Answers.Body: <p>They are not compatible, the teeth are completely different.</p>
  
  <p>Notice that the red old gear has 9 teeth and is the same size<sup>1</sup> as a current 24-teeth, as illustrated by below:</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9QuMP.jpg" alt="Size comparison of 9-teeth samsonite gear with regular 24-teeth gear"></p>
  
  <p>The axle hole however is compatible, so you could have a construction using both types.</p>
  
  <p><sup>1. Actually, the distance between axles to have two of these red gears mesh is the same as the one required for two 24-teeth ones (60 ldu).</sup></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-24T20:10:11.703Z
Answers.Text: Wow, Considering that's the smallest Samsonite gear, the rest must be huge.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-24T22:22:22.890Z
Answers.Text: I had some; the large of the yellow ones were about 3" wide or so.  I don't have one on hand to measure so I can't be more specific than that.
Answers.UserDisplayName: ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T04:59:36.280Z
Answers.Text: The visible holes are spaced like studs on plates, so the largest red one is larger than a 2x10 brick.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T19:07:14.677Z
Answers.Text: The red gear on the left is *not* a Samsonite gear. It is a European gear from the 1970s. This was different from the Samsonite ones (and incompatible with them).
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T20:58:20.680Z
Answers.Text: @ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells  They are not that big, the red, blue and yellow LEGO ones have an outer radius of 2, 3 and 4 studs, respectively. This translates to diameters of 32, 48 and 64mm (actually 2.7mm less so they can move freely).
Answers.UserDisplayName: starblue
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-26T06:05:26.660Z
Answers.Text: I had some doubts on the "samsonite" issue but I just assumed the question was correct and didn't bother to  check. My mistake.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-26T09:54:44.470Z
Answers.Text: @Starblue - my mistake.  I had lego gears, not the samsonite ones.
Answers.UserDisplayName: ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-24T18:56:41.250Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2011-11-26T06:02:54.213Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2011-11-26T06:02:54.213Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Joubarc
Answers.Body: <p>The first gear wheels, or cog wheels, were designed by Knud Kristiansen around 1964 or 65; the original Danish design patent was filed on March 1, 1965.</p>
  
  <p>Under licence by LEGO, Samsonite manufactured and sold these gears in the USA from 1965-1972, and in Canada from 1965-74. The gears had studs on the top and tubes on the bottom. They could be made turnable by fixing them to wheels with studs or turntables. These gears were never available in European sets.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/qPTUv.jpg" alt="Samsonite Gears"></p>
  
  <p>A different type of gear, incompatible with Samsonite gears, was produced by LEGO in Europe between 1970 and 1975. Although the gears themselves are incompatible with technic gears, the axles that held them in place had the same cross-section as the axles for technic gears. This means that mechanisms can be constructed that use both types of gears.</p>
  
  <p>Interestingly, the gears had a small circular spring in them to help them grip the axle. If I remember correctly, the ends of the axle had a groove that aligned with this spring, making the gears a slightly more stable fit at the ends of the axles than in the middle.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/4LbGP.jpg" alt="European Gears"></p>
  
  <p>Modern Technic LEGO was then introduced in 1977.</p>
  
  <p>Sources:</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li><a href="http://www.miniland.nl/Historie/legoautos/samsonite/samsonite%20gears%20eng.htm" rel="noreferrer">LEGO System by Samsonite: Gears</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/1043/001-gears/p1" rel="noreferrer">001 Gears?</a></li>
  <li><a href="http://isodomos.com/technica/history/history.php" rel="noreferrer">Technica - History</a></li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2011-11-26T22:13:08.913Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-02-02T20:39:33.180Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-02-02T20:39:33.180Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Body: <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Txupy.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>Do the old Samsonite gears (above) work with current Technic gears (below) </p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/VGMEV.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>
  
  <p>LEGO bricks tend to be backward compatible with older bricks, but since I don't own any Samsonite gears I cannot tell.</p>
  
  <p>Image credits belong to <a href="http://www.technicopedia.com/fundamentals.html" rel="noreferrer">Technicopedia</a>.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-11-24T15:18:55.947Z
Comments.Text: Image credits belong to [Technicopedia](http://www.technicopedia.com/fundamentals.html)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T11:05:59.767Z
Comments.Text: I loved the samsonite gears - they were much better for flexible geartrains. The photos are bringing back great memories
Comments.UserDisplayName: Rory Alsop
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T16:41:36.700Z
Comments.Text: This confuses old LEGO gears (positions 1, 3 and 5 with red in the center) with Samsonite gears (the uniformly colored ones in positions 2, 4, 6 and 7). I don't think they even mesh, but as I don't have Samsonite gears I can't check.
Comments.UserDisplayName: starblue
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T19:09:11.163Z
Comments.Text: As @starblue says, there were actually 2 types of gears made in the 1970s. This page provides more info: http://www.miniland.nl/Historie/legoautos/samsonite/samsonite%20gears%20eng.htm
Comments.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-11-25T19:43:17.700Z
Comments.Text: @Kramii: Oh, wow. It looks like the actual Samsonite gears required   a technic pin or something similar. Any ideas on what I should call these gears?
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ambo100
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2011-11-26T22:13:36.260Z
Comments.Text: @Ambo100: See my answer, below.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Tags: <technic><compatibility><gears>
Title: Are Samsonite gears compatible with modern Technic gears?
UserDisplayName: Ambo100
ThreadText: # Are Samsonite gears compatible with modern Technic gears?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2011-11-24)
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/Txupy.jpg)
  
