Buying Used Elinchrom Strobes - What Do I Look For Upon Inspection?

I've never owned a set of strobes, but I have a lead on a pair of Elinchrom strobes in a kit that look like they're brand spanking new (and I believe the price to be right), so I don't want to pass them up. Is there anything in particular I should look for when I inspect them? Are there any areas that I should key in on? Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

As long as everything looks cosmetically good, and you plug them in and the wireless triggering, main flash and modeling lamp work, work properly, I cant think of anything else you could test...

Ben, thanks for the explanation. Do strobes typically suffer from loose or broken contacts at the base of the bulbs or anything along those lines? Either this or maybe misfiring once they warm up after a few shots? I know these questions look a little paranoid, but I'm trying to determine what to look for in places where one would not normally think to look, especially someone like myself who is getting into strobes for the first time. I'm trying to cover all of my bases so as not to make a rookie mistake.

PicSniper wrote in post #11669696
Ben, thanks for the explanation. Do strobes typically suffer from loose or broken contacts at the base of the bulbs or anything along those lines? Either this or maybe misfiring once they warm up after a few shots? I know these questions look a little paranoid, but I'm trying to determine what to look for in places where one would not normally think to look, especially someone like myself who is getting into strobes for the first time. I'm trying to cover all of my bases so as not to make a rookie mistake.

Typically you wouldn't see loose or broken contacts at the bulbs unless the thing faceplanted into the ground. As Ben stated you want to check functionality so bring your camera. Try it at different power levels and note if any weird sounds happen when it's recycling. Try putting it on full power and keep triggering it until the fan turns on. And try smelling the strobe to see if you smell anything burnt. I'd also check the mounts as some of them are prone to breaking. Lastly, if you can give it a moderate little shake to see if your hear anything rattling around inside. There shouldn't be any sound.

emitecaps wrote in post #11670341
Typically you wouldn't see loose or broken contacts at the bulbs unless the thing faceplanted into the ground. As Ben stated you want to check functionality so bring your camera. Try it at different power levels and note if any weird sounds happen when it's recycling. Try putting it on full power and keep triggering it until the fan turns on. And try smelling the strobe to see if you smell anything burnt. I'd also check the mounts as some of them are prone to breaking. Lastly, if you can give it a moderate little shake to see if your hear anything rattling around inside. There shouldn't be any sound.

Excellent information!!! Thank you for sharing. I'm scheduled to see the set at 3pm tomorrow, so let's see how this all goes.

Again, thank you both for your insight. I truly appreciate it!