Any source for Seagate Freeagent enclosures?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Noozer
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Noozer

I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?
 
I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?
Click to expand...


Very doubtful, since any spare external enclosure *overruns*
Seagate had, could still be fitted with drives and sold as
the full product so long as they make drives. Your best bet
is either buying the smallest capacity Freeagent you can
find so you have least money spent on the drive, finding a
use for the drive or selling it, or finding someone who
doesn't like the product and is willing to sell you just the
enclosure.

If you were talking about some product that was several
years old, out of production and at the end of the product
warranty period, it might be possible Seagate was
liquidating some parts into the grey market channels... but
even this seems unlikely for drive enclosures as I don't
recall seeing any drive-manufacturer branded enclosures from
past generations showing up anywhere at PC surplus 'sites...
and many people wouldn't even want them years later as they
might not support the capacity of the then contemporary
drives available.
 
Noozer said:
I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?
Click to expand...


Seeing as Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer, and not a plastics company,
I really doubt it. This is a way to sell more hard drives and the plastic
is most likely subcontracted to another company entirely.

That Freeagent GO version looks tempting..

ss.
 
Synapse Syndrome said:
Seeing as Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer, and not a plastics
company, I really doubt it. This is a way to sell more hard drives and
the plastic is most likely subcontracted to another company entirely.
Click to expand...


I forgot to add that it is very unlikely that Seagate would allow their
plastic manufacturing partner to sell the enclosures, which are part of
their 'brand' through any other channel.

ss.
 
Very doubtful, since any spare external enclosure *overruns*
Seagate had, could still be fitted with drives and sold as
the full product so long as they make drives. Your best bet
is either buying the smallest capacity Freeagent you can
find so you have least money spent on the drive, finding a
use for the drive or selling it, or finding someone who
doesn't like the product and is willing to sell you just the
enclosure.
Click to expand...

I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts off.
That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be great.
 
In message <qGmEi.136945$fJ5.114796@pd7urf1no> "Noozer"
I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts off.
That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be great.
Click to expand...

To do it properly, it's far simpler (set the idle-power-down time on the
drive itself)
 
In message <qGmEi.136945$fJ5.114796@pd7urf1no> "Noozer"


To do it properly, it's far simpler (set the idle-power-down time on
the drive itself)
Click to expand...

And how do you do that?
 
I know... but it doesn't hurt to ask.

A close second would be enclosured that "power down" when the PC shuts off.
That's one of the main reasons I like the FreeAgent.

Even a small circuit that I could add inside the enclosure would be great.
Click to expand...

When the PC shuts off, presuming you have the USB set to 5V
instead of 5VSB (which you would have to verify first), you
could use that 5VSB rail to power a relay which closes the
circuit on the power to the enclosure, or with an external
PSU even more *complete* shutdown (instead of leaving the
AC-DC adapter powered) would be to build the circuit into a
multioutlet power strip such that the AC outlet itself is
only powered. Naturally it is more critical to get the
higher AC voltage isolated in the power strip and secure the
relay well, compared to only switching off the drive and/or
circuit board power in the enclosure.
 
When the PC shuts off, presuming you have the USB set to 5V
instead of 5VSB (which you would have to verify first), you
could use that 5VSB rail to power a relay ...
Click to expand...

Oops, I meant "could use that 5V rail", not 5VSB.
 
And how do you do that?
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry -- It's not something you can do unless the USB <--> SATA (or
PATA/IDE) chipset offers an interface.

Rather, it's something the enclosure can do without worrying about
whether or not the system is active.
 
Synapse said:
Seeing as Seagate is a hard drive manufacturer, and not a plastics
company, I really doubt it. This is a way to sell more hard drives
and the plastic is most likely subcontracted to another company
entirely.
That Freeagent GO version looks tempting..
Click to expand...

Whereas I think the best of the range is the Freeagent Pro. eSATA is far
superior interface for external drives than USB (the 'pro' has both, with
the ability to add Firewire as well). With eSATA there is essentially no
difference between an internal and an external drive, either
performance-wise or to the OS.
 
| I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
| don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
| drives?

The drive inside is almost certain to have a native SATA interface, with a
USB to SATA adaptor as part of the enclosure. Otherwise, it would not have
very good performance when connected via SATA. Would it be another SATA
drive that you contemplate putting inside? USB-only enclosures might have
IDE inside, instead of SATA. So if you have existing USB-only external
drives, the drive inside of existing ones might not be compatible with the
Freeagent enclosure (IDE vs. SATA).

The following approach avoids the risk of incompatibility, as well as the
risk of damage to the plastics of the enclosure you like, since it might
not be so easy to get open:

Buy a brand new Seagate Freeagent external drive. Transfer your data from
an existing drive of equal or smaller size. Do a sector security erase of
the old drive (don't just delete files). Sell the old drive.
 
In message <Fl8Ei.137436$rX4.33288@pd7urf2no> "Noozer"
I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
don't need any more drives. Is there any source for the enclosures without
drives?
Click to expand...

What's it worth to ya? Which enclosure are you looking for?

I'm looking for a couple new Seagate drives, I could buy the freeagent
drive and extract the drive from inside...
 
In message <[email protected]> DevilsPGD
In message <Fl8Ei.137436$rX4.33288@pd7urf2no> "Noozer"


What's it worth to ya? Which enclosure are you looking for?

I'm looking for a couple new Seagate drives, I could buy the freeagent
drive and extract the drive from inside...
Click to expand...

FWIW, I picked up one of their enclosures a few days ago, as a USB 2.0
drive it's fantastic, but the eSATA half is slow and reports tons of
errors. This appears to be a common experience.

If you're just looking for USB2.0 support, I can ship out an enclosure
relatively cheap, I'll pull the drive and use it in another project.
 
I really like the style of the Seagate Freeagent external drives, but I
FWIW, I picked up one of their enclosures a few days ago, as a USB 2.0
drive it's fantastic, but the eSATA half is slow and reports tons of
errors. This appears to be a common experience.

If you're just looking for USB2.0 support, I can ship out an enclosure
relatively cheap, I'll pull the drive and use it in another project.
Click to expand...

As much as I'd like to have it, it's probably not worth the effort of
packing it up and shipping to Canada.

You can email me at " public @ csd . ca " if you have any idea on how much
you'd like, plus shipping to Calgary, AB, Canada.
 
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