Kadees

[Anonymous]

Hey![:0] Why is everybody bashing the plastic couplers????
They make GREAT scenic details when the jaws break. Weather (rust) them up and leave them among the weeds at the base of a grade, to simulate the prototype's practice of swapping out couplers on site.
[(-D][(-D][(-D] Hey, at least I like them for something!![(-D][(-D][(-D]

[darth9x9]

Nothing beats a Kadee! For some it has been a painful learnign experience. I sent Intermountain a very nice email the day they announced that all of their future R-T-R cars would come with Kadees. I wish other manufacturers would follow suit.

[cacole]

I've used McHenry scale size knuckle spring couplers, Bachmann knuckle spring couplers, Accumates, and Intermountain couplers with mixed results. The original McHenry and Bachmann couplers were horrible, what with the plastic finger that stuck out to hold the knuckle closed. That plastic finger was too weak and soon warped out of shape in the Arizona heat, causing the knuckles to stay open. Intermountain couplers suffer from the same faulty, weak plastic finger.

Kadee #5s are now labeled as "Old Reliable" and they certainly are. When all else fails, I swtich back to a Kadee. The newer scale size Kadee couplers, #58 I believe, are also good. I just wish Kadee would come up with a one-piece coupler like the McHenry, Bachmann, etc. that doesn't require that bronze centering spring!

[sparkingbolt]

I have to wonder if the wannabe couplers have actually helped Kadee. It got more people using knuckle couplers, of which Kadee is known to be the best. Once they're converted, I'd think this could go in Kadee's favor. The exception would be that the LHS runs out of #5s on a regular basis,as mine does. I finally ordered a ton of 'em from an eBay advertiser. Dan

[Anonymous]

Hey E-Z mates are still better then horn hooks anyday. I to am not a big fan of e-z mate. Though I keep them just in case i need an extra coupler. Most of them now are on cars that can handle less than subpar couplers. My amtrak's, mow cars, and my intermodel both have E-Z mates, though everything else is kd's.
Andy

[Anonymous]

Like lots of others, I got caught with the slick advertising when all the wannabee couplers started flooding the marketplace. I bit the bullet and purchased a few of every offering I could find. I still have what is left of them stashed somewhere. The only coupler I can install and forget is the Kadee. They work every time, all the time. We may not see them in most new kits because manufacturers can get the plastic knock-offs much cheaper (and you get what you pay for!).

Steam makes the world a better place.

Tom

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dragenrider

KD's all the way! I spent over $50.00 on KD couplers [2c][2c]

It's a great cash cow for KD. Why should they change.? They don't have to share the profit.

The only cars that come with KD other than KD is intermountain

[dragenrider]

KD's all the way! I spent over $50.00 on KD couplers of various size at the hobby shop last month just so I'd have a good variety as I obtained more rolling stock. [2c][2c]

[Anonymous]

EZ Mate, McHenry and all those are HORRIBLE, you stop your trains and then start it again they all come apart.........WHATS THE DEAL WITH THAT?

Kadee all the way

[Anonymous]

I HATE THE E-Z MATE COUPLERS!!!!!!!

And I hope Bachmann saw this! :D

I really do wish all car kits came with KD's, it's an aggravation to have to keep buying couplers all of the time to replace the cheap plastic ones.

[ndbprr]

I suspect - that means it is my opinion - that the crap included with kits is given to the manufacturers in the hope people will say it isn't too bad and buy more of it. All it does is confirm to me that the first time it doesn't work - like in the first five minutes - it will be replaced with a Kadee.

[Anonymous]

I would too. If you consider the amount of the price of a pack of Kadees that must go into packing and shipping them, the extra cost in providing Kadees in kits would surely be negligable. Kadee would most likely have lower costs in supplying these to manufacturers. The only people I can see disagreeing would be Bachmann, as they wouldn't sell many more E-Z mates!

[Anonymous]

Who i would be willing to pay a little more money even on the cheap kits if they came with Kadees? I know i would