There are several levels of used office furniture, and remanufactured cubicles are at the top. Truly remanufactured cubes are indistinguishable from new. It's an excellent way to save money without sacrificing quality: more than half of the systems furniture market is for remanufactured cubicles.

Generally speaking, the systems furniture food chain starts with very large companies buying systems directly from manufacturers. As they go through layoffs or office moves, they sell the used office furniture back to the manufacturer or to dealers. The dealers turn around and sell the remanufactured cubicles to small and mid-sized companies for as little as half their original cost.

Buying used office furniture isn't like buying a used car - you don't have to choose from what's on the lot. Just like buying new, you'll be able to pick a brand and model of cube and select the fabrics and colors you like. In some cases you'll actually have more choices of fabric and finishes than you would buying new.

To get there, used office furniture - the cubicles and accessories - is completely taken apart and inspected. Metal parts are sanded and painted or powder coated. Fabric is completely replaced and missing parts are supplied. Parts such as pedestals and shelves are often installed brand-new.

Surprisingly, remanufactured cubicles often come with the same warranty they had when they were new - even lifetime warranties, in some cases. Custom remanufacturing jobs like this can often be turned around more quickly than new orders, and cost on average 30% to 50% less than similar new systems. Unless you're buying large lots - around 1,000 cubes or more - remanufactured cubes offer the best combination of quality and price.

On the other end of the scale, more budget-minded businesses can opt for "as-is" cubes from used office furniture dealers. You give up the ability to choose exactly what fabrics you want, but the dealer will still clean the cubes, repair any significant damage, and supply missing pieces. You'll save money this way, especially if you don't particularly care what the cubes look like or even if they match - but you won't get the same type of warranties on these systems, if you get any warranty at all.