Edison DD Motor VS. Victrola Motor

[Victrolacollector]

I have heard the Edison Diamond Disc Advertising Record and the announcer claims that the Edison Diamond Disc machine motor cost more and is stronger than any other motor.

I am wondering if the Diamond Disc motor is really more stronger and would have cost more to produce than a typical double spring Victor motor?

[JohnM]

Excluding the early belt-drive Edison motors, the direct drive motors were by necessity more powerful in order to drive the horn assembly across the record. They cost more to manufacture than a Victor motor because of the added parts required for the gear drive. Victor helical-gear motors were much simpler and less costly to produce.

[VintageTechnologies]

Apart from motor strength, my own subjective experience has been that the Edison DD motors generally run quieter than the Victor motors. I hope that statement does not touch off a firestorm! Both brands are very well made, however.

[Orthophonic]

It's definitely a stronger motor as it had to be to drive the tone arm/horn assembly. Well made and they have much less a problem with fossilized grease as do Victrola motors. Victor motors are worse than almost any other brand of motor and it is all with the grease they used; I do not know if the grease was more friction free than other greases when it was new but years later, it is often pretty hard. It reminds me of grease in Voice of Music changers that becomes rock hard and 8 track belts that turn into streaks of grease from being a rubber belt as they once were. Age is not kind to mechanical things as it is not kind to people, either...

[De Soto Frank]

I think I recall reading somewhere that Victors' recipe for main-spring grease was Vaseline with a copious amount of graphite mixed-into it... once the volatile components of the petroleum jelly evaporate, you're left with solid graphite...

?



Not sure which motor is "better"... I've heard some pretty noisy-running D-D motors ( governor rumble, mostly)... but then D-D motors are not sealed-away like they are in a Victrola...

I think they're both fine pieces of machinery, much better than the miserable Heinemann in my Pathéphone.

[FloridaClay]

Edison grease can get pretty raunchy too. I have an A-250 that had been setting in a storage space with no climate control for decades when I bought it. George Vollema overhauled the motor for me and it is the only one of several he has done for me he complained about. Had a heck of a time getting the gunk off the springs and spring barrel.

Clay

[alang]

I know there are the purists who re-pack springs today with the original recipe of vaseline and graphite for the sake of originality. It seems that the common believe is that this will only create problems another 100 years in the future. I think this assumption is incorrect. I just recently worked on the motor of the Auxetophone from the Johnson Victrola Museum. This machine was completely restored in 2003 and the springs were packed in the Vaseline/graphite mix. After only 10 years in a favorable and climatized environment the grease had already hardened and the graphite was just as hard to remove as if it was 100 years old. This convinced me to stay with modern lithium grease for my work.

Andreas

[VintageTechnologies]

The lithium grease has worked good in my experience, and isn't nearly as nasty to clean up. That graphite is horrible.

[Orthophonic]

Moly-graphite has always seemed to work for me. I get it as engine assembly lube and I think that a thinner than #2 grease is needed for springs so that the springs will not have to work so hard to move the grease.

[Victrolacollector]

I think I recall reading somewhere that Victors' recipe for main-spring grease was Vaseline with a copious amount of graphite mixed-into it... once the volatile components of the petroleum jelly evaporate, you're left with solid graphite...

?



Not sure which motor is "better"... I've heard some pretty noisy-running D-D motors ( governor rumble, mostly)... but then D-D motors are not sealed-away like they are in a Victrola...

I think they're both fine pieces of machinery, much better than the miserable Heinemann in my Pathéphone.

Miserable Heinemann LOL; They are kind of miserable with governors that are hard to adjust and many of the fiber gears are just worn down or too far gone. The Heinemann motors have metal gears that seem softer and wear down pretty bad, But the Krasco ones are even worse in my opinion.