Mine had a cracked kicker. One night it was cold, gonna start on the fifth kick. Laid into it and it broke, hyperextending right knee. Welded it back, test kicks, broke it again, 2nd hyperextension that night. My buddy said "you want me to weld that for ya Kid? Sure. Kicked it a dozen times, all good. Ready to leave work, she will fire on the seventh now, for I knew her well. I laid into hard, she broke, 3rd hyperextension of the evening. I just laid on the ground with big O'l alligator tears in my eyes. They push started me to get home. I limped for 6 months, had a surgery, limped for a year, had a second surgery, limped for ten years and then had it replaced. New technology, they didn't glue it in (knee), they let the bone grow into and around the steel part. Worst pain in all my surgeries. Moral of this story: Check your kicker for cracks