Buying refurbished seems like a smart way to save money if you buy from the right place. I'm planning to buy a refurbished Wii U straight from Nintendo for $200 ($300 original) and have only read positive feedback with buyers saying it's identical to a new system. The only downside for me is psychological, wondering how much it's been touched and handled, but I guess it's worth the price. In the future I plan to save money on other electronics by buying them refurbished.
I've had great experiences buying refurbished laptops and iPods in the past, but I've never bought a refurbished console. Not that I wouldn't, I just haven't bought a new console in quite a while. I actually plan on buying a refurbished 3DS from Nintendo once I have the money.
I bought plenty of refurbished/used consoles online or from the flea market and I never had a problem. If you buy the later models from a generation they are usually more durable than the first ones manufactured - this is why I always ask for the series when making a purchase. So yeah, I agree with you, there's good money to be saved on consoles by buying used when you're in need of a replacement or a backup.
I have purchased refurbished computers and need to get one right now, I was looking at new but refurbished will do for now.
