An oscilloscope is an electronic instrument that is used to measure voltage of an electronic device. It is mainly used to diagnose the working condition of any electric equipment. It represents one or more electric potential differences in a two-dimensional graph, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis showing voltage. Some oscilloscopes can show even two or more waveforms. There are different kinds of oscilloscopes: analog oscilloscope, digital oscilloscope, digital storage oscilloscope, digital phosphor oscilloscope and digital sampling oscilloscope. Agilent, B+K Precision, EZ Digital, Extech Instruments Corp., Fluke, Instek, International Tools; Technologies, Inc., Iwatsu, Kenwood TMI Corp., LeCroy, Morrow Wave, Tektronix and Yokogawa are some of the popular oscilloscope manufacturers.

Oscilloscopes can be very expensive, depending on their capacities, the make and the brand. Some oscilloscopes which have higher capacities of 4, 6 or 8 GHz are priced at even $95,000 or more. Hence, it is a good option to go for a used or refurbished oscilloscope. Used oscilloscopes that are in good working condition or those that are rebuilt from older oscilloscopes are available for less. Their prices start from $1,950 for a 100 MHz 500 MS/s digital oscilloscope and $4000 for a 500 MHz 1GS/s digital oscilloscope. Prices can vary depending upon the condition of the scope, the brand, the capacities and the warranty options.

Information about used oscilloscopes can be found over the Internet. There are several sites that feature used oscilloscopes. These contain very useful information like the unit dimensions, the capacities, and other valuable data about the product. Furthermore, these can also be ordered online. Some manufacturers also offer limited warranties on used oscilloscopes like 90 days. Used oscilloscopes are also available for lease/rent. This is a very cost effective option. Most manufacturers also offer after-sales service and repair services for used oscilloscopes.