Stack inserters

[Jiffypop]

Is there any reason to not upgrade from fast inserters to stack inserters? Other than energy demand, is there some hidden downside?

[Fel]

Well, it costs a lot more to craft and requires more energy so just like between normal and fast inserters you should only upgrade where it will give you a better result.

Stack inserters are particularly good when transfering between two inventories, which is why they are the best option for loading or unloading trains for example.

[Jiffypop]

Originally posted by Fel:

Well, it costs a lot more to craft and requires more energy so just like between normal and fast inserters you should only upgrade where it will give you a better result.

Stack inserters are particularly good when transfering between two inventories, which is why they are the best option for loading or unloading trains for example.

Well yes, besides the cost and the electricity, is it just better? Lets just say I have a couple thousand lying around and I want to begin upgrading my bases, it wont break production will it?

[ShadowTech]

Someone correct me if im wrong but wont stack inserters try and eat more of the items on a belt at a time than fast inserters? Itll grab 5 of an item before it moves over compared to grabbing 1-2 for a fast inserter? So i guess one downside would be if you cant get enough throughput to the division to keep the stack inserters supplied?

[Fel]

There are both pros and cons about them when working with belts, especially to feed machines.

Because they will try to fill their hand before swinging to drop the items (unless the belt portion is empty at the time), quick recipes can result in pauses that a fast inserter might not cause.
This is because each swing over-fills the machine so instead of starting to grab the next batch the stack inserter will first sit still until the machine only has 1 cycle left of the item in its ingredients (so 2 cycles in total since it consumes the items at the start of a cycle).
It gets worse as the hand size increases and even when the machine speed increases.

[Jiffypop]

Originally posted by Fel:

There are both pros and cons about them when working with belts, especially to feed machines.

Because they will try to fill their hand before swinging to drop the items (unless the belt portion is empty at the time), quick recipes can result in pauses that a fast inserter might not cause.
This is because each swing over-fills the machine so instead of starting to grab the next batch the stack inserter will first sit still until the machine only has 1 cycle left of the item in its ingredients (so 2 cycles in total since it consumes the items at the start of a cycle).
It gets worse as the hand size increases and even when the machine speed increases.

Yeah I was noticing that with my stack inserter assembly line, since it uses stack inserters. It would often just pause even though I have three stack inserters feeding it on two sides

[Fel]

Instead of using that many you would probably have a better result by feeding a chest from the belt (with only 1 slot open) and then the machine from the chest, that way the delays would no longer be hindering you since the "grab" is instant from a chest.

[Lunacy]

If items are staggered in, it could delay a stack inserter as it has a short cooldown before it'll just insert, but it won't do it if it keeps picking up items before that delay is over.
Otherwise fast is okay in general, but if you have something like copper wire with 4 speed modules then stacks will put way more than 2 cycles in and will keep it going at maximum capacity.

[CPT Chthonbeard the Pirate]

I wouldn't use stack inserters with things like copper cable. You'll find that they would actually have delays in production at times due to how fast the assembler operates vs. how long it takes the stack inserter to take copper plates off a belt. Of course you could have an intermediate step of putting plates into a box, but even then there are situations it could cause problems without weaving belts around the box. It's just a hassle.

Things like taking in sulfur for sulfuric acid production is a good use for them, but I'd still not bother with one on pulling in the iron. No point in upgrading that since it uses so little iron.

What you need to ask yourself is, is the increased power cost really worth it? Basic inserters low power drain is 400 W, while fast inserters is 500 kW. That's 1.25 times more power. Going up again to stack inserters at 1 kW and you increase it again by 2 times. It better be worth the cost, or you just made all of your inserters a bigger chunk of power in your factory for no benefit.

1 kW might not sound like much, but you will literally have thousands, if not tens of thousands of inserters in your base by the end. That's at least over 1-10 GW of power just for stack inserters! You could cut that to about 2/3 by using stack inserters only where needed.

That being said, they have their place, and I automate and use them in many places. Just not every place.

[spetznas]

You forgot that a inserter has a standby energy consumation and a work consumation a full upgraded stackinserter need less energy than a fast inserter to move the same numbers of items.