Had to toss heaps of Betamax recently, stuff I recorded off of cable mostly, from when I was a kid but I did keep about 1/3 hoping there might be an easier way to clean them in the near future. If only someone made a simple device... that was only a few weeks ago. Stoked to find this and hyped up for your next batch!
@@vhsislifeIf you add the sensors, I will immediately order a unit. Depending in a manual control for both end of the tape is an inconvenient truth. I have a similar machine cleaner, with rollers at the center instead of fixed columns. It does the job pretty well. However, the absence of the lead guide sensors has been my main complaint.
Looks a handy machine. What power does it run on? Forgive me if mentioned in the vid but skipped bits. I clean tapes using an old unused VCR with damaged heads but sometimes tape comes off the guides and gets chewed so this is a great alternative especially with the speed setting and ability to clean both sides at the same time on the final pass. I'd be interested in one if it can run on a uk volt power adaptor and shipped to the uk.
It will work with an adapter. I already have a customer in the UK using an adapter. If you want to get on the wait list go to the website and fill out the contact form. Thanks!
Just found your channel and subscribed. I'll check out your website soon. I do a lot of VHS-to-digital transfers for others, and this is something I could definitely use.
Awesome device. Two things I would add: - Always wear a mask when working with mold. - Use this in a separate ventilated room. (e.g. do not do this in your living room with family and pets around)
@@pHD77 Yes the vacuum catches the majority of the mold as it builds up on the pad when the tape is being pulled across it. The OP of this comment was addressing general health and safety concerns when dealing with mold. I personally don't wear a mask but I use mine in my garage with the door open and good ventilation. I would never clean tapes in my kitchen or around where my dogs eat. The vacuum is not going to get 100% of all mold spores, it would be impossible to do so. BUT it does catch the majority of it and using it with the vacuum is much cleaner (and in my opinion safer) than using it without or trying to clean a tape in an old vcr where the spores just go flying everywhere.
lol hardly!! I purposefully kept the price point low which means the margin is low because my goal was to make something affordable for the community as a whole. The ultimate purpose here is to keep our beloved VHS out of the trash and hopefully this machine will encourage people to try and clean tapes before tossing them.
I have a copy of dodgeball that has mold, it's not as bad as the one you're cleaning but have no way to clean it, I only have one vcr and can't find a vcr that I can use that is cheap enough
Would you ever offer a service if people sending in tapes and charge per tape cleaning? As someone who only needs one clean, I don’t think I need a machine. Super cool though!
Thanks! I'm not going to be offering a cleaning service but several people who have purchased the machines are offering. I'll reach out to some that I know clean and have them contact you.
Hello, I was using a modified VHS tape rewinder / fast forwarder to clean tapes and found the motor couldnt handle some dirty / stick tapes especially if i put some iso on it, it would just slow down whine and stop id have to manually turn it to help the machine, hows the power on your machine? it seems to get through the tapes np do you think its got plenty of power to get through everything?
Yes the motors are gear driven and does not use a rubber belt like a rewinder does. If you follow the instructions in the video then there should be no reason for it not to be able to spool a tape. If a tape is so stuck to itself that this cleaner can't spool it, it will likely be so damaged it wouldn't play anyway and would probably break whether using this machine or a VCR.
@@vhsislife Thank you, I assume my VHS players ive also tried to clean with dont use alot of force to play, fast forward or rewind tapes but some of my tapes wont play or fast forward in players either. Some of the tapes i want to try and clean were stored under the house for years. Im hoping to get a cleaner like yours that can power through them. Do you ship to Australia?
@@not1iota229 I'll work with you on interntational shipping. I have a huge wait list right now for this product so if you would like to get on the list go to the website and send me a message through the contact form.
I have some tapes that are not moldy but just dirty and will clogg the vcr head if I try to play them. Will this device help clean dirty tapes, like the tapechek machine?
