#16 - Fixing the dropping tonearm on my Audio Technica AT LP120 USB turntable 

One drop was just enough!!! It works perfect!!! It only took about 20 minutes for the fluid to drain down. Kudos!!!

Before applying new damping fluid...ALWAYS clean out the old crudy residue!

Checking in in 2022 to say this worked great! Only needed 1 big drop of the stuff and it's dropping perfectly now. Thanks for the video and the product rec!

Hey man! Thank you so much for putting this video together. Kind of an uncommon personal tech job so I was extremely pleased to see something so clear and simple to follow to help me get the job done. Cheers!

Have this problem with mine thanks for showing how to fix. All the best Jon

Thanks for posting this. I’ve been dealing with this issue for a year or so now, and have been meaning to search for a solution. I just ordered the fluid. I’m glad (not for you) that you put too much fluid in at first. Now I’ll know to start with one small drop. Cheers!

Thank you so much!!!! Mine stopped working 2 years after purchase!! I've been hand dropping (thankfully i have steady hands) but my wife and friends do not!!!! Going to order this dampening fluid and give it a try!!!

Thanks a lot for this video! I managed to finally fix the dropping tonearm of my audio technnica at 120 lp

My Denon VL12 has been doing this since I got it. Thanks for the tips. I'll have a poke around the lift mechanism and see if I can sort it out.

Thanks for the video. I just ordered my fluid and will follow your lead. I bought my TT in 2020 and I know the arm has been dropping hard for over a year (though I just hand drop it now).

Excellent "How To Video". It appears that this problem just didn't exist with the LP120USB, but continues with the "NEW" LP120XUSB model. Since I have both turntables, this will turn into a small project. Mental Note to myself, do not apply too much fluid. :-)

Thanks for the video, love your record collection looks like mine, mines all Jazz with a few classical 👍

thanks for this been driving me crazy since I bought the TT

Shad, Tavis sent me here. Looks like he fixed his tone arm because of this video. I marked/subbed this channel just in case I get such problems. Be safe and take care. ~NammaN~

Awesome. Thank-you for this. Had exactly the same problem.

Thanks for the video man. I have this problem with my AT and your video came out first. About to order some of that

Excellent! I finally know how to this on my turntable.

I'm digging that 120 Ben using the LPX 60 & 60x for the past year & they are great. I just wish the 120 had an Auto cuing feature. Thx for the info👍👍

Thanks for making this video, it’s very helpful 👍

Thanks for the video Shad. I have had the same turntable as you for years and the arm has always dropped like a rock. Guess I'm going to get some fluid and add this to my to do list.

I have a brand new 140 which never cued as well as yours did after you fixed it! I would not trust it to drop on it's own without controlling it manually. It looks to be the same arm as the 120. The damping is already failing. Guess will have to do what you did. Many thanks, Malcolm Dyer, New Romney, UK.

I had to do the same to my LP-120 also! I sold mine and bought two Fluance RT-82's

Thanks for the detailed instructions!!!

Nice Samsung Gear watch and band! I have the save exact watch band on my Gear ⚙ 46MM. My watch band came with 2, one band is silver and black links which is what is on my wrist now and the 2nd band is obviously the one you're wearing. Anywho, thanks for the vodeo, my Audio-Technica tonearm has the same issue. I'll go get some that fluid and fix the lift. I was gonna call Audio-Technica and have them fix the issue since my deck is only 3 months old. But, thank you again very much for your time!!!

Thanks for video and link for what you used.. I tried 2000 rc car diff grease but it wasn't thick enough. Just ordered this stuff.

Nice work!

Very helpful.thanks Stan

I just had this problem with my turntable. I watched your video, however I found a (hopefully permanent) quick fix. I dropped the queueing lever, and then with my finger moved the tonearm rest up and down rapidly for about 30 seconds to try and spread the grease around. Worked like a charm.

That happened to the cuing on my Toshiba turntable less than a year after i got it but the warranty didn't include those type of problems

Very helpful video thank you so much

I ordered the mid grade fluid like you suggested. Now all I have to do is hurry up wait for the pony Express to deliver it!!!lol!! Thanks!!!

I've had the newer AT-LP120XUSB for about 5 months now, &, unfortunately, the same problem still exists. It seems like there is a little hitch when using the cue lever, & the tonearm just DROPS hard. Don't understand why Audio Technica hasn't resolved this issue. SO happy with the turntable other-wise, the sound quality is awesome......anyway, I just move the cue lever very slowly & then it is ok.....

