Strange noise when rewinding tapes?

[koberulz]

Rewinding suddenly sounds different to what it used to. Sound recordings attached.

Not sure if it's related to the tape end that came loose from the reel, either as a cause or an effect.

Is this something I should be worried about?

[bever]

I hear four sounds, three different . Dont know which is of concern.The first two similar sounds?

Is the tape rewinding slower now?
Does Fast Forward also make the same new noise.
You might try a stethoscope to localize the cause. Works well for automobile troubleshooting.
I have seen VCR transport that have trouble with certain tapes due to tape cassette housing being broken.
You probably have eliminated that possibility.
My gut feeling is that you are not going to hurt your VCR due to this.

In the old (ancient) days I remember VCR that would unload the tape when commanding rewind or FF first before moving the tape and leave it on the head for cue and review. all my newer ( relatively newer) VCR now rewind and fast forward with the tape on the head. I dont like that.

I picked up a tape re winder a while back. It was just a couple of bucks at the second hand store. I see them for sale all the time there (thats one nice thing about having an archaic hobby!). I like it especially since my all my VCR drag the tape over the head on rewind.

[koberulz]

They're all from the same rewind. The really different one is from right at the end when it slows down.

It used to sound smoother, now there's a grinding kind of a noise to it. Not sure if something's broken that might damage a tape, or it's the first sign of it wearing down or something. I had the end of a tape snap clean off the reel recently, not sure if that fits in either as a cause of the problem (either from the tape damaging something, or me damaging something trying to extract the tape), or a symptom (since I was rewinding when it happened).

[lordsmurf]

Tapes are usually the source of noise, not VCRs.
I often have tapes squeal like a pig. But it's the tapes, not the deck at fault.

[koberulz]

It's occurred across several tapes, though.