Tascam 244/246 replacement tire. Opinions?

Level Anything

Level Anything

Member
I have a Tascam 244 that I bought locally from CL and replaced the belts and idler tires but the pinch roller wheel needs to be replaced (as usual.) I knew of a seller on eBay located in Germany that sold them, but they no longer offer them so I searched around until I found this...

*NEW Replacement* TASCAM Portastudio 246 PINCH ROLLER TIRE | eBay

I'm unsure of the quality as I don't see any reviews from past purchasers (they have sold 3 of these) and am also unsure of how complicated it is going to be to remove the old pinch roller tire and put this one on. I asked the seller if they have any advice and thought I'd see what you guys think about this. I find it strange that the metal rim isn't included here and also think the tire itself looks a little cheap.

Has anyone ever replaced the tire only?
 
Hi Level Anything,

I now buy pinch rollers for my 244s from a company in the UK called CPC. Here is the link: Not sure if they export to the USA nut maybe worth a try. AV1722 is the size to look for in searches.

UNBRANDED - AV1722 - Replacement Plastic Tape Drive Pinch Roller | CPC UK

They are incredibly cheap and work perfectly. I think the 246 uses the same size as the 244. You have to file the plastic ends down a little but after that they are great. I measured up better than spec w&f.

Not sure it is worth the risking just replacing the tire. I get nervous taking that little spring clip off and wouldn't want to keep doing it if the tire doesn't work properly.
 
Thank you for the link! i will contact them and see if they're able to ship to NYC. The listing of the tire on ebay shows that 3 people have bought them already but that doesn't mean much in terms of it working correctly or not. I am worried that even if I manage to get it on the the rim that it will still function wrong (as in wow and flutter, speed issues etc) so I'm stuck at the moment. I want to complete the restoration but obviously don't want to spend my time and money on a part that doesn't work.

I will let you know what the seller in the UK says and also if the seller from ebay responds to my question
 
Have you tried checking with Teac ?
I ordered one from Teac Canada. This was about 7-8 years ago though. They place their orders with Teac in the US. You Could try Teac in California to see if they have any left.
 
j.harv said:
Have you tried checking with Teac ?
I ordered one from Teac Canada. This was about 7-8 years ago though. They place their orders with Teac in the US. You Could try Teac in California to see if they have any left.
Click to expand...

Yeah, they don't even bother responding anymore when the question is about their older analog stuff. At least the stuff I've inquired about (idler tire assemblies, pinch rollers, and belts.) Thanks though. If this place in the UK doesn't ship to me I'm gonna try my luck with one of those tires off ebay. If that doesn't work I'm going to have Terry build me a couple so I have a spare.
 
Hi Level Anything. Did the UK place I mentioned manage to supply the roller? I noticed just now they are out of stock at the moment - maybe there has been a run on them!
 
The didn't respond to my emails (sent two)

I managed to score 2 NOS pinch rollers for the 244/246 off of a guy on Tapeheads.

The tire I was originally posting about turned out to be a complete ripoff. The guy sent me a washer! Exactly like you'd put in your faucet. It wasn't even the same width as the 244 tire.
 
Sorry to hear they didn't respond. Have you fitted the new roller?

I found that "O" rings work well as tyres!
 
Yeah, a little annoying as they have a statement on their site that says something about international orders.

I use o-rings for idler tires but they won't work as pinch roller wheel tires. I wish they did. The new ones I got are perfect. They're the real parts made for the 244 so they went in fine and work awesome. I put them in my 244 and 246 machines. If you ever see that they are offering the rollers again please let me know and I'll try em again.
 
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