chistech

Not always true. I've seen expensive cheap also. i.e. Lander gear is expensive compared to the HK units and they don't work very good compared to the HKs. I'm not saying the $8 retract is as good as a Sierra or CJ but I've had good luck with the HK's in my size of aircraft. In electrics the Lado set I have, and you can call them expensive compared to the HKs are a high quality unit and way above the HK. So usually more money means better quality but not always so. I've always thought Robarts to be overpriced for the quality you get. Their plastic bodied retracts are no better than other brands and are $50 more in some cases.

A good friend of mine designed the electronics for electric retracts. He had perfected the circuitry and the motors then sold his design because he couldn't turn down the offer he got. The company who bought his design cheapened up on the components and the gear is not what it should be if they stayed with his components. He is kind of pissed and discouraged by what they did plus he signed a contract so he can't make gear anymore. He makes them for his own plane but won't even make me a set. He told me if they just stayed with the original design that everyone would be very happy with the electric retracts. I know his gear works great and he's never had an issue. He's flying 1/5-1/6 stuff too. Too bad companies take good designs, cheapen them up, then sell them to us, sometimes for a lot of money because we think we're getting quality.