ORIGINAL: Silversurfer
Buy what you will, but if you cannot have ABSOLUTE faith in the product you are purchasing, you shouldn't be buying, or using it. Aircraft can do terrible damage if control is lost. You want it on your conscience?
The problem is that you can't have "absolute faith" in any servo (or receiver or battery pack for that matter).
All complex devices have a probability of failure -- it's a fact.
It should be remembered that a lot of people buy Hitec servos because they're often a point or two less expensive than the equivalent Futaba or JR unit. While the specs and performance of Hitec seem to be every bit a match for their peers from other manufacturers, perhaps that lower cost comes from less "over-design" than is found in other units.
Having designed a lot of electronic equipment in my day, I know that over-design (ie: designing in a higher safety margin in terms of component specifications) can add to the cost of a product -- but it can also result in a vastly more reliable device when it is occasionally operated outside of its intended operational envelope.
Maybe (and I'm just speculating here) Hitec are able to lower their manufacturing costs by designing "to spec" rather than building in a high margin of safety.
If servo amps are failing, it's possible that the switching devices used in the output stage are rated for less current/power than those used by Futaba/JR. That would make them cheaper and, providing they're not subjected to exceptional loads, they'd still work to spec.
Think of it like comparing a Toyota RAV4 to a Hummer. Both are spec'd as being "off road" vehicles with 4WD and capable of negotiating uneven terrain. And, providing you are careful and don't attempt too steep a grade or too uneven a surface, both will get you from A to B. However, the first time you come encounter a few huge boulders, odds are that your RAV4 will end up breaking a suspesion member or stuck high and dry -- while the Hummer just carries on moving.
This can also explain (to a degree) why there appear to be so many reports of Hitec servos failing out of the box or within the first few minutes of operation. If you're using electronic components that are operating at or near their maximum ratings, there's far more chance that any tiny manufacturing defects will cause premature failure of those devices.
A transistor or FET junction that is imperfectly formed may generate 20% more heat than it should. If the components are operating at just 50% of their rated capabilities then this increase in dissipation may not cause a failure. If that component is running at 90% of its rated capability then failure is almost certain.
Ultimately however, it's down to price versus value and this is a judgement call that everyone has to make for themselves.
There are happy (insert RC brand here) users and there are unhappy (insert same RC brand here) users -- just as there are happy (insert vehicle brand here) drivers and there are unhappy (insert same vehicle brand here) drivers.