FRC pre made 2-speed gearboxes

[first_newbie]

What is the best pre-made (Andy mark or Vex Pro) 2-speed shifting gearbox?

[GreyingJay]

What have you found so far when you searched the forum?

[Monochron]

What is the best pre-made (Andy mark or Vex Pro) 2-speed shifting gearbox?

What, in your opinion, is the best pre-made 2-speed gearbox? It would be helpful to discuss that, and what brought you to your decision.

[Chris is me]

It's never what's best, it's what's best for your team / design.

That said, it's hard to beat the weight and quality of Vex's gears, so the choice basically comes down to ball shifter or WCP dog shifter. The dog shifter accomplishes a good reduction for a west coast drive in just two stages of gearing, and is best suited for direct drive output with chains to outer wheels. The ball shifters can both work with WCDs but all require 3 stages of gearing to direct drive a wheel. If you are doing a final chain / belt reduction between the gearbox and wheel, the ball shifter is the best choice. Finally, the ball shifter shifts more smoothly / easily than a dog shifter, but this is just a minor benefit in a drivetrain as both work well enough to be competitive.