  Do the old Samsonite gears (above) work with current Technic gears (below)
  
  ![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/VGMEV.jpg)
  
  LEGO bricks tend to be backward compatible with older bricks, but since I don't own any Samsonite gears I cannot tell.
  
  Image credits belong to [Technicopedia](http://www.technicopedia.com/fundamentals.html).
  
  **Tags:** technic, compatibility, gears
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Image credits belong to [Technicopedia](http://www.technicopedia.com/fundamentals.html)  
  > **username_1**: I loved the samsonite gears - they were much better for flexible geartrains. The photos are bringing back great memories  
  > **username_2**: This confuses old LEGO gears (positions 1, 3 and 5 with red in the center) with Samsonite gears (the uniformly colored ones in positions 2, 4, 6 and 7). I don't think they even mesh, but as I don't have Samsonite gears I can't check.  
  > **username_3**: As @starblue says, there were actually 2 types of gears made in the 1970s. This page provides more info: http://www.miniland.nl/Historie/legoautos/samsonite/samsonite%20gears%20eng.htm  
  > **username_0**: @Kramii: Oh, wow. It looks like the actual Samsonite gears required   a technic pin or something similar. Any ideas on what I should call these gears?  
  > **username_3**: @Ambo100: See my answer, below.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2011-11-26. Score: 10 | Accepted answer
  
  The first gear wheels, or cog wheels, were designed by Knud Kristiansen around 1964 or 65; the original Danish design patent was filed on March 1, 1965.
  
  Under licence by LEGO, Samsonite manufactured and sold these gears in the USA from 1965-1972, and in Canada from 1965-74. The gears had studs on the top and tubes on the bottom. They could be made turnable by fixing them to wheels with studs or turntables. These gears were never available in European sets.
  
  ![Samsonite Gears](https://i.sstatic.net/qPTUv.jpg)
  
  A different type of gear, incompatible with Samsonite gears, was produced by LEGO in Europe between 1970 and 1975. Although the gears themselves are incompatible with technic gears, the axles that held them in place had the same cross-section as the axles for technic gears. This means that mechanisms can be constructed that use both types of gears.
  
  Interestingly, the gears had a small circular spring in them to help them grip the axle. If I remember correctly, the ends of the axle had a groove that aligned with this spring, making the gears a slightly more stable fit at the ends of the axles than in the middle.
  
  ![European Gears](https://i.sstatic.net/4LbGP.jpg)
  
  Modern Technic LEGO was then introduced in 1977.
  
  Sources:
  
  * [LEGO System by Samsonite: Gears](http://www.miniland.nl/Historie/legoautos/samsonite/samsonite%20gears%20eng.htm)
  * [001 Gears?](http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/1043/001-gears/p1)
  * [Technica - History](http://isodomos.com/technica/history/history.php)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_4 on 2011-11-24. Score: 11
  
  They are not compatible, the teeth are completely different.
  
  Notice that the red old gear has 9 teeth and is the same size1 as a current 24-teeth, as illustrated by below:
  
  ![Size comparison of 9-teeth samsonite gear with regular 24-teeth gear](https://i.sstatic.net/9QuMP.jpg)
  
  The axle hole however is compatible, so you could have a construction using both types.
  
  1. Actually, the distance between axles to have two of these red gears mesh is the same as the one required for two 24-teeth ones (60 ldu).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Wow, Considering that's the smallest Samsonite gear, the rest must be huge.  
  > **username_5**: I had some; the large of the yellow ones were about 3" wide or so.  I don't have one on hand to measure so I can't be more specific than that.  
  > **username_4**: The visible holes are spaced like studs on plates, so the largest red one is larger than a 2x10 brick.  
  > **username_3**: The red gear on the left is *not* a Samsonite gear. It is a European gear from the 1970s. This was different from the Samsonite ones (and incompatible with them).  
  > **username_2**: @ConcernedOfTunbridgeWells  They are not that big, the red, blue and yellow LEGO ones have an outer radius of 2, 3 and 4 studs, respectively. This translates to diameters of 32, 48 and 64mm (actually 2.7mm less so they can move freely).  
  > **username_4**: I had some doubts on the "samsonite" issue but I just assumed the question was correct and didn't bother to  check. My mistake.  
  > **username_5**: @Starblue - my mistake.  I had lego gears, not the samsonite ones.  
  
  ---
  
  