Should You Buy A Used Hard Drive?

With the cost of high-capacity hard drives skyrocketing, buying a used hard drive might seem like a tempting option. But should you? Hard disk drives (HDDs) remain the most cost-effective choice for expanding storage, despite solid-state drives (SSDs) being faster and more reliable. However, buying a used hard drive comes with a higher risk of data loss since the failure rate of HDDs increases significantly after three years.

Here’s What You Need To Know

Before making a decision, it’s crucial to understand the facts. Hard disk drives are the most cost-effective choice for expanding storage. Enterprise-grade HDDs are built to last, even after years of use. A new consumer-grade 6TB HDD costs $150 or more from a reputable brand or reseller. However, if you want a high-capacity hard drive, it’s going to cost you.

Do these things before you buy a used hard drive

When buying a used drive, the first thing you must do is ensure that it has been recertified or refurbished. These terms usually mean the same thing: that someone restored the drive to full working order and thoroughly tested it before putting it back on the market at a discount. A recertified drive is one the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) restored and retested, while a refurbished drive could have been serviced by third-party sellers as well.

Recertified or Refurbished Drives

Recertified or refurbished drives have been restored to full working order and thoroughly tested. They usually come with a warranty, which provides some guarantee that sellers stand by the product. When purchasing a recertified drive, ensure it’s marked as recertified, factory recertified, or manufacturer recertified. You can trust the drive’s manufacturer to restore it to the point where its performance and reliability are on par with new drives.

S.M.A.R.T. Data

S.M.A.R.T. data provides insights into a drive’s remaining life. Most modern drives have this feature, which can be accessed using a health-checking tool like CrystalDiskInfo. This utility can also be used to check the health of an SSD, even if there are no signs of failure. When buying a used drive, ensure the seller provides you with S.M.A.R.T. data, and verify it yourself using the same tool.

Utilities like CrystalDiskInfo

Utilities like CrystalDiskInfo can be used to check the health of a drive. This includes:

• Health Status: This will indicate if the drive is in good, caution, or bad condition.
• Power On Hours: This will give you an indication of the drive’s mileage.

Paying Attention to Warranty

Ensure the drive comes with a warranty of some kind. Usually, you will get six months to one year, but even if it’s less than that, there should still be some warranty period. Considering these used drives still carry a higher risk of failure, a warranty provides some guarantee that sellers stand by the product. It also means you’re protected from any damage that occurs in transit.

Conclusion

Buying a used hard drive comes with a higher risk of data loss, but it’s not necessarily a bad idea. If you want to use the HDD as secondary storage, with your critical data backed up on a new drive or in the cloud, then buying a used hard drive isn’t necessarily a bad idea. However, if you plan on buying a used hard drive as your system drive or sole backup method, you probably shouldn’t. To minimize the risk, ensure the drive has been recertified or refurbished, comes with a warranty, and provides S.M.A.R.T. data. With proper care, the lifespan of HDDs can be extended to five years, but beyond that, replacing them is a must.