My $40 'vintage' crimping tool turned out to be a paperweight from 1987

Picked up what I thought was a sweet deal on an old crimper at a flea market in Akron, figured it would be perfect for those stubborn RJ45 ends. Got it home, tried it on one connector, and the ratchet just crunched the plastic without actually crimping anything, $40 gone. Turns out that specific model had a known flaw where the die misaligns after a few years, but the guy I bought it from probably knew that. Anyone else ever get burned by retro networking gear that looked better than it worked? Also, how do you guys test used tools before you hand over cash, or is it just a gamble every time?

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theagarcia1d ago

My buddy Sam bought a $60 drill press at a garage sale, it seized up on day two.