Transmission Retarder vs Exhaust Brake

ScottG wrote:
As a local fire captain explained to me, retarders are only good for short bursts like a city bus or a fire engine uses. Trying to use it to hold you back coming down a mountain pass would make so much heat in the trans that it would burn up.

Well Gang,
I'd have to agree with this answer. You see, in 30 years with the FD, we heated up a quite a few trannies on some of our long down grades and, forced heated stops. Once the Jake (Engine compression brake) became more available, we opted for them so we'd have considerably less trouble with our trannies. Then, we given a new kind of retarder for a demo for a year for try out.

That new retarder, called a "Telma" retarder, is the best thing since sliced apples. It works with electro-magnetic energy and, there's no parts that ever touch, just like a mag-lev train.

Anyway, if it were me, I'd opt for the exhaust brake. They work well, are fairly trouble free and, doesn't cost you anything in terms of potential damage due to heat. This is just an opinion.
Scott