A first heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) writer writes to a surface of a magnetic disk using during an initial time period. A second HAMR writer is configured to write to the surface but not during the initial time period. The initial time period extends from a first time when the disk drive is first used to a second time when a near-field transducer of the first HAMR writer reaches a first wear threshold. During a subsequent time period after the initial time period, to the surface of the disk is written to using the second HAMR writer and not the first HAMR writer.