seller is perfectly legitimate - it may be "geofenced" and simply will not work in North American latitudes/longitudes.
Norman Oklahoma, post: 322957, member: 9981 wrote: Something I've learned here on SurveyorConnect - that if you buy GPS equipment from offshore - even if the seller is perfectly legitimate - it may be "geofenced" and simply will not work in North American latitudes/longitudes.
Again, it is not a bad idea to check everything with a seller before you buy. These kind of details are very important. On the other hand, you can simply get all serial numbers and contact manufacturer directly. This might save you a lot of money and time. Most manufacturers are able to tell you whether their equipment / software will work in the specific region.
There is no point completely trusting any seller - unless they are legitimate company with outstanding reputation. But then again, seller might not be aware of this kind of issue. You will have to return the equipment and might have to pay for the return postage. Assuming that this seller will accept returns.
Haywood,
I bought a 5800 receiver from ebay member munsoned. It was a great transaction. There were other units on ebay at the time for about $1000 less but I chose what felt right to me. I also bought a Topcon 3000 series from a surveyor from Virginia. That transaction also went well. I got my DC from ebay as well. Some day when I have more income I will by local but for now ebay makes sense to me. I only buy inside the US and only pay with Paypal.
When I became licensed I had the same intention as you, I think. I bought one item at a time and everything is now paid for. I have all of my field equipment paid for but sitting at home collecting dust. It's nice knowing I can jump out there at anytime but I wonder if I pulled the trigger too soon on the big items. I would say it's better to put money aside for the high dollar items so you can get the most technology for your money, at the time you're ready to work.
Good luck!
Personally, I would stay away from Ebay for startup equipment. If you get a bad one starting out, it could really hurt when you don't have much capital.
I started out with a worry free lease from Hayes. You could check with them or Troy Deaton with Deaton's Geo-tronics and buy some used equipment that you know is good, or at least they will stand behind. After you build up a bit, you can look to ebay for some "bargains" when you can afford to mess up a little more, unless you already have a silver spoon, which is unlikely, otherwise you wouldn't be pursuing a career in Surveying! Good luck!
J. T. Strickland, post: 324956, member: 246 wrote: Personally, I would stay away from Ebay for startup equipment. If you get a bad one starting out, it could really hurt when you don't have much capital.
I started out with a worry free lease from Hayes. You could check with them or Troy Deaton with Deaton's Geo-tronics and buy some used equipment that you know is good, or at least they will stand behind. After you build up a bit, you can look to ebay for some "bargains" when you can afford to mess up a little more, unless you already have a silver spoon, which is unlikely, otherwise you wouldn't be pursuing a career in Surveying! Good luck!
Sounds like a very good advice for all startup surveyors.
I've bought quite a bit of equipment on eBay, although for my robot (a Sokkia SRX3), I purchased brand new from Sokkia dealer. Keep in mind that with eBay you have a 30 day guarantee. You might plan on buying and shipping immediately to a dealer for servicing and evaluation (check with eBay in advance to find out if the guarantee still applies if you do this). If the dealer comes up with a problem, send it back to the seller and get your money back. You're only out the cost of a servicing. But, if you wait until after you start using it, you might not have that luxury. If I was on a budget, and know what I know now, I would not hesitate to buy on eBay.
One thing you don't typically get from purchasing on eBay is a LOCAL dealer to service your equipment. My local dealer has been willing to service the equipment I've bought nevertheless.
I would second the recommendation to check out Javad's offerings if you're considering GNSS equipment. I don't have a Javad receiver at this point, but if I had money to spend, I'd lean in that direction.
In my area, a total station will get you considerably more productivity and precision per dollar spent, IMHO. It would be my first investment, if I had to choose. Good luck
Big Al, post: 325065, member: 837 wrote: I've bought quite a bit of equipment on eBay, although for my robot (a Sokkia SRX3), I purchased brand new from Sokkia dealer. Keep in mind that with eBay you have a 30 day guarantee. You might plan on buying and shipping immediately to a dealer for servicing and evaluation (check with eBay in advance to find out if the guarantee still applies if you do this). If the dealer comes up with a problem, send it back to the seller and get your money back. You're only out the cost of a servicing. But, if you wait until after you start using it, you might not have that luxury. If I was on a budget, and know what I know now, I would not hesitate to buy on eBay.
One thing you don't typically get from purchasing on eBay is a LOCAL dealer to service your equipment. My local dealer has been willing to service the equipment I've bought nevertheless.
I would second the recommendation to check out Javad's offerings if you're considering GNSS equipment. I don't have a Javad receiver at this point, but if I had money to spend, I'd lean in that direction.
