over 40 years using kadee number 5. they are the gold standard. been using some of the new fangeled "whisker" couplers that replaced the #5. (bad eyes, and fat fingers here). but i have pulled 250 weighed cars, using #5 kadees. up to 8 sd-45 athearn blue box ( not all needed just love big power). set them up fastest up front slowest in the rear. so all were pulling. not fighting. (was done in dc.some 30 years back). and yes this was up hill. down and back up/down again to complete the task. (walnut creek, ca. club). i will not change my couplers to any other brand. not even if (someone, manf, etc). did the job and gave me the couplers for free.
I’m one of those people who believe you need consistency to have reliable operation. For me that means the same coupler, since many of the cars I buy these days have other vendors variants of the venerable Kadee and the difference between #5’s and simi-scale, I already need to replace 60-70% of couplers. So I replace to Sergents. Been using them a few years, and print, in resin on my AnyCubic Photon many of the variants that are out of stock. I just print the shank and couple halves, still using the knuckle and bearing from Frank. They are superb, and I wouldn’t consider switching back. Also with the PWRS magnetic air hoses, what a superb setup for realism, operational functionality, and they look great on these modern Tangent, ExactRail, ArrowHead, ScaleTrains, and Genesis cars! It makes for a really beautiful railroad.
I have assembled many of these couplers, it's a bit finicky until you have practiced a while. The jig is a must! Be careful with your glue application: too much and the excess glue could creep into areas that will lock the coupler. Beyond that, the hardest build part is the spring, it will disappear if not handled and correctly set. Once assembled they look great!
I am European and in my locomotives and rolling stock I use the Fleischmann Profi couplers. They were the best for me...until I started collecting American locomotives and rolling stock. So I decided recently to change all my Fleischmann-Profi couplers for Kadee ones. I think that Kadees are easy to install and very very reliable. The fact that you only need a magnet for decoupling is a plus. Frankly, I don't see any advantage on Sergent couplers but the looks. But for me functionality is above appearance and the fact that when using Sergent couplers you need to do the decoupling manually is a drawback. So I'll stay with my Kadees any time.
You can't beat Kadee track magnets in hard-to-get places, and you can't couple Sergent couplers if they're both closed and out of reach. Function over fashion. No thanks.
Very true, however my personal strategy is to avoid hard to reach areas in general which removes the need for remote uncoupling and helps with track cleaning and any potential derailments
With so many manufacturers having their own spin on the kadee style coupler it makes going to this style coupler seem more feasible. Even though all brands are now knuckle coupler equipped some don't work that well with others.
You can actually couple on a curve pretty easily. Its actually and advantage of Sergent couplers, you can do it. You can have absolutely terrible trackwork, these will stay together in places the #5 will uncouple. For 89 footers, a lower shelf will keep the cars coupled.
These are nice, though if you already have a few hundred pieces of rolling stock mounted with Kadee's I'd say leave it, they work just fine and those having coupler issues with Kadee are doing it wrong 100% guarunteed. Been using Kadee's since the mid 80's and I can count on 1 hand minus 2 fingers how many de-coupling incidents I've had from normal usage. Now screwing around I have decoupled many cars but that was goofing around with speeds and different track designs that were laid in extreme manners. These are great if you are starting out I'd say go with these Sergent brand ones, or make some new consists using these only they are cool.
Well you successfully lost me at all or not at all. I have to much money in my rolling stock to change ever thing. hey look like good couplers. Just not for me like you said.
![АЛАУДИНОВ у Скабеевой: эти их ВСУ нас НЕ ДОГОНЯТ 😁 [Пародия]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/an0anqU4WGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
over 40 years using kadee number 5. they are the gold standard. been using some of the new fangeled "whisker" couplers that replaced the #5. (bad eyes, and fat fingers here). but i have pulled 250 weighed cars, using #5 kadees. up to 8 sd-45 athearn blue box ( not all needed just love big power). set them up fastest up front slowest in the rear. so all were pulling. not fighting. (was done in dc.some 30 years back). and yes this was up hill. down and back up/down again to complete the task. (walnut creek, ca. club).
i will not change my couplers to any other brand. not even if (someone, manf, etc). did the job and gave me the couplers for free.
