Originally Posted by
noglider
I don't remember the model name of the Shimano three speed hub that I saw in the late 70's and early 80's.
Probably "3.3.3"
Among us mechanics, it was noticeably less reliable than the Sturmey Archer. Parts are now unavailable for it. However, I hear the current crop of Shimano IGH's is very good. I take people's word for it on that matter.
The main advantage of the Shimano 3-speed hubs was that servicing them did not require a rebuild: instead you just popped out the innards as a unit and replaced it with new innards. These were cheap enough that it cost the customer less than the labor cost of rebuilding a Sturmey-Archer hub. Of course, a rebuilt SA hub would be good for another half a century, while the Shimano hub would be back for new innards in a couple years, but that's another matter...