Amazon 3 Gear vs Vanquish

[ALPINEX]

Hey all,

I decided to try out the Amazon 3 gear trans with dig on my latest element build, I wanted dig, but didn’t want to spend the coin on the vanquish without some testing. The trans seems pretty good, but it’s loud, and I never can seem to get the neutral position with any sort of load on the trans. In the house, I can get neutral all day, but the minute there’s a load or incline it’s not possible.

The biggest issue, though, is the binding. About 1 in 10 dig actuations binds the whole trans up, and nothing will turn until I gently reverse slightly to unbind it. Obviously this is a massive hassle and has caused me to fall out of position.

Now I wonder, does the Vanquish unit have any of these issues? Should I just pick up a hertz dig and put it on this trans, or go all out and put this in something else?

Thanks,

Cody

[twade984]

Originally Posted by ALPINEX

Now I wonder, does the Vanquish unit have any of these issues? Should I just pick up a hertz dig and put it on this trans, or go all out and put this in something else?

Thanks,

Cody

I have a vfd dig unit and it functions flawlessly. I’d be surprised to hear about any issues with the hurtz unit.

I get not wanting to drop $240 on a 3 gear and dig unit though.

A couple members here speak highly of the que-t (I think) branded 3 gears with dig, maybe it’s worth trying a replacement? Bound to get a dud here and there with some of the budget Chinese knock off parts.

This is assuming you have properly setup the end points on your dig servo.

[HumboldtEF]

I've experienced the same kind thing on every dig setup I've tried even the VFD.

If your dogs (teeth of the dig mechanism) dont line up its likely to lock up especially when you're loading up the drivetrain. A reverse is gonna free it up so it can disengage/engage but it does suck.

I found it useful to look for appropriate spots too lock and unlock dig to avoid it freezing up. Sometimes that possible sometimes there no good spot.

EDIT: I should add that the VFD is the best dig out of what I've run.

[DrIsotope]

As an owner of 5 or 6 of the Amazon dig gearboxes, let me say this:
---if you haven't, take the entire gearbox completely apart.
---take all of the included fasteners, throw them away, and replace them with decent hardware.
---clean every gear and part, grease, and re-assemble.
---throw the included spur gear away. It's terrible. ANY spur gear will work better, and cut the noise 75%.
---finally, check the three screws that hold the stationary dog to the back of the housing. Some 'boxes
come with screws that are slightly too long. Some newer units come with a completely different dog
than earlier versions

This goes back to my ages old analogy of cost vs. labor. If you want something that is quiet and smooth
out of the box, drop $240 on a Vanquish box. If you want to spend 25% the money, there's a little work
involved. I've had absolutely zero issues with any of mine-- but I take every one apart, clean, grease, etc.

There's no reason it shouldn't be working perfectly. Oh, last note (maybe) I've found a 20mm horn to be perfect for the dig servo. That and critical endpoint adjustment.

[OSRC]

I've taken a file (Or a dremel depending on the unit) and chamfered the edges slightly on my dig units. Just enough to remove the sharp edges - really helps them click in and out of dig.

[ALPINEX]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone! I definitely don’t want to spend $200+ on what was a $130 kit, so I will try out the suggestions mentioned here. Changing the spur first thing! My vfd twin is just so smooth that it’s spoiled me, I hope I can get this one semi-close to it.

Thanks!