# Buying PLCs on ebay **URL:** \ **Category:** Archived Topics\ **Created:** [April 5, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72 "2006-04-05T18:56:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![clark](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/clark/32/2_2.png) [@clark](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/clark)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/1 "2006-04-05T18:56:27Z")
Has anyone actually bought PLCs or I/O cards on ebay? They are definately cheap. Did you get working equipment? ---
**Author:** ![jeff\_anderson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@jeff\_anderson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jeff_anderson)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2006, 9:11pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/2 "2006-04-05T21:11:55Z")
I bought a 1785-ENET module for a PLC 5 on ebay for about $450. It worked great! I also picked up an ethernet SLC 5/05 on the cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Pierre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d07c76/32.png) [@Pierre](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Pierre)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 5:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/3 "2006-04-14T17:33:08Z")
> [@clark](#): > > Has anyone actually bought PLCs or I/O cards on ebay? They are definately cheap. Did you get working equipment? I know of big OEM companies who purchase all they can on eBay 'cause they save a lot of money doing this. ---
**Author:** ![robinbilliards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@robinbilliards](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/robinbilliards)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2010, 6:38am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/4 "2010-07-16T06:38:09Z")
I have a older Omron plc you can have for $100.00 CDN, can’t remember the model number but it has about 24 inputs and 12 outputs “shoebox” type. I do not have the software or cable for programming the unit, but I’m sure you can buy that somewhere. I’m in Kitchener. ---
**Author:** ![JSteury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@JSteury](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/JSteury)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2013, 1:28am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/5 "2013-12-31T01:28:46Z")
I’ve build 8 or more complete control systems for the biotechnology industry (fermentation of rhizobial inoculants) using SLC 5/04 and 5/05 controllers. Some systems used classical PanelView, others used older Automation Direct color touchscreens. I use a lot of Flex I/O modules as well, they are cheaper (at least as far as analog) than some of the rack-mounted cards, plus once I perfected the RIO / block transfer programming, they were virtually bulletproof. As far as reliability, I found no difference between used and new, almost everything worked perfectly. The only problem is the legacy PanelViews. The older Panelview 900s are losing pixels, and if any of the PanelView 1000s need replacing, they will be expensive (remanufactured from A/B). One of my clients is having me replace them with industrial panel PCs running Ignition, we are looking at Maple Systems 15" units if they will fit in the cabinets. Another project will utilize used 5/05s, but for an OIT, I’m using a Hope Industrial touchscreen monitor and industrial PC running Ignition. No PanelView Plus, after two projects having to program with FactoryTalk ME, never again! ---
**Author:** ![witman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d2c977/32.png) [@witman](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/witman)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/6 "2014-04-11T19:10:53Z")
Yes and yes. CompactLogix and ControlLogix PLCs. We bought used and new I/O from a local supplier just to get it all in one place, but the savings on the PLCs were hard to pass up. No issues with the ones we got, except for dead batteries (had not been disconnected in storage). ---
**Author:** ![jacobperryy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@jacobperryy](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/jacobperryy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2014, 7:53am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/buying-plcs-on-ebay/72/7 "2014-08-11T07:53:37Z")
ebay should be ok. Since the payment is made through PayPal, they seller will have big trouble if what he sells doesn’t work right.