Wow, that 300% price hike on legacy servo drives is brutal! I completely understand your dilemma - it's like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Let me break down both options from a purchasing director's perspective.

For in-house refurbishment, you're looking at initial setup costs for tools, test equipment, and training your team. The global servo motor repair market is booming (projected to reach $4.2 billion by 2033), so there's definitely value there. However, the hidden costs include: specialized technician training, potential downtime during the learning curve, quality control risks, and the fact that you're still tied to obsolete technology that will eventually become unsupportable.

For a complete system overhaul, the upfront cost is obviously higher, but modern vector and servo drives offer significant operational savings through reduced energy consumption, better performance, and easier maintenance. The hidden costs of sticking with legacy systems include: skyrocketing maintenance expenses, increased downtime, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, compatibility issues with newer equipment, and the opportunity cost of not having modern features that could improve your production efficiency.

My recommendation? Consider a phased approach. Start with a cost-benefit analysis comparing 3-5 years of refurbishment costs (including all those hidden expenses) versus the total cost of ownership of new systems. Look at whether you can upgrade critical areas first while maintaining refurbishment capabilities for less critical applications. The 300% price hike is a clear market signal - your suppliers are telling you this technology is being phased out. Sometimes the most expensive option is continuing to pour money into a sinking ship.