[sanddrag]

Here's the deal. FIRST is not a "buy it and build it robot kit" competition. If you can't be resourceful enough to at the least make do with what they give you, there is no way you will survive in coming up with your own designs. I can't believe that FIRST is so generous as to provide such a great gearbox, and some of you still complain and find every little thing wrong with it. If you don't like it, make your own. But let's not complain when we are getting magnificent items in the kit that teams just a few years ago could only wish for.

Back in the day, we never had beautifully machined pieces included in the kit of parts. Hex broached gears. Cast housings. We didn't even have CIM motors.

Be thankful for what you have, not frustrated with it because it doesn't exactly suit your needs.