The life expectancy of our MC cartridges would be at least in the region of 1500 hours with normal handling and reasonable condition vinyl but 1800
I get emails all the time asking about how long a stylus lasts. Conservatively speaking, with proper care, around 1000 hours (or so).
How long your stylus will last before it's too far worn to provide full, detailed musical pleasure depends upon a number of factors, including how well you care for it and your records. Dirty records, which includes new out of the jacket ones, create greater friction and the grit, though invisible, will cause greater stylus wear.
Bad stylus hygiene is another determinant of stylus longevity, as is stylus profile: the more extreme, the more quickly its sharp (but not dangerously so if properly aligned) facets will round-out. It's like your teeth: the longer you go between "brushings" the greater is the likelihood that oil from your fingertips will adhere to the stylus and dirt and dust will be attracted to it. Add heat and the result often is a hardened blob that not good for the stylus or your records.
If you don't pay close attention to the stylus after each side or at least each record, you might not notice any of this. I could embarrass more than a few well known names by showing close ups of their styli, but I won't!
Michael Fremer February 2023