Nice, I’ve been considering this too. The ‘as-is’ S9s could be a good risk/reward situation, especially if you’ve got the time and patience to play around with them. If you’re handy with repairs, it could work out.

I wouldn’t go all-in on these though; maybe just pick up a couple to experiment with, and then see how many of them you can get running.

The idea of using the duds for spare parts isn’t a bad call, but just be aware that it might take a bit more effort than expected to get them up and running, especially if multiple components are shot. Could be worth it in the long run if you're okay with a bit of a project!