In my area, a total station will get you considerably more productivity and precision per dollar spent, IMHO. It would be my first investment, if I had to choose. Good luck
"Keep in mind that with eBay you have a 30 day guarantee". That depends on returns policy on second hand surveying equipment (you really need to pay attention in here!). A seller might have "no returns" policy, but normally it does not happen.
I'm not absolutely positive about this, but I have an impression that even if a seller has a "no returns" policy, a buyer who is dissatisfied with the purchase, because the item is not as described, etc. can still return the item to the seller, and get a refund. I believe that eBay will judge whether a return is warranted or not based upon the description of the item in the listing, and their determination will hinge in large part upon the listed condition of the item - new, used, for parts or not working, etc. In the case of buying used equipment on eBay, used means "An item that has been used previously. The item may have some signs of cosmetic wear, but is fully operational and functions as intended. This item may be a floor model or store return that has been used. See the seller's listing for full details and description of any imperfections."
So, if you buy a used item, and find that it is not fully operational and functional, and especially when the seller has not disclosed the imperfection expressly in the listing, you as the buyer can claim that the item was not "as described". I think the buyer has quite a bit of power here, and could potentially even take advantage of the seller. But, overall, having been both a buyer and a seller, I think it is a pretty fair system.
I have also have bought equipment on eBay. I have purchase two robots on eBay without any problem. I bought a Zeiss Elta S20 robot and a Topcon 825a. I purchased my Zeiss from munsoned on eBay with great success. Ships quickly and was honest in his description. Left out a charger when shipped (was not in the listing) shipped the charger separate a couple of days later upon my request without any addition charge.
Harold, post: 322028, member: 4544 wrote: Ya'll say "hello" to my son, Garrett !
We work together on the weekends, and I am being the best mentor I can.
I encouraged him to join this forum. You guys are a great source of information.
I read this forum almost every day, and pick up a new idea, technique, or method each time.
As others have said, we all have learned so much from each other.
Thank you, Wendell and Company for the forum style and maintaining quality memberships!Proud dad, Harold Dendy, PE, PS
Dendy Engineering and Surveying, Inc.
houlka, Chickasaw County, Mississippi
Hello Garrett, are you Haywood? :-S
Ya'll say "hello" to my son, Garrett !
We work together on the weekends, and I am being the best mentor I can.
I encouraged him to join this forum. You guys are a great source of information.
I read this forum almost every day, and pick up a new idea, technique, or method each time.
As others have said, we all have learned so much from each other.
Thank you, Wendell and Company for the forum style and maintaining quality memberships!Proud dad, Harold Dendy, PE, PS
Dendy Engineering and Surveying, Inc.
houlka, Chickasaw County, Mississippi
Hello Garrett, are you Haywood? :-S
Indeed, my name is Garrett aka Haywood
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G920A using Tapatalk
I'd buy a copy of Carlson, a laptop, and a printer, and a nice new Javad, and learn how to make it all sing. Then, I'd add a ATV or UTV. And, an office.
Nate The Surveyor, post: 328277, member: 291 wrote: I'd buy a copy of Carlson, a laptop, and a printer, and a nice new Javad, and learn how to make it all sing. Then, I'd add a ATV or UTV. And, an office.
Do you work for Javad Nate or do you just love your Javad so much that you can't stop singing its praises? Seems like every other post I see from you is talking up Javad. What is it you love so much about it? I've never had my hands on one.
I have been studying alot of things for a long time. I used a GPS only unit for 2 days.
I have only used JAVAD. I had 6 locus units at one time. That was a Ashtech product.
I now have a Legacy E unit. That is a Javad product, with Topcon Label.
I have been in the woods, with other brands, and my unit used to outperform the others, by a considerable margin. I plan to upgrade, to an LS as soon as I knock down a big debt I owe, and get a little extra cash.
And, I have seen the difference. Dr Javad is odd, to an American. But his products are more than a car length ahead.
N
Also a long time JAVAD user/Fan starting with an Legacy/legant, Oddessy and last 8 months Triumph 2/ Triumph LS user. They work so much better than
"Big T's use ours or else attitude", I'll always recommend JAVAD, especially if you look at price/features/field performance.
The Carlson BrX5 GNSS receiver has been catching my eye lately. Hemisphere makes it. Earlier this year, I was quoted a $9000 price for a BrX5 receiver (without data collector). Not a bad price at all for a new network rover with warranty and support.
[USER=9957]@Haywood[/USER]
We are upgrading some equipment and have a few pieces we are getting ready to ebay.
I have a Trimble S3 robot and controller (tsc3)
Trimble R6-3 GNSS
Trimble R8-2 GNSS
A few TSC2 controllers with Trimble software installed without radios.
Drop me a line if you are interested.
