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Hello All,
Just got my hands on the ToTsRETRO CMD-HD4000 reproduction – a faithful remake of the classic CMD Commodore hard drive for C64, C128, Plus/4 and more!
High points:
• Spot-on FDM PLA case (looks and feels similar the original HD-Series but it does have the inconsistencies and artifacts from 3D printing )
• BlueSCSI v2 inside with swappable 32GB SD card + external SCSI port
• Pre-loaded 4GB image ready to go with full CMD utilities (I advise making a copy as a backup and making a new SD card with a copy of the HD image as starting from scratch from a card failure can be a challenge), licensed HD Boot ROM v2.80
• Real-time clock, write-protect switch, front-panel partition selector, up to 254 partitions
• 1541/1571/1581 emulation modes, native subdirectories, GEOS boots lightning fast
• Works with GEOS, CP/M, and even cross-platform with Amiga/Mac/PC partitions on the same card
- Has the 18 Pin Connector for a RamLink connection
• Fully assembled, tested, and chips socketed for easy future service
The issues:
• Made-to-order by a one-man shop → 1-week lead time and premium pricing
• Needs your own IEC serial cable + 1541/1581 power supply
• SD card setup is picky: Format the SD card in Windows (NOT macOS!) using the official SD Memory Card Formatter tool with the “Overwrite format” option selected. macOS formatting (even with the same tool or Disk Utility) often makes BlueSCSI fail to recognize the card completely. Stick to Windows and FAT32 and it should work.
Overall this thing is a beast for power users who want that authentic 90s CMD experience without hunting down failing originals. If you’re deep in C64 nostalgia, it’s worth it. Highly recommend downloading the manual before you fire it up!
I do not have an original CMD HD but I have several Thunderdrive CMD clones that I’ve been using for years. Stay tuned for some of my thoughts on this drive vs those.
-Sutehk
Topic starter
Posted : 22/03/2026 12:54 pm
- A well written post. Other than the Mac discrimination 😉 it seems like a nice clone. Look forward of your comparisons to the Thunderdrives.
Posted : 22/03/2026 5:38 pm
Sutehk reacted
I love my Mac's but unfortunately there are times when one needs a Windows machine because someone else built something that only works with it.
Happened to me a lot in the 90's and early 2000's,
-Sutehk
Topic starter
Posted : 23/03/2026 7:52 am
Just found this forum - I also picked up one of these drives, along with a GFD-4000 back in March or so. Ran into a weird issue where the IEC bus will lock up if they are both working together in close proximity - some testing points to some sort of RF interference introduced with the SD Card extension used in the HD. If you use the internal SD slot on the BlueSCSI, it reduces the issue greatly.
I have been able to run multiple images on a single SD Card by way of @darkvision 's CBMHDSCSI64 utility to select the SCSI device (which points to the appropriate .sd(x) file on the card.
I just recently picked up a Mega 65, and the HD seems to work with that as well. I'd like to see if I can reach @darkvision, as I'm wanting to get his permission to port his SCSI utility from the C64 to the M65. I didn't see anything explicitly on his BitBucket repo page granting those permissions - hopefully he'll see this.
Posted : 26/09/2026 9:49 am
Sutehk reacted
I also have GFD-4000 actually right on top of the HD-4000. Luckily I have not run into the IEC lockup you experienced. I’m using a Commodore Ultimate with them
i use these to run GDOS 64 and GeoWrite, GeoCalc, GeoFile etc…..
I also have a Mega65 (initial version in the first batch). I gave up on it but have been considering bringing it back up from the basement. It will need a lot of updating. The 64 core sounds like it’s usable now. I’ve found that the commodore ultimate is so compatible that I wasn’t anxious to try and make a core work.
-Sutehk
Topic starter
Posted : 26/09/2026 1:47 pm
That would be great!
Honestly the recent A500 core I read about was the driving force for bringing the Mega back out fir me.
-Sutehk
Topic starter
Posted : 26/09/2026 2:00 pm
Perhaps once I get enough history here, I can can post a picture of the crowded mess that is my workspace.
Hi @guitarec
First welcome to the forum glad to have ya!
The new user roles on here have been loosened up, so now you only need to have 2 post then by your third post you are permited to attach images and such. Being you have already meet the 2 post rule, feel free to try attaching those photos and you should be ok! If not let me know through the "Contact Us".
Looking forward to those photos and more great conversation with you.
This post was modified 5 days ago by Shane - "PalKat"
Commodore 64 BBS -=[ commodore64bbs.com:6464 ]=- ....1st Commodore 64 Ultimate to run Image BBS 3.0!
The Kats Alley BBS -=[ tka.8bitboyz.com:6400 ]=- ....Running Image 3.0 for the C64
8-Bit Boyz BBS -=[ bbs.8bitboyz.com:6502 ]=- ....Running Mystic on Windows
Best Retro Web Resource -=[ www.8bitboyz.com ]=- ....Running a whole lotta PHP, Javascript, SQL and so much more!
Posted : 26/09/2026 4:12 pm
@guitarec Very NICE!
Your a streamer!!!
Commodore 64 BBS -=[ commodore64bbs.com:6464 ]=- ....1st Commodore 64 Ultimate to run Image BBS 3.0!
The Kats Alley BBS -=[ tka.8bitboyz.com:6400 ]=- ....Running Image 3.0 for the C64
8-Bit Boyz BBS -=[ bbs.8bitboyz.com:6502 ]=- ....Running Mystic on Windows
Best Retro Web Resource -=[ www.8bitboyz.com ]=- ....Running a whole lotta PHP, Javascript, SQL and so much more!
Posted : 26/09/2026 4:23 pm
@palkat Not for a while, but yes I did stream for a few years (but never of any huge following). I only ever started streaming as a way for my son to watch my Minecraft play (a game he introduced me to) in between my visitation with him.
Considering picking it back up as a retro tech / computing / gaming channel, but my work schedule doesn't allow for any sort of regular streaming schedule.
But, we're getting off-topic for this thread. 😆
Posted : 26/09/2026 4:32 pm