We have had the honor of having 221 as a sponsor since 2010 and we have found that their products are simple yet highly effective and can give newer FRC teams the high quality and robust chassis of a veteran team at a pretty reasonable cost.
In 2010 we used the UC and loved the whole system; we were up and driving in three days. Our robot itself wasn’t the best (focused too much on hanging, not so much kicking…whoops) but it drove like a dream. Last year we moved on to 221's
Rock Box Chassis rail system along with 221’s SuperShifter adaptor kits. This system allowed us to design a bit more into our own chassis structure, but gave us the robustness and simplicity that 221 offers in all of their products.
As for problems, the UC was great and it took a beating and never failed us. Same goes for the Rock Box, we played almost 90 matches (2 districts, states, worlds, MARC, IGVC, and IRI) until we had to switch out a cam tensioners, which was still only a 10-15 minute fix. To put it simple, this chassis was a tank.
As for bumpers, we just created our own method of mounting, using a double nut/bolt system, I’m sure you can take an hour or two to develop something.
We plan on using the Rock Box again for the 2012 season, and 221 is already on board with us. They have been a tremendous sponsor for 3098. 221’s chassis systems still allow students to get involved in the engineering process and development, but what I really like is how it allows my team to focus on more of the mechanisms in/on our robots.
If you go to
221's media page, check out 3098, that's our 2011 bot.