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Second hand Mac Pros

S

snapdragonx

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 31, 2012
141
1
Hey guys,

I'm looking at getting a Mac Pro, probably a 4,1 and putting a 3.33ghz 6-core in it.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with places like www.macofalltrades.com. Is this a legit shop? Is it risky buying second hand Mac Pros like this?

Any other shops that anyone would recommend?

Any info appreciated.
 
I got mine from http://www.isellimac.com, a company based in Ohio that specializes in reselling used Mac hardware. They have a few videos on youtube where they present their showroom so it's definitely a legit business. You can see the selection of products by checking their eBay store (isellimac), that's where I bought mine.
 
snapdragonx said:
Hey guys,

I'm looking at getting a Mac Pro, probably a 4,1 and putting a 3.33ghz 6-core in it.

Just wondering if anyone has had any experience with places like www.macofalltrades.com. Is this a legit shop? Is it risky buying second hand Mac Pros like this?

Any other shops that anyone would recommend?

Any info appreciated.
Click to expand...

I did not buy from MacOfAllTrades, but have heard positive things. They pack the Mac Pro properly in an Apple retail box with the foam blocks. That is important to buy from someone who knows how to package it. These mac pros damage easily in shipping.

Have you looked at OWC? They are very reputable and have been selling 4,1 Mac Pros recently for under $800 with warranty.
 
Also check out Mac Pros on Ebay from companies with excellent ratings that are selling Mac Pros.
 
I bought a 2008 Mac Pro from Mac of All Trades a couple of years ago and actually sold the same machine to them a few months back. They're pleasant to work with and are pretty quick about things. Also take PayPal, so that's kinda nice.
 
I've never dealt with them, but I know they have been around for a while.

Be advised: their 8-core models seem to be very high-priced in today's ebay market. Their quad core model is on sale today for $799, which is not that bad, when compared to ebay prices, and you do get a 90-day warranty.

Hard to put a price on peace of mind!
 
Studio K said:
I did not buy from MacOfAllTrades, but have heard positive things. They pack the Mac Pro properly in an Apple retail box with the foam blocks. That is important to buy from someone who knows how to package it. These mac pros damage easily in shipping.

Have you looked at OWC? They are very reputable and have been selling 4,1 Mac Pros recently for under $800 with warranty.
Click to expand...

My friend bought from MacOfAllTrades and he was satisfied with their services. They are also a member of eBay but seldom post sales there which may mean they can stand on their own or not too dependent on eBay. With OWC, most of their Mac Pros have been sold out when I checked a couple of days ago. Their prices are actually reasonable.
 
Thanks guys. My only concern is.. how much life can I expect to get out of a Mac Pro that's already almost 5 years old?
 
snapdragonx said:
Thanks guys. My only concern is.. how much life can I expect to get out of a Mac Pro that's already almost 5 years old?
Click to expand...

Hi Snapdragonx. I think for the current tower Mac Pro we can get 3-4 more years of usage. I know its technology is old, as long as it gets the job done and brings food on the table, will continue using the current Mac Pro. To upgrade, pricing, stability of the hardware and added expenses is a vital factor. Probably for some users, they may prefer newer hardware, newer computers and others may find it tough to always buy new computers every year.
 
Macsonic said:
Hi Snapdragonx. I think for the current tower Mac Pro we can get 3-4 more years of usage. I know its technology is old, as long as it gets the job done and brings food on the table, will continue using the current Mac Pro. To upgrade, pricing, stability of the hardware and added expenses is a vital factor. Probably for some users, they may prefer newer hardware, newer computers and others may find it tough to always buy new computers every year.
Click to expand...

I was meaning more lifespan of the hardware, in terms of generally how long do the components last before they call it quits and stop working?
 
snapdragonx said:
I was meaning more lifespan of the hardware, in terms of generally how long do the components last before they call it quits and stop working?
Click to expand...

Probably around those same years too, 3-4 years depends on heavy usage and good maintenance. I have a friend who owns a 2.1 2007 Mac Pro and still going strong on its hardware components. No hiccups. I have an old Apple Cinema Display from 2003, the acrylic model, still bright and sharp.
 
snapdragonx said:
Thanks for that, appreciate your tips everyone.
Click to expand...

Welcome Snapdragonx and glad to provide some tips. Just take note if you're shopping at eBay, there are sellers who sell hacked 4.1 Mac Pros but they don't disclose this. Meaning a 4.1 stock Mac Pro firmware converted to 5.1 firmware and the CPU was also upgraded. To some buyers maybe this is acceptable if the price is reasonable or to others this is not acceptable. Just giving you a heads up. With MacOfAllTrades and IsellMac, I think they're reliable and they are upfront of what they are selling. Best way is first to contact the seller and verify the machine they are selling.

Hope you are able to find and get your own Mac Pro soon. They're quiet and stable from my experience. And make use of a UPS and a surge protector. Good Luck! :)
 
snapdragonx said:
I was meaning more lifespan of the hardware, in terms of generally how long do the components last before they call it quits and stop working?
Click to expand...

That's the "problem" with a lot of Apple hardware...if you take care of it, it tends to last really long. When buying second hand, you never know what the original person did with it.

That being said, I have several second hand Lombards and Pismos that simply refuse to die, and that I use with some regularity to this day.
 
I was able to catch a 4.1 Mac Pro quad on ebay for only $599 + $50 shipping. It was packed well and didn't have any damage. They stuck foam blocks to protect the handles, but they ended up leaving residue behind that I had to clean. Small things like that are the cost of saving some money. I'd spend a few minutes cleaning the residue to save $200 though.

The prices from resellers are getting so low that it isn't worth the hassle to try to find a gem on craigslist.
 
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