How to read a total-time number before you call the seller

Total time is a starting filter, not a verdict. A 1,200-hour piston with a mid-time engine and a 12-year-old paint job is a different airplane from a 1,200-hour airframe with a fresh overhaul. On jets, ask for landings and APU hours in the same breath as TTAF. On helicopters, component times matter more than airframe hours. Save a search with a time cap you can live with, then read the engine and prop lines on every match before you email.