Did this simple fix now my tonearm raises and lowers super smooth. I used SME 200000 cSt silicone oil. You only need a very small amount which I left you settle overnight. purchased of eBay for less than £10 ($10.00 = £7.93).

Excellent video!! Thanks!!!

this is exactly the fluid I used. one small drop in each hole and BAM! However my only issue is I didn't consider the depth I needed to screw it back on, but I figured it out through trial. :) I now get 3-3.2 seconds on a drop.

Great video. Thanks. Do you have any ideas on how to make the lp120 more feedback resistant? The whole unit is very light and to much plastic on the body. Could be great if it was replaceable with aluminium like the Technics 1210. I have fill put all the inside with plasticine but didn't help that much.

very well explained

gonna try this out, thanks! my turntable has the same problem

Thank you for this video, mine drops like a rock and skips grooves and it's really annoying. My question is, where can we buy this fluid?

Very helpful, thanks

GOOD JOB!!

Update: My silicon fluid arrived yesterday. Instead of applying the gel to the piston underneath the cue lift, I opened my unit, and applied the gel to the heart of the problem. Now after repeated cuing, the stylus gradually touches the record. I know what some of you are thinking, I voided my warranty. What it would cost to ship for repairs is not worth it. Should I encounter issues, I’ll just go out and purchase a new unit. To be perfectly honest, I should not have had to do this on a turntable that I purchased new in August, 2019.

Great vid,shows you how to mess it up the repair and fix it again lol.

Shad, where did the little spring come from? Was it connected with screw or did it come from a separate hole by itself?? Thx!

sorry for my bad english, what is the product you use? thanks, great video

After 4 months of a brand new lp140 same problem.Just purcase a silicon fluid to do it . But as i was searcing i found that this not the correct way and you have to open and do it from the inside. Does it worth it to do it with the hard way or this easy way is fixing the problem even from some months and if its back again you just do the same process?By the the way very helpful video .

any videos on an equal but opposite problem? my armrest doesn't drop when lever is depressed?!! thanks

Does the fluid go in the screw hole. Or the area round aboout it?

I have the same problem with my Kenwood kd990 and that has a solenoid lifter, wish me luck.

can i use grease beside the damping fluid?

Amigo como se llama el lubricante que le aplicas....saludos

You did the same thing I did. I touched it and stuck and dragged the fluid. Then I had goop in spots....crap to clean.

This is official from Audio-Technica service center: "Sorry to hear you are experiencing this issue. Occasionally we do have instances where the silicon dampening fluid needs to be replenished in order for the lift / lower mechanism to function correctly. In order to do so, ensure the stylus guard is fitted then move the tonearm towards the centre spindle, or remove the headshell and the tonearm will spring upwards (due to the counter weight being on there), which will also take it out of the way. This process is quite easy and requires no tools. Whilst the lever is in the raised position apply a very small amount (a droplet or two) of the silicon fluid directly into the recess underneath the screw on the right hand side of the semi-circular Black support bar (close to where the tonearm tube would be if it was placed in the rest). You can gently pull up the semi circular Black bar to further expose more of the recessed aperture, to allow more access. Drip the oil (you should only need a couple of drops), into the recess using a syringe; a matchstick/cocktail-stick or similar implement can also be used. Leave it for a few hours or overnight in order for the fluid to seep its way into the assembly, then simply use the lever to raise the lifter up and down a few times to ensure the oil has lubricated the mechanism effectively. Your turntable should begin to function as normal again. The oil required is High Viscosity Silicone Differential Oil/Fluid which must be 100,000 cst. In our Service Centre, we use 'TrackStar' Silicone Diff Oil (High Viscosity) 100000cSt . This can be sourced from Remote Control (RC) Car stores, it is not expensive and a 60ml bottle should last for many years for this application. "

Does anyone know how to replace the AT-LP120 USB tonearm "clamp"? I have been unable to find anything on this. Thx in advance!

Very thorough and helpful! Before I explore the oil solution, my problem might not be the same. The lever to raise and lower the tone arm doesn't do the job. There seems to be no palpable tension in the lever. And the arm just skips toward the spindle if I try placing the tone arm manually. Are these two issues related?

I tried this fix with silicone diff fluid which was recommended on other videos which was also thick and it had almost no effect. Maybe I have a different problem? Don't be surprised if this does not work for you. No matter how much I used it made no difference. Time for a better turntable.

Grazie mille!

Thanks so I know not to add too much, thanks again... :)

Yes! that's the problem and the solution ATLP120USB Thank you I'm guessing they all do this....

Have you encountered any other problem with this Turntable as I have seen some reviews that the Anti-Skate doesn’t work properly

Are you putting the fluid inside the small gold color tube that lifts and lowers, or around that tube?

