Most common hardware problem vcr's

[glasman555]

HI
I am a newbie here and wanted to know, besides issues with power supplies are the caps, going bad, the most common issue with older vcrs ?

[latreche34]

Mechanism, mechanism, mechanism. dried up grease, corroded mode switch, worn out or broken parts, condition of hub brakes and tension arm, life of the video heads ...etc.

[dpalomaki]

A high rate of failing caps (which can translate to power supply failures) are common to specific makes/models (e.g., AG-1980). As noted above, mechanical issues are more common as a whole. To add to latreche34's list some plastics (gears and couplings) and rubber (e.g., belts) are prone to go bad with age, glues may dry out as well, and physical alignment drift. Other threads here provide an indication as to the most common issues with favored makes/models. And previous owner misuse/abuse is also on the list (e.g., the classic PBJ stuffed in the cassette loading slot).

Note that being a recommended model does not assure any specific unit is good; rather it indicates its potential to be good.

[glasman555]

Thank you for the incites. I am waiting for a Panasonic AG-7750 to be delivered and want to go thru it before I start using it. Having a better idea of what I need to look for is very helpful.