Champion 400 Blacksmith Forge Blower

Be sure to ask specific questions as to the operation of this blower. I have bought seven Champion 400 blowers from seven different sellers on okay and all of them were junk. Seems the junk dealers sell them on okay because they can't pass them off in the real world where a buyer can see it operate before laying the money down. The Champ 400 is the perferred blower among blacksmiths because it has a good coast, high volume of air blown and audiences are mesmerized by its' action.Champ 400's oil seals wore out quickly under use and many a blacksmith didn't replace them as needed. This causes an oil leak into the blower housing which eventually will leak onto the floor, often un-noticed by the blacksmith. This, in turn, would deplete the oil reservoir in the gear housing, leaving the worm gear ball bearings unprotected. Many a forgetful blacksmith forgot to check the oil in the gearbox andbearing damage resulted. This creates the loud grinding noise as the handle is turned. An inexperienced user of this blower would pass it off as thinking the noise is normal. It is not. The ONLY noise a Champ 400 should make is when the air is being forced by the fan blades, a whispered moan. Even though the Champ will still coast with this bearing damage, it will lockup unexpectedly one day when a ball bearing seizes. The two questions to ask of a seller: Is there an oil leak? Is there any noise other than air flow when operated? If the seller attempts to sidestep the questions with "The handle turns easily", you canbe assured it isjunk.A DECENT Champ 400 will go from $75.00 to $150, depending on condition and if it has mounts and legs.Now that you are informed, ask the questions and don't get caught up in bidding againstthe uninformed.