A friend gave me a Thorens TD 125 MkII turntable with an Ortofon CD40 cartridge. It's belt driven and the drive motor just "pulses" when powered on. The motor turns freely when the power is off. I removed the platter and assume it's either the motor or the electronics.

Is this turntable worth fixing? Does anyone have any suggestions for how to diagnose the problem? It looks like a fairly generic, no frills turntable.

Thanks!

YES, YES, YES it's worth fixing.

Is this turntable worth fixing? Does anyone have any suggestions for how to diagnose the problem? It looks like a fairly generic, no frills turntable.

Thanks!

:jawdrop:
Absolutely it is worth fixing, and that is some good friend you have, someone that can help you troubleshoot that motor will be along shortly I’m sure.

Tboat4 and DivotDog, thanks for your comments. Any help or advice regarding how to diagnose or repair this TT will be greatly appreciated.

It is definitely worth fixing as this table is a keeper!

You have a very good friend.

Thanks guys. I didn't realize the value or quality of this turntable. I am fairly new to the hobby. My friend moved on to the digital-age and didn't feel like dealing with fixing it.

So, where should I go from here? Any suggestions on where to get it fixed or how to troubleshoot? I could use another turntable.

Whereabouts do you live? We may be able to recommend a good repair source in your area.

tboat4: Germantown, Maryland - 20 miles north of Washington, DC. Also close to Baltimore, Maryland area too. It's in the original box... I would ship to someone if necessary. Thanks for your help.

If you scroll down this page, you'll see info on AK Sponsors, some of which are repair shops. You could contact them and see if you want to work with them. There are several AK members that I've read about who also do good work, so someone will probably chime in with recommendations. Be very careful if you ship the Thorens. I've read several sad tales about TT's that were damaged in shipping. Pack it well, VERY well, if you can't find someone local to do the work.

Thanks. I am going to contact AudioRepair.com (Fred) and see if his shop can do the repair. I found a local guy who said he'd "look at it", but didn't sound that confident. We need to create a list of "repair expertise" to find people / shops who are interested in doing repair work.

Another thing that may help is posting your location. Someone here on the board may be able to help you. FWIW, if the motor pulses but doesn't turn, it could very well be the power supply. I would check the rectifier diodes and the filter caps first. It also could be a dirty switch or a dirty speed control pot. My speed controller was filthy, to be expected after 35 years. A little Caig MCL and elbow grease, and mine works like a champ. I also replaced the filter caps for preventative maintenance (never hurts, electrolytic caps have a designed lifespan of 10 years, even though some last 30 or 40 -- if it went into storage, that's usually what kills them).

rooster.