Hoebob69

Hi everyone, I'm relatively new to the hobby and there seems to be alot of information dealing with this hobby that it's becoming overwhelming to say the least. I'm a father of a 6 and 8 year old,both boys,that are starting to show interest in the rc hobby. I've always been a tinkerer on various things and it seems my boys have inherited that trait as well. Like most Fathers these days there is so much crap that my kids show interest in for maybe 5 minutes and then it never gets touched again. So now to my actual question.... we have recently started to take apart the rc that we have acquired over the years and basically making one from all of the parts we want. I don't want to drop a bunch of money and then they decide they don't want it anymore,so I'm slowly easing in to test the water. I have read what I can find but I can't find the exact info I need,which is why I'm here. I'm wanting to start with brushed motors first and see where that leads. Mostly running off road since I live in the country and have endless dirt roads. My main question is all brushed motors compatible with the esc or is there specific ones? And what is the best brushed motor for begginers on an off road?

bill_delong

There are some ESC's on the market which can operate either a brushed or brushless motor, so it all depends, but generally most brands of ESC's are going to operate just one or the other.

To complicate things a little more, when it comes to brushless ESC's, there are 3 wires which are soldered to the motor, where a brushed motor only has 2 wires. The most common brushless system is called "sensorless", most club racers prefer a "sensored" system which adds an additional "sensor cable" between the ESC and motor which smooths out the signal so a sensored motor will give the user more precision in the throttle response.

The main drawback to brushed motors is they tend to wear out and burn up fairly quick making them more expensive to maintain in the long run. A brushless motor will be more efficient and will offer more speed and longer run times, plus the motor can last many years provided it's not over heated, more info here:

What gearing for upgraded electronics?

Since you're just getting started, I would recommend the following BTD:
https://www.horizonhobby.com/product.../ECX03034.html

Building a kit is a great way to understand how everything goes together so will be a lot easier to make repairs later. Only problem is that there are very few entry level kits which offer modern geometry.

Let me know if you're not wiling to wait for the ECX to come back in stock and I will help you explore some other options to consider. I've been a basher since 1986 and have been a club racer since 2010, I'll be more than happy to share you some of the in's and out's of the hobby.

One brand I would like to caution about is Traxxas, I feel they are over priced