ReaperGN

Which is best for crawling motors?

K_B

Most guys are running 35T brushed motors with 3S lipo. That seems to be the hot setup right now. I run the Novak Goat brushless system and it gets the job done for me. It mostly comes down to personal preference.

ReaperGN

Do the brusheless systems offer any more torque or do they run about the same as a same turn brushed?

Alpha Male

My Feedback: (11)

Brushed motors are inexpensive so you can get started without spending a fortune. The key, I think, is the ESC. You can stick a 55t motor in a crawler with any old ESC and crawl, but a crawler ESC like the Novak Rooster Crawler doesn't allow your truck to roll if you let off the trigger and has LiPo cut-off. I'm sure that the Novak Goat has the same features, but the difference in price between a Novak 55t motor with Rooster Crawler ESC and the Novak Goat brushless system is almost $90. I've tried both types over the years and I had trouble with a Novak brushless system in my Tamiya High Lift, but no problems with the brushed set-up.

One thing though, the brushless system has much more top end speed between obstacles if that matters to you. You're talking about the difference between a 55t, 45t, 35t brushed motor verses an 18.5t brushless motor.

ReaperGN

I want to get a high torque motor for my high lift. I would prefer a combo so I could plug in my fantom when I want speed and also so I can change the settings of the esc.

Alpha Male

My Feedback: (11)

So, it is the High Lift, huh? Well, IMO you don't want to ever drive it fast. The body being painted on the outside and the fragile plastic mirrors mean that your truck will quickly look like crap because you will roll it over (in crawling situations I guess it will get scratched anyway). In my experience it just isn't made to turn at any kind of speed. I did like the three speed transmission though. With a stick transmitter, the shifting gate is a cool feature. If I were you, I would use a 35t motor and a crawler ESC like the Novak Crawler. It will be faster than you will want to drive and still do well on steep inclines.

Good luck with your decision. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

sheograth

Since you mentioned the Hi-Lift and brushless motors, be gentle with the stock Tamiya 3 speed unit if you're using it

I'm a fan of the Novak Rooster ESC, I used to have one in an Axial crawler paired with a 55T and it performed well.

ReaperGN

Im not after speed. I am just curious about how the brusheless crawler motors compare to the brushed ones. The 19 turn is fast enough. I am thinking around 45 to 65 turn motors. Just something that can produce lots of torque.

K_B

Equivalent brushed and brushless motors are probably fairly similar in the amount of torque they produce. Brushless motors do seem to have a higher rev range. There's no exact formula that you can use to calculate an equivalency, but the Novak 18.5 Brushless crawler motor is somewhat close to a 35T brushed motor.

Many crawler guys go by the phrase "gear down, volt up". Meaning you can gain back torque by going to lower gearing and adding more juice. That's why guys run 35T motors with 3S lipo batteries. 35T motors provide plenty of wheelspeed, but they lack some of the torque. To get the torque back, they gear down, which drops your wheelspeed. So what do they do? Add voltage to get the motor spinning faster...

Long story longer, a 35 or 45T motor should give you decent torque, even with only 7.2V.