A working used bench oscilloscope on eBay runs from about $200 for a 2-channel Tektronix TDS2012 or Agilent 54622D to $3,000-5,000 for a late-model Tek MDO3000 or Keysight DSOX3000 with options installed, based on US listings sampled 28 Sep 2026. Most of the useful market sits between $500 and $2,000. So here is the one-line rule: for most bench work, a roughly 10-year-old 4-channel 100-200 MHz scope from Tektronix, Keysight or Rigol is the sweet spot. The rest of this guide is about paying the right number for one and not ending up with a unit that boots to a black screen.
The short answer: what used scopes cost in 2026
| Tier | Typical asking price (used, working) | Example models |
|---|---|---|
| Legacy CRT and early DSO (2000-2012) | $200-900 | Tek TDS200/TDS1000/TDS2000, Agilent/HP 54600 series, Tek TDS3000 |
| Entry modern (2014 onward, Chinese brands) | $170-550 | Rigol DS1054Z, Siglent SDS1104X-E, SDS1204X-E, Owon, Hantek |
| Mid pro | $500-3,000 | Tek TBS2000/MSO2000B, Keysight DSOX1000/2000, Rigol MSO5000, Tek TDS3054B |
| High-end bench | $2,000-7,500 | Tek MDO3000/MDO4000, Keysight DSOX3000/4000, R&S RTB2000, LeCroy WaveSurfer |
Asking prices from US sellers, sorted by price plus shipping, sampled 28 Sep 2026. Most listings are Best Offer and a 10-20% haircut is normal, so treat these as the ceiling.
On eBay now
New vs used: where the used market actually wins
At the bottom of the market, used often loses. A new Rigol DS1054Z is $349-369 from US dealers. Used ones were listing at $259-425, so you save $50-100 and give up the warranty. The Siglent SDS1104X-E is $499 new; the only US used unit we found was an auction at $168 plus $89 shipping with two hours left.
Now compare a 2007-era Tektronix TDS2024B at $600-900 from US sellers. You get 200 MHz and 4 channels, but also a 2.5k-point record length, a small screen and no serial decode. The DS1054Z at $300 has 24 Mpts of memory, UART/I2C/SPI decode and a bigger display at a quarter of the bandwidth. For most hobby and repair work the Rigol is the better tool, and it is new.
Where used actually wins:
Bandwidth per dollar above 200 MHz. A Tek TDS3054B (500 MHz, 5 GS/s, 4 channels) was listing at $800-1,300. New 500 MHz 4-channel scopes cost a multiple of that.
Mixed signal. An Agilent 54622D (2 analog plus 16 digital) was $220-600. A Tek MSO2024B (4+16, 200 MHz) had one auction at $525 and dealer listings at $1,800-2,700. Logic channels on a new scope are a paid option.
Options already unlocked. A used Keysight DSO-X 2024A listed with MASK, BW20, EDK, WAVEGEN, VID and DVM at $3,450 carries licences worth more than the gap from the bare $1,880 unit.
What drives the price
Bandwidth. The biggest lever. A TDS2012 (100 MHz, 2 ch) was $330-400; the TDS2024 family (200 MHz, 4 ch) was $440-900.
Channels. Four cost more than two, but the gap is small on old gear. A TDS2014 with 4 probes listed at $385, barely above a 2-channel TDS2012.
Sample rate and memory depth. Underpriced on the used market. A 2.5k record (TDS2000 series) cannot zoom into a long capture; a DS1054Z has 24 Mpts and an MSO2024B has 1 Mpt. Two scopes with the same bandwidth are not equivalent.
Options and licences. On Keysight InfiniiVision and Tek MDO/MSO units, look for option codes in the title or a photo of the About screen. MDO3MSO and MDO3AFG pushed one MDO3024 listing to $5,500 against $3,000 bare.
Probes. The probe math: a set of four decent 200 MHz passive probes runs $100 or more used, and OEM probes (Tek TPP0250, Keysight N2843A) cost more. In the sample, listings with probes were rarely more than $30 above listings without, so the one with probes is usually the better deal.
Calibration status. A current accredited cal cert adds $100-300 to the asking price, which is less than the $348-425 an accredited lab charges to calibrate a scope up to 1 GHz.
Cosmetics, screen and seller type. CRT burn, dead pixels, a dim backlight and cracked encoders all knock the price down and should. Surplus dealers ask more and offer returns; individuals ask less and usually offer nothing.
