FalconWings10

My Feedback: (4)

Anyone every had any experience with Tower Glow Plugs???

scottrc

Yup, bought 24 of them and each one lasted a good 10 minutes. Pay the extra few bucks and buy the OS, Fox, K&B, or any other name brand.

Like their servo's, they are junk!

airbatic

Here, here! I don't doubt Tower's stuff are the rejects of O.S. Futaba, etc.

SMALLFLY-

My Feedback: (19)

I have had good luck with the tower plugs. I have used them in gms 76's irvine 53's and tower 46's and they worked well. They dont seem to last quite as long as a OS #8 but then again there a lot less money. Buy a few and try them for yourself. Your certainly not going to be out much money. Just dont run them (or any other glow plug) lean. that will burn them out in 1 flight

Pilotsmoe

Yes futaba is junk except the 9c, JR is better.

RCaeroguy

My Feedback: (4)

I use Tower plugs all the time. My OS FX 46 still has the one from last summer and running strong. My Somethin' Extra with the Magnum XLS 46 has one in it and it runs great. It was the plug I used to break the engine in with also. My RC10GT running a Traxxas Pro .15 has one in it. Runs great. Tower plugs are made by Fox. At least that's what I was told.

greenboot

My Feedback: (1)

I use Tower plugs unless I can find something cheaper. I bought a pack of 6 last year and I still have 3 left. And I fly LOTS.

Tom

Kitbasher

I think some times tunning is what gets most of us in trouble. I see the same people with all these hot rod engines using more glow plugs in one day than I use in 2 years. Yes the tower plugs are OK I like the idle bars best. So if you want to burn 8$ plugs for half a flight in your hot rod do it.

trioval00

My Feedback: (17)

i use os #8's on just about everything, and the os four stroke plugs for my 4 strokes, pay the extra buck and get a better plug

mark

depfife

My Feedback: (14)

I am no expert but from reading here on RCU and my personal experience I think that your engine and fuel have much to do with the life expectancy of the glow plug.

I few years ago I had a couple of MVVS 40 engines and was using 10% fuel. I had to use a cold plug with that combination to get more than a half dozen tanks of fuel per plug. After switching to a cold plug the frequent loss of plugs stopped.

Over the years I have used Fox, OS, Enya, K&B, Rossi and probably some that I do not remember. Some of my engines run fine on any brand plug and seem to never burn one out. Other engines, especially the hot rods, are much more finicky.

Sometimes it may not be the brand but the heat that is causing a problem. Instead of only changing brands try a colder or hotter plug.

Eric

Paul Hazelwood

Another thing that unknowingly burns out glow plugs prematurely is flight box control panels.

If you over voltage a glow plug you may not burn it out, but the filiment will be weakened.

Even tho the engine starts and runs the glow plug is damaged and will not last as long as it could.

The worst is control panels that do not have a variable setting.

But the potentiometers in the variable ones can become inaccurate with age.

You can buy a cheap voltmeter at radio shack to check and make sure the voltage is output is accurate. I found that out the hard way. Meter on the control panel said everything was aok, was going through glow plugs like mad. I kept blaming it on the engine leaning out in flight. My control panel finally went completely bad and was frying the glow plug the second I turned the switch on.

Replaced the control panel and my glow plug eating engine is still on the same one. Now I check the voltage at least once before I go flying to make sure everythings good.

scottrc

Guys are right about the type of engine. In my last thread I was thinking about the experiences I had being cheap running the engine in my pattern plane. I guess that my OS .40 FP doesn't burn out Tower plugs as much as my SX with the bored carb, high compression head, and tuned pipe. But I don't use the FP anymore. I guess if you are running a higher performance engine, then you need a stronger plug.
If you are a beginner on a tight budget with a good, reliable stock engine. Then Tower plugs will be fine.

Sorry for knocking the product.

coomarlin

My Feedback: (1)

For 2 strokes I like the OS A3 the best. Damn near as cheap as the tower plugs and I'm yet to tell a difference between the A3 and the #8. At least in my applications.

scottrc

I just ordered and started using the A3 as well in my SX and FX. Ran them both lean and rich. Even set my voltage into the red and still didn't blow the plug. These plugs are really good.

airwethead

I ordered 6 tower plugs this spring, and so far, I have put one in my Losi truck with a NovaRossi CX.12, and another in my 1/4 cap 232 with an OS 1.60. Both have performed flawlessly for several months, with one deadstick on the CAP because I ran it out of gas. IMHO Tower plugs are a great value, and if you are burning plugs, you ought to look at the way you are tuning your engine.

Pilotsmoe

I have one in my LA .40, and that plug has got to be at least 3 years old... Still idles good too...

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

The Tower Power plug looks just like OS plugs (probably exactly the same as the A3). Given the tight relationship between OS and GP/Tower, I wouldn't doubt if OS is the OEM for Tower plugs. Same thing with Tower servos - they are either OEM'ed by Hitec or Futaba and every bit as good (or as bad, depending on your brand loyalty).

Everything has its uses - even the cheapo Tower economy plug. It was my favorite for breaking engines. I switch to a premium plug after break-in, but if I don't see any improvement in performance/transition/reliability, I switch back to Tower Economy plug. Why use an $8 plug when a $1.99 works just as good? Too bad they discontinued it. I guess when you price something too low, people automatically stamp it low quality and give it no respect.

scottrc

I admit with Tower, if they have a crappy product and get complaints, they change it. I got some Tower servos when they first came out. Lost an Eagle to the elevator servo stripping. The gears were so soft you could remove the teeth by sliding your finger across them. I sent it back to Tower and they sent me a service notice stating they have changed the gears, and sent me gear upgrades for my remaing servos, plus a gift certificate for the cost of my Eagle.

Remember the GP gas tanks that used to leak and split? Same type of service with that problem. Sent me a new tank, plus a roll of covering since I had to recover the plane that the tank leaked in.

FalconWings10

My Feedback: (4)

I like the price and have suspected that the OEM is a major manufacturer. I'll just have to get some and try them for myself.
I'm always looking for a way to reduce the cost of my hobby without sacrificing quality. I also believe that perhaps, they are less expensive due to the quantity that they sell and not an issue with quality. I just hope that I don't learn another lesson the hard way! Thanx!

Volfy

My Feedback: (23)

I find it amusing that in one thread, folks are insisting on paying for $8 premium OS plugs and everything else cheaper is crap, while in another thread other folks are complaining about RC merchandise having 300% markups.

Oh well, thank goodness buying RC stuff is mostly discretionary spending.

JohnBuckner

My Feedback: (1)

There are no winners when it comes to Ford and Chevy or glow plug brands. And I am not about to get in the middle of the true believers however I can offer some insight to a little used quality plug that simply works.

Being very involved in 424 pylon (yes the engines are pushed to ridicuous limits) Glow plugs becomes a rather expensive race supply. Both on race day and in daily practice Its typical to only get eight or ten engines runs per plug. Over the last four years I have tried every imaginable plug and pretty much settled on the OS #8 which was reasonable at about ten to twelve runs. Many serious competitors will not risk a plug loss at an event and use a new one on every round during a day.

Someone suggested McCoy #9's and I thought., yea sure but one day short of plugs, one was loaned to me and the results were pretty dramatic and my engine runs were doubled and have ever since. They are quite inexpensive I think my last 12 card was about 34 dollars from an RC boat racing site.

Now you ask what has this application got to do with sport flight. Well the success with the #9 got me to thinking so I tried the #059 for my sport flying applications and they have indeed worked out well also.

So when it comes to plugs the bottom line is use whatever works for you and that is what I am doing.

John