So today I had my first opportunity to test out the new Seagate Slim head combs from ApexToolLab (formerly known as AceToolLab).
I must say, they work great as always. Here's a picture I snapped of it in place:
(Ignore the scratched platters, it was just a test drive)
It slides in nice and easy before you remove the parking ramp. You just have to move it slightly over on the ramp, but you don't have to move the heads very close to the platters before you can fit it in. It then allows you to hover the heads over the platters while you remove the ramp (I already removed it in this picture). As with all of Apex tools, it's very sturdy and fits like a glove.
My only one bit of feedback for the tool is this. The actuator on these drives seems to have an excessive amount of wiggle room on the vertical axis. So, you've got to be super careful putting it back over the platters when you are re-assembling. If it wobbles too much up or down the tool can come in contact with the platter edges. As a suggestion, perhaps Apex could add an extra nub or two onto the bottom of the tool so it rests on the bottom of the HDA. That way the vertical height can be held steady by keeping downward pressure on it.
Aside from that, it's an awesome tool!
You can pick one up here: https://apextoollab.com/slim/
I must say, they work great as always. Here's a picture I snapped of it in place:
(Ignore the scratched platters, it was just a test drive)
It slides in nice and easy before you remove the parking ramp. You just have to move it slightly over on the ramp, but you don't have to move the heads very close to the platters before you can fit it in. It then allows you to hover the heads over the platters while you remove the ramp (I already removed it in this picture). As with all of Apex tools, it's very sturdy and fits like a glove.
My only one bit of feedback for the tool is this. The actuator on these drives seems to have an excessive amount of wiggle room on the vertical axis. So, you've got to be super careful putting it back over the platters when you are re-assembling. If it wobbles too much up or down the tool can come in contact with the platter edges. As a suggestion, perhaps Apex could add an extra nub or two onto the bottom of the tool so it rests on the bottom of the HDA. That way the vertical height can be held steady by keeping downward pressure on it.
Aside from that, it's an awesome tool!
You can pick one up here: https://apextoollab.com/slim/
