Dropped $400 on a used reach-in cooler that died in 3 weeks

Bought it off a guy in Fresno who swore it held temp fine, but the compressor was shot and a tech quoted me $900 to fix it. Anyone else get burned on used equipment, and what do you check before handing over cash?

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wesleyflores11d ago

Man that "held temp fine" line gets me every time because it's always the compressor hiding the truth. Sorry you got stuck with that, $400 plus a $900 quote is brutal and I'd be livid too. I got burned on a used prep table years ago, seller had it running when I showed up but it was cold because they'd iced it down right before I got there, learned that trick the hard way. Now I always bring a thermometer and make them let it sit plugged in for at least 20 or 30 minutes while I stand there watching it cycle on and off. I also pop the panel and look for rust, oil streaks, or any signs someone's been messing with the lines, and I ask to hear it kick on from a dead cold start. If the guy won't let me do that, I walk, no matter how good the price looks.

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