Spend Less When Buying Used Play Equipment

Used playground equipment is in high demand.  Many organizations can’t afford to purchase brand new playground structures and therefore, resort to buying, used, second-hand, or recycled equipment.  Unfortunately, Playgroundequipment.com does not sell or distribute used commercial playground equipment, but we’d love to help bring you closer to the investment you’re looking for.  Inexpensive playground equipment is just a few clicks away.

Why Buy Used?

Used and recycled playground equipment is great for a business with a tight budget.  You can invest some of those valuable dollars elsewhere, knowing your play expenses are handled.

Using recycled materials is also a socially responsible option.  By re-purposing resources that have already been made and used, you avoid creating more plastic from non-renewable resources.  There are plenty of ways to incorporate eco-friendly programs into your playground construction initiative.  In the long run, the planet and its inhabitants may thank you for your sacrifice.

You can find playground equipment for sale all over the web.  Here are just a few possible options.

Where to Buy Used

While you can find used playground equipment for sale on sites like Ebay, Alibaba, Craigslist and Rehabmart, there’s no quality guarantee or warranty on the table when you do business with any of these companies.  

After 10-15 years, used school playground equipment is typically retired to a warehouse of central storing facility, to be recycled, sold, or disposed of.  Contact your local school district to see if they have any used playground slides or swing sets to sell.

Additionally, when a property is repossessed, or acquired by government agencies, the raw materials are sometimes made available through mediums such as govdeals.com.  Sometimes, you’ll be able to find cheap playground equipment for sale on this site, but keep in mind, you won’t always know where this equipment came from or what it’s been through.   

Problems with Used

There are a number of drawbacks to investing in used playground equipment.  As we mentioned before when discussing open online markets, you won’t get a warranty, a quality guarantee,or any packaging that the equipment is intended to be distributed with.  You may find you are missing pieces necessary for safe construction.

If any assembly is required, you will have to figure it out on your own.  Sometimes instructions may be included, but again, this is not a guarantee.  

Used equipment is generally rusted, out of date with current safety codes, or defective.  As a rule of thumb, a discarded used playground slide has usually been discarded for a reason.  The removal process alone can be Just the harmful to the integrity of the posts and decks. Most posts these days are installed in concrete footings, weighing as much as 300-400 pounds per post. This weight can cause the steel to bend slightly and various other problems unseen can occur.

In addition, the integrity of the original assembly hardware is often questionable. Sometime, you’ll get your used playground pieces to discover that all of the hardware needs replacement.

Seek Professional Advice

When purchasing recycled playground equipment, be sure to take photos before you buy. Send them to a certified playground contractor or safety consultant such as PlaygroundEquipment.com. We’ll give you an honest appraisal to help you determine whether the purchase is wise.

Playground equipment evolves on a regular basis. As a result, finding matching components and replacement parts can be a challenge.  Don’t suffer through this grueling process alone.  Call (317) 747-0203 today!

Edited by: Ben Thompson