Eyeball the typical proposal for a modern avionics installation and you might consider scaling the job back to include used avionics. But sourcing the equipment—especially more advanced gear—is challenging and risky. We’ve seen our share of buyers get stung by what initially seemed like a smoking deal, but in the end they paid as much or more than what it would have cost if they bought new stuff.
But that doesn’t mean you can’t save some money on select equipment, especially if you can live with older technology. For no-frills VFR machines, used gear is worth considering. In this article we’ll look at some common used-market buys, but also focus on installation considerations, which could make used purchases anything but a bargain.