You can use it to clean a tape but it's not the same as a tapecheck machine. $100 vs $6995 lol... but yes it will let you clean a tape using the same method even if it's not moldy, just dirty.
The machine already existed and has for years. It's just hard to find one and they're very expensive. He's just making them more available and affordable.
I take it this device will clean BETAMX tapes? I mean, once the spools are out of the case there's no difference between Beta and VHS. As I have a few boxes dating back to the late 70s ... oh yes, my betamax machine still works.
Yes it will. I offer betamax spindles for $10 that you can swap out the VHS spindles for so that the betamax reels fit properly. But yes it will clean betamax tapes just fine.
@@Phase52012 I'll ship anywhere as long as you'll take responsiblity once it hits customs. I don't have the time or manpower to be chasing down packages with interntational carriers. I've successfully shipped to Canada and the UK so I don't see Australia being any different.
Due to demand I have a backlog of about 3-4 months so I'm doing a wait list. If you want to get added to the waitlist go to my website and send me a message on the contact form.
They are currently arranged that way and technically both sides could be wound and ran at the same time. HOWEVER, that is not the recommended usage for the machine as it puts a much higher amount of stress on the tape which already is likely damaged to an extent from being improperly stored. The goal is to save the tape and after much testing and cleaning at higher speeds the best way to do it is one side at a time to avoid placing undue stress on an old tape.
When I try to buy this vhs tape cleaner on your site I get a message that the product is password protected and I should enter the password!!??? WTF!? WHY!?
Because as it states on the product description I have a backlog of these to build so you have to go on a waitlist. I personally build these and build 25-30 a week. I've already built/shipped 280 units and have 370 people on the waitlist as of right now. If you want to purchase a cleaner you'll need to get on the waitlist by sending me a message from my website "Contact" page.
I chose not to do that from my personal experience of working with tapes over the years. The primary goal of this machine is to save a tape that is worth saving and the best way to do that is to focus on the task at hand and not leave it unattended. The machine is designed to be able to manually adjust the speed and I did not want people to get in the habit of starting a cleaning and walking away. Even with a pressure switch or sensor it could still jerk the tape causing it to break off the end of the reel. Plus, I wanted to keep costs low so the average collector could afford to buy it and justify it's costs.
@@vhsislife Lots of things can go wrong when cleaning tapes. It a must not leave the tape unattended. If the tape gets too wet during the cleaning process it can stick and the spool can jump of the spindles.
@@drake3898 agreed it is not intended for the tape to be left unattended. The tapes won’t come off the spindles but it could jerk the leader and snap the tape if it’s running at high speed.
Great idea! I use to do it with a worn head vhs player and a head cleaning tip, it automatically reduce increase speed depending the tape state. However it require you to be careful not to make tape going out of the head and must hold the head cleaning tips, in summary you're is much effortless method! Unfortunately cleaning vhs tape does not guarantee at all the full playback there is also a lubricant on it, and when it's gone, it's gone no matter how clean is the tape, i can see the loss of lubricant while cleaning the tape in the vhs player, when it stop at the cleaning process, you can be sure it won't play correctly! So it would be a good idea to replicate the vhs ff and rewind process with the same tracking force! Furthermore just some bad inch can affect the whole thing, like reel to reel or cassette! If eventually you pass this, then it come colour drop/lose, Hifi sound drop/lose... In fact as any tape, but more pronounced with vhs as the drum head speed is incredible we need new reissues and of course like for vinyl when possible from analog masters!!! People are just realising how it was important to revitalise home analog music, be still not realized how much more important is to revitalize home analog video whatever the advance of digital! Listening to vinyl/whatever analog sound support and watching analog content from whatever analog support with a true grid less trinitron hd CRT screen is like analog audio a unique engaging experience that digital will never be able to offer! And don't think your 8k 1000$caler on your 8k oled screen can do as good as the hd trinitron crt, same as analog content digital display will never offer the same quality as analog display for analog content! We loose one of the most important home experience, watching video as your eye are watching! (and don't bother me with numbers, despite lower available res, blocked by compagnies specially to promote digital, analog video is way more faithful to how our brain analyse true images)
@@wer123456 Tried silicone lub just only on moving part, but tend to stick tape even with few drop, with Cotton tips cleaning! Anything too wet will instantaneously block the tape! Did you have any success?
