Quote:
Originally Posted by R.C.
Why we do it:
-Lighter
-Less parts
-Internals are Visible
-Easy maintenance (Dog shifters, Chain etc..)
-Easier to teach new kids (not really a design decision just a benefit)
-RC
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This. In my experience, unless grease splatter is a major concern, open is almost always better, mostly because of weight. For example, running a Toughbox with delrin spacers instead of the usual aluminium enclosure saves over half a pound per robot. We ran them that way, and aside from a little grease getting thrown around, they ran like champs.
You may be a little too worried about stuff getting in the gearbox, and not considering the maintenance and weight benefits. I personally have never seen a gearbox fail from foreign material inside. Usually, binding that you might think was caused by stuff getting caught in the gears is caused by improper grease use.