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Reel to reel repair - is it worth it?

Inherited a Teac X-3 reel-to-reel from my father, along with some tapes he had recorded. In anticipation of getting it, I even bought some more pre-recorded tapes off Ebay. After I got the Teac home, I found it didn't work (reel won't engage when "play" is pushed). Only repairman in town gave $150 estimate. Is this reel-to-reel worth $150 to repair? Hate to just throw it in the trash as it has sentimental value. Even though I have no experience with these kinds of repairs, is this something I should try to repair? I can take apart anything. Fixing it and putting it back together again is another story. Any thoughts?
rockyboy
tpreaves's avatar
tpreaves
2,687 posts
 
You have to ask yourself is it worth it to you? One man's dollar is another man's dime, if you catch my drift.
schubert
7,386 posts
 
If there is a tie to your Dad,as you indicate, a few hundred bucks is nothing,even if they are your last ones .

Better your last dime than a lifetime of regret.Been there,done that.
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tonykay
1,304 posts
 
Several years ago I bought a Nakamichi cassette deck and I now have three. My listening sessions on the cassette players are usually longer than my CD sessions, FWIW. I'm telling you this because as much as I think cassettes sound great, I'm usually told that reel to reel is the closest thing to the original source. Just be sure that you have a competent tech who can go through your deck and align the heads and change belts. Also, be sure you can get high quality tapes at a reasonable cost. As Schubert said, if your dad left this deck for you, how can you not invest the time and money into this heirloom?
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