Is this style of Zenith console set any good?
 

I've seen one or two of this particular style of Zenith console set recently, with the super cool swivel base. This one seems to be a System 3 but I don't know if they all are.

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/...086673870.html

A set like this is kind of a commitment for someone like me who doesn't have the most floor space, so I gotta ask...are they any good? I definitely don't need something that's huge, heavy, and is a piece of junk. Zenith is a brand that's generally in high regard here but mostly when talking about stuff from the 1960s and 1970s, and this set is clearly from some point in the 1980s, possibly the late 1980s.

A model number would really help.

This was somewhere in the era where Zenith 25" and 27" tubes were crap. This one might predate them.

Once Zenith left the old vertical swing down solid state models, they were really hit or miss - some excellent and some real toilets.

John

The Zenith that built sets held in high regard was long gone by the time the one in your link came out. It was probably OK, and not significantly different from any other American brand from that era - RCA/GE, Magnavox/Philips/Sylvania/Philco, I think those were the only ones left by the mid 80s.

Zenith offered swivel base sets as far back as the 1950s...
If this era of set floats your boat it's fine and all, but if you like the older more desirable models you might want to save your space for one... System 3 era sets are not easy sells if you decide you need it gone to use the space for other things.

System 3 in name only, probably a single board or two board set. Looks around 1990 so just before the wave of bad CRTs. Cabinet is high quality for the time but overall the set really isn't anything special. If it were real low hours and pristine it would be worth saving.

The set is dead ( power button dont work) so I would avoid it. You may
just end up paying to bring it to the dump. At this point Zenith sets just
were average with a few high end exceptions. Only advantage was it
had video inputs. Older ones did not as a rule. Look for a Zenith made
between apx 1972 & 1981. At the time they were the best & tons are
still out there, many working. If you find a candidate post the model ##,
chassis ## & pictures. We can help you decide.

73 Zeno:smoke:
LFOD !

I have a Zenith set that's probably a year or two newer, but also predating the bad CRTs. It's been a daily driver for decades, but suffered the same power supply cap issue that this set probably has. When my set was new, the picture was exceptional. I'd grab it. I'll bet the fix is under $10.

Oh yeah, I'm not going to grab it anyway because well, I don't have space for it (I've got an early 80s GE set that needs to go, actually) but if I find any other Zenith stuff and have more info I'll totally run it by here first.