@@laserfilmlab just go to the website and fill out a contact form to be added to the wait list. I build these every day but can only get out about 20-25 a week. Right now I have 400 people on the wait list.
Had to toss heaps of Betamax recently, stuff I recorded off of cable mostly, from when I was a kid but I did keep about 1/3 hoping there might be an easier way to clean them in the near future. If only someone made a simple device... that was only a few weeks ago. Stoked to find this and hyped up for your next batch!
Glad you kept them! Send me a message through the website to get on the list as I'm fulfilling orders based on when someone gets on the list.
Just received mine cant wait to start using it
Update us, please!
Got mine ordered. Can't wait!
You can add an optical sensor to turn off the motor when the clear leader is out so you don't have to wait for the end of the tape.
Already in the works for V2
@@vhsislifeIf you add the sensors, I will immediately order a unit. Depending in a manual control for both end of the tape is an inconvenient truth. I have a similar machine cleaner, with rollers at the center instead of fixed columns. It does the job pretty well. However, the absence of the lead guide sensors has been my main complaint.
Doing the lord’s work ❤
Looks a handy machine. What power does it run on?
Forgive me if mentioned in the vid but skipped bits.
I clean tapes using an old unused VCR with damaged heads but sometimes tape comes off the guides and gets chewed so this is a great alternative especially with the speed setting and ability to clean both sides at the same time on the final pass.
I'd be interested in one if it can run on a uk volt power adaptor and shipped to the uk.
It will work with an adapter. I already have a customer in the UK using an adapter. If you want to get on the wait list go to the website and fill out the contact form. Thanks!
@@vhsislife Thanks, will do at some point, did check out the website briefly, looks good what you are offering. I like the sex ed tape aswell😎
प्राइज क्या है
how much posted to the UK ?
Depends on what all you purchase but so far it's been anywhere from $50 to $80
@@vhsislife only cleaning machine ( no fan )
@@cactoosdh0 Again I estimate $50 but the only way to know for sure is to send me a contact message through my website with your information.
Just found your channel and subscribed. I'll check out your website soon. I do a lot of VHS-to-digital transfers for others, and this is something I could definitely use.
Awesome device. Two things I would add:
- Always wear a mask when working with mold.
- Use this in a separate ventilated room. (e.g. do not do this in your living room with family and pets around)
Great tip!
Regarding point 2:
Isn't the purpose of the vacuum to catch the mold, though?
@@pHD77 Yes the vacuum catches the majority of the mold as it builds up on the pad when the tape is being pulled across it. The OP of this comment was addressing general health and safety concerns when dealing with mold. I personally don't wear a mask but I use mine in my garage with the door open and good ventilation. I would never clean tapes in my kitchen or around where my dogs eat. The vacuum is not going to get 100% of all mold spores, it would be impossible to do so. BUT it does catch the majority of it and using it with the vacuum is much cleaner (and in my opinion safer) than using it without or trying to clean a tape in an old vcr where the spores just go flying everywhere.
Definetly true @@vhsislife
This dude about to be a millionaire
lol hardly!! I purposefully kept the price point low which means the margin is low because my goal was to make something affordable for the community as a whole. The ultimate purpose here is to keep our beloved VHS out of the trash and hopefully this machine will encourage people to try and clean tapes before tossing them.
This is awesome! Does it ship to Canada? Also what state is it shipping out of?
@@alecc4137 yes I ship to Canada. I’m in Florida.
@@vhsislife Awesome! Thanks for the ultra quick response and the good news :)
This is fabulous! Can’t wait for batch 2!
