Using cheap drill gearboxes with kit motors
 

Has anyone experimented with using the gearboxes from cheap drills made in China (sold through Harbor freight). Dewalts are great, but the are still $100. These things are $20. I've seen them used in BattleBots (or RobotWars or whatever). Has anyone tried to adapt a kit motor (FP, CIM, Globe, Mabuchi) to one of them?

EDIT: Yes, I forgot about Ryobi. I have shifted my Ryobi 18 volt on the fly many times. It wasn't under load but it shifts in both directions while running just superbly. I think the $20 drills from China are only 1 speed but I was mainly looking for reduction.

Ryobi:
18 Volt New - $100
18 Volt Reconditioned - $75
14.4 Volt New - $80
14.4 Volt Reconditioned - $60

The 14.4 volt appears to be the same housing as the 18 volt in the pictures. I haven't seen them in person. I wonder if they use the same gearbox. Anyway, not a whole lot cheaper than the parts to do a Dewalt, but with this you get batteries, chargers, and motors for other fun projects, not to mention a cool flashlight.

For the $20 range China drills, nearly all of them are one speed. But it was reduction I was looking for, not shifting capability. Now, what has our world come to http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?dpt=1&cat=12&sku=02642 The United States doesn't stand a chance. Americans might be out of jobs one day, but at least we'll have cheap tools. :)

EDIT2: $40 two speed http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?Ses...cat=&sku=04386

EDIT3: Okay now I just can't pick my jaw up off the floor I am ROFLing on. http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?Ses...cat=&sku=04039

EDIT: And while you're at it, pick up some Shazzam batteries! http://www.homier.com/detail.asp?Ses...cat=&sku=38612 I just can't some of this stuff. It's hilarious.

Re: Using cheap drill gearboxes with kit motors
 

I was just thinking that same thing a few meetings ago when I picked up my father's 18v Ryobi cordless drill and starting to analyze how well it shifted on the fly. It's one of those "You know you've been in FIRST too long" signs... :rolleyes:

The only downside I see to the Ryobi (or most other drills) is that they are only two speed. The Dewalt XRPs are practically the only 3-Speed drill transmissions on the market. Also, I know for the Ryobi cordless drills, there aren't any screw holes parallel to the output shaft like there are on the Dewalts, so mounting the back end of the gearbox to a CIM/FP mounting plate would prove difficult, but not impossible.

I personally love the XRP transmissions in the NBD setup, but if someone was to come up with a two-speed transmission that can be bought for less than $20-30, I can forsee many cool uses for those as well. I would love to try something like this, but a drill press is the closest thing I can get to machining at my house. :( (Never mind parking your car, wouldn't all FIRSTers love to have a four-axis CNC mill in their garage?)

Re: Using cheap drill gearboxes with kit motors
 

The DeWalt transmission by itself is only $27. With a water/laser cut keyed (CIM) or press-fit (FP) adaptor it hooks right up to the motors - with an assembly time of a minute or so.

Re: Using cheap drill gearboxes with kit motors
 

They might work out, the best way to check any gearbox is to well...open it up just like us FIRST'ers do with just about everything mechanical. From my experience a good robot gearbox shifts fast, can take a large side-load(from parts bending after repeated contact..or bad measuring), and don't need to be checked or fixed often.
To that extent unless ryobi has updated recently(which they might have, I'm not sure) they might be a little weak. They used to have plastic gears in the gearboxes, this was a few years ago but just open one up and check. I'd stick with dewalt as they use metal all over in the gearboxes and i own a dewalt drill thats never had a gearbox problem ever.
...Open it up anyways thats half the fun