ORIGINAL: Tired Old Man

No, you simply alluded that your particular engine was one of the better ones. That's the problem.

Many people responding to this type of thread only have experience with one relatively low budget engine (especially here on RCU) and if it ran it must be good. At that they have a very limited amount of time on the engine. Well under 50 hours. They've never taken one apart and didn't know what to look for if they did. So how the heck do they make a determination as to the quality of an engine? Is it based on a few posts made by other people that talked up how many rpm they got with ABC engine and how the "mid range" worked out? Was the peak torque found at an rpm level that was easily attained? What prop was used for determinations and why? Was that actually a "performance" prop or one that spun a lot of rpm without doing any work? How long did it take for the rings to seat and what was the condition of the cylinder and ring(s) after it did so? How have the bearings held up? How well is the crank made? How straight? Does the engine have roller bearings at all rotation points? What type of bearings? Can you obtain parts easily? Is repair service readily available? How well is warranty work handled? How many hours wil the engine last? Less than 300 and it's not worth having, and at that low a number it better have been real cheap and required no additional work in the time period.

So how does one decide what is or isn't a good engine?

I have experience with most all of them and the few that I have not "handled" can be counted on one hand while missing some fingers. Every engine that was noted would suit his purposes, especially since the notation that little additional expense was desired. If he desired long term durability then he needs to look at engines that have a proven long term life cycle. They cost more, btw. Only RCS on his list has been around for any length of time, while all the rest have hit the market in the last year and a half or less. Even with that the RCS 50 is a relatively new release.

If you want power and quality you will pay for it. It's that simple and it's been well proven over the past 10-15 years. Your other option is to go for what you can afford now and hope for the best. I have no problem buying "budget" engines but I can afford to replace them as needed, and frequently, if and when they fail. Can you do the same or will you be stuck at the hanger if and when an engines dies? The answer to that question will determine the quality level you should be willling to pay the first time. If you can't afford to replace or wait forever for parts and service, you better look to the good stuff the first time.

So again, any of the engines noted in the first thread will work just fine and for the most part should be considered about equal. From there the difference in general performance will be up to the user in how they tune, prop, and care for them. In the meantime let the debate begin and forever roll on in the quest for the engine Holy Grail. For me a 50 is a 50. You can make a Brison 3.2 run as good as a DA 50 while you can take a Taurus 3.2 and beat them both.

BTW, some 50's were omitted from the list. I'll presume it was because of a higher price. DA, 3mm, MT, BME, ZDZ, and 3w come to mind. Some great choices in the group previously omitted.