New Loyds bulk loader.

[Mike Kennedy]

Found one today ay a thrift shop for $1.00.
What should I check out to make sure it works properly?

Thanks

 

[Sparky]

does it have a crank?? check condition of felt at the door opening...

I used to use lloyds all the time. I still have two. WAY better than the aldens, IMO. The Alden would scratch film like crazy.

 

[Jim Jones]

The best way to check it out is to load and shoot a test roll. Decades ago I used a film loader that appeared similar to the current Lloyd model LL01. It was satisfactory as long as the felt light trap was kept perfectly free of anything that would scratch the film. I've used a Watson 100 that has no felt light trap for many hundred rolls of film with no problems. An Alden 74, similar to the the Watson, also gives good service.

 

[fschifano]

At this point I have a few of each, both Alden 74 and Lloyd's. The Lloyd's bulk loader relies on the felt light trap to keep the dark in. The Alden 74, and similarly designed loaders like the Watson, uses a different kind of light trap. Of the two designs, I prefer the Lloyds simply because it has exactly two moving parts. the door and the crank. Unless you hit it with a hammer, there is almost nothing to break. If the crank is not missing, the door is intact, and the felt light trap is in good shape, the loader will perform as designed.