Automated Fixtures Should i buy a used moving light

[Johnparmalee]

The dilemma is, there is only so much in the budget. I am looking at the moving head fixtures we can afford and am afraid you won't be able to tell they are lit. Especially with some deep saturated colors. On the other hand I see some used 2000- 2500's used that I think will light thing up pretty well.
The question is what have your experiences been with used moving light, probably out of the rental market?

 

[avkid]

Everything depends on the former owner.
Some people take care of their gear and some don't.

 

[rochem]

Avkid is exactly right. If you're buying from a respected rental shop, I think you'll have a much better chance at getting a good, reliable unit. Also take a look at the Gafftaper Method, and consider that renting on a per-show basis might be a better option - if a unit ever fails, the shop will provide a replacement right away at no cost whatsoever. And you don't need to deal with buying expensive replacement lamps and maintaining the fixture.

 

[mstaylor]

Before you figure new or old, what are you trying to do. What type of shows, frequency of shows, size of venue and current inventory. Also what board do you have, do you have a mover friendly board?

 

[chausman]

Well, just because someone else used the light doesn't mean it can't be used for anything or anyone else. And, if you can find a light that hasn't been too beat up, and it will do what you want it to do, go ahead.

 

[Tex]

rochem and mstaylor have given you some very sound advice. Don't underestimate the cost of maintenance (a lamp for a Studio Spot/Color is $200) or the importance of good control. If you have an ETC Express or equivalent, programming will be frustrating to say the least!
If a moving light is something you will use frequently, it may make sense to buy. If not, rent them when you need them.

 

[rsmentele]

I second the aformentioned comment on maintenance. There always seems to be something to replace on our moving heads; sensors, lamps, ballasts, motors. Not to mention, depending on the 'cleanliness' of your space, breaking down the lights completely and cleaning them. Not to scare you away, but please take that cost into concideration too!

 

[Anvilx]

Should you buy a used car. I don't know what sort of mechanical skills do you have, who owned it, how many miles does it have, does it have meticulous service records, does it have visible rust (check the nooks and crannies like the license plate light area), has the engine ever rebuilt, how often was the oil changed, is this the original owner, how long have they owned this car, has it been repainted, has it been garaged, how often was it cleaned and waxed, is the carpet stained, is the dash board cracked, is the interior wet, do the locks all function, does the seat recline fully, are the tires in good condition, do the vin numbers match, can you test drive it, do the lights on the instrument panel work, do the gauges work,does the defroster work, do the wipers and wiper fluid work, do the lights work, can you hear the belts, does the engine run normally, is it hard to shift gears, does the ac work, do you hear sounds when you turn the wheel?

If the owner is a little old lady who only drove it to the grocery store and it has lowish mileage, go for it.

 

[rochem]

Fantastic analogy!

If the owner is a little old lady who only drove it to the grocery store and it has lowish mileage, go for it.

I bought my current car three years ago from a little old lady who drove it back and forth to church once a week and that was it. It's an '85 and I got it with 30,000 miles on it. Best investment I've ever made.

 

[shiben]

Fantastic analogy!



I bought my current car three years ago from a little old lady who drove it back and forth to church once a week and that was it. It's an '85 and I got it with 30,000 miles on it. Best investment I've ever made.

Thats the way to get cars! Also, I doubt that you will find MLs as well maintained but not heavily beat up.

 

[Esoteric]

Also good regular maintenance can make up for a lot of things. My units (OLD Coemar 250's and HES Technobeams) look and function like they are brand new, even though they are very high mileage.

 

[kicknargel]

Good advice so far. A bit from personal experience: one theatre I work at bought 24 used Studio Spots and Colors from a rental shop. So these are what? 10 years old? I'd say we're servicing 1-2 per month, with a $50-$100 part (and about the same in labor if you're not doing it yourself).

 

[Johnparmalee]

Guys, Thanks for lot's of thoughts. In the past I have purchased many items in a many applications beyond the stage even, some from dealers and some from people I know. No problem understanding the dynamics here. Also the board will be an ION for Sunday church services to provide extra key light, to provide gobo and color for the backdrop and to light speakers and singers that want to be off the stage. And yes I understand that movers need to be maintained.

What I would really like to hear is someone say I bought ___ movers from ____ and had this kind of experience ________.
John

 

[sk8rsdad]

I bought 2 Roboscan 918s from eBay and 2 Roboscans 918s via Solaris about 4 years ago. One of the 2 Solaris units was DOA with a bad driver chip and wiring harness but they were quick to contact the vendor and rectify the problem. By quick, I mean they put me in contact with the vendor's maintenance tech who helped confirm my diagnosis, and the replacement parts arrived next day. The 2 units from Solaris had obviously been rental units that were clean and well-maintained.

The 2 units from eBay were pretty dirty. If I had to guess they were used in a bar or with a hazer for many years and hadn't seen any significant maintenance in their life. One had a hand-cut back-silvered mirror that needed to be replaced and also a wiring harness problem. No big deal to fix. A few hours of elbow grease and the units have been running just fine for 4 years. Being older units, they don't have the punch of modern fixtures.

 

[TimMiller]

I have bought tons of used lights on gear source that came from prg. The lights appeared to be very well taken care of and I have had little to no problems. I think I had to replace a power supply in one but that was it. I have had good luck with everything I purchased except for a chiller unit but they took care of it. I highered a repair man (a freon line broke) and sent them the bill and they reinbursed me.