pic: Prototype 6WD

[Jon Jack]

Even with poor alignment, 25 chain is very forgiving. On our practice robot last year there were several times when our chain was misaligned and we would run 4, 5, 6 matches without noticing and it never broke. In fact we've never broke 25 chain, ever.

Here's our history with 25 chain:

2006 (drivetrain)
2007 (drivetrain and lift on both competition and practice robots)
2008 (drivetrain and ball grabber on both competition and practice robots)
2009 (drivetrain and dumper/pickup on both competition and practice robots)

Summary: 15 applications over 7 robots.

I think the biggest secret is keeping just enough tension on the chain.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't use 35 chain or gears or belts, but 25 chain isn't a finicky as some people lead it on to be. In the end, every solution had its pros and cons, the right solution is the one that best suites your design goals still fits within your team's abilities.