TAMIYA70168 Double Gearbox

First, this is the Tamiya 70168 Double Gearbox Kit. -This is NOT the very similar but different Tamiya 70097 Twin-Motor Gearbox Kit. While they are similar they have different dimensions so be sure you are getting the right kit for your application.This gearbox kit arrives in flat sheets similar to model cars. It is easy to assemble and works well. It took me about an hour to put it together and mount it.This is a single speed double gearbox that can be assembled in four different gear combinations. This gearbox does NOT shift though four gears like a car transmission. To change the gear ratio you must disassemble it. It is assembled with screws so it is possible to change gears several times if you choose to.This gearbox is open so if it is exposed to dirt or debris the plastic gears will have a very short life. I would not recommend it for outdoor applications unless it is in a sealed body. Also, bear in mind it is 'toy' class gearbox and is not made to perform real work.The included Mabuchi motor FA-130 motors pull about .2A with no load and 2.2A when stalled (at 3v). Be aware that most 130 size toy motors will fit this gearbox so you can replace them or upgrade at your leisure.I used this gearbox with the Tamiya 70100 Track and Wheel Set & 70157 Universal Plate Set. To mount the gearbox on the universal plate I had to use the included sub-plate and it worked well. Because the 70168 Double Gearbox is wider then the 70097 Twin-Motor Gearbox I had to drill the axle hole through the drive sprockets to allow proper track alignment. Not a big deal but it is worth mentioning.I would buy it again and I would recommend it to a friend.

Used this as a gearbox for a wind turbine project. The left and right axles turn independently, so we had to modify the box to allow them to turn in tandem. Generates quite a bit of torque for the size and price which made it difficult to use in a generator setup, but the ability to reconfigure the gears to different gearing ratios was interesting and the instructions were clear enough.There is a bit of "rattle" between each of the gears -- they aren't terribly tightly fit (not that I was expecting ultra precise machining at this price point) but it did mean that the gears "slipped" quite a bit at high RPM.

As with others, I bought this with the Tamiya tank track vehicle platform kit.The gearbox is cool. It has the availability of 4 gear ratios and is powered by small hobby motors and plastic gears with metal drive shafts. All of the gears also ride on metal shafts and have brass looking bushings at the mounting point to the gearbox body. You literally assemble everything but the motors themselves and you do have to press the gear on the motor shaft (by hand). It takes a little while to put it together, but it is not too hard. They do provide the tiny Allen wrench needed and the only other tools you will need are something to snip the gears out of the plastic form and a Phillips screwdriver.It is nice and it works fine understand this is for a lightweight platform. Motors are audibly pretty quiet as are the gears. I'm running at 3.5v but have tested with a fresh 4.8v pack, both seem fine. If interfacing with electronics, you will need a motor controller or H bridge to handle the current - you can not hook this directly to your microcontoller or RC receiver if there is not a motor control built in.

The media could not be loaded. I was expecting a toy made of cheap plastic - but I was amazed to see the build quality to begin with. Manual was very useful as well. Explains the gear ratios and working of gear boxes really well. It was like a refresher for an Engineer who has never worked with gear boxes and mechanical aspects as a profession. Our son made numerous models with it & he could learn gear ratios, making circuits etc as well assembling DIY vehicles (?) combining bits and pieces of various toys.

This is an excellent double gearbox. Its cheap, and gets the job done for those intro to robotics projects.Things to note: the gears are plastic, and are not adjustable. Choose one gear ratio and build it.The motors are 3v 130 type. So if you want to use this with a motor shield (ex the adafruit motor shield v2), you will need to buy some 5v 130 motors. Otherwise it will work fine for your project.Great product!

My big problem is that I bought the 70157 Universal Plate set because it said "universal." Wrong! You need the 70098 Universal Plate set for this gearbox and motor. They could have been more clear that there are two incompatible "universal" plate sets. Anyway, I made it fit. The gearbox seems interesting and it was easy to assemble. I look forward to putting it to work someday. The electrical contact tabs for the motor are exposed, extremely light and very fragile. I worry about them.

I purchased this gear box when I was building a six legged walking machine and needed a gear box to fit between my brushless motors and the drivetrain. The supplied motors were too weak and I tried to modify the box to allow me to mount some hobbyking brushless motors. I couldn't ever get the gears to stay meshed from the with the high torque that the motors put out. The gears never stripped which is impressive but they would skip. Tough gears.As a hobby gear box this package is great! Good instructions on how to set up gear ratios and when assembled with intended motors works perfect! Great way to learn about how gear ratios work.Only problem I had was my own fault trying to use brushless motors, other than that this is a great product!

The media could not be loaded. Not things like this could probably be ok to use in free wheel only if you only like to se a car moving back and forth then then you can try this but if need to push just don’t waste your money