6 Mistakes People Make When Buying Used Toughbooks
Posted by Ed Lasher on 6th Jan 2016
Updated January 1/10/2025
1. Basing Purchasing Decisions On Who Has The Lowest Price
Shopping around for the lowest price makes sense if purchasing a new product. You can be sure your item will be in perfect condition and feature manufacturer warranties. But, with refurbished rugged computers, there’s no guarantee that every refurbisher provides the same quality product. Research for reviews and testimonials to see how their customers have received their product, what kind of compliments they give, and what kind of problems they have.
other important aspect to consider is the types of warranties they offer. Check if they sell a warranty with the rugged computer or if one is provided with your purchase. While finding a great refurbished Toughbook at a great price (ahem) is possible, any amount of money is too much to spend on a laptop that doesn’t work correctly. You should spend the extra money on a computer you know will work and for proper customer service, it’ll be worth it in the end.
2. Getting Fooled By "Special Edition" Toughbooks
One of the popular “special edition” laptops we have seen is the black edition of Toughbooks. All these companies do is remove the rear screen bezel on laptops like the CF-19 and CF-31 and paint them black. They also stick on a custom “bone” with some adhesive that says “Toughbook” and “Black Cobra.” That’s what they charge more for and is the only difference between “regular” Panasonic Toughbook models.
hopping for a Toughbook for harsh environments makes these aesthetically pleasing add-ons pointless. Spend the extra money towards a more durable unit or processing power, and avoid cosmetics.
3. Buying a Toughbook With A BIOS Password
The uses for a pre-owned Panasonic Toughbook with a BIOS password:
- Doorstop
- Paperweight
- Dancefloor for Barbie® dolls
You may have noticed that nothing on that list has anything to do with computing. Well, that is because the only person that can use the laptop is the person that knows the password. So, if you bought it and didn’t get the password from the seller, you aren't getting anywhere with that Toughbook. Unless it's an old model from the '90s, your chance of resetting the password with any old methods (removing the CMOS battery, for example) is zero. Good luck finding a 30-year-old laptop that can properly run today's operating systems.
When in doubt, ask the seller if there's a BIOS password. If they say yes, please refer to the above list. Ask them if they know the password, and if they say no, walk away and don't look back. All you would be doing is inheriting their problems with that laptop. The only solution that may be possible is to send the Toughbook to Panasonic—and only Panasonic—to have the password reset, but it'll cost a fortune. The idea behind shopping for a refurbished laptop is to save money, and if you’re willing to pay Panasonic for the BIOS password reset, you might as well buy a new rugged computer.
4. Wasting Money On Unnecessary Upgrades:
Maybe you don’t need that rubber keyboard, but it looks too cool to pass up. Stop what you are doing now and listen for the collective groan from everyone who has dealt with an unnecessary rubber keyboard. Those things are not pleasant to use because they feel mushy and unresponsive. But— they are incredibly resistant to liquid ingress, making them ideal if you are on a boat or in an auto shop with motor oil all over your hands. You won’t need the rubber keyboard if your laptop is mounted inside a vehicle or spends most of its life on a desk. Think about how much liquid your computer will be around and decide whether or not you need a rubber keyboard based on that. You should think about every upgrade option with this same mentality.
5. Overlooking Necessary Upgrades
I know. I was just telling you you should avoid unnecessary upgrades. However, the word “upgrade” only applies to a few sellers out there. Buying a Toughbook from bobjohnson.com will come with all the basics, ready to use straight out of the box. All our computers come with specifications geared towards today’s standards. Calling in and ordering one of our rugged computers over the phone allows us to ask questions to ensure you get the unit for your needs.
Other refurbishers take custom configuration to the next level, meaning you have to opt for essentials like an operating system, a hard drive, memory, etc. For example, most of our competitors still sell Toughbooks that come standard with an HDD and 4 GB of RAM. The average laptop needs an SSD and at least 8 GB of RAM. Don’t fall for their lower prices and “upgrade” options. Without those key components, your Toughbook is just an expensive brick.
Even with a turn-key unit, you’ll want to make sure it has all the features you need. Sure, you might be able to take care of those upgrades later, but if you select those options at the time of purchase, we’ll handle all the installations to guarantee your laptop sings.
6. Shopping On eBay
OK, so this isn’t necessarily a mistake, but you have to be very, very careful. If a deal looks too good to be true, the odds are that it is.
Sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether that Toughbook you are looking at comes with everything it is supposed to. For example, it could be missing a hard drive caddy or an operating system or even be locked behind a BIOS password, as mentioned earlier. The most important details are often in the smallest typeface, mentioned in passing, and easily overlooked. Getting an almost-complete Toughbook up to working order can be an expensive, time-consuming hassle. In some cases, it’s impossible.
Are Refurbished Toughbooks Worth It?
When buying a rugged laptop, you must remember that you are buying it for your working environment. So, if you’re buying a laptop that you know will be used and abused in the workplace, why would you want to spend the money on a brand new, shiny laptop that will only get scratched, dinged, and dented at work?
Buying a refurbished model with a few scratches would make a lot more sense. Especially since, in most cases, they are just about a third of the price. Just look at the CF-31 when they came out. According to PCmag’s review of the CF-31 in 2019, the MK6 CF-31 started at just under $3,700 when it came out. Now, you can get a CF-31 from BJCS for as little as $499.27 or $1,199.99 for an MK5 Extreme that comes with almost every upgrade option available. These two examples from our catalog are just the lowest and the highest priced. Here’s our entire list of available CF-31 Toughbooks.
Need Some Help Picking The Right Rugged Computer??
We can help! Submit a selection assistance request, and we'll get one of our expert technicians to pick the right rugged computer for you. The form consists of questions about the uses you need and the environment that you will be working in. Once you complete the form, we will respond in at least 1-2 business days.
Shop Risk-Free At Bob Johnson’s
Every refurbished laptop we sell comes standard with our industry-leading Limited Lifetime Warranty, so you'll never have to worry about it breaking down. You can extend that warranty up to three years with your purchase. Extending the warranty would make it so that you’d only have to pay for parts if anything were to go wrong with your computer. We waive the $125 repair fee for anyone with our warranty!