Review of the Sony TFM C660W - Don't buy this clock radio!

[@Egress.]

I have a TFM-C770W which I bought in non-working order. When I recieved it, the clock didn't turn, and it has the motor style like yours does in the video. the issue with mine ended up being that the rear bearing/bushing on the motor turned to goo and jammed the motor. I took some measurements and designed & 3D printed a new one. My clock now happily runs with a very quiet ticking sound which I think is just a tolerance issue with my printed part. I need to replace the blacklight still but the clock is pretty nice & I'm quite happy with it.

[@glydoklagia989]

Oh yeah, I went through all this a few years ago. Thought I could fix it and destroyed the motor in the process; then got another one from ebay. I could not get them to work and they sat in a box under my desk for at least a year before I finally gave up and dumped them. I really appreciate the research that goes into your videos.

[@dutchmankamstra96]

I've got THREE of these clocks. The first one I received as a Christmas present in 1974. It is the rosewood model. Still looks/runs perfectly but the black light is a a little dim. The date feature did stop working years ago for some reason. This particular clock hasn't been in daily service since the 1990's. I acquired the white and charcoal gray models off of ebay a few years back. They are cosmetically and functionally very nice although the black lights are almost completely gone. It's sad that these clocks aren't easier to restore as they were among the finest available at the time and were quite expensive. Mine was about $100 new and I got the Sony pillow speaker a few weeks later. BTW, the radio is EXCELLENT for such a unit. Great sound and clarity.

[@zythr9999]

Unless you listen to mostly talk stations why bother? Many radio stations play the same song, a couple hours apart.

[@I967]

I have never come across this model here. I'd still get it if I saw one, it's nice, even though not a flip clock. I have experience with this type of motor from Sankyo digimatic clocks. I got the stuck motor running alright, but the clock was a bit noisy to keep on my nightstand. I'd get the Sony one you show here, I always like a challenge!

[@BonzaiFPV]

Was my first "Flipclock" (roll clock) and yeah I had no idea what I was doing .when I first got it, it didn't spin at all, I pryed the motor all apart and put it back best I could. The motor chatters like crazy but It has been keeping perfect time for over a year despite all that. I kinda laugh every time I watch it as it sounds like hell but it works too good to shelf it, radio sounds perfect too 😁 I actually love the way it illuminates when it rolls around. But yeah not recommended for beginners lol. This is a good public service announcement because you can find these cheap all over eBay and newbs don't know the difference between this and a Digi c650. The even numbered Sony's are usually rollers and Sankyo-ish motors that suck. Great video as always 👍😁

[@zythr9999]

There are a couple the seller is asking $100 for. This model and C770 are "loud" clocks?

[@IVR02]

Oh God, this clock. I got one of these at an estate sale a few years ago - its got the wood case, but the same internal mechanism as the plastic one you showcased. So of course, that means the motor is broken. At the time I bought it I thought I might be able to restart the motor if I moved the gears enough (how foolish of me!), and after awhile I gave up on it. It's been sitting in a cabinet under my bed for months now. It's such a shame they're such a pain in the ass to repair, because I can imagine they'd look super cool running, between the blacklight and the fact that the mechanism shows the date. I also figured I'd mention that I recently got another clock that kinda reminds me of this one visually, but (knock on wood) has worked a lot better for me. It's a Hitachi KC-794H Digi-Brite. It uses a similar rolling drum mechanism, but rather than a blacklight, it uses a small bulb inside, and the numbers shine through a sheet of green film. The motor's a bit noisy on mine, but other than that I've had good luck with it so far, so that's something.

[@montythegreat1053]

I bought a Sony TFM 650-WL which is pretty much the flip clock version of this, and it had a worn out gearbox, so I couldn't get it working on the original motor. However, I found that I could buy a 1RPM synchronous motor off eBay, and with some custom mounts and 3D printed gears, I could fit it into the clock and get it to work, since the motor needs to rotate at 1RPM to make the seconds go round. That clock has been running for over 5 months with very few issues, and has been keeping good time, the only problems being that it sometimes goes in reverse after a power cut, and that it is rather noisier than it was, due to these motors being a bit less precisely made than the originals, but this is still something I would recommend for repairing clocks with dead motors

[@zythr9999]

Oh well keep looking to see if there is a working Sears Flip clock.

[@zcskywire2]

I actually just re-motored tfm-770w. Instead of using the factory ac synchronous motor, I replaced it with one of the ubiquitous 28byj-48 and uln2003a stepper motor combos. It involved sneaking 120vac > 5vdc converter in the space behind the back left of the mechanism, an Arduino pro mini behind the mechanism and the stepper controller in between the clock and radio.The stepper motor shaft was adapted to fit the original motor gear. Motor rpm came out to be ~12rpm. No idea how the time accuracy holds up yet but I should have the ability to adjust it quite finely.

[@danieladams5379]

Thanks for this. Was about to buy one, but they seem like a headache.

[@Flipclockfans]

I wouldn’t do it again.

[@flipoclock]

Is it worth the effort doing one up? Not sure, but it is a very, very cool clock to look at, especially in the white/off white, great job!

[@Flipclockfans]

Personally I won’t mess with these anymore, basically because of the motor situation.

[@jamesfry9189]

Does anyone know the rpm of the motor in this clock

[@fish3cats]

The blacklight is a cool feature, i would to have listened to what the alarm and the radio sounds like.

[@IVR02]

The alarm is actually kinda unusual on this one, because it makes a high-pitched beeping noise, like you'd find on a later digital alarm clock, rather than the buzzer you'll find on most flip clocks.

[@Flipclockfans]

The radio sounds good for a single speaker model. I hesitate to show that because I can get a copyright strike for playing music from the radio (believe it or not).

[@lllmmm3572]

I just purchased a brand new Sony Litetime TFM-C 770W roll clock. It was part of an estate sale, and still in its sealed box. Opening it, it was clear that it had never been opened and never been used. The radio works fine, as does the lighting. Unfortunately, when I plugged it in, the time did not change. The seconds dial did not move, and neither did the minutes or hours. I am able to adjust the time, and everything seems to click and move normally and crisply when I do. I presume this means there is something wrong with the motor? What should my next step be? What advice could you offer me? (That I did remove the plastic white transit lock piece that came installed in place on the radio with a piece of yellow tape over it.)

[@Flipclockfans]

The motor needs to oiled.

[@lllmmm3572]

@ do you think trying to run it killed it? I mean, did the oil need to take place before I try to turn it on? And how do you oil it?

[@Flipclockfans]

No. Nothing was damaged. These clocks need to be oiled every 50 years or so. I don't think the makers every thought they would even be wanted that far into the future. Here's an example of how to oil a motor. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpmbma2FrM-Lh8ksi=CKySaca6JIaoQot2

[@stephenw2992]

That UV light brings back memories of playing around with old clock radios as a kid. Normally Sony equipment is the best, but they dont get it right every time.

[@zythr9999]

Sony kind of reminds me of Nissan 🙂

[@alyssa7867]

This would've saved me over a year ago...

[@83hutcho]

I bought a TFM C-600. Threw off serious 80s VCR vibes so I had to buy it. But yep, doesn't work.

[@Flipclockfans]

I’m just holding out for eventual after market motors.

[@zythr9999]

Donated a perfectly working Sears roller flip clock because of interest in the sister model C770. Thanks for this video and the heads up!!