Price bands by model
Asking prices from eBay, condition Used, sorted by price plus shipping, sampled 28 Sep 2026, US sellers unless noted. Specs are from manufacturer or dealer datasheets.
| Model | Typical asking range (sampled 28 Sep 2026) | What you get | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| tektronix tds2024c on eBay | $450-650 plus $10-150 shipping; no US used units, all China-based sellers | 200 MHz, 4 ch, 2 GS/s, 2.5k record, USB | Import fees, weak returns. US TDS2024B units were $600-900 |
| tektronix tds2012 on eBay | $330-655 (TDS2012/2012B); TDS2012C $400-1,150 | 100 MHz, 2 ch, 1 GS/s (2 GS/s on C), 2.5k record | Every TDS2000 has a colour LCD; the mono-screen twin is the TDS1012. Some dealers ask $1,750 for a C |
| tektronix tds3054b on eBay | $800-1,300 typical; $2,700-5,000 from dealers with probes and cal | 500 MHz, 4 ch, 5 GS/s, 10k record, DPO, Ethernet | LCD wear, SPC/self-test result, missing FFT or TRG modules |
| tektronix tbs1102b on eBay | $319 (single US listing); TBS1052B/1072B siblings $300-450 | 100 MHz, 2 ch, 2 GS/s, 7-inch display | Thin market. EDU variants are the same hardware |
| tektronix mdo3024 on eBay | $3,000-4,000 bare; $5,500 with MDO3MSO and MDO3AFG | 200 MHz, 4 ch, 2.5 GS/s, 10M record, RF input | Bandwidth is licence-upgradable; check the installed code |
| tektronix mso2024b on eBay | $525 (auction) to $1,800-2,700 (dealers) | 200 MHz, 4+16 ch, 1 GS/s per channel, 1M record | Missing P6316 logic probe set makes the 16 digital channels useless |
| keysight dsox2024a on eBay | $1,880-3,450 | 200 MHz, 4 ch, 2 GSa/s, LAN/VGA | The $3,450 unit had six licences installed. Confirm options in the About screen |
| keysight dsox1204g on eBay | $1,000-1,195 US; $1,000-1,500 overseas | 70 MHz base (100/200 MHz upgradable), 4 ch, 2 GSa/s, 2 Mpts, built-in 20 MHz wavegen | New list is $1,885, so savings are modest. One listing claimed 200 MHz; verify |
| agilent 54622d on eBay | $220-600 | 100 MHz, 2+16 ch, 200 MSa/s, MegaZoom | The $220 unit had $120 shipping; $479-600 units came with all probes. Low sample rate |
| rigol ds1054z on eBay | $259-425 | 50 MHz, 4 ch, 1 GSa/s, 24 Mpts, serial decode | New is $349-369. Above $300 without probes is not a deal |
| rigol mso5074 on eBay | No used MSO5074 listed on the sample date. Sibling MSO5104 was $800 (US); an MSO5072 unlocked to 350 MHz was $1,500 overseas. New list is $999 | 70 MHz base (upgradable to 350 MHz), 4 ch, 8 GSa/s, 100 Mpts | Fan noise. The bandwidth unlock state is the whole value |
| siglent sds1104x-e on eBay | $168 plus $89 shipping (one US auction, 9 bids); SDS1204X-E $530 | 100 MHz, 4 ch, 1 GSa/s, 14 Mpts | Thin used market because new is $499 |
| siglent sds2104x plus on eBay | No US used units on the sample date. One overseas listing at $1,899, already unlocked to 500 MHz | 100 MHz base, 4 ch, 2 GSa/s, 200 Mpts, touch | Rarely shows up used in the US |
| lecroy wavesurfer on eBay | $375 (42XS auction) to $2,000 (64Xs, 600 MHz); 424/452 calibrated $900-1,300 | 200-600 MHz by model, 2 GS/s, Windows-based | Failing hard drives. "Only 3 channels work" appeared in one title at $1,750 |
| rohde schwarz rtb2004 on eBay | $2,480-2,800 (Germany and China sellers only) | 70 MHz base (upgradable to 300 MHz), 4 ch, 2.5 GSa/s, 10-bit ADC, 10 Mpts per channel | Import fees. "300 MHz" in a title is a licence, not hardware |
The calibration question for scopes
Calibration on a digital scope checks three things: vertical gain and offset on each channel, the timebase, and trigger sensitivity. A lab compares readings against a calibrator with known output and passes, adjusts or fails the unit. The sticker records the last time that happened, and on a used unit that date is almost always in the past, which is where this site got its name.
For a hobby or repair bench it matters less than the listing price suggests. An 8-bit scope resolves 1 part in 256 on the vertical axis, so a 2% gain error will not show in a ripple measurement, and the timebase on any crystal-referenced DSO is stable well below what the display can show. What matters is that the scope is not broken, and a cal cert proves that better than anything else.
For a lab that reports measurements to a customer, an ISO/IEC 17025 certificate is the requirement. Most US labs that publish prices charge $220-450 for a scope up to 1 GHz and $405-805 above that, with as-found and as-left data adding 30-60% and an accredited certificate with uncertainties adding 25-80% over the no-data price (checked 28 Oct 2026; every published price is in what calibration costs, by instrument). Labs price by bandwidth class, not by what the scope is worth, so on a $300 scope the calibration can cost more than the scope. When a seller wants $300 extra for a "calibrated" unit with a recent cert from a named lab, you are paying about what a lab would charge you, without choosing the lab.
The sanity check for a scope you just bought: connect a probe to the probe comp output (typically 1 kHz at a few volts; the panel is labelled) and confirm a clean square wave at the marked amplitude and frequency. Trim the probe until the corners are square. Then put a known DC reference on each channel, a fresh battery or a bench supply you trust, and check every vertical range you use. If all channels agree within a few percent, the scope is fine for bench work. If one is off, you found it before the return window closed.
