Tape recorder randomly stops playing

[waxcylinder]

slipping belts could even be an underlying cause of your problem

[audino]

@steve

Difficult to tell with drive belts. They can look perfect (especially after being cleaned) but still lack the necessary grip due to ageing. If they look shiny, then cleaning with IPA may help in the short term, but if that is the case they are likely to have also stretched a little and hardened so replacing them is likely to be necessary.

@waxcylinder

slipping belts could even be an underlying cause of your problem

The problem occurs at the beginning of the tape (it might have something to do with the white tape either with the first 5-6 seconds of the recorded tape) so I would agree regarding belts’ issues if it happened during mid-end tape.
Why the problem disappears after 5-6 seconds of recorded tape and just “occasionally” or none reoccurs during the rest of the tape? What are your thoughts?