AnAlternateEgo

I am finishing putting together my P-40 ARF and its getting to the point where i need an engine. I want to go with proven brands with this plane and i have decided to either get an o.s. or saito 91/100 4-stroke engine. What are the pros and cons to each brand? Who makes the best engine? I have heard that it costs alot more to fix a worn SAITO engine than an O.S., is there any truth in this? Looking forward to all your input. Thanks!!

RCKen

My Feedback: (9)

Honestly, this is a Ford vs. Chevy, Bacon vs. Sausage, Tea vs. Coffee discussion. You are going to get both answers and as many reasons why each brand is the best and the other is the worst. When it boils down to it you're going to be just as well off with either brand of engine and they will both serve you well. I wouldn't worry about which one you want. What may be more of a deciding factor than anything else is simply the size and dimensions of the actual engine and where you want mount it. But mechanically you'll do well with either.

The only real difference is that Saito only makes 4-strokes. So if you want a 2-stroke engine you are going to have buy an OS.

Sorry to not solve your dilemma, but trust me in that you'll get plenty of opinions either way after me. All are right, and all are wrong..... Take you pick

Ken

ChuckW

I've owned both Saito 4-strokes and OS 4-strokes & 2-strokes. The Saitos are a good engine but the OS's are superior in my opinion. The OS 4-strokes tune easier, make great power and don't spit nearly as much oil all over the airplane. I know a lot of Saito enthusiasts will point out that the they are lighter, etc. but I think an ounce or two is a small price to pay for the ease of use and performance. The OS 1.10-FSa is absolutely outstanding. It makes tons of power, idles like a Swiss watch, starts easy, tunes easy and there is almost nothing on the airplane at the end of the day. I also just ran an .81-FSa tonight. Same thing. Fired right up, tuned effortlessly, will idle all day, no goo on the airplane and it seems to be making more power than my Saito .81 with the same prop before it is even broken in. The OS FSa 4-strokes are pricey but they are really, really good.

Unless OS really takes a negative turn, I will never pay for another Saito.


So you won't necessarily go wrong whatever you choose but I'd go with OS.

DGUY

My Feedback: (9)

The proverbial can of worms has been opened!!

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

saito engines are a little more expensive than OS 4stroke engines.
saito's are lighter weight, a advantage unless you are looking for nose weight.
saitos recomend higher nitro content =more expensive fuel cost here is Horizons over view
http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products...ProdID=SAIE100
every one at my club who owns one thinks there great and has had little or no trouble using them.

that being said all my 4stroke engines are OS.
there reliable, powerfull enough, easy to tune, will run on 5-15% nitro fuel like all there other engines.
there a little heavy compared to saito's but it hasn't been a issue, more like a advantage in some cases where nose weight is needed, often warbirds need nose weight to balance out anyway.

my Hangar-9 P-40 is powered by a OS91 surpass and flys fine, what brand of P-40 are you working on

dignlivn

Well, since you asked



I have both, my OS gets much better
fuel economy. My Saito just drinks more.

Both are Engineering Marvels, JMO.


Bob

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

They are both fine engines, but going head-to-head, I'll take OS every time.

They put out more power with less fuel consumption, and they don't spit slime all over your nice plane.

They will also swing a bigger prop than the same size Saito

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

He it is.
OS will last a bit longer.
saito will have more power usally 1000 rpm of same size OS on same nitro. the saito can run more nitro if need a bit more speed the OS cant.

go with the OS 110 or the saito 125 I would take the 125 anyday. I have run up to 45% in mine no problem.

BUT no matter which one you get run full syn oil. the OS engines are bad about getting carbon in the exhaust till it seals it up and runs like crap the saito will do the same but take a bit longer if running castor oil.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

No kidding, same old same old. The Saito has cooler rocker arm covers, if given a choice I go for the OS, pretty much agree with Chuck. My OS ,91FS engines do seem like they produce a bit more power then the Saito 100 but I wouldn't put any money on that, I could have just found that magic prop/engine/ plane combo?? The OS really are cleaner running though. Why not go all out and buy a nice YS?? When buying new that's always my first choice. Everyone knows they are the best bargin out there and the best engine {glow} made!!! Everyone knows I'm always right too!!!!

MinnFlyer

My Feedback: (4)

Naw, I have a few YS engines. PIA to tune

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

lol the OS puts out more power come on now. the only the OS will spin a prop faster is on 0 or 5% nitro thats it. run both on 15% and then tell me lol which one spins the same prop faster.

I dont know why saito makes so many different sizes when most are of the same size range. the 65,82, 91s, 100,115 and 125 are all about the same size with only weight being different. of those i would only run the 125. I have all of them except the 100. The 150, 180 and 220 same thing. I do have the little 40 too and i get 11,600 on a zinger 12x4

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

When they become too big of a problem for you then you know in what direction to toss them!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AnAlternateEgo

I got a BH P-40 from vqwarbirds. I am going to mount it inverted so i can keep it completely in the cowling.

bigtim

My Feedback: (13)

here is a couple of pics of my H-9 P-40, what I did so I didn't need to have the pipe hanging through the cowl was to use a 90o header to direct the pipe out of the rear of the cowl area at the vent flaps the header is a standard piece that OS makes.

if your going with the saito then RC specialties sells a 90o adaptor on RCU for there engines to do the same sort of thing.

in pic#3 the fuel line with the cap head screw is for venting the tank when filling I "T'd" off of the pressure line from the muffler pipe using a small barbed nylon T fitting from the hardware store,I just plug the pipe with my finger when fueling and the overflow exits the line when done I simply cap the line and there isn't a bunch of fuel sitting in the muffler.

