TIL that power stretcher I bought used was a bad deal

I picked up a used power stretcher off Craigslist for $80 last month, figured it was a steal. It worked fine for the first two jobs, then the tooth plate snapped clean in half during a big living room install in a house near Columbus. Had to rent one from the supply house for $45 a day to finish, and now I'm just gonna buy a new one from Crain since the replacement parts alone would cost over half of a new stretcher. Anyone else get burned on used gear and learn the hard way?

3 comments

3 Comments

lunaf671mo ago

$80 should have been the giveaway. That whole pattern of buying used tools cheap and then eating the cost twice over hits me every time I try to save a buck on something that takes a beating.

tylerj221mo ago

Man that sucks, but $80 for a used power stretcher should've been a red flag honestly. I learned the same way with a beat up Roberts I got off FB Marketplace for 60 bucks. Worked okay on carpet but the pins were already bent and didn't hold tension right on anything thick. Ended up buying a Crain 365 new after that and it's been solid for like 3 years now. The thing with stretchers is the tooth plates and pins take a beating and people usually sell them when they're already half dead. Sucks you had to learn that way too but at least you know for next time.

gavinb971mo ago

I mean, is it really that bad though?" Yeah that part about the pins being bent is rough, I get it. But $80 for a used stretcher still isn't the end of the world if you're just doing a room or two in your house. People act like a slightly worn power stretcher is gonna ruin your whole life or something. Half the time you can just file down the teeth a little or swap the plates for like 15 bucks online. I dunno, I feel like everyone's always quick to say "learn the hard way" but it's just a tool, not a life lesson. Unless you're running a crew doing carpet all day every day, a used one will probably get the job done fine.