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A tangled web
(vs alternative necessities).
McHenry, AccuMate, Bachmann E-Z Mate, etc...
One of these brands of couplers is generally supplied with most low & mid-priced models out-of-the-box. They may be okay for starters, (provided they even function) but they won't last very long at all.
They're plastic, and prone to bend, stretch and deform within a short time, and will soon tend to malfunction... often at the worst times, places and situations that Murphy has to offer.
I consider them all to be little more than junk. In some cases, the old '50's era 'dummy' couplers would be no less effective.
Many Athearn models I have wouldn't even couple with each other!
We have two options:
Either run them for a while, until they fail, or swap them out right away for something better. Whichever option you choose may depend on your budget, wherewithal, and circumstances.
Today, there are really only two alternative coupler choices for reliability:
1.) Kadee
2.) ProtoMax
(There are other, more expensive options, but their compatibility falls into question).
Kadees and ProtoMax are metal. They don't warp, bend, flex, twist, stretch, or break. They're reliable, and they last pretty much 'forever'.
Kadees are supplied on some premium brands of locomotives and rolling stock.
They're also sold separately in a myriad of types and configurations to match almost every application. Online charts will list a multitude of applications and matchups.
ProtoMax are supplied on all Walthers Proto and current Mainline models. They too are available separately.
I have never had to swap out a ProtoMax coupler.
Kadees are sold in 2-pair packs for about $3.50, (LHS price) or in fully assembled config for around a dollar more.
Buying them in bulk (10 to 100) is much more economical, but there may be applications where a single different type is needed.
I used to give the supplied junky couplers a chance to fail. But I soon found that to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Anyway it's too easy to forget... until a failure ocurrs. These days I swap them out 'first thing'.
[Note]: Although I haven't experienced them, Rapido's MacDonald Cartier couplers are supposedly similar to Kadees, but there are price & availability issues.
(vs alternative necessities).
McHenry, AccuMate, Bachmann E-Z Mate, etc...
One of these brands of couplers is generally supplied with most low & mid-priced models out-of-the-box. They may be okay for starters, (provided they even function) but they won't last very long at all.
They're plastic, and prone to bend, stretch and deform within a short time, and will soon tend to malfunction... often at the worst times, places and situations that Murphy has to offer.
I consider them all to be little more than junk. In some cases, the old '50's era 'dummy' couplers would be no less effective.
Many Athearn models I have wouldn't even couple with each other!
We have two options:
Either run them for a while, until they fail, or swap them out right away for something better. Whichever option you choose may depend on your budget, wherewithal, and circumstances.
Today, there are really only two alternative coupler choices for reliability:
1.) Kadee
2.) ProtoMax
(There are other, more expensive options, but their compatibility falls into question).
Kadees and ProtoMax are metal. They don't warp, bend, flex, twist, stretch, or break. They're reliable, and they last pretty much 'forever'.
Kadees are supplied on some premium brands of locomotives and rolling stock.
They're also sold separately in a myriad of types and configurations to match almost every application. Online charts will list a multitude of applications and matchups.
ProtoMax are supplied on all Walthers Proto and current Mainline models. They too are available separately.
I have never had to swap out a ProtoMax coupler.
Kadees are sold in 2-pair packs for about $3.50, (LHS price) or in fully assembled config for around a dollar more.
Buying them in bulk (10 to 100) is much more economical, but there may be applications where a single different type is needed.
I used to give the supplied junky couplers a chance to fail. But I soon found that to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Anyway it's too easy to forget... until a failure ocurrs. These days I swap them out 'first thing'.
[Note]: Although I haven't experienced them, Rapido's MacDonald Cartier couplers are supposedly similar to Kadees, but there are price & availability issues.