Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!ucsd!nosc!crash!pnet01!jca From: jca@pnet01.cts.com (John C. Archambeau) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: Do OTHER hard drive brands fail Message-ID: <2517@crash.cts.com> Date: 4 May 90 15:36:56 GMT Sender: root@crash.cts.com Organization: People-Net [pnet01], El Cajon CA Lines: 88 neese@adaptex.UUCP writes: > >>>> There have been many postings here about Seagate hard drives >>>>failing to spin up at boot. I have seen not ONE posting about >>>>other brands that fail in the same manner. I don't think ANYONE wants >>>>unfairly to bash Seagate. They generally have a marvelous reputation. >>>>In all fairness and, not least, in the interest of acquiring data >>>>to guide future purchases, IS ANYONE AWARE OF THIS OR EQUALLY ONEROUS >>>>FAILURES AMONGST other MANUFACTURERS' HARD DRIVE OFFERINGS? >>> >>>Apple had a notorious time with the Quantum HD40's that were seizing >>>in their machines because of a spindle lubrication design defect. >>>Apple replaced these drives with a new Quantum HD40 that had >>>a redesigned PROM which forced the lubricant to be spread >>>in such a fashion to prevent seizing. >> >>An addition to that is that it's not ONLY the Apple HD40's (the Quantums that >>Apple buy) but the Quantum P-40S, P-80S and it has hit the P-105S. The 40, >>80 and 105 Mb Quantum ProDrives have manifested the infamous drive seizing >>problem due to improper lubricant used on the drive spindle and head assembly. >>It would not surprise me one bit if the IDE versions of the ProDrives (P-40AT, >>et. al.) manifested the same problems. And Quantums have a 2 year warranty >>and I've heard that if you buy them from a certain distributor you get a 5 >>year warranty on it. Doesn't matter who you buy the drive from, you're going >>to have some sort of engineering defect somewhere along the line. And since >>Seagate bought out Imprimis and Maxtor bought out Miniscribe (this is the >>rumor I heard) you're only left with a few other manufacturers that don't have >>as good of a selection as the two current big manufacturers. >> >>My personal experience with Seagate has been good in general. My ST151 has >>been working in my AT (now a 386SX) since October. My next drive, however, >>will either be a Conner or Seagate Swift 3.5" IDE in the 100 Mb to 200 Mb >>range. I haven't quite decided between the Conner or the Seagate Swift since >>they are quite comparable in performance. > >WHOA!! Let's nip this in the bud right now! The problem Quantum had was due >to a lubricant that was susceptible to high humidity conditions. The lube >soaked up moisture and became glue instead of grease. Quantum has changed >the lube to a new lube that handles humidity much better and has offered >to replace each and every drive that shows the actuator stiction problem. >And has done so. None of the drives in production for the last several >months can have this problem. I have worked very closely with Quantum >for years and also worked with them on this problem. They are very quality >conscious and openly admitted what the problem was when it was defined. >But unfortunately, the media had a field day before it was determined what >the actual problem was. Quantum has always had a 5 year warranty on the >PRO series of drives and will stand behind it. >I know many hard drive manufacturers who would have hid the type of information >that Quantum released to the public. Or have glossed over the real problem. >The nature of the problem will only manifest itsefl in high (>60%) humidity >areas, where the drive does very little seeking and is power cycled every >day. I have one of the old drives with the potential grease problem, but have >never had any troubles with it. Of course it runs 24 hours a day, so there >is no chance of humidity effecting it. > >Adaptec has no ties with Quantum and I find them very reputable. > > Roy Neese > Adaptec Central Field Applications Engineer > UUCP @ {texbell,attctc}!cpe!adaptex!neese > merch!adaptex!neese > uunet!swbatl!texbell!merch!adaptex!neese I don't buy it since we've had Quantum Pro-Drives return and manifest the same problem again within a month's time with a brand new drive. That was the last straw...I may not have purchasing power in the company...but I can choose not to support a product because I find it inferior. I had to RMA 10 Quantum Pro Drives within a 30 day time frame. That's one dying every 72 hours. 72 hour MTBF? This is pure bull. Some people in our company still like the name Quantum...but I tell the, you buy it, you troubleshoot and RMA it, I am NOT touching any Quantum hard drive. The only two I touch are the two in our Sun SPARCstation 1, and that's because I haven't been given the approval by my boss to chuck the two drives for an Imprimis Wren V or VI. And if the Sun on my desk dies from drive stiction seizing...the engineer at Quantum who is handling the RMA will be deaf by the time I'm finished. // JCA /* **--------------------------------------------------------------------------* ** Flames : /dev/null | Xenix is the ONLY thing ** ARPANET : crash!pnet01!jca@nosc.mil | Microsoft did right. ** INTERNET: jca@pnet01.cts.com ** UUCP : {nosc ucsd hplabs!hd-sdd}!crash!pnet01!jca **--------------------------------------------------------------------------* */