HDRC UPDATE: Read Write Head Change Tools Review

[pcrecovery]

I'm withholding my story and review for now. I wanted to give them a chance to make things right before posting anything negative. They've been extremely polite and are going out of their way to resolve my many issues. I'm waiting for my 3rd and 4th set to arrive before I make any public statements regarding their service, product, or quality, etc. I can say that I didn't NEED any of their tools whatsoever, I simply bought them because they were different and looked quite nice. I have had several sets here for a month or two now, and I basically have been waiting a long time now for a replacement set but I and told (and I'm hopeful) that it will be worth the wait. I should have 2 replacement sets of all the tools shipping Monday. I'll review the lot at that time. I'm sure if they have made the changes we discussed, that they'll be well worth the wait.

[thatdellguy]

I ordered the set of four platter exchange tools from HDRC yesterday 8/16/08. When they arrive I will provide a review of their product.

[hddguy]

I ordered the set of four platter exchange tools from HDRC yesterday 8/16/08. When they arrive I will provide a review of their product.

Would be interesting to get a valid opinion on the platter exchange tools.

Looking forward to it

[mr_spokk]

4 PEX-Tool's is on the way for me as well
So we might need to have a new "sticky" on this subject when all got their tools

Bosse

[thatdellguy]

I received the set of four platter tools today. They traveled from India to California in four days which is amazing in my books. They were packaged well and look to be defect free. The engineering that went into making them probably took someone a lot of time and money. They are quite fragile and would probably not survive a fall. I tried one of the 3.5" tools on a crap drive without separators and it held the platters quite well. The big test will be when I get a Seagate donor ordered a few days ago for a customer with a seized motor. After that is done I will post some results. After having them in my hands I wonder why they didn’t make the acrylic one piece instead of gluing pieces together. Not that the glue is a major problem because of the glues bonding properties but it would have been nice. I’ve seen acrylic risers for displays that are bent and not glued. Metal holders instead of plastic has me worried but it may actually last longer.

[rchadwick]

Anyone in a basement can glue together plexiglas. Making molds, ultrasonic welding, or even heating and bending plexiglas without it melting and dripping all over the place is more difficult.

[hddguy]

The big test will be when I get a Seagate donor ordered a few days ago for a customer with a seized motor

Let us know how this goes for you.

[rchadwick]

It might be wise to use a new, unproven tool on a junk drive first time around...

[TerraNova]

Some closed up photos would be excellent thatdellguy , thanks.

[hddmaster]

I have bought the platters exchanger from HDRC and it don't work as easily as Salvationdata product does. The efficiency is okay for multiplatters without separators. But with separators it is another story ! For the moment I haven't succeed. Maybe with much training ? HDRC guys says clearly that we need training in order to succeed so for the moment the situation is quite normal I guess...

[thatdellguy]

So far I have used it on a two platter Seagate with one seperator. It worked but I had to be extremelly careful with what I was doing. One slip up and misalignment is guaranteed. I was able to swap the platters, image the drive, and extract my customers data. Its not my favorite tool for swapping platters but with experience it does work.

[hddmaster]

Finally, I succeed in platter swap on seagate of 500 GB with 3 platters and 2 separators but not with HDRC tools I purchased. The disk is working well and has been fully imaged. To me Seagate 500 GB is no more 'Suicide Drive" ! I decided to start from a blank paper and the method I developped is incredibly efficient ! It works on every high capacity hdd with dividers Samsung, Western Digital, Maxtor, etc. When you sell a product it must be operational like SalvationData platters swap tools. As a profesionnal data recovery specialist, you cannot afford to loose alignement and have vibration issues from time to time ! I am really dissapointed with HDRC products and finally the products for hdd with dividers are aimed for Seagate drives with motor seizure and the efficiency is really really bad. When you pay for something, you are waiting for results ! This is my opinion as far as I am concerned PC3000, SalvationData are serious professionnals with efficient products and in comparison HDRC looks like amateurs who wants to make money quickly with bad products. As everyone knows on this forum, beating the two separators barrier is a real challenge and only huge data recovery center with lot of money for research and developpement have found a solution kept in secrecy. But trust me, doing platters swap on a 500 GB, 750 GB HDD even with metal insert is finally really easy ! You just need your brain to make it works !

