I am planning a new build and I really like the look of both these gear drives, especially that the M1-AT comes with helical gears. Other than that, can anyone attest to what makes one of these drives better than the other, or overall are they pretty similar? Moon seems to offer more spare parts which is nice, but steel gears dont really wear out the same way POM ones do, so i dont know if it really makes a difference in the end.
1 Like
M1AT pros - quicker setup process, steel on steel gears, smaller footprint,
Cons - only helical options come in black only(not too much a con)
Moons - pros - more ratio options, straight cut or helical options, different colors currently, grease fill spot(no need to open up).
Cons - Pom only(issue for some folks), setup is a little more involved(batch 3 experience for myself) , housing has more empty space for more grease.
4 Likes
M1AT also uses a big bearing instead of a v-ring. I’m not sure how long the bearing lasts, but I would call that a big plus.
Main difference at the end of the day is noise vs reliability. Steel gears should last forever, but so might the tinnitus.
11 Likes
it’s so sexy when you show your work 
6 Likes
my m1 at helicals aren’t much louder than a belt setup
3 Likes
Mine past 28mph for real scream, I see that as a pro personaly. I dig the sound.
4 Likes
yeah at that speed I guess I’m less focused on the noise anyways 
regardless I don’t think it’s significantly louder than belts, def not enough that hearing loss is a concern for me
3 Likes
Steel wheel gears soon? Very tempting
4 Likes
With press fit wheel adaptors
5 Likes
There’s straight cut!
2 Likes
Mine are a whole lot louder
2 Likes
what gear ratio? wonder if that affects the sound level esp at speeds. I run 3.95
1 Like
I’m on 4.6
2 Likes
From my experience with the smaller counterpart: about 2 weeks or 1 rain + salted roads, then they sound like pepper grinders every time.
About ÂŁ10 for basic bearing replacements or ÂŁ110 for stainless steel
3 Likes
Having used and mounted a fair few of both of these drives I would deffo say Boardnamics every time. Easier to mount and more durable.
7 Likes
I wont lie, I had to google translate this one,
2 Likes
To play devil’s advocate, POM is lighter, quieter, smoother and works perfectly fine unless you fuck up holding full throttle over jumps/curbs.
Steel is not intrinsically better than POM. It has a different ideal use case.
Also, helical is not intrinsically better than straight cut gears. I aggressively question that assumption. May be more quiet, but with helical some of your forces are directed sideways and unless the drive includes a thrust bearing (not radial ball bearings), you likely sacrificed some longevity for noise. Radial Ball bearings can only handle some (small) sideways load.
You better be on top of your lubrication and backlash adjustment to really take advantage of that noise reduction. Otherwise it’s all fun buzzwords and “helical steel is best” fan boying.
13 Likes
Whats wrong with angular contact ball bearings?
Edit: I do want to add that I do agree with this point—IMO helical gears should not be added to drives without bearings for dealing with the thrust forces.
1 Like