We go deeper on what an expired sticker does and does not mean in what "out of cal" actually means.
What to check before you bid
- Power-on self test passes. "Passes SPC/self test" in a TDS3054B title is why that unit sat at $800 with confidence. "Powers on, untested" means untested.
- Every channel shows a trace. Ask for a photo of all channels on the probe comp signal.
- Screen. CRT burn on TDS3000 and older, dead pixels and dim backlight on TDS2000/TBS1000, touch response on RTB2000 and MDO3000.
- Encoders and buttons. Old Tek rotary encoders skip. Ask if all knobs track both ways.
- Probe comp square wave photo. Rounded or overshooting corners with a trimmed probe point to a front-end fault.
- Options listed. For Keysight InfiniiVision and Tek MDO/MSO, ask for a photo of the About or Options screen. Codes in the title without a photo are a claim.
- Firmware version. Late firmware fixes bugs and sometimes unlocks features.
- Fans. A loud fan on a Rigol MSO5000 is normal. A fan that does not spin on a Tek is a thermal failure waiting to happen.
- Calibration date and lab. An accredited cert from the last 12 months is worth about $350-425, what an accredited lab would charge you for a scope up to 1 GHz. A sticker from 2011 is decoration.
- Return policy. Free returns on a $600 scope are worth more than a $50 discount. Overseas TDS2024C sellers mostly offered none.
- Packaging. CRT-era scopes (TDS3000, 54600 series, WaveSurfer) are heavy and fragile. Double-boxed is the answer you want.
- What is missing. Probes, power cord, logic probe set (P6316 on MSO2000B), manuals, front cover. Price the gaps before you bid.
Where the deals are
Surplus dealers. Feedback in the thousands, 30-day returns, and asking prices $200-500 above individuals. If you want a scope that works on arrival, pay their price and offer 15% under it.
Individuals. Lower prices and no returns. The $525 MSO2024B was a Goodwill auction, which is where estate and lab clearouts land.
University and lab liquidations. Auctions from surplus sellers starting at $50-100 with heavy shipping. A TDS784C (1 GHz, 4 ch) was at $71 with six bids and two days left. They go for less than dealers ask, but nobody plugged it in.
"For parts or not working" that is actually fine. A TDS220 at $90-100 with free shipping and "for parts" in the title is usually a scope someone did not want to test. Below $100 on a simple DSO the gamble pays often enough. On Windows-based LeCroy or Infiniium units, a dead hard drive is a $300 problem, so it almost never does.
Auction timing. Weekday-afternoon endings draw fewer bidders than Sunday evenings. Set a max and let it go.
Overseas sellers. The TDS2024C market has moved to China-based sellers at $440-660 plus shipping and import fees. Feedback is often high, but returns are a shipping-cost problem. For $600, a US TDS2024B with free returns is the safer buy.
FAQ
Is a used Tektronix TDS2024 still worth buying in 2026? At $600-900 for a US TDS2024B or $450-650 for an overseas TDS2024C, only if you specifically need 200 MHz on four channels and trust Tek's build. For everything else, a new Rigol DS1054Z at $349-369 has far more memory, serial decode and a bigger screen. The TDS2000 series was a great scope in 2010, and its 2.5k record length is the reason it is not one now.
How much bandwidth do I actually need? The old rule is five times the highest frequency you want to measure accurately, or three times if you only need to see that it is there. 100 MHz covers audio, power supplies, most microcontroller work and slower serial buses; 200 MHz handles fast edges on modern logic; 500 MHz is for anything RF-adjacent. If you are not sure, 100-200 MHz and four channels is the answer.
Should I buy a scope without probes? Only if the price reflects it. A set of four decent 200 MHz passive probes costs $100 or more used, and OEM probes cost more. In the sample, listings with probes were rarely more than $30 above listings without, so the one with probes is usually the better deal. Confirm the probes match the scope's input and compensation range.
What does calibration cost for a used oscilloscope? Most US labs that publish prices charge $220-450 for a scope up to 1 GHz and $405-805 above that, and an accredited ISO/IEC 17025 certificate with data and uncertainties costs 25-80% more than the no-data price. Labs price by bandwidth class, not by value, so on a $300 scope the calibration can cost more than the scope. If you need a cert for work, budget for it separately and choose the lab. If you do not, the probe-comp and known-reference check in this guide is enough.
Are "for parts or not working" scopes worth the gamble? Below $100 on a simple DSO from a seller with good feedback, yes, because many are untested rather than dead and the fix is often a power supply capacitor. On anything Windows-based (LeCroy WaveSurfer, Agilent Infiniium) or over $300, no. A dead hard drive or a bad acquisition board turns a bargain into a parts donor, and you will not know which until it arrives.
Every price here will drift. The scope you want passes self test, shows four clean traces and comes back if it does not. Use the checklist, make the offer, and check the prices again before you bid.
On eBay now
