Lionel ZW-L or MTH Z-4000?

The Z4000 is a good transformer BUT the ZW-L was designed to work with Legacy so your extra investment would pay off by having a completely compatible system.

I have had both. I run only in conventional, so consider that in evaluating my response.

The Z-4000's digital meters are far superior to the analog guages on the ZW-L. You can read them clearly from across the room.  Great.

The ZW-L chops power and controls it/whatever it does, far - far - better than the Z-4000. Lionel conventional and Legacy, and even MTH PS-2 and PS-3 locos, run much better (slower, smoother, more linearity of control at low speeds) with the ZW-L than the Z-4K. Overall, the ZW-L is far superior.

If you are not running conventional, don't get either: buy bricks and use the proper digital controllers.

Before I lay out the money on a ZW-L I would give them another year to see if any problems arise and how Lionel addresses them. You still cannot purchase a new motherboard for the ZW-C. They have treated this unit as a disposable purchase. No one thinks of not being able to get parts for a $400.00 purchase but that is the case with the ZW-C. I do have a Z-4000 that needs a new power board. They are available. I will be ordering one this week.

Thanks all for the input, as if I do anything, it will be my next years Christmas present....

Dennis, I have both and IMO Lee nailed it. Have a great Thanksgiving. 

Gerry

I use a Z-4000 and am perfectly satisfied with it.  I operate MTH PS2/PS3, and Lionel TMCC and Legacy trains--all solely by command control these days.  Lee and others may see some differences in slow speed operation when running conventional, but I can assure you that slow speed operation under command control with the Z-4000 and running any make of trains is certainly not a problem.

And I am among those who much prefer the digital meters on the Z-4000, which can be easily seen and read from a significant distance.  If you're going to have meters at all, and want to operate your trains remotely from some distance, it just makes sense to have meters that will be visible and readable without the need to be standing by the transformer.

This is a key point: the ZW-L is far superior to the Z4k in slow speed and smooth operation of trains running conventionally.  But any power supply with command control will perform slightly better than that.  Thus, as I said above, I can't see the justification for a ZW-L unless you run only conventionally or just like the glowing blue "LIONEl" on the front of it.

This is a key point: the ZW-L is far superior to the Z4k in slow speed and smooth operation of trains running conventionally.  But any power supply with command control will perform slightly better than that.  Thus, as I said above, I can't see the justification for a ZW-L unless you run only conventionally or just like the glowing blue "LIONEl" on the front of it.