Knuckle Couplers

[doanster]

Can someone give me a breakdown of all the types of knuckle couplers available for HO? I recall that the Kadee #5 was the most popular. How about other brands such as McHenry? What is compatible with what?

Please help... I am so confused

[SteelMonsters]

McHenry couples are great for gondola junk loads and random junk laying around.

[canazar]

McHenry makesa quite a few. Also Bachman EZ-Mate Mark1 (no longer made I havebeen told) and EZ-Mate 2. Only ones that I am famailar with.

Good luck,
John k

[Anonymous]

Basically, I'd stick with the Kadee's. You can get them in varying coupler lengths and they are very reliable. Our club has some members who like LONG trains and the McHenrys have had some problem with pulling apart on those longer trains. Gee, with Kadee you not only can get the length coupler you need, but you can get them underset, overset, and center shanked. I just keep a supply of those odd ball couplers for the occassional odd ball application that I run into.

Model railroading is fun!
Larry P

[Anonymous]

I agree with Speleon. I like Kadees! They offer the most options and their product has been in development for decades! Although I have some Accumates, Bachmann EZ mates and McHenery couplers installed on a few freight cars and had no problem with them, I will likely switch to Kadees at the first sign of a problem.

I'm sticking with the "tried & true"!

[Anonymous]

To answer your question, you would have to go back to the July 2000 MR review" A survey of the current crop of couplers".
As a result of Kadee's patent expiration newcomers, clones & copycats hit the market.
IMO, KD has an outstanding reputation, produces 40 + different couplers both in metal
& accetal plastic, conversion kits, shims, washers, coupler height gauge, trip pin pilars,
wheel sets , uncouplers, freight cars and a gospel of info on their web site.

http://www.nmra.org/beginner/couplers.html

http://www.kadee.com/animation/c1.htm
http://www.kadee.com
http://www.kadee.com/conv/list.htm
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page120.htm
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page160.htm

Happy railroading & WELCOME ABOARD!

[cwclark]

KADEE's are the way to go...I've tried the others and have always gone back to KADEE...

www.kadee.com

[grayfox1119]

I have converted over all the older cars that I had for my three boys way back in the 70's that had horn couplers. Kadee is #1 in my book, stick with a winner, and they give excellent customer support online also.

[Mark300]

I agree with the above posts.....Kadee's are the way to go.

I've had several Bachmann EZ mates go bad on some of their RTR cars, so when that happens, I just replace the couplers with KD#5's and things are fine.

HTH

Mark

[Anonymous]

Kadees are the best, no question. I do have a few locos and cars using E-Z Mates but they're awaiting conversion to Kadees - just using the E-Zs as a stop-gap for now. E-Z Mates don't seem to be as good if you want to use delayed uncoupling, and they don't look as realistic as Kadees either to my mind.

[CBQ_Guy]

Kadees, the BEST by far.

Often imitated, never duplicated! [bow]

[jimrice4449]

Shortly after KD's patent expired and there were three different brands of clones,I tried about half a dozen of each. I have somewhere between 500 and 600 cars (frt & psgr) so the potential saving was fairly considerable. The first thing I do now with a new car or engine is junk the clone and install an apropriate KD.

[Anonymous]

After trying McHenry's that came on some of my kits and trying some short shank McHenry couplers recommended by my not too local hobby shop, I am busy replacing them all with Kadees.

Eventually I will switch them all over to scale size Kadees.

The McHenry's make good junk loads since they are already rust colored!

[retsignalmtr]

my club had our traveling layout at a swapmeet and one member had most of his cars fitted with mchenry couplers. his equipment performed so poorly with them he changed them to kadees at the show and he had no more problems with his equipment.

[grayfox1119]

As you stated retsignalmtr, case closed...KADEE all the way....END OF STORY!!

[mikebonellisr]

I think it would be a good idea to use the same brand of coupler on all of your equipment.I have mixed brands in the past and have run into small problems with mateing,breakage,couplers takeing a set,etc. I've changed all to kadees.they are still the industry standard.

[BRAKIE]

KD is the defacto standard coupler by choice.The reason being its the best coupler made.
Now,I am TESTING the Mchenry with the knuckle spring on 6 of my club cars..These 6 cars can end up any where in a train consist and not ran together..So far to date these couplers APPEARS to be holding up over the last 5 months..I will end the test when and if these couplers break under club use.
BTW.. All of the members cars used on the club layout is in "pool" service and not weigh to RP20.1 unless the cars was bought that way. so these "test" cars could be coupled on to a factory RP20.1 weighted car.

[CBQ_Guy]

Just to throw something else into the mix, here's a coupler I bet most of you haven't heard of before:

http://user.icx.net/~sergent/

It is a favorite with the true, if you'll excuse the term, rivet counter types of modelers. It is operable, prototypical, and they have a special uncoupling tool.

The downside is it's not compatible with Kadees and clones.

[Anonymous]

I started using Kadee couplers,and I still like them,though I am now using the McHenry's,on some if not most of what I have of new freight car kits. I happen to like them far better than the Kadees now,as I dont have to be dealing with the springs on the Kadees not properly fitted into the slots of the knuckle.Its a real "wonderful" experience trying to put that spring back into the slot of the Kadee coupler[:(!]. The minute you figure that it is in,BAM,that little sucker goes flying off into the land of nowhere.. Also, when you have a some-what limited budget per year to spend on MR equipment,you try to get good quality for the buck. And at $30.00 for a bulk set of Kadees,thats a bit steep for me,when I can get a bulk pack of McHenry's for half the cost. ( granted I'll probably hear alot about this but I dont care)The equipment that I have, that are using McHenrys are my Athearn 25th Anniversary GP38-2,and caboose,among many tank cars,box cars,flats,hoppers,and all the rest,including those made by Bachmann and Tyco. I'm sure that there are others that will probably say "Its your layout and equipment and you can use whatever you damn well please" Thank -you.[^]

[Anonymous]

I use Kadee's, EZ Mark II's, and Accumates. All are excellent.