I have a copy of dodgeball that has mold, it's not as bad as the one you're cleaning but have no way to clean it, I only have one vcr and can't find a vcr that I can use that is cheap enough
Amazing device, great video!
Thanks! 👍
Would you ever offer a service if people sending in tapes and charge per tape cleaning? As someone who only needs one clean, I don’t think I need a machine. Super cool though!
Thanks! I'm not going to be offering a cleaning service but several people who have purchased the machines are offering. I'll reach out to some that I know clean and have them contact you.
Hello, I was using a modified VHS tape rewinder / fast forwarder to clean tapes and found the motor couldnt handle some dirty / stick tapes especially if i put some iso on it, it would just slow down whine and stop id have to manually turn it to help the machine, hows the power on your machine? it seems to get through the tapes np do you think its got plenty of power to get through everything?
Yes the motors are gear driven and does not use a rubber belt like a rewinder does. If you follow the instructions in the video then there should be no reason for it not to be able to spool a tape. If a tape is so stuck to itself that this cleaner can't spool it, it will likely be so damaged it wouldn't play anyway and would probably break whether using this machine or a VCR.
@@vhsislife Thank you, I assume my VHS players ive also tried to clean with dont use alot of force to play, fast forward or rewind tapes but some of my tapes wont play or fast forward in players either. Some of the tapes i want to try and clean were stored under the house for years. Im hoping to get a cleaner like yours that can power through them. Do you ship to Australia?
@@not1iota229 I'll work with you on interntational shipping. I have a huge wait list right now for this product so if you would like to get on the list go to the website and send me a message through the contact form.
@@vhsislife I'm not in a big rush. Ill contact you soon to order, thank you.
Great little device!
I have some tapes that are not moldy but just dirty and will clogg the vcr head if I try to play them. Will this device help clean dirty tapes, like the tapechek machine?
You can use it to clean a tape but it's not the same as a tapecheck machine. $100 vs $6995 lol... but yes it will let you clean a tape using the same method even if it's not moldy, just dirty.
I’m so happy I found this
Although I am preparing using a physical hack of VCR to clean up some mess, I still prefer a better way like that, May I ask about the consideration?
You've just re-invented the wheel.
lol I don't know about that...hopefully just made it roll a little easier!
The machine already existed and has for years. It's just hard to find one and they're very expensive. He's just making them more available and affordable.
I take it this device will clean BETAMX tapes? I mean, once the spools are out of the case there's no difference between Beta and VHS. As I have a few boxes dating back to the late 70s ... oh yes, my betamax machine still works.
Yes it will. I offer betamax spindles for $10 that you can swap out the VHS spindles for so that the betamax reels fit properly. But yes it will clean betamax tapes just fine.
@@vhsislife - Do you ship to Australia?
@@Phase52012 I'll ship anywhere as long as you'll take responsiblity once it hits customs. I don't have the time or manpower to be chasing down packages with interntational carriers. I've successfully shipped to Canada and the UK so I don't see Australia being any different.
@@Phase52012 I'll ship anywhere it's allowed through customs.
@@vhsislife - Thank you. I'll get back to you.
can i purchase this?
Due to demand I have a backlog of about 3-4 months so I'm doing a wait list. If you want to get added to the waitlist go to my website and send me a message on the contact form.
@@vhsislife congratulations on that!! I was just on the website checking it out, I for sure will get myself in there
Did you consider arranging the cleaning posts so the tape could be cleaned on both side at one time?
They are currently arranged that way and technically both sides could be wound and ran at the same time. HOWEVER, that is not the recommended usage for the machine as it puts a much higher amount of stress on the tape which already is likely damaged to an extent from being improperly stored. The goal is to save the tape and after much testing and cleaning at higher speeds the best way to do it is one side at a time to avoid placing undue stress on an old tape.
Just wondering, do you ship them to worldwide Just because I'm in Australia.
Yep I’ll work with you on that.
Did you end up ordering, mate? I'm in Australia too. This looks perfect for my needs.
💯🇹🇷⭐️👍
How much?
