# HO Couplers



## DanJ (Dec 31, 2010)

Hello I am new to the forum and also to model trains. I have the HO scale set. I am looking to more cars and soon a second track as I have 2 loco's. My question is will all HO scale cars conect or do the couplers have to be from the same manufactorer? Thank you for any help I can get.
Dan


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

I use Bachman and Kadee. The Kadee are metal. the bachman are plastic, but longer for the front of my gp60m's to hold on around the corners. the kadee's are the way to go.


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## DanJ (Dec 31, 2010)

how hard is it to replace all the couplers to KADEE type?


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## TONOFFUN80 (Jan 9, 2010)

depends on the cars been done
if they need to have boxes installed its a little harder


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Most of mine switched over easily. the older cars are more difficult to change.


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

here are some pics - this car had the box attached


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

If your budget is tight you may want to make a conversion car. This is a car with a Horn Hook (older style) coupler on one side and a Knuckle (KDee, Accumate, McHenry) on the other. By placing this car in the middle of the tran you can run all the cars with one type in the rear and the other in the front. You will only need to change one coupler this way. Since couplers are generally sold in pairs I would make two conversion cars. 

I have several older Tyco, Life Like and Bachmann cars from when I was a kid. I only run them occasionally so a conversion car is the perfect solution.


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## mr_x_ite_ment (Jun 22, 2009)

If one wants to run a lot of older style cars in conjunction with the newer ones, a conversion car makes good sense. Sure would save money not having to convert every car!


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## forest (Jan 3, 2011)

i use these ez mate couplers there easy to replace they work work well.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Hi,
I'm also a noobie and ALL of my cars (mostly cheapies) have horn hook couplers. Most all of the experienced folks on this forum rave about Kadee couplers. What makes them so special? Please be specific and detailed if possible.
Many thanks,
Bob


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

well to awnser your question raleets Kadee is a brand not an actual type of coupler. It is actually called a knuckle coupler and the reason they are so populay is of how real they are. I do not like the couplers that have a plastic piece instead of the spring because this plastic piece wears out at a quick rate so I would have to say to get metal spring loaded knuckle couplers as they are the most realistic and will last the longest. I have a conversion car and use the horn hooks and prefer them over the all plastic knuckle couplers as they are less of a hassle to uncouple and don't ever break. Mcdonald cartier and others have come out with a wand for the knuckle couplers so you do not have to lift the cars off the track and I am thinking about getting some of those.


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## raleets (Jan 2, 2011)

Thanks for the quick response with some sensible answers.
Now I have a MUCH better understanding of why knuckle couplers are preferred by the experienced folks.
I'll probably start converting all my cars sometime soon when the money tree in the back yard comes into bloom!  
Thanks again!
Bob


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