Hello Steve:

Look for the cable being rusty, I have seen them rusted thru almost.
Look at the pulley's see if they are cracked, bent, or frozen.

Extend the tower out laying on its side is ok look for bent tower pieces.

Look for crackes in the bottom piece at the top, this is where the most
stress is.

Jay in the Mojave


Steve wrote:
The guy says it's like new for $500. Don't know what brand it is but it
does come with a rotor plate and a hinge base. (i haul it home)

What defects should I look for besides the obvious?