What is the deal with the new GEVOS. Kato makes them and FVM makes them. I like both but I see that FVM are way more expensive then the Kato's. GEVO to GEVO which is better or why is the FVM more then the Katos.
The FVM Gevo's are way more detailed than the Kato's, trust me they are night and day as I have both. The FVM's even have separate grab irons that can be applied. I will post up a picture in a bit of the 2 side by side.
Even the paint and lettering on the FVM far outshines Kato. Proper handrail painting, white, and the safety stripes on the steps, and a lot of warning labels on the top and sides of the hood separate the FVM from the Kato. On the details side, the cut levers and the bell details are there whereas they are not on the Kato. About the only thing missing on the FVM is the MU hoses. The detail pack has grabs, sunshades, windshield wipers and other parts, pre finished to install on the locomotives if one wanted too. The best way to say it is, I will always put the FVM on the front of the locomotive and the Kato hidden behind it.
Here you go, BNSF is FVM, UP is Kato. The FVM has more decals on the roof alone then the entire Kato unit.
Seems simple enough... If you have to have all the super fine details just to run your trains...go with the FVM. If you like to take close up photos of your locomotives...go with the FVM. If you have deeper pockets...go with the FVM. If you just want to have fun running your trains...and $$$ is a consideration...go with the Kato.
Both the Kato and FVM Gevos are good in their own ways, one big thing to keep in mind is that only FVM makes the ES44DC which is an early version, both FVM and Kato also make the early ES44AC version as well and FVM recently did a ES44C4 version which other then the truck detail is not at all correct but thats another story. The FVM Gevo is more detailed then the Kato once you add all the grabs and shades, also the FVM has a very nice corect brass horn while the Kato has a horn borrowed from the SD70ACe parts which isn't correct. The handrails on the FVM are also correct while the Kato's aren't because they're borrowed from the AC4400CW parts. The FVM also has nicer underframe detail with appropriate mechanical or electric bell. And as stated before FVM has all the warning labels, painted handrails and step edges. On the downside the FVM has a dim yellow LED headlight but that can be changed and their drive isn't as smoth and quiet as Kato's IMHO. In the end it's a matter of preference, I have several of both.
Main reason is that Kato is a manufature that makes theres Japan, and FVM is an inporter like Atlas and they pay someone in China to manufature them for them. The Kato has a better mech and the FVM is better decorated. Both are only correct for early UP, CP and BNSF in FVM case. If you model CSX the Kato are easier to fix because the shell has no glue in parts.
FVM Gevo's are well detailed compared to the KATO's as mentioned by David and others. I really like the FVM details & decals. Actually KATO Gevos are a let down especially that this manufacturer has been in the market for a long time. One would expect them to be a few notches ahead of others. To be fair, I find the KATO mechanism better than the FVM.
I also think the Katos run better than the FVMs, but the FVMs are not chopped liver (they are good runners). In the same regard, the FVMs look better and have more detail although I think the Katos are quite sharp. Jamie
FVM ditch lights are very, very dim. If not for this flaw, I would have purchased more than the two I have. I also have one Kato Gevo. I would have more of both if UP had more.
No one's said it yet but the FVMs are MT coupler equipped and super easy to DCC - a plug in chip which can be done without removing the shell! The chassis is pretty much a clone of the Kato Dash 9s, which run forever. The last several I put into operation are every bit as quiet and smooth as any Kato I have. And they have slower gearing than Katos, much closer to Atlas.
Both are nice - the FVM probably nicer as everyone has said. It also runs really well - somewhere between Kato and Atlas in my opinion... However it bites that both FVM and Kato ignored the obvious differences between the western units and the CSX and NS locomotives (and especially NS). Would you pay more for correct CSX and NS locomotives, assuming there is a business justification for these manufacturers not to go to the expense to tool these locos correctly? Just wondering.... - Lou
i'd go for kato anytime ! excellent runners. and they don't look too bad ... fvm are just a piece of crap. nice details, but shells are glued together and the drives are worse than life-like. quality control ? fvm never heard of quality control or customer service.
As for KATO, don't like the detailing? start a project! -> http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/group.php?discussionid=1202&do=discuss (OK, its a ac4400 but same idea)
Might depend where ya buy it too... I can go to my LHS here in Illinois.. (which also has a website PM me if you are interested due to TB "rules") They are both 69.99 Kato and FVM Easy enough if you want to try both.
I have to admit...I hadnt checked on prices. I was going by the OP's statement that one was "...way more expensive..." then the other. Both locos do look nice though. I am a...BNSF freak so I am looking. Anything in the 70 to 80 dollar range kinda fits my price range. I'll give it some serious thought....thnxs
I must disagree, all of my FVM Gevos run as well as the Kato units do. FVM responded very well to the few issues I have had. After a few hours of break-in, they run every bit as well as the Kato. They do not have the top end speed of the Kato, but with decoders installed and speed matched, it makes no difference. The 3 Kato Gevos are all I am ever going to own, I am getting the FVM ones instead.
While I don't have either, I think this is a perfect place to point out why the Kitbashing/aftermarket parts industry/sub-hobby is so much a part of any scale modeling, whether planes, trains, or automobiles. If you don't like the detail, either make your own parts to fix it, or go find someone who's already made the parts for you. I'm still amazed at how many aftermarket kits are available for 1/144 and 1/72 airplanes. It's hard enough to see details on the original, but some of the etched brass replacement parts are just amazing in their detail. N-Scale has some of the same detail parts available, but I've just been out of actually doing anything in the hobby for so long because I've got no where to do anything with them, I've not been able to do some of the stuff I used to do with N & HO (and planes). I had as much fun "upgrading" various models as I did running/displaying them.
