The Disadvantages of Spur Gears

Spur gears, the most common type of gear, are often used because they are the simplest to design and manufacture, and are the most efficient, as well. Spur gears have straight teeth that are situated parallel to the gear axis. They are most commonly used in power tools and robotics applications. Although they are common and efficient, spur gears have disadvantages as well.

Noise

Spur gears are very noisy when used at some speeds because the entire face engages at once. Thus, theyre known as slow-speed gears. Helical gears, in comparison, operate almost silently.

Strength

Spur gears are not as strong as some other gears. They cannot handle as much of a load because the teeth are small and situated parallel to the gear axis, rather than being large and situated diagonally as the teeth on a helical gear are.

Non-Parallel Shafts

Spur gears can only be used to transfer power between parallel shafts. They cannot transfer power between non-parallel shafts.