[bEdhEd]

At the moment, my team is not a fan of using mecanum, unless it is undeniably the absolute and only way to win matches. With mecanum wheels you can lose up to 50% of your power when doing moves like strafing, whereas with swerve drive, all the power is used more efficiently. Mecanum wheels are indeed expensive, and I don't think that they're worth the price unless you are absolute that they are the best choice. From my experience here in the Californian bay area/central valley, the best teams stick with drop center six wheel drive treaded wheels. Why? They are inexpensive, offer the best traction, best pushing power, least complex in programming and build, easy to fix, and provide all the maneuverability necessary. Name one team that has made it to the Einstein field using mechanum wheels. None, because this has never happened in FRC history, but hey, there's always a first, and it could be anyone!

If your philosophy isn't all about winning, then have at it with the mecanum wheels! Mecanum robots are really fun to drive, too. Still, they are a pretty penny, but 100 bucks per wheel isn't a bad deal. I'm not saying that you can't win with mecanum wheels, many regionals have been won by these types of drive bases, but what I'm saying is that treaded wheels in general are a better choice in my opinion. Treaded wheels are also LIGHTER! And that could be the difference between passing and not passing inspection if you cut it really close with your other robot components.