Kadee couplers forever been using them for 50 years would never change
I’m one of those people who believe you need consistency to have reliable operation. For me that means the same coupler, since many of the cars I buy these days have other vendors variants of the venerable Kadee and the difference between #5’s and simi-scale, I already need to replace 60-70% of couplers. So I replace to Sergents. Been using them a few years, and print, in resin on my AnyCubic Photon many of the variants that are out of stock. I just print the shank and couple halves, still using the knuckle and bearing from Frank. They are superb, and I wouldn’t consider switching back. Also with the PWRS magnetic air hoses, what a superb setup for realism, operational functionality, and they look great on these modern Tangent, ExactRail, ArrowHead, ScaleTrains, and Genesis cars! It makes for a really beautiful railroad.
Don't suppose you've got a printable design for rotary couplers?
I have assembled many of these couplers, it's a bit finicky until you have practiced a while. The jig is a must! Be careful with your glue application: too much and the excess glue could creep into areas that will lock the coupler. Beyond that, the hardest build part is the spring, it will disappear if not handled and correctly set. Once assembled they look great!
Didn't know they had pre-assembled ones. The assembly is what kept me from ever considering these. Now I'm gonna give them a try. Great video !
Looks interesting. If I was twenty years younger and could still see, I might try them. The Kaydees work nicely on my layout.
@Eli Mateo I can watch the videos just fine. But when I'm working with the real thing, I can't see shi
I am European and in my locomotives and rolling stock I use the Fleischmann Profi couplers. They were the best for me...until I started collecting American locomotives and rolling stock. So I decided recently to change all my Fleischmann-Profi couplers for Kadee ones. I think that Kadees are easy to install and very very reliable. The fact that you only need a magnet for decoupling is a plus. Frankly, I don't see any advantage on Sergent couplers but the looks. But for me functionality is above appearance and the fact that when using Sergent couplers you need to do the decoupling manually is a drawback. So I'll stay with my Kadees any time.
You can't beat Kadee track magnets in hard-to-get places, and you can't couple Sergent couplers if they're both closed and out of reach. Function over fashion. No thanks.
Very true, however my personal strategy is to avoid hard to reach areas in general which removes the need for remote uncoupling and helps with track cleaning and any potential derailments
With so many manufacturers having their own spin on the kadee style coupler it makes going to this style coupler seem more feasible. Even though all brands are now knuckle coupler equipped some don't work that well with others.
Did you get these on their website? They are out of some of the variations that I'm looking for. Thanks!
Yes I did but I actually purchased them several years ago now.
You can actually couple on a curve pretty easily. Its actually and advantage of Sergent couplers, you can do it.
You can have absolutely terrible trackwork, these will stay together in places the #5 will uncouple. For 89 footers, a lower shelf will keep the cars coupled.
The audio is awful.
If they do N scale some day I think I would have to go pre-assembled
agreed..assembly would be microscopic for N.
Did MTL made Tru-Scale couplers for N
They did but not automatic coupling or uncoupling
Sorry, I DON'T LIKE THESE, I'LL JUST STICK WITH MY ORIGINAL TYPE.
Sound quality makes commentary almost incomprehensible
Wish Micro Trains would do a shelf type coupler
These are nice, though if you already have a few hundred pieces of rolling stock mounted with Kadee's I'd say leave it, they work just fine and those having coupler issues with Kadee are doing it wrong 100% guarunteed. Been using Kadee's since the mid 80's and I can count on 1 hand minus 2 fingers how many de-coupling incidents I've had from normal usage. Now screwing around I have decoupled many cars but that was goofing around with speeds and different track designs that were laid in extreme manners. These are great if you are starting out I'd say go with these Sergent brand ones, or make some new consists using these only they are cool.
Well you successfully lost me at all or not at all. I have to much money in my rolling stock to change ever thing. hey look like good couplers. Just not for me like you said.