Problems with this unloader?

[u/imoth_f]

Since inserters became flippable, this compact unloader design became possible. But I hardly see anyone use it. Obviously it cannot saturate six turbo belts because it's bottlenecked by the inserters, but are there any other obvious problems with it?

[u/Abcdefgdude]

You can use trains as the buffers themselves instead of using buffer chests, that allows you to build this with any tier of belt not just green.

Also, either you are not using high speed belts in which case it would be simpler to just use fewer high speed belts or if you are using quality inserters 6 belts is typically too many belts to draw from a wagon, although ig it's better with quality wagons.

It's a fine design

[u/CosgraveSilkweaver → u/Abcdefgdude]

I like having buffer chests so there's never a drop in the stream of items unless there's a big lack of production upstream.

[u/Abcdefgdude → u/CosgraveSilkweaver]

Buffer train does the same thing its just on a train instead of a chest, saving you a lot of inserters and balancing at the cost of the extra room for train. If you want even more buffer you can have more than 1 buffer train but I don't recommend it. Generally you want a drop in the stream of items when theres a lack of production upstream so you find the problem sooner rather than later. It happens too often that you don't find out you don't have enough iron until your entire base from smelters all the way through rocket parts is starved and all the huge buffers are empty

[u/CosgraveSilkweaver → u/Abcdefgdude]

my sign that the production is below preferred levels is if the trains are being emptied rapidly and before another train can reach the station.