Is a New Starter Always Better than a Remanufactured Starter?

Heavy Duty Starter Close Up - Is a New Starter Always Better than a Remanufactured Starter?

In theory, there shouldn’t be any objective differences between a remanufactured starter and a new starter. Remanufacturing is a fairly sophisticated process that is designed to restore a malfunctioning or broken component, like an old starter, to the exact same conditions that existed when it first left the factory assembly line. Of course, that doesn’t mean that every remanufactured starter is equal in quality to a brand new unit, and there are also subjective factors like convenience and cost to consider.

The Question of Quality

When you buy a new OEM starter, you know exactly what you’re getting. In most cases, new starters are built to the same specifications as the units that they are designed to replace. In other situations, a new starter may feature design changes that render it more reliable than the original unit. Unfortunately, the same can’t always be said of remanufactured starters.

The quality of a remanufactured starter is highly dependent on the practices of the rebuilder. The basic idea behind remanufacturing a starter is to strip down a broken unit and restore it to the original factory specifications. When this is done correctly, the result is a starter that is indistinguishable from a new unit. If the only thing you’re looking at is quality, then a properly remanufactured starter is just as good as a brand new unit.

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Measuring Convenience and Cost

Although a properly remanufactured starter may be just as good as a new one from the standpoint of quality, remanufactured units do in fact have one major drawback. When you buy a remanufactured unit, you typically have to provide the remanufacturer with the old starter. The old, broken starter is referred to as a core, and you will usually have to pay an additional core charge if you don’t provide it to the manufacturer. Since returning a starter core is somewhat less convenient than simply disposing of the old unit, this is one way that new starters are better than remanufactured ones.

Remanufactured components are typically cheaper than new ones, so cost is another area where new and remanufactured starters differ. Since there are cases where a high quality remanufactured unit can be significantly less expensive than a new one, this is one way that new starters actually aren’t better than remanufactured ones. The price differential can vary from one application to another, but it is worth considering. Of course, this advantage can be wiped out very quickly if you have to pay a core charge, which can happen if the old starter is missing or the housing is cracked.

Since there are so many factors that can determine whether a new starter is better than a comparable remanufactured unit, it’s important to make each comparison on a case by case basis. Depending on whether you are more concerned about convenience or cost, and the quality of the remanufactured unit, a new starter may or may not be subjectively better than a remanufactured one.

If you’d like assistance evaluating your starter options, contact us now.

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