I've just picked up an X-300R from eBay.

Really I'm after an A-3300, but this looks like a nice machine. I don't know much about them, I'm not familiar with the transport in particular.

I haven't received the machine yet, but it's from a seller with excellent feedback who says it's in very good shape.

Cool! Is this your first?

I've just picked up an X-300R from eBay.

And sadly, despite copious quantities of bubblewrap and double-boxing, the courier managed to damage the right-hand reel table spindle...

That's rather disappointing, to say the least. I've suggested to the seller a partial refund based on the cost of obtaining a replacement reel table - any idea how much this is likely to be, or where I might find one?

Don't give up on searching for an A3300. It will significantly out perform the X300.

I have an X-300R. Despite a bad rap, they really aren't all that bad. While they aren't as good as the top of the line machines, they can still blow the socks off of many other components. Just make sure you test it with good quality music, like record onto it with uncompressed digital or play a factory tape. I don't know of any distinctive quirks, it is a pretty strait-forward machine.

-Peter

The X-300 R is good when working. The Achilles heel on these are capstan motors and motor switches. Both parts expensive and fail more often than they should. One reason why I prefer A series Teac decks. I owned one of these X 300 machines from new. Mine was reliable and sounded fine. I did have to replace the capstan motor once (it cost me $135 for the part from Teac. I was able to install it myself).

The X-300 series are good models, only flaw is the capstan-motor.
I have been working on these here, Realistic TR-3000, Teac made a deal for some reason with Realistic, little different cosmetics but inside all Teac parts.
With little help from different parts-deck both X-300 and Tascam 22-2, they all sing pretty now :D

Does anyone know if the Teac X-300 series decks share the same capstan motor as the other X series decks such as the 10" models? I've had some pretty bad luck with capstan motors in the X-3, X-300 (R) and the Realistic version of the X-300 (the above mentioned TR-3000) but I wonder if the 10" machines and the Tascam series decks share the same capstan motor as the 7" decks. From what I've read here they don't seem to have as high a failure rate which makes me wonder if the Tascam series and the 10" models have a more robust capstan motor. Just wonderin'.

rolf would be the one who'd know that. i've got one of the realistic badged machines, and rolf walked me through rebelting and lubing it about a year ago. i've been very happy with it.

Yes, they share the same motor between X-300 /TR-3000 /Tascam 22-2, 22-4, 32, 38 and X-10, X-1000R /X-2000R.
The bad luck with bigger 10 inch models and lack of maintenance is my guess of more failures with 10 inch reels (torque, dirty tape travel-path + old dry tapes).
On these Realistic, same motor assembly and servo-board as Teac/Tascam :)

So what happened to the reel table spindle? Is it just bent? Can you bend it back (without breaking it) ?