DrMotor
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From: M, S, NEW ZEALAND
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Hello Ed, useful question.
1. Yes, it is interesting to find where things are made. Much of the time, we all tend to assume that the various ESC brands might each be made in different factories. With a bit of simple research we can see that there are only 4 or 5 major manufacturers of ESC's in the world. And that for each of the brand lists given above, they are actually all made in the same factory -and leads to the almost certain conclusion that they are all the same devices. Much of the time, they are simply re-badged by retailers with a different colour sticker and new name. However, some retailers do not bother to re-badge them at all, and simply sell them with the original "ZTW" or "HobbyWing" etc, factory name on the label. In my opinion, this is a very much preferable situation. At least we all know then, exactly what ESC we are getting ...
2. The fact that most of the ESC's we all use, are made in just 4 or 5 (chinese) factories, has actually been common knowledge for some time.
See: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1333719
http://www.****/forums/showthread.php?t=64216 -the forum name that was auto-deleted is: "Flying "Gigantic" things" -FG
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1636627&page=3
-However, at least the brand lists given above, provide some sort of comprehensive reference guide, for most of the ESC's on the market at the moment.
3. You ask: How can we be certain that the list of brands given above, are each made in the same factory ...?
It is not difficult. In most cases, it is simply because the branded program card or program box, used for programming different ESC parameters, is identical between the various brands made in the same original factory. This is by far the biggest give-away that these different brands are identical, that they must come from the same factory, and that they are inter-changeable with each other.
The program cards used for ZTW vs. HobbyWing vs Sunrise Model ESC's (for instance) are different and distinctive, and when one branded ESC uses a particular generic program card, then we can be 100% certain about the original factory in which this ESC must have been made.
4. In a few cases, we can rely on the appearance of the ESC and on its specifications (weight, size, electrical specs, number / size capacitors etc ). Especially for 100A ESC's and larger, the appearance of a ZTW-derived ESC is quite different from e.g. a XingQiong (XQ)-derived ESC, and then we can easily identify the original factory in which it must have been made.
5. It has been discussed before, about the possibility that a single original factory might make several outwardly very similar products (i.e. ESC's), with different quality levels and specs. The fact is, most people find that this is absolutely not believable, and not possible. It is just not the way chinese factories work. Both myself and many other people have dealt over several years with these ESC factories. If we wish to order 1,000 or 10,000 ESC's from HobbyWing, in different current ratings, then HobbyWing have their standard ESC models, and we have to simply order the standard products. There is no room for negotiation on the specs. They have their rolling production lines, manufacturing their standard ESC products, and that is what we all get. There is certainly no difference in programming between the different brand ESC's which are made in the same original factory.
In addition, we all know from experience that whether we have a Hacker SB-Pro series, Hyperion Titan, Airboss, or OK Hobby Infinite, then the 40A ESC model of each is identical between these different brands, and they have all the same features and functions (and also identical appearance beneath the label). There is no difference at all between them.
6. Finally, Ed, please note this is not a pointless or academic argument.
The simple truth is, that the price we pay for each ESC, even when they are made in the same factory and are identical, varies massively depending on the particular name placed on the re-branding label. Let us take some examples, for a 70A ESC:
a. Hacker X70 SB Pro Brushless ESC -costs $109.99 - http://www.aero-model.com/Hacker-Brushless-X-70-SB-Pro-ESC.aspx
b. ZTW 70A Brushless ESC w/ 4A SBEC -costs $44.99 - http://www.altitudehobbies.com/ztw-70a-brushless-esc-w-4a-sbec
c. HobbyKing 70A ESC 4A UBEC -costs $29.99 - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24564__HobbyKing_70A_ESC_4A_UBEC.html
d. TURNIGY TRUST 70A SBEC Brushless ESC -costs $28.73 - http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__12189__TURNIGY_TRUST_70A_SBEC_Brushless_Speed_Controller.html
e. All these 4 ESC's are manufactured by the ZTW factory, they are all rated at 70A (continuous), they all take 2S-6S Li-Po, they all have S-BEC (3A to 4A), they are all similar sizes and weights (size and weight will depend on length of heatshrink, length / diameter of wires etc).
They all come from the same production line in the ZTW factory, and all reports show (see below) that they have almost identical circuit boards, and use identical components.
And yet we can pay between $28.73 and $109.99 (almost a 4-fold difference)
-for what appears (basically) to be the same ESC device ...
I wonder: Is the $109.99 ESC, really 4 times better than the cheaper one ...?
< Message edited by DrMotor -- 9/5/2012 9:28 AM >
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All Forums >> Electric Aircraft Universe >> Brushed/Brushless motors, speed controls, gear drives >> Which (chinese) facctories make various brands of ESC ..? 
Which (chinese) facctories make various brands of ESC ..? - 
Too bad I won;t be able to program anything. I know they are cheap ones.