Hello. I located this stuff online but there are differences. What CSTs was this?

Good evening (Indian time). My turntable made in india by company, COSMIC has the same problem of tone arm coming down like a rock. So can you PLEASE PLEASE let me know the name of the solution or glue you used for this along with the description of the formula of that particular solution. I will try to get it here. I had purchased this turntable in the year just for Rs.3,100/- which gave me very good service. Later on I started using magnetic cartridge by SHURE which gave me fantastic sound production. I will be very very grateful to you if I know the details of the solution. Thanks.

I noticed mine dropping like that but, I got mine used. It always seemed to drop quick but, now it doesn't want to drip slow even when I use the tone arm control.

Would you be kind enough to tell the name of the fluid you inserted? Thank you.

Hi, I have got different model of Technics turntable ( Sl-QD33 ) and tonearm is falling too slowly. What does it men? The machine is like 25 yo and not been serviced till now. Everything else seems to be working just fine . Greetings

Good to know! Now can you show us how to fix the faulty anti-skate WITHOUT having to desolder and resolder all those joints? :)

I have just the opposite problem , my tone arm lift won't lower at all . In other words the stylus won't drop onto the record. could it be so dry that the lift is stuck in the up position ? What say you ? Thanks !! P.S. its a Sony ps -4300.

Thank you very much for the video. Question: Is 500.000 thicker than 300.000?

So... what you are saying is... That it is not preferred to take a hard sharp piece of diamond.. and drop it willy-nilly onto a soft plastic... huh... Today I learned (JK ...Sarcasm!) This is good to know because I do plan on upgrading from a 60 to a 120... and I will need to know this! It was good to see you make the "too much" mistake... because I would have done the same thing! Now I can learn from your error!

So this video is really mostly about removing the damping oil ;) Thank you for showing us how to apply it. What viscosity did you use, 300k or 500k cSt?

What viscosity of the damping fluid did you use?

When you put the fluid in hole is it around the little metal rod or inside of that? I’m still relatively new to this and would like to avoid as much damage to the player itself. Any help is appreciated

Did you only put it around the brass tube or the screw hole ado it need to go in the other pin location holes

Nice watch

What is the thickness of the silicone fluid that you are using thank you

The tonearm cuing vicious fluid is applied to the piston(for lack of the proper term)at the base of the mechanism, not on the top. Just FYI. Thanks for your video though.

top video, we undertand that was not clear before......

Hello, what size screwdriver do I need to fix this?

does this Problem comes as well on 2020 Audiotechnica AT LP 120?! or already gone! thks

I'm kinda curious to see how long before it needs to be done again. I used just barely a drop but, as you mentioned I'm going to let it sit for an hour. It is really thick!!!

When I put in too much fluid I always remove the lift, wipe it, put it back in without screw. Then take the lift back out and wipe it and repeat if necessary.

Hey isn't this problem just solved by manually move and gently drop the tonearm?

Mine dropped onto records with a noticeable "thump" but loosening the screw (just a little bit) on the little plastic mechanism that raises the tonearm on my AT-LP2D USB seems to have helped the tonearm to drop softer. The biggest problem with mine is with the automatic cueing, it moves too far into the record, no matter if it's a 7 or 12 inch and falls on some records a few seconds into the song! That's what I can't figure out how to fix... 😭😭😭😭

What brand of dampening fluid did you use to fix this?

Jesus… A whole shelf of records… those are bucks, man

Has nothing whatsoever w/ my problem Although good quality video!

What kind of fluid does it take?

Are you just putting it in the hole around the post the screw goes in or in the screw to?

How come you never had to do this with turntables years ago, I have one from around 20 years ago and it still works.

Hey shad, your camera was not on the straight above angle, Tavis did both holes, is that correct ? , just a small drop 300k in BOTH holes? Great vid , and so helpfull. Kind regards Erik

How much is enough to put in there

Hi! Has this issue occurred again since you applied the damping fluid the first time? Does it need to be reapplied after some time?

I have the opposite problem, it doesn't stay up! what should I do?

Master Many thks por share vídeo

I don’t know why you had to take the counter weight off for.🤔

I learnt 2 things today... One of them was, what in the hell that hole is used for at the back of the tone arm..

This appears to be a failure in almost 100% of LP 120 turntables in the first 6 months. So why should the consumer foot the bill for the fluid and labour when it is bulit-in fault of Audio -Technica during their warranty?

Why take the counter weight off at all? Makes job twice the hassle

i literally just bought mine and my lever is jammed