FDS questions

[Yukima]

Not sure if the answers to these are posted somewhere already...

I'm thinking about getting an FDS (once I find one for a good price) and I've been wondering about a couple of things.  How long do Disk System games last?  I've heard that after a while they sometimes get demagnetized, damaged due to the lack of dust covers on the disks, or otherwise become unusable.  How often does this happen?  Also, how long do Disk Systems themselves last before they start malfunctioning?  How long would it take for the drive belt in the system to get melted/broken, assuming I get it replaced with a new one before using it? Does it depend on how often the system is used?

Sorry for all the questions.  I just want to make sure before I start collecting FDS that I'll have stuff that would last for at least a while!

[linkzpikachu]

as with any game console it all depends on how you treat it and the games, if you avidly play it (like say, oh, 2-4 hours a day) for 7 days a week you have a higher risk of damaging it than someone who plays theirs less

[Xious]

Hmm... Considering that I have trays of hundreds of disks, many of which are 25-years old at this point, and only a handful are dead, Id day the media, given normal use has about a 2-to-3% failure rate.

The belts and the drives are another matter: The belts have a 100% failure rate; eventually, they will all go and need to be replaced, but replacing the belt is no walk in the park. Without specialized knowledge, you'll be screaming in agony in no time if you undertake that mission, most of the time, unless you get lucky or know the exact procedure. 

In short, save up and buy a drive with a warranty, 'cause you'll probably need it if you don't have one. For the record, a new belt can slip and break in one go, if it had a manufacturing defect, or if the drive was dropped hard in transit (which can cause other issues), and many systems are still running even to this day on their original factory belts; I have one that is chugging happily on an original belt , and I have several never used--NOS--drives with broken belts.

You will never really *know* that a belt is going, but if a drive starts throwing random codes, it's a good indication, as the tension has to be rather exacting for normal read operation. The main problem with the drives is simply that they are belt-driven mechanical devices, and the belts are made of *rubber*--which as we all know, shrinks and dries out. Climate affects the drives more than any other factor, as a cool-mild and humid climate keeps them running but an arid environment deteriorates them as does heat.

This is why I've considered making a different sort of replacement belt for the beasts. In any event, as to price, keep in mind how much it'll cost you to repair a doorstop drive before you go recklessly bargain-hunting and buy something that is guaranteed in some way. I'm sure there are plenty of eBay horror stories to read about buying a 'working' FDS only to have it die quickly: This almost always due to one of two things: dishonesty on behalf of the seller, or age of the belt combined with the rigours of transporting it via some kind of postal service (and good luck getting anybody to pay a repair ticket claim...I'm still fighting with UPS over a damaged Twin system).

The games though... They're pretty much as solid as any other disks; possibly longer due to the wider track and smaller content. Storage media, as long as it is maintained, lasts a tidy long time, and you can always have them rewritten professionally if they do die, or replace them fairly easily. Capisce?