ChuckW

I've actually own or have owned both so I feel I am qualified to say and the OS FSa 4-strokes will outperform a similarly sized Saito on 15% nitro. Even the older Surpass-II series was equal to or in some cases just slightly better than a comparable Saito. They do it with much less slime on the airplane, on less fuel and are easier to tune out of the box. Like I said, the Saitos are definitely good engines but they aren't everything that some people seem to suggest. Neither one is junk.

ChuckW

I actually like the YS engines. I especially like the .63, its a little animal. My only complaint is the oil out the exhaust compared to the OS's.

airraptor

My Feedback: (66)

well i can only go off what i have seen and and for example the OS 90 fs would turn the apc 13x8 prop at 9,000-9,200 the saito would be 10,000-10,500. we tested same day and even used the same prop. fuel was the same except different jugs. the YS 110 would out turn my 125 by about 750-1000 rpm too.

So i still have to disagree but who cares you run what you want I run what i want, as long as we are both happy who cares. they are all gooe engines. If you like the OS types and want to save some money get the magnum FS or even the NEW thunder tiger ones.

ChuckW

I'm not disagreeing with your results but that's just one older OS engine. It won't be the case for all of them. The newer Alpha series from OS is a whole new engine and the performance is surprising.

I agree on the magnum and Thunder Tiger's too. Not necessarily that they are quite in a the same league as an OS, Saito or YS but they are very good engines for the money.

When I was getting into this hobby I had a conversation about engines with a very experienced, very accomplished flyer at the field. This guy has flown anything and everything over a time span almost as long as I've been alive. He can fly and land anything, even if half the parts fly off. He's got a house full of awards for both building and flying to back it all up. In our conversation he told me there was a basic pecking order in 4-strokes: 1- YS, 2-OS, 3-Saito, 4-Magnum and the others. It's been a few years since he told me that but I've found that he was basically right although I might move YS down to #2. They make extreme amounts of power and are engineering & machining masterpieces but they can be a little too finicky for some people.

But you do have a good point. Buy what you like and have fun. It's a hobby after all.

I'd better stop praising my OS engines too. The RC gods might smack me and give me the day of a thousand dead sticks the next time I am at the field. Kinda like when I bragged about the weather and it rained for 9 days straight.

viperdada

Well, well , well.. ask a million opinions get a million _______. I always enjoy a debate. I love the car, not the brand. I love my old 1935 Chevy street rod, drive a Dodge truck. What works works. I have a stable of OS engines. From Max 10 to Gemini 120 twin, I have piled up a pile, never bought a new engine yet. I have some Satios as well. They all run great, being I am a diesel mechanic, I am facinated by how something can run so good with these little engines. We all enjoy them and how they are pretty easy to set up and run. And to think, most engine problems we all have are created by, you guessed, US!

All Satios I see tend to be pricey, but not by much. My Stearman has a 325R5 up front, looks leaps and bounds better then the OS FR300. Being a bit bigger (325 vs. 300), the look cannot be compared, with all those rocker covers. The Satio would make any old builder of a Wright Cyclone or Pratt and Whitney glee!

Mr67Stang

I have both and I like both. Get whichever one you can get a better deal on

roo

Ask yourself this. Why do almost all the far eastern engine makers copy OS designs.? I cannot ever remember seeing a copy of a Saito . Of course this could be because they consider Saito engines more trouble to copy!!. Ok Ok Ok I admit it. I am an OS man :-). Paul.

thedeeman

I concur with what Mr67Stang said. I have both along with a few other types (Super Tigre, Tower, etc). All of them work well. I bought based on pricing at the time. My 4 stroke OSs and Saitos seem to put out the same power for the size. I do have twice as many saitos and os 4 strokes but that was because at the time I picked them up new with a big discount. Yes, saitos vent a little more oil but if your running nitro you're used to it anyway and it's just a normal part of cleanup. My gas planes are nice and clean so if clean is an issue gas is the way to go. A good tuned motor will run well so that's the important thing to worrry about.

Javier-RCU

My Feedback: (6)

I have the two. Both are very good engines. My choice is OS due to availability and costs of spare parts.

Terry Spalding

I have both,,,but you will never go wrong with OS

opjose

I'll take Saito's EVERY time over O.S....

If a Saito seems to drink more fuel than an O.S., the Saito is improperly tuned!

Also my Saito's ( once tuned PROPERLY ) will often out power identically sized O.S. engines tested on the same planes.



Saito's have an extremely WIDE tuning range, that O.S. simply cannot match. Which also means that many people are flying with these engines improperly set.


I had my needles set 11 turns TOO FAR out ( rich ) on my first Saito, yet I was able to fly my plane just fine.

At the time I didn't understand why I could not get the idle down as far as I should, nor why I wasn't getting the power I initially expected, but the engine ran reliably.

Once I discovered that the Saito engines have such a broad tuning tolerance, I had no problems getting the tuning right.


Get the tuning wrong on an O.S. and it will deadstick.

Get the tuning wrong on a Saito, and it will fly just fine, albeit out of tune.