How Long Should an LP12 Bearing Last?

NO its not. The dealer is just trying to scare your maybe buyey.
Linn's first and foremost expertise was as an engineering company.

Why are you selling your LP12??

If it has been properly lubricated and if it has not been mechanically damaged, then it can last a lifetime. I think the real question in your situation is whether you actually have bearing wear, not a theoretical question as to how long it lasts. If it's worn, it's worn; if it's not, it's not. I wouldn't discount the price just because it "might" have wear or because it's something somebody said to "watch for". It's just a canny purchaser trying to beat you down on price a bit. The age of the unit, and therefore normal wear and tear, should already be reflected in your asking price. It doesn't need another price discount on the same point under a different guise. I would discount the price further from fair market value only if it is being specifically sold as a damaged item "for parts only".

If properly maintained the bearing should experience minimal wear. The buyer sounds like a lowballer. Tell him to look elsewhere. Linn tables sell.

Wow a new definition of "lowballer"! Now anyone trying to get a better price is a lowballer. Anyone with what he considers a genuine issue is a lowballer.

A lowballer is someone who starts out with an offer that is a fraction of the asking price, assuming the asking price is somewhere in the vicinity of what the book suggests.

What do you call the opposite of a lowballer, you know the seller who has an asking price way too high, has an ad running for months and a description of how mint the equipment is since he is on the road most of the time and has no kids, wife, pets and a laminar air flow room to keep is equipment in.

I live in Canada and sold it within Canada because of Canadian Customs and border hassles. We recently mutually re-agreed on the original asking price but I wanted to make sure for both sides sake. I felt compelled to ask as a concientious seller. I am getting a Raven One for 2 reasons. Firstly, I just wanted a change from having the LP12 for so many years and am secondly, it's my sort of personal protest to Linn for their costly Keel and Ekos SE upgrades. Ironocally, the buyer sold his LP12 for another table only to sell his new table to get another LP12.

ducatirider
good luck with the raven one
nice deck

I guess I should clarify the issue as being the "lowballer". Ken and I have agreed on the LP12 and I am the buyer. How the story goes is when I traded my LP12 on a VPI I was going to buy a Cirkus upgrade kit for the LP12. My dealer told me it is the BEST upgrade for a Linn for two reasons the Cirkus is a better bearing and I would be replacing a bearing with 22 years wear. The reason the Cirkus costs so much is they replace both the upper and lower part of the bearing. The reason for this is the bearing wears into each other and the new one has to be new on both parts. So a Cirkus upgrade is the best upgrade according to the dealer because you are replacing a worn part with a (better) new part. They also said if I installed a new (orginal style) bearing it would be better because of no wear than no bearing install. So the long and short is bearings wear just like whell bearing in a car. Wait for Linn to come out with a Cirkus II. We will all rush in on the new bearing which will be better but also we will be trading in many years of wear on current cirkus bearings so double whammy. I would like to clarify on the price issue the reason I was concerned was Ken gave me the orginal Ekos serial number and I checked it out as a Ekos II so agreed to the table. He later found the correct serial number which was Ekos I (which he thought it was Ekos I all along) so that did concern me. The price adjustment was not on the Cirkus wear but the Ekos I vs. Ekos II. Since I read back Ken's e-mails and he never did say it was Ekos II, I agreed to pay the full price. I just do not want to be known as the bad guy. It was a tonearm misunderstanding not a Cirkus bearing. Bearing wear is a fact. It is metal on metal. But I think Ken's orginal question has anyone replaced the Cirkus yet? and how long before Cirkus II?

I don't think there will be a Cirkus II but a Keel I. Thanks for clearing the air Jody.

The events are correct as Jody states. Misunderstanding on my part. We mutually agree now.