# Kadee Couplers



## hoscale37 (Nov 20, 2011)

Okay... someone help me out here. I was on ebay looking at new packages of Kadee Couplers and I see all sorts of different numbers, #36, #38,#205, #158....

Now my head is spinning. If you want to just replace Couplers on a standard rolling stock car with kadee couplers, WHICH one is recommended. I've read that kadee's are the way to go, hands down; but what I didn't realize is that there are all of these different numbers.... 

Can someone provide some good input on WHICH ones to use. All I am looking for is a good "General Purpose" coupler that I can use on all of my rolling stock. 

Help!


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

#5 is the standard medium length with centerset shank. or for the "whiskered" type #148

The other numbers are for longer or shorter shank options or
overset or underset shanks or
with or without "whiskers"

The first time I bought them I was confused as well. Look closely at this page pay attention to the underset and overset couplers (used if your couplers need to be lowered or raised a bit). Longer or shorter shanks are self explanatory. As a rule just remember #5 and #148.
Hope this helps
-Art
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm


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## waltr (Aug 15, 2011)

Kadee #5 is the GP coupler. This is the 'standard head', medium length centered shank. This is what most of my cars have.

The variations of the #5 have the shank high or lower than the knuckle center.

This is a good table showing the Kadee couplers and their differences:
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/coupler.htm

I recommend the coupler gauge to ensure the coupler height and the trip pin are set correctly. 
http://www.kadee.com/htmbord/page206.htm


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

Most of the time a #5 will work just fine but there are a reason that there are a bunch of different numbers. Best thing to do is check the coupler catalog on the Kadee website.
http://www.kadee.com/conv/holist.pdf

http://www.kadee.com/index.shtml

Massey


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

Worse case scenario, they have a 800 number you can call and speak with someone who will set you up with what you need.


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## sstlaure (Oct 12, 2010)

You won't regret converting.....also - if you have snowplows on your engine look at the longer shank couplers so that the coupler doesn't hang up.


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## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

sorry to jump in. but what about rolling stock with truck mounted hook horn, 
coupler's. how do you change those.

Ron


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## ontario mainline (Dec 6, 2008)

sorry to jump in. but what about rolling stock with truck mounted hook horn, 
coupler's. how do you convert those.

Ron


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

ontario mainline said:


> sorry to jump in. but what about rolling stock with truck mounted hook horn,
> coupler's. how do you convert those.
> 
> Ron


Easiest option is McHenry couplers they just snap in to replace the horn hook couplers. Kadee makes a conversion kit but I never tried that.
-Art


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

98% of Athearn rolling stock with body mounted couplers can take the Kadee #5 couplers and they will be pretty close to the right height and everything. I have had to shim a few but no more than 1 or 2 fiber shims have ever been needed. (under the trucks) I will never turn down a box or more of Kadee #5s. They are the almost universal coupler.

Massey


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

Massey said:


> 98% of Athearn rolling stock with body mounted couplers can take the Kadee #5 couplers and they will be pretty close to the right height and everything. I have had to shim a few but no more than 1 or 2 fiber shims have ever been needed. (under the trucks) I will never turn down a box or more of Kadee #5s. They are the almost universal coupler.
> 
> Massey


sorry forgot about the old athearn cars. All mine with truck mounted couplers are IHC and Con-cor which take the mchenry couplers.
-Art


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

McHenry couplers are very similar to the Kadee in all ways except the materials used. Kadee couplers are metal, McHenry are plastic. McHenry are prolly the best of the plastic ones but I prefer the metal ones any day. Kadee has a coupler for just about anything on rails. Check the linky I posted earlier for the conversion chart.

Massey


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## Artieiii (Apr 25, 2011)

The only time I use McHenry couplers is on my IHC/Con-Cor cars (which I hate) cause they pop right in easily. I should probably try the Kadee coupler conversion kit for them but have not gotten around to it yet.....on my 2 do list :thumbsup:
-Art


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## NIMT (Jan 6, 2011)

They are a cake walk I have converted 100's of them. I use a #5 and a Talgo adapter. I did a write up HERE that might help clarify things!
Here is one more piece of the puzzle to converting them.


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

Along with a few Bachmann, Roundhouse and a couple of Model Power cars, most of my cars are Athearn (both bluebox and RTR). The RTRs come with McHenry couplers. The knuckles on these couplers are smaller in size than Kadees. They're supposedly PROTOTYPICALLY CORRECT in size. And it's precisely because of this that I don't like them as well as A Kadee #5.

I do a lot of switching and a lot of times the McHenry couplers won't uncouple correctly or smoothly from the Kadees because of the size difference in both, and at times this became a real pain. So now as soon as I get a new car, I change out the couplers to Kadee #5s. I have two cars that have EZ Mates, but when they eventually get wore out, I'll replace them with Kadee #5s as well. 

Routerman


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

Now that Kadee's patents have run out for the #5 coupler I found that the new spring loaded McHenry couplers are alot better than the old ones with the plastic tang used for a spring. They are still plastic but they do not break nearly as easy.

Massey


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

FWIW Should you ever have one pop off while admiring your latest purchase you will find it. A week later when barefoot. Don't ask.


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## Massey (Apr 16, 2011)

^^ LOL I dont have to ask I have found manything afoot when I was least expecting it. 

Massey


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