Chinon or Mitsumi drive mechs?

Which internal floppy drive mechs are better - Chinon or Mitsumi? Any others?

Thanks

[Old Fool]

I have three A500. All of them have a disk drive with a different manufacturer!!!

Here's my list:

1. If I remeber right the manufacturer is NEC. This drive reads all my floppies correctly but its absolutely NOISY!!! Even a horrible sound when the drive only spins the floppy without a loading.

2. Chinon. This is pretty silent drive but it doesn't read right several floppy games like Skidmarks, Alfred Chicken, Alien Breed Tower Assault...

3. Mitsumi. This is a very silent drive and reads all the floppies correctly... EXCEPT: It randomly autoloads and then suddenly stops loading at all!! The result is sometimes that the floppy won't autoload at all that is very nice in the middle of the game with loads of disk swapping.

So I have three Amigas with no single PERFECT floppy drive

Does anyone know could it be possible to "clean" the Mitsumi drive so it wouldn't load itself...?

[Jope]

Panasonic was also quite common.

No idea about which one was most reliable.. I've seen broken units from all three brands..

[musashi5150]

Originally Posted by Old Fool

It randomly autoloads and then suddenly stops loading at all!!

Sounds like it could the disk detection switch. Take your drive to pieces and clean all the little black push-switches. Hopefully this could do the trick

[prowler]

Trouble is, all these floppy drives are getting rather old now, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to find one of any brand that is 100% reliable.

Furthermore, now that floppy drives are also disappearing from PCs, it will only be a matter of time before it will be difficult to find anything which will work!

Let us hope that we've still got a good few years yet to get our backups organized.

[stevsurv]

Originally Posted by Old Fool

I have three A500. All of them have a disk drive with a different manufacturer!!!

Here's my list:

1. If I remeber right the manufacturer is NEC. This drive reads all my floppies correctly but its absolutely NOISY!!! Even a horrible sound when the drive only spins the floppy without a loading.

2. Chinon. This is pretty silent drive but it doesn't read right several floppy games like Skidmarks, Alfred Chicken, Alien Breed Tower Assault...

3. Mitsumi. This is a very silent drive and reads all the floppies correctly... EXCEPT: It randomly autoloads and then suddenly stops loading at all!! The result is sometimes that the floppy won't autoload at all that is very nice in the middle of the game with loads of disk swapping.

So I have three Amigas with no single PERFECT floppy drive

Does anyone know could it be possible to "clean" the Mitsumi drive so it wouldn't load itself...?

About 15 or so years ago when playing around with very noisy floppy drives we did find a way of quieting down the drive while it was operating. Just lubricate the drive motor rod. It has a worm like groove machined in it. Can't remember what kinda grease it was but it was white in colour and did the trick.

cheers

[Old Fool]

Thank you folks for VERY interesting tricks! I have once already taken the cover away from my Mitsumi drive so next time I must keep on searching those black switches.

Lubricating advice: That sounds reasonable. I have some kind of "sewing machine oil" in my closet so I can try with this fluid. But should the motor be spinning while giving the oil? This might be difficult because you must insert a disk and the motor is then beneath the disk! Did I get this right? Thanks for the tip anyway...

[desiv]

Originally Posted by musashi5150

Sounds like it could the disk detection switch. Take your drive to pieces and clean all the little black push-switches. Hopefully this could do the trick

I have a 1010 that's giving me that type of trouble. I know I can get it to stop freaking out by poking at the push-switches, but frequently that also locks my WB...

What's the best method to go about cleaning those switches?

Do I have to take the whole thing apart (not just the 1010, but the floppy as well) to get at it? Is there some type of spray? etc?

Thanx,

desiv

[rkauer]

A syringe with some drops of ISO alcohol on the detection switch can make wonders.

[stevsurv]

Originally Posted by Old Fool

Thank you folks for VERY interesting tricks! I have once already taken the cover away from my Mitsumi drive so next time I must keep on searching those black switches.

Lubricating advice: That sounds reasonable. I have some kind of "sewing machine oil" in my closet so I can try with this fluid. But should the motor be spinning while giving the oil? This might be difficult because you must insert a disk and the motor is then beneath the disk! Did I get this right? Thanks for the tip anyway...

Oil isn't recommended because while the drive motor is operating it could throw oil into the open floppy disk shutter.
I remember using a white coloured grease which was high temp resistant. Wish I could remember what it was called...

[PowerPie5000]

Originally Posted by stevsurv

Oil isn't recommended because while the drive motor is operating it could throw oil into the open floppy disk shutter.
I remember using a white coloured grease which was high temp resistant. Wish I could remember what it was called...

You might be talking about "white lithium" grease... that stuff works wonders for greasing optical drive rails and gears on any console and i sometimes use silicone grease too