How well does the VPI 16.5 work??

Do you have the recored securly fastened down with a clamp??? If not the record will be sucked up by the vacuum.

Cmp, my guess is one of three things is causing your problem. First, it could be that the nut holding the record to the platter is not quite tight enough, as Rwd suggests.

Second, and likely if not the first reason, the adjustable collet on the vacuum post is set too high on the post and, combined with a strong vacuum, the wand is pulled down too hard on the record surface. Do a dry run by swinging the wand over the record and turning on the vacuum with the motor running. The wand should come down flat against the record and JUST enough to provide solid suction contact. Lifting the wand with one hand as you shut off the vaccum will let you decide if you are getting good suction. If needed, loosen the allen set screw and adjust the collet height.

Third, though not likely. is that your motor shaft/bearings are worn out. Unless it is VERY old or has been abused, mine is 15 years old, I doubt this is the case.

One last thing is that the 16.5, unless you have installed a motor fan, will only do bout 6 LP's before the motor gets hot. When it gets too hiot, it willshut down and the platter won't turn. After cooloing, it will work fine again.

Thanks,4yanx and Rwd. Problem solved. I'm not absolutely sure whether it was a loose hold down nut, or the collet on the vacuum post, but I made doublely sure the nut was tight, and I also made a minute adjustment to the height of the collet on the post with a hex key, and that seemed to solve the problem. I think it was the collet. Thanks again for the advice.

The Sota LPC is a better cleaner, and a little easier to use. I wrote a full review comparing it to the 16.5 which I also owned, if you are interested. It costs a little more, but is worth it.

I had a VPI HW16.5 for several years and recently sold it, replacing it with a Loricraft. The Loricraft costs quite a bit more than even the HW17F, but I find there are two nice benefits. First, it does a better job. Records I thought were starting to wear were restored to like new condition. Second, it is quiet. The VPIs and similar machines are very noisy. The Loricraft, on the other hand, makes some noise, but I can actually be listening to a record and cleaning one at the same time, for example. The only disadvantages I see are the slightly longer time to clean (about 1 minute per side) and the use of nylon thread which probably isn't something you'll find at the local fabric store. I especially disliked the noise of the VPI, and the Loricraft is a pleasure to use in comparison and does a great job.