I love this notion that older heavies or house bots would somehow get beaten up by modern day FWs (maybe a bit exaggerated but mostly to point).

Yes modern FW spinners are vicious, but that's when they're against machines that weigh the same as them. When a vertical spinner hits an opponent, it goes upwards. When a horizontal hits an opponent they fly off in opposing directions.

If a vertical FW spinner hits a heavyweight or old house robot, the HW might be lifted up a bit, but not by much. Due to the sheer weight difference, the majority of the force would go back through the feather's robot/weapon system, causing more damage to itself (bent shaft being a strong possibility). Similarly with a horizontal, the opposing HW or house bot isn't going to go anywhere, the feather is just going to keep pinging off it until something gives. The most the HWs will receive will be a few cuts and bruises before it's game over for the FWs, and that's without factoring in the HWs ramming the feathers into the walls.

We have damn good featherweights in this country, but let's not get carried away.