It used to be that 3W engines seemed to have more than their share of problems, things like reed box, ignition and other things documented here from time to time. Wondering if this is for the most part a thing of the past and their newer engines being better?

As well as anyone else's. Just about all the majors had similar issues at one time or another. Most all have overcome them. 3w, DA, and MVVS are in a constant state of research so new issues arise as new designs come about.

As for 3w specifically, I'd buy one in a heartbeat. I have a lot of them already and haven't been dissapointed.

Don't know about the older ones as I have never owned one. Right now, we own and regularly fly 6 3W's covering the 28 (2), the 55, the 170 (2)and the 210. The 170's and the 210 are both TSCS and one of the 28's is a CS.

They range in run time from over 800 hours (one of the 170's - I purchased it second hand and it already had a few hundred of those hours on it) to 50 hours (the 28CS). with the other 4 ranging from 100 - 300 hours run time.

The only issues I have had have been
- - - 2 x Ignition Module failures - 1 on the original 170 and one on the 55. I chose to replace those ignitions with RCExcel's because the RCExcels are a cheaper replacement option.

- - - Learning to tune an engine properly to take advantage of its real power (very much a surprise having come from significantly lesser breeds where there was a lot more leeway in the tuning)

So my experience is - They sure seem to have overcome any issues they may have had in earlier models. 3W is one of only 3 brands of engine I will purchase to install in any of my planes nowadays. May cost a little more at purchase time but it is money well spent IMHO.