choosing btwn vintage Dual 1019 vs 1209 turntable


so, i just had 2 vintage Dual turntables fall into my lap. both have been brought to a repair shop for a thorough check-over, it's in NYC and the guy used to service Duals back in the day.

one is a partially functional 1019 (spins, automates, but only right channel is working - needs new cart, which may simply fix that, i hope). it plays though. it is in a custom drawer slide unit (has the slides on the side still), nice stained hardwood but no feet/legs, so it would just be sitting flat on my counter top. however, it appears to have a nice suspension system that has the whole unit suspended very well in this case.

the second unit is a currently non-functional 1209. i can't even move the switches into positions that would work - they all seem stuck or locked. so, it may work, there may just been some obscure parts broken that are preventing it from turning on. it is in its original Dual enclosure, with legs so it can sit on my countertop. this unit absolutely will need a new cartridge.

my inclination here is to have the 1019 put into the regular body of the 1209. should i be taking the newer model? i have NO need for the automation of the 1209 (can hold several discs at once and drops them into place). since the 1019 already works and hopefully just needs a new cart and maybe some small tune-ups, doesn't it make more sense to keep this and put it in a more-usable enclosure?

i really know very little about turntables, especially vintage ones, but have done some research on these models and think they are both worthy of keeping. has anybody used either, or both?

thanks!
tethead
Keep the 1019 and use the 1209 for parts. The 1019 is something of a classic. The 1209 is quite ordinary.
that's what the consensus seems to be with some other research i've done, that the 1019 is a bit of a unique find, especially in a working condition.

i'm a bit curious how much it'll end up costing me to fix it all up, so i should know by wednesday how expensive of a turntable this will be.
well, it's costing me around $200 for a full refurb of the 1019, including a new idler wheel, washer, spring, extensive lube, transport to the 1209's plinth, and a new RCA cable (the cause of the mono output), which is SIGNIFICANTLY more than i wanted to spend, but hopefully this will give me many years of usage out of this beautiful turntable. i've got the service manual from vinylengine now, so maybe i can figure out how to actually do some of this maintenance myself over the years!
Hi,

I have a 1019 in my collection, and it is a great old turntable. Personally, I think it is the best of the Duals, and I have owned several of them.

Regards,
Win

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