The cleaner is $100 and the optional vacuum is $40. The betamax spindles are $10. Thats the prices as of the time of this comment.
If you go to my website, vhsislife.com, you can browse the store as well and always see current pricing.
When I try to buy this vhs tape cleaner on your site I get a message that the product is password protected and I should enter the password!!??? WTF!? WHY!?
Because as it states on the product description I have a backlog of these to build so you have to go on a waitlist. I personally build these and build 25-30 a week. I've already built/shipped 280 units and have 370 people on the waitlist as of right now. If you want to purchase a cleaner you'll need to get on the waitlist by sending me a message from my website "Contact" page.
Could you add a pressure switch-off for the motor for when the tape ends? So that it could be left unattended at a slower speed?
I chose not to do that from my personal experience of working with tapes over the years. The primary goal of this machine is to save a tape that is worth saving and the best way to do that is to focus on the task at hand and not leave it unattended. The machine is designed to be able to manually adjust the speed and I did not want people to get in the habit of starting a cleaning and walking away. Even with a pressure switch or sensor it could still jerk the tape causing it to break off the end of the reel. Plus, I wanted to keep costs low so the average collector could afford to buy it and justify it's costs.
@@vhsislife got it, makes sense!
@@vhsislife Lots of things can go wrong when cleaning tapes. It a must not leave the tape unattended. If the tape gets too wet during the cleaning process it can stick and the spool can jump of the spindles.
@@drake3898 agreed it is not intended for the tape to be left unattended. The tapes won’t come off the spindles but it could jerk the leader and snap the tape if it’s running at high speed.
Great idea!
I use to do it with a worn head vhs player and a head cleaning tip, it automatically reduce increase speed depending the tape state.
However it require you to be careful not to make tape going out of the head and must hold the head cleaning tips, in summary you're is much effortless method!
Unfortunately cleaning vhs tape does not guarantee at all the full playback there is also a lubricant on it, and when it's gone, it's gone no matter how clean is the tape, i can see the loss of lubricant while cleaning the tape in the vhs player, when it stop at the cleaning process, you can be sure it won't play correctly!
So it would be a good idea to replicate the vhs ff and rewind process with the same tracking force!
Furthermore just some bad inch can affect the whole thing, like reel to reel or cassette!
If eventually you pass this, then it come colour drop/lose, Hifi sound drop/lose...
In fact as any tape, but more pronounced with vhs as the drum head speed is incredible we need new reissues and of course like for vinyl when possible from analog masters!!!
People are just realising how it was important to revitalise home analog music, be still not realized how much more important is to revitalize home analog video whatever the advance of digital!
Listening to vinyl/whatever analog sound support and watching analog content from whatever analog support with a true grid less trinitron hd CRT screen is like analog audio a unique engaging experience that digital will never be able to offer!
And don't think your 8k 1000$caler on your 8k oled screen can do as good as the hd trinitron crt, same as analog content digital display will never offer the same quality as analog display for analog content!
We loose one of the most important home experience, watching video as your eye are watching! (and don't bother me with numbers, despite lower available res, blocked by compagnies specially to promote digital, analog video is way more faithful to how our brain analyse true images)
Try dousing the pads with silicone lubricant spray and using this machine for another purpose LOL
@@wer123456 Tried silicone lub just only on moving part, but tend to stick tape even with few drop, with Cotton tips cleaning! Anything too wet will instantaneously block the tape! Did you have any success?
I ordered, but its on back order. Ready to buy!
@@laserfilmlab just go to the website and fill out a contact form to be added to the wait list. I build these every day but can only get out about 20-25 a week. Right now I have 400 people on the wait list.
@@vhsislife thanks I'm on your list.
Is this single motor belt ?
No belts, I use gear driven motors
@@vhsislife great choice
Can/should this be used for just general tape cleaning/maintenance? Or is it specifically targeted for mold. Thanks!
You can certainly use it to clean any tape, moldy or not. :-)