In your opinion would a linear motion lift like a cascade be better or worse than something like a 6 bar specifically for this competition
A linear lift like a cascade or an rd4b i think would probably be better to use because the fact that it moves linearly in the vertical direction, it makes it easier to make tiny adjustments with the caps on poles whereas this is more difficult with a non-linear lift such as a 6bar because of the angle and distance differences at its points of movement.
anything built with linear motion kits imo is usually full of slop, and are really slow, so you would definitely want to use something like a cascade or a dr4b if you are considering a linear life. Although, since there are only 2 different heights you’d need to raise a cap to, linearity isn’t nearly as good as it was last year. Personally, I’m using a 4 bar, tall enough to score on both high and low posts, and it’s working great. We’ll probably rebuilt later and make either a 6 bar, or improve our 4 bar design, so as you can see I prefer bar lifts to linear ones this year. it really comes down to your preferences, and whether or not you can pull off the lift you want with good build quality.
As alluded to by Xenon, linear lifts are really hard to build extremely well. But, if you have the time and resources (and space) to do it, a DR4B is a really good lift.
However, I’ve been telling my sister team, which is less experienced and have build time conflicts, to build a 6-bar. They’re a lot easier, and in some cases faster. A poorly built 6-bar will be faster than a poorly built DR4B. (As I learned last year from that same team.)
But really, it’s just personal preference and experience.
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