Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick TYler
You are right, #25 steel chain is going to be stronger than a little plastic chain. It's also going to be greasier, heavier, more expense, take up more room, and be harder to install and size. The right part for the right job. I suspect the decision to use standard #25 chain (if that is what it is) has a lot more to do with finding an off-the-shelf part that doesn't require engineering, test and manufacturing than it does with providing the perfect technical solution for our robots. The advantage is lower cost than if they had custom-made a metal chain.
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#25 chain is vastly stronger than vex chain. (114 lb load)
Greasier? If its greasier that means less friction and less wear. (unless you are afraid of getting your hands a little dirty)
Heavier? Last time I check, more weight means more traction. For the bonus stronger chain add, its a non-issue.
More expensive? 4 ft of vex chain $14.95, Mcmaster 4 ft #25 chain $12.96
Take up more room? Its stronger than vex chain so you don't need to double it up like you do in vex.
The fact that kids are now using industry standard parts is a good thing! I believe using steel chain is a great idea for FTC, we used its extensively on our drive base this year for FRC without a single failure. You are almost never going to see those sorts of loads in FTC.
I still love vex though. Every system has its flaws and its benefits. Whether it be VRC or FTC, they are both great programs.