8mm Forum: Bell & Howell 346A

This is topic Bell & Howell 346A - Buy or Pass? in forum 8mm Forum at 8mm Forum.

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Posted by Eric W. Cook (Member # 2196) on May 28, 2011, 01:02 PM:

Hello, an opportunity has come up to purchase a very nice looking, used Bell and Howell 346 A - Ser. CG-25165 Super 8, Auto Load.

Is this a machine worth having or worth avoiding?

Any advice would be welcome.
Eric

Posted by Pasquale DAlessio (Member # 2052) on May 28, 2011, 01:10 PM:

Eric

This is always a touchy question. Some people like Chevy's and some like Ford's etc. I will say this about B&H they are built like tanks. That's why they are so heavy. That particular series of projectors was well made and ran well. If the price is right I would buy it. Now for the next opinion [Confused]

Good luck

Pat

[ May 28, 2011, 10:43 PM: Message edited by: Pasquale DAlessio ]

Posted by Bryan Chernick (Member # 1998) on May 28, 2011, 07:47 PM:

I think I sold one on Ebay for around $50. I pick them up at garage sales every now and then for as little as $5. Sometimes they need some work. I think you can get a much better projector on Ebay for $50 like a Bolex. I agree with Pat, they are well built projectors. They are very common so don't pay a lot for it unless they can assure you that it is in great working condition. One problem with them is the cost to replace the bulb, they are around $25 to $35. As much or more than you can pay for the projector.

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on May 31, 2011, 10:29 PM:

One thing I do admire about B&H is that series of projectors and most of their projectors prior to 1970 had a drive belt that was designed to last a lifetime.

Posted by Winbert Hutahaean (Member # 58) on June 01, 2011, 09:36 AM:

quote:
had a drive belt that was designed to last a lifetime.

Thomas, unfortunately there is no such thing.

Belt is belt...made from rubber. Rubber has a lifetime...

cheers,

Posted by Thomas Dafnides (Member # 1851) on June 01, 2011, 09:45 AM:

My 1963 B&H has the original belt, looks great , runs great. The belt appears to be 4 to 6 times thicker than the average belt on a super 8 projector....
Also, I have never heard of anyone having to replace the drive belt in a Bolex M8 (1951-59)...most people assume they do not have one...but they do.

Posted by Chris Punzi (Member # 2647) on September 11, 2011, 01:27 PM:

I would just like to add to this old thread... I have a B&H 346a which I got with a camera and screen for 20 dollars. I used it a few times and it worked great. Then the fan snapped off where it was mounted, or the collar came loose, or something. There was no breeze and there was a horrible metal squealing/shrieking sound. So I pulled it apart and there it was. I tried loosening the collar but to no avail, I stripped the set screw (that S.O.B. was tight!) So as a last ditch effort I put about 5 rubber bands twisting around the fan and shaft to hold it in place... Works great! This thing just keeps on going. When I pulled it apart there was only one belt to mess with, and it was in great shape, probably the original one too.

The bulb (DJL) in this guy is definitely not as bright as my Elmo St 1200D, but the projector itself is a hell of a lot simpler and less touchy than the elmo. The B&H has never eaten a leader off my film, but the elmo has eaten 3. I would say that this projector is definitely worth having, especially if you shoot your own silent films at 18 fps.

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