Paid $80 for a used fridge compressor that died in 3 months

Found a deal on Craigslist for a compressor from a guy who said it was tested. Hooked it up on an old GE and it ran fine for a while then seized up hard. Anyone else just buy new now instead of gambling on used parts?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_leo1mo ago

Saw a post on another forum where a guy tested a used water pump in a Home Depot parking lot with a battery and some jumper cables. Got some weird looks but the pump worked for like a year. Makes me think about bringing a small test rig for compressors but that seems like a lot of hassle for a $80 gamble. Read that some people just buy refurbished units from supply houses instead, gives you a 90 day warranty for not much more money. Hard to beat standing in an actual store with a warranty vs hoping some stranger on Craigslist told you the truth.

allen.iris1mo ago

Guy said it was tested" is the new "check's in the mail." I learned the hard way that "tested" usually means he plugged it in for 5 seconds in his garage. $80 for a paperweight that lasted as long as a loaf of bread. Honestly, at this point I'd rather drop cash on a new one than chase down another Craigslist scammer who thinks "ran when pulled" counts as a warranty.

ivanbell1mo ago

Is it bad that I've started bringing a multimeter and a stopwatch to Craigslist meetups now? It really kills the vibe when you're testing a "tested" mixer in some guy's driveway while his dog tries to sniff your crotch. At least my paperweight collection is getting impressive, though I guess that's one way to decorate a garage.