Ashnook Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 I am an old IC modeller having returned to the hobby after a 3-4 year break. I am exploring electric power. Most of my IC engines are OS as I used to be able to afford them and they are very good engines! I am now looking at electric motors and slowly getting into what things mean. I have just built a wot4 from a 1995 kit and have converted it to electric using some info from the Chris Foss site. I decided to go for a powerful motor/battery combination giving me about 1000W, more than enough power. Looking at motors I see I can get one from the well knows sea-monster site for about £30.00 The same power motor from OS will cost me more in the region of £90.00. I suspect I know the answer to this question but I would like to get the option of the more electric experienced modellers out there, what am I getting to the 3 times more cost? I suspect better build quality and possibly more efficient power conversion but are they 3 times better? I welcome your comments. Cheers, Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 hello brian-and welcome----this topic was raised a few weeks ago and the........ or should I say one of the opinions was that the OS motors were of a 'decent' build quality....but the other side of the coin was a never ending exchange about what/how and why other's were worthy contender's in 'big picture' of brushless motors for model aircraft........so get ready for the onslaught ...........you've been warned............. ken Anderson...ne...1 brushless motor's dept... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Depron Daz Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Hi Brian. I have had loads of motors from the big fish, and never had any problems with them. I've never bought an OS motor, and although they look nice, and probably are really good as you'd expect, but the cost is too much. Hacker and Skorpion are good motors as well, but again the price is prohibitive in my opinion. Daz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Simmons Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Hi Brian Yep you mean 1/3 off the cost of an IC, You will have to factor the cost of batteries and an ESC. and the difference is not that great. you can refuel with an IC, but you will need another battery to fly again. (the batteries will need to be recharged either at home or on the flying site.. Keith Edited By Keith Simmons on 14/11/2013 17:13:49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashnook Posted November 14, 2013 Author Share Posted November 14, 2013 Hi Keith, no I mean 1/3 the price of the 'same' power motor from big-sea-monster. I suspect another similar discussion could be had on batteries, pay more get better - what? Life, Power, ... Is one companies 3s 2200ma 25c battery the same as another at twice the price - ??? Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashnook Posted November 14, 2013 Author Share Posted November 14, 2013 sorry 1/3 the price for the sea-monster one as compared to the OS one.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew767 Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Brian.......If money is no object go O.S or EFlite..but as others have said,motors from Giant Shark are fine. A friend and me between us have had over 20 XYH/EMP motors and whilst perhaps not as quiet or as smooth as some more expensive brands have none the less produced ample power and been utterly reliable. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Miller Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Brian, the answer to your questions is, I think, no. Possibly better build quality and greater efficiency maybe, but not sufficiently so to warrant the higher cash outlay in my view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Hargreaves - Moderator Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Just about all my motors fall into the "budget" class (short arms & deep pockets...thats my excuse ) & they have all been fine. The only motors I have burned out have been my fault through overloading them.... That said I am careful (usually) not to run them at the max rating....I usually allow 20% or so "headroom" Beware of cheap motors being sold much more expensively because they are a different colour...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon P Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Funny story, I have a few hacker motors and wanted more of the same but they are quite pricey. I found a thread on rc universe where somebody had tried to discern which factories made which retail brushless motors. Well, they reckoned the Turnigy SK3 range and Hacker motors were one and the same save for branding and the bench test results seemed to back this up. Of course, the usual status quo men trotted out the bull about this guy being wrong and, even if he was right, how he was still wrong. Basically their arguments revolve around misplaced loyalism to brands and countries and ancient sterotypes about junky Chinese goods vs those very same goods resold by Western companies. To cut a long story short I bought myself two Turnigy SK3 motors out of curiosty. I can buy 3 of them for the price of one Hacker. I got an SK3 2118-2250 (Hacker A10-15S) and an SK3 2830-1020 (Hacker A20-20L) and comparing them to the Hackers they are literally identical albeit silver coloured instead of purple. Powering them up via a watt meter and tachometer they perform identically too. In my opinion, I think the originator of that thread on rc universe is on to something. OS might just make their own electric motors and they may well be made from better materials with better tolerances but even then, with just one moving part on a brushless outrunner, there really isn't much that can go wrong which is why many amatuers succesfully wind their own motors but hardly anyone builds their own IC motors. I have satisfied myself that these are the facts of the situation. I can understand brand loyalty being worthwhile for IC engines but the same just does not apply to brushless motors. Results may vary when opinionated old fogeys are confronted with this idea but I forgive them because they're often a bit backward when it comes to new fangled ideas, hehe. Finally, bare in mind that 1000W is a lot of power and deserves due respect so I am not saying to buy cheap, bad quality goods. I am saying that cheap, good quality goods exist but might need a little research to uncover. Edited By Simon P on 14/11/2013 19:55:54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Miller Posted November 14, 2013 Share Posted November 14, 2013 Very well put Simon, your finding support my own. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich too Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 Agreed, motors from Giant Shark and Turnigy have been fine for me.. I am an "old" OS fan but they are way overpriced. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrahamC Posted November 15, 2013 Share Posted November 15, 2013 I've used a number of the XYH motors from Giant Shark/Cod and I've also used the SK3 Turnigy motors mentioned in the thread. I've never purchased a 'premium brand' motor. The XYH motors are very good indeed, and excellent value for money. As another contributor has said beware of paying more for these motors painted a different colour or with a different sticker. Far more important than brand, is buying the right motor for the right application and then selecting the best prop. Having said that the XYH motors are very good, I would say that the SK3's are better. For example, you would notice that the be bearings are much smoother, and the motor is generally better made, and produces a bit more power than an eqivalent sized XYH. I would not spend more money on a 'branded' motor. As another poster has indicated there are some fairly serious tests that have been written up on various forums that suggest that SK3's are identical to one particular premium brand motor. I'm inclined to think it may be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashnook Posted November 15, 2013 Author Share Posted November 15, 2013 OK, thanks for the inputs, good information Simon P. Brian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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