OBD II scanner when looking at a used Taco?

I am looking at buying a used tacoma soon. I was recommended by someone here to get an OBD II scanner, and use it before buying anything. I know very little about basic car mechanics, and I have never used a scanner before. Is this something I can learn to use fairly quickly, and at least know if there is a problem with the truck I am looking at? Is there any point in a novice like myself even fooling with purchasing one of these?



BTW, this is the one I am considering getting.
https://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&k...vqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&ref=pd_sl_o1m8eypdi_e

 

If you have a smartphone, they make Bluetooth OBD2 scanners you can get on Amazon for like $20, and there are apps such as Torque to read codes and such.

 

Scanners have their limitations for one personal vehicle. Especially a reliable one such as a tacoma.

The big thing is when you test drive a used vehicle is to check for "Monitor Status" Most codes take time to set, multiple drive cycles. So if a seller were to clear a code, the monitor status would be incomplete, thus a code may have been recently cleared. Most good scanners can show this and save you lots of headaches with codes like catalyst or crank issues.