Farish or dapol

[red_death]

Parkend and Sprintex have hit the nail on the head - the reality is that for many modellers you buy what you need/want in terms of stock regardless of who produced it...

Cheers, Mike

[macwales]

Hi

Is this the Forum's favourite topic - probably because in my opinion there is no answer!!

Here my pennies worth - all purchases made in last 3 years

Steam shockers condemned when new!

Dapol x1
Farish x1


Great steam pulling

Dapol  x5 great x2 OK poor x2

Great Steam slow speed over points

Dapol -all save for Terrier

Farish x2

Poor steam 9 inch curve running

Dapol nil!!

Farish x3

Looks (I know not what the correct colour is)

Dapol  greatest - Silver Link. Poorest - printing on Mallard A4
Farish greatest - Austerity without coal load.

In general I like Dapol coaches and DMUs because of the light bar fittings. Both Farish and Dapol modern rolling stock - no problems there - not yet using Dapol's magnetic couplers.

As for diesel locos - both makes are great in my experience - great pullers and slow running and at least to my eye look good.

Dapol's semaphore signals are excellent.

My main gripe is still the poor QC - one in three of my steamer purchases have either been exchanged, repaired or tweaked by me before they ran well.

Happy New Year

Cheers

Mac

[stevieboy]

I voted Farish, just. For me:

Farish paintwork is finished better
Farish are generally quieter
Farish steam engines do not have a driveshaft in view
Farish do not have PCB issues in the same volume as Dapol

Having said that, Farish are very poor when it comes to some fundamentals, in my experience, quartering, off-round wheels, wobbly wheels & split gears are 'schoolboy' error type issues and spoil otherwise perfect models.

IMO they both need a kick up the backside!

[port perran]

I'm sitting on the fence here.
Very little to choose between them in my opinion.

[Zunnan]

Kato, all day every day 

If it HAS to be British, then Union Mills gets my vote mostly because they do the motive power needed for the club layout as it is predominantly 2F and 3Fs, and they're practically bomb proof. Most of mine have 2 flawless years of exhibition running with NO lube, or pickup cleaning...or any other maintenance. 

Of the 'Big 2' Farish gets my vote, generally speaking problems are at assembly level. I'll sort pickup issues when they arise as its usually down to excess grease, wheel blackening chemicals or poorly adjusted wipers. Wheel quartering isn't that taxing (if a replacement via return isn't possible, and you have a jig) and perceived non concentric wheels are often down to poorly molded traction tires which is an easy fix, wheel wobble is almost always down to miss-molded insulation between wheel and axle. Electrical problems by poor (cheap) design/specification are a complete different ball game, its got to the point where I won't let people test run Dapol locos on the club layout at exhibitions anymore from the failures I've been blamed for. Some of their rolling stock is great (I have a bone of contention with the weedy plastic buffers on the Gresley coaches), but the locos are far too hit and miss for me.

[Portpatrick]

Like others here I generally buy what I want, whoever makes it.  On steam lcos I deeply regret Dapol's incursion into silver grey wheels when earlier models were fine.  And their shaft between tender and loco is a turn off for me; from appearance and ease of replacing viewpoints.  I bought 2 Farish B1s partly for that reason.  I won't replace my A4 and A3 for that reason.  And I will carry on with my minitrix 9F.  My Dapol Brit runs fine but replacing that shaft is a pain.  When you swap locos around at home a lot, and take stock to exhibitions, ease of handling is very important.

I almost wish I had not bought a Farish Voyager because their infuriating coupling system is inferior to Dapol's magnetic system.  My Dapol 221 is fine.

I have diesels from both sources and have no general preference.

I may be lucky but have not had any lemon yet from either source.

Union Mills locos are basic by modern standards but they are robust, reliable, pull well and frankly at normal viewing distances look fine.  Again for regular handling solidity is important.

[silly moo]

I perceive Farish to be better than Dapol but it's not really based on personal experience, I've only had one Dapol dud which was exchanged for a very good runner.

I just remember all the posts about the dodgy Dapol A3s and A4s and they make me a bit wary when buying them.

Also Farish locos seem to be a bit sturdier and I think they may last longer than Dapol ones. I do love my Terriers though.

Regards

Veronica.

[tutenkhamunsleeping]

All six of my Dapol locos (diesels and electrics) so far have been entirely problem free and brilliant runners.  Yes, they do sound like a nest of angry tie-fighters, but that's just <insert deity of choice>'s way of telling you your hi-fi isn't turned up loud enough

But will my first Dapol steamer be as kind to me?

[PLD]

Sadly I can see this thread heading only one way... Unforunately there are a vocal minority of N gauge modellers who ARE heavily biassed one way or the other and refuse to see that there are good and bad in both ranges...

You can usually spot them because of the outlandish claims made such as the 'expert' who once declared the Farish 9F to be "far superior to the Dapol effort" and another who illustated his argument for Dapol Coaches with a photo of a Minitrix Gresley!

[Agrippa]

PLD your post had about 4-5 grammar and spelling mistakes, but I get your point.
People who support one or other make will do just that and condemn the other
make, it's rather like football fans arguing about a referee's decision . Fergie would
support it and Wenger would oppose it because of their clubs'  interests. In the end
it matters not a jot.

[surfaceman]

Union Mills for me. I model SR, c.1945 so not a lot of choice really (roll on the Farish N Class ).

Currently I have Drummond and Adams 0-6-0s, 2 x T9s and a 2P ( scheduled for conversion to a D Class ), all from Union Mills. I also have an M7, Q1and Terrier from Dapol.

Detail wise Dapol is better, but from normal operating and viwing distances, that isn't too obvious. When it comes to running, Union Mills wins hands down both for slow running and pulling power ...and after a couple of years they still seem pretty bullett-proof.

The only loco in my experience that came close to Union Mills was the old Peco Jubilee .. But that could start another discussion so lets not go there!

[ParkeNd]

But despite the general non-preference for either brand being expressed in the text Dapol is losing big time in the votes. This can really only be down to poor quality of say one Dapol product per voter putting people off when it comes to voting time. Since I got a brand new Dapol Hall from Hattons with no drive shaft and no spare drive shaft I should be down on Dapol. But I'm not.

So why haven't as many people favoured Dapol as favoured Farish ?

[PLD]

But despite the general non-preference for either brand being expressed in the text Dapol is losing big time in the votes.

But combining the two neuteral options 'No Preference' and 'Neither' then they are currently ahead so the moderates have it...

[Rowlie]

I don't have a preference either way, maybe I have been fortunate as I have not had a faulty locomotive from either source. I must add the new 2MT from Farish is really good, for the sake of balance (well I did vote no preference) the Dapol Panniers are good as well.

[Jonny]

From me. Its farish for steam.  If farish keep up with the quality the 2mt and J39 are then its a step in  the right direction.  Dapol do look good but the drive shaft and noisey gears are a down side. Diesel wise I can't say much as I only own three all farish.