Mint Best Tractor

thsmith
thsmith Posts: 6,082
edited January 2011 in 2 Channel Audio
Just spent the last 2.5 hours using the Mint Best Tractor.

http://www.mintlp.com/best.htm

Pulled my TT from my rack and setup on a large table to have plenty of room and extra lighting.

Good lighting is key with this product.

Setup is straight forward, go through TT setup just to double check everything then follow instructions for the tractor.

Mint recommends taking breaks often which I also recommend.

A very tidious tool but if you are patient and step away often you will be rewarded.

The 10x lupe is a must.

I found that following Clearaudio's cart alignment instructions yielded a perfectly aligned cart verified with the Mint tractor.

For me peace of mind was worth the cost of the tractor.

Here are a few pics.
Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
Post edited by thsmith on
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Comments

  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    Looks like an operating room...

    Is the arc'd line on the "tractor" (I was half expecting a review of farm equipment) just a line on the plastic, or is it slightly raised or depressed?
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited January 2011
    Mine is glass/mirror and the lines are laser etched,IIRC

    Tracy--is that an eraser with a dinosaur? If so,I want one. :smile:
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited January 2011
    Mine is the same as your's George. Shoot me your addy, I have a dinosaur eraser for you.

    It makes a difference in how your TT sounds:wink::wink:

    The arc is really thin and laser etched as George described.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    Gracias... So is the objective a right-angle tangent along the entire laser-etched path thereby yielding perfect alignment at an LP side's playable mid-point?
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,500
    edited January 2011
    Images are gone...

    The Mint Best Tractor is a great tool! As long as the same type of alignment is used with two different protractors, the result should be the same. We have Logfren A and B, Stevenson A and B, Baerwald, some custom math, etc. All we are doing is trying to minimize the type of distortion and where it occurs in regards to where the stylus is on the LP. Good job Tracy!

    To add....the mirror helps in that you know where the stylus is. Squaring a cartridge body in the headshell when the cantilever is not parallel with the body leads to errors.
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited January 2011
    Wierd, the pics were there yesterday.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    All uploads have disappeared at least temporarily. I'm guessing it might have been how the hackers got in yesterday.
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter