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Hey folks.....
For Time Machine use (plugged directly into my Macs) I've been buying cheap, 1tB HDDs, which I swap out weekly. Every couple years, when one dies, I just buy another one. Does anyone have another recommendation? I wouldn't spring for an SSD unless there was a REALLY compelling reason to do so, otherwise, I can get a 1tB WD, Seagate, or Toshiba for $60, and they seem to last a couple years.

Any others I should consider?

There are other TM approaches for sure, but if that works for you I'd say stick with it as long as HDs keep getting cheaper. I can see no reason for, nor have I heard of anyone doing SSD backups if that's what you're asking. OTOH a 1TB backup seems mighty small. Only big enough for your OS I'm guessing. Are you looking to expand what's being backed up? ...for instance, virtually everything in my rig goes to TM. Around 20TB currently. I just add additional external HDs as I go

Thanks for your comment. I don’t back up apps or system files to Time Machine, as—in the event of a complete loss—I’d re-install from manufacturer installers.

Rick Cornish wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 5:17 pm Thanks for your comment. I don’t back up apps or system files to Time Machine, as—in the event of a complete loss—I’d re-install from manufacturer installers.

Big HDDs, Because of APFS Snapshots, you want to back up everything on the System Drive.
https://www.motunation.com/forum/viewto ... =4&t=64689

If you have VIs on an external, you can restore from the developers but a complete restore is faster if you have as many as I. If your iTunes library is on an external to save space on your System drive, you do want that backed up, too. With 18TB HDDs readily available, it doesn't make sense anymore not to back up everything.

You want CMR drives rated for NAS but you don't need them to be fast —5400 is fine. Google CMR — though it is not the issue that the armchair experts make out to be, you do want your TM drives to be bulletproof+++

I like WD Red Plus — all are CMR, have extra duty bearings and 3 year warranties.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YFGMZVV/re ... UTF8&psc=1

Seagate Iron Wolf has a good reputation. I don't know that there's a CMR 5400 version. These have a 5 year warranty
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLPTK17/re ... tail_aax_0

I use these:

https://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Desktop- ... NrPXRydWU=

I rotate these between the home and suited Macs periodically. The enclosure style seems to change now and then, but inside is a 5400 RMP Seagate Archive drive. I've used a bunch of these over the years and have yet to, knock wood, have one fail.

mikehalloran wrote: ↑Sun Apr 25, 2021 8:40 pmBig HDDs, Because of APFS Snapshots, you want to back up everything on the System Drive.
https://www.motunation.com/forum/viewto ... =4&t=64689

If you have VIs on an external, you can restore from the developers but a complete restore is faster if you have as many as I. If your iTunes library is on an external to save space on your System drive, you do want that backed up, too. With 18TB HDDs readily available, it doesn't make sense anymore not to back up everything.

You want CMR drives rated for NAS but you don't need them to be fast —5400 is fine. Google CMR — though it is not the issue that the armchair experts make out to be, you do want your TM drives to be bulletproof+++

I like WD Red Plus — all are CMR, have extra duty bearings and 3 year warranties.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YFGMZVV/re ... UTF8&psc=1

Seagate Iron Wolf has a good reputation. I don't know that there's a CMR 5400 version. These have a 5 year warranty
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07SLPTK17/re ... tail_aax_0

Thanks as always, Mike. Guess I'll be re-thinking my backup strategy. Two follow-up questions, if you don't mind:
1. Given that I have a 2016 MacBook Pro with just a 500gB SSD and a 2013 Mac Pro with 1tb (+ two 250gB externals for samples), what capacity drives do you think I'd need?
2. Since I need external drives, is there a drive enclosure you recommend (https://eshop.macsales.com/item/OWC/ME3NH7T00/)? Or would you recommend a different drive for an external config?

Thanks again.

8-10TB is currently best bang for buck. The Seagates I referenced are externals.

I back up over Ethernet or WiFi. My WD MyCloud enclosures are connected to my 801.11ac router so everything has access. MyCloud supports Time Machine right out of the box and the enclosures allow you to swap drives in a few seconds if you outgrow the old ones. WD has phone support as well if you have setup issues.

One can buy the enclosures loaded or empty and supply your own drives. I've done both.

I'm comfortable with drives twice as large as my network storage <1TB for my wife's two Macs + 6TB for mine made 14TB. This was the upper limit when I bought my last pair of Red Plus drives. Had I known I'd be doing all this online audio and AV—and if 18TB was readily available at the time, I probably would have gone there instead. This was to replace the pair of 6TB Reds I had outgrown.

mikehalloran wrote: ↑Mon Apr 26, 2021 11:51 amI back up over Ethernet or WiFi. My WD MyCloud enclosures are connected to my 801.11ac router so everything has access.

Is this what you're talking about Mike?
https://shop.westerndigital.com/product ... 80HWT-NESN

Thanks Mike, WD MyCloud looks great.

Last question: Do you swap out drives regularly for security? (ex: I keep a set of drives at my house while another set is installed at the studio and switch them out weekly.)

Rick Cornish wrote: ↑Mon Apr 26, 2021 1:20 pm Thanks Mike, WD MyCloud looks great.

Last question: Do you swap out drives regularly for security? (ex: I keep a set of drives at my house while another set is installed at the studio and switch them out weekly.)

No. I have drives in hidden locations. Old Apple Time Capsule, the pancake style, work great as long as the original, volcano-hot HDDs were swapped for low-energy drives before the innards were cooked. When I moved into this house, I paid a college kid to crawl under and help me run ethernet to every room. One backs up my two Macs only while another backs up my wife's.

I take the Ron Popeil approach: Set it and forget it.

mikehalloran wrote: ↑Mon Apr 26, 2021 7:02 pm I take the Ron Popeil approach: Set it and forget it.

I suppose there are a few of us here who are old enough to know who Ron Popeil is!

Unfortunately, for the future of MOTU, it is my observation that too many users will get it

dix wrote: ↑Mon Apr 26, 2021 8:51 pm Unfortunately, for the future of MOTU, it is my observation that too many users will get it

...but Wait! There's more!...