Mint Tractor

[swcng2001]

Hello everyone,

 

I’m wondering if anyone has had any dealings with Mint LP (Hong Kong - I believe) recently? I have tried contacting them regarding ordering a Mint Best Tractor for my setup and have not received any acknowledgement at all. I purchased a customised Tractor about 5 years ago and they were very responsive and I received my order within a couple of weeks which I thought was excellent service considering each custom tractor has to be etched individually.

 

Their website is still available (https://mintlp.com/). It’ll be disappointing to find them closed for business. I found their tractor to be one of the most accurate ways to setup a tonearm & cartridge without spending a fortune. 

 

Thanks.

[PKay]

22 hours ago, swcng2001 said:

Hello everyone,

 

I’m wondering if anyone has had any dealings with Mint LP (Hong Kong - I believe) recently? I have tried contacting them regarding ordering a Mint Best Tractor for my setup and have not received any acknowledgement at all. I purchased a customised Tractor about 5 years ago and they were very responsive and I received my order within a couple of weeks which I thought was excellent service considering each custom tractor has to be etched individually.

 

Their website is still available (https://mintlp.com/). It’ll be disappointing to find them closed for business. I found their tractor to be one of the most accurate ways to setup a tonearm & cartridge without spending a fortune. 

 

Thanks.

There is the Wally Tractor but it's very expensive.

 

https://www.heynowhifi.com.au/products/wallytools-tractor-universal-v2-01?srsltid=AfmBOoq5KIqlS_yAu85eEZFV-k_rPzgQAkMbcmJdZtn-H8IzUMMaKyWm

 

[aussievintage]

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09M8FWVXZ

 

[andyr]

5 hours ago, aussievintage said:

https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B09M8FWVXZ

 

 

Mmmm - that's not an arc protractor (made for each particular arm) ... which I believe the OP was talking about.  

 

 

 

[aussievintage]

1 hour ago, andyr said:

 

Mmmm - that's not an arc protractor (made for each particular arm) ... which I believe the OP was talking about.  

 

 

 

 

So what?  I don't understand why the geometry of cartridge alignment gets so many people befuddled and worried.   Many ways to skin a cat and all that.  It's all very easy to do.

[metal beat]

On 04/11/2024 at 5:26 PM, swcng2001 said:

Hello everyone,

 

I’m wondering if anyone has had any dealings with Mint LP (Hong Kong - I believe) recently? I have tried contacting them regarding ordering a Mint Best Tractor for my setup and have not received any acknowledgement at all. I purchased a customised Tractor about 5 years ago and they were very responsive and I received my order within a couple of weeks which I thought was excellent service considering each custom tractor has to be etched individually.

 

Their website is still available (https://mintlp.com/). It’ll be disappointing to find them closed for business. I found their tractor to be one of the most accurate ways to setup a tonearm & cartridge without spending a fortune. 

 

Thanks.

 

to try and answer your question, unlike everyone else so far replying 

 

I have had a few Mint tractors made over the years and still use their tractor for my Pioneer Exclusive P3 tonearm.    But I haven't ordered for a while.

 

 However, looking at their website, he is definitely not making the tractors anymore.  It hasn't been updated since 2022.

  The guy was also very quick in responding, but as you said he hasn't replied.

 

  Real pity as I prefer the Mint Tractor better than my mega exxy Acoustical Systems tractors

[aussievintage]

11 hours ago, metal beat said:

However, looking at their website, he is definitely not making the tractors anymore.  It hasn't been updated since 2022.

 

I took that as understood.  Yes, the website is dead and unmaintained since then.  I would not be sending money to them at this point.

 

I can only reiterate, this isn't rocket science - it's simple geometry.  No need for reliance on expensive or hard-to-get protractors.  All you are doing is making the cartridge sit tangential to the curve of the grooves at two points (distances from the centre) in it's traversal across the playing surface.  You get to choose the two points - but there are three commonly used examples.

[swcng2001]

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks for replying, especially @metalbeat @andyr and @aussievintage.

 

I am well aware of the existence of other protractors such as the Wally, various DIY designs, Clearaudio's etc and I have tried various ones over the years.

 

As I said in my original post, I own one for my Reed 1x 10.5in arm and have been very pleased with it as it takes any guessing out of the equation. The mirrored surface helps a lot in getting the overhang and zenith settings right without resorting to microscopes and other expensive equipment.

 

I might be OCB with this but really "so what?". It's my time and my obsession .

 

Too bad Mint have gone out of business. I have a feeling that Mr Yip might have been very ill with COVID.

 

Thanks for all your answers.

[billstevenson]

I am sorry to learn that we have lost Mr. Yip.  I use his protractor to setup each new cartridge on my Technics SL1200 and the setup has been verified by other methods including the Wally Tools mega buck stuff.

[swcng2001]

I am sorry too. The Mint protractors were very good. I like the fact that they were customised for each TT, tonearm configuration.

 

I hope someone in Mr Yip's circle can carry on the legacy.