Shinohara vs. Peco, I need YOUR opinion!!

[Steamtrains]

I've had problems with early Shinohara's NOT being DCC friendly.

What is DCC friendly..?? My layout has all Peco, live frog turnouts, and have run DCC from day one without any problems...
Actually, it's wired in exactly the same way as a previous DC layout.

[Chet]

I started my layout by hand laying code 70 track and turnouts. About half way through the construction, my Kadee spike gun died ( for the 6th time) and was beyond repair. At the time, Shinohara was the only manufacturer with a line of code 70 turnouts and flex track and I used them to complete my layout. I am extremely happy with the Shinohara products.

[Prairie Trains]

I have 14 Peco code 100 switches in one of my staging yards. They have a poor appearance and the cars wobble back and forth very badly as the wheels drop into the frog and bounce back out again. I have 40 Shinohara code 70 switches on the main layout and they look and work great. If the Pecos had been used on the main layout I would have ripped them out and replaced them. Another problem is if you use the Peco motor and want to ballast your track you have a big hole that the ballast just runs though. My Shinohara switches are moved with piano wire from under the layout with many types of motors, with only a small hole drilled. So no ballast leakage. Peco motors also buzz extremely loud when activated. I have a drawer full Pecos but am buying Shinoharas as needed.