Otis Gen2 vs Schindler 3300 for mid-rise buildings - which one gave you less headaches?

I've been on three Gen2 installs this year and two Schindler 3300s. The Gen2 belts seem simpler but I've seen more controller glitches. Schindler's software is a pain to troubleshoot but the hardware holds up better. What's your experience been? Which one do you dread showing up to?

3 comments

3 Comments

graygonzalez1mo ago

Gotta push back on the Schindler hardware being more solid. I've seen more controller board failures on the 3300s than the Gen2s actually. The Gen2 belts are a pain to replace but the rest of the machine room stays simpler.

reesemoore1mo ago

Oh man, I actually read a whole white paper some engineer posted on another forum about this exact thing. They did tear downs on both models and found the 3300 controller boards have some capacitor that's just undersized for the job, they cook over time. Makes me wonder if that's what you're seeing. And you're totally right about the Gen2 belts, I heard from a buddy who used to work maintenance that they actually changed the belt material in the later units because the early ones had a real issue with shedding rubber dust that clogged up the tensioner. It's like these companies fix one thing and break another, you know? I still think the Gen2 overall is a more modern design but that belt thing is a pain nobody wants to deal with every few years.

simon7171mo ago

Hear you on the 3300 controller boards, seen a couple fry themselves for no good reason too. @graygonzalez must be riding a Gen2 that hasn't tried to eat its own belt yet, give it time. The machine room might be simpler but that belt replacement job is like paying a tax you didn't sign up for. Still, I'll take a belt headache over chasing a ghost in a Schindler logic board any day.