Once I was thinking about getting a second hand PlayStation to play the exclusives that aren't available on PC. Is it a good idea to get one like that? Not sure how long the console will be alive tho... But after all, if it's used properly it should be able to hold for a few years, right?
Like you mentioned it your original post, it depends on how well it was taken care of before. If the previous owner took good car of their stuff, then yeah, it can last you a while. But if the previous owner didn't take care of it at all, it's not going to last 5 minutes. That's what it all comes down to in my opinion but that can be applied to buying anything second hand.
Depending on how low the price is, and the quality of the console, second hand consoles can be a good deal.
I feel if second hand consoles which are newer model PS4 like a PS4 Pro or PS4 Slim, it will still have many years of life to it.
It is best to buy a used console with a warranty of 30 days or more, and play the console a lot during the first few days of owning it, so you can return it if it breaks before the warranty.
Depends on where you're buying it from. Unfortunately, the pre-owned prices at stores aren't that great compared to the prices of new ones. And then buying pre-owned from individuals is a tiny bit risky