[pcrecovery]

I just wanted to say that I received my tools from HDRC last week. I wanted to take some time to inspect them very carefully and also use them as well prior to posting anything on here. I wanted to make sure that everything was in order and that all products performed as expected. I have had the opportunity to work with the new magnets, the head tools, and platter exchangers.

First off, the problems that I had were mostly packaging and QC/material issues. Clearly all of these have been vastly improved.

In addition, there were numerous "extras" that were unexpected, but a pleasant surprise nonetheless. All of the tools are much improved. So much so, that I can't hardly think of a thing that I'd change.

I shall provide pictures and followup shortly...

[bnice]

Another extra inside but do not say what.

We are not fools this type of marketing has been around for decades. I suggest you come back and say what they are before others think you are on the manufacture payroll. In another post recently the same happend, and i challenged them below there post in a friendly way. They decided to ignore my post which says to me the manufacture posted that review.

PCRecovery tell us what extras, show us detail phots of what you bought with extras.

[pcrecovery]

I am very busy. We just suffered through two hurricanes. I am extremely busy. I basically enjoy surrounding myself with old and new and custom-built tools of all sorts. I thought that some of their designs were different, and since I enjoy buying tools, I bought them. I am rather difficult to please, I suppose and I found several things that I didn't like. I expressed my concerns, and apparently the engineers liked my ideas, because they actually redesigned the platter exchangers and the magnet based on my ideas for improvement. The original design was several pieces glued together. I thought a ONE-PIECE design would be better. Also, the magnet works very very well, however, I thought that it needed to be rubberized for a few reasons...and they made it that way. I NEVER expected anything much more than either a refund or nothing at all to be quite frank and honest with you. Also, if you read all of my posts, I certainly am NOT affiliated with them nor am I on anyone's payroll, but my own...that I can assure you of.

Furthermore, I emailed the company to find out the details surrounding the "extras" that I mentioned. By "extras", I mean that these were NOT things that I ordered, nor was I told that I would get these things.

In an email from I received late last night, it turned out that I had "complained" about the packaging of the product. I mentioned the use of cleanroom wipers to wipe down the products before usage. They then decided to include cleanroom wipers with the product, along with esd safe finger cots, and antistatic wristguard, esd-safe tweezers, and torx toolset. As I said before, I didn't need any of these things. The only tools i really needed were the read write head tools for 3 platters. I already had everything else and much more in my cleanroom. I guess I'm a tool freak. I have two programmers already, and am about to get two more...don't need them...just want them. in fact, I am going to get Atola as soon as I can...i tried to get a beta, but they were out...so I bought a compass, which I've not even used once yet... I'm more interested at the moment in flood/fire recovery, flash memory and embedded.

Anyway, picture tell more, so I'll take some in a few minutes, and downsize and upload shortly...

[pcrecovery]

The box and packaging
The new rubberized ESD safe magnet
3.5 inch platter set
2.5 inch platter set

The original ones were multiple pieces glued together as opposed to a solid piece of molded/formed material. The magnet was open and not rubberized. The idea of a spring-loaded magnet appealed to me. I find that the spring action allows for smoother disengagement as well.

[bnice]

Thanks for the extras info, even if you didn't need them. They might be needed for new buyers, now they know what to expect in the package. The rubberized magnet does sound like an improvement, over bare pieces of metal. As can see in the new model, in the above photo.

Congrats to hdrc for packing all items in enclosed seperate foam compartments. They way it should be, tightly foam packed no harm for contents during transit.

PCRecovery you like collecting tools eh!, i think ohers maybe asking you soon for info and photos of them. Keep posting you new purchases. How about a PCRecovery thread of its own, showing us what you have with nice big close up pictures. Like a library and knowledgebase in one. It won't be advertising, it will be a resource for all, needing to know more before buying. Well its something i'd like to see, as the manufactures are pretty useless with the needed detailed info with good pictures. Only leaving everyone to rely on those that have bought tools to tell and show all.

[pcrecovery]

Just right-click and copy image location or use View Page source in your browser to get pics of 3.5" and 2.5" HPE if interested...the img src links are correct, but pics just don't render...

[bnice]

3.5 Inch

[bnice]

2.5 Inch