My Panasonic VCR from 1993 just ate a rare VHS tape - should I try to fix it myself or pay someone?

So I was watching this old concert recording I found at a Goodwill in Phoenix last month, and right around the 45 minute mark the tape just stopped and the VCR made this horrible grinding noise. I opened it up and saw the pinch roller is all gummy and not spinning right, plus one of the belts looks stretched. I've seen YouTube videos where people replace these parts with belts from other old electronics, but I'm worried I'll mess up the alignment even more. On the flip side, I called this one repair shop in town and they quoted me $85 just to look at it, which is more than I paid for the VCR itself. Has anyone here successfully swapped out belts on a Panasonic AG series deck without special tools, or is that a recipe for disaster?

2 comments

2 Comments

robert_craig6d ago

Ngl I've done this exact thing on a similar Panasonic deck and it worked out fine. Just take pictures of everything before you take it apart and go slow with the belt replacement, you don't need special tools for that part.

evangarcia5d ago

No way you got through it without special tools, that's WILD.