butterflywing

get in direct touch with the manufacturer you like. they all take back models as trade-ins, and will tell you where and how to find/see reconditioned ones with their tech help and support. depending on who has them (what dealer) you can even get lessons if the owner wants to make the sale. if you buy on your own, you're on your own. a LQS may or may not give good backup on a used model, and it may not be reconditioned, just cleaned up.

check out everything in advance, so you know what your must-haves are. on a used one, you won't have as many choices as brand new customized. decide in advance what you can really live without. keep in mind that the trade-ins were traded in for something more than what these were, so these machines are likely to be kind of basic with maybe one or two optional goodies. people who have longarms that do a lot, tend not to trade them in unless they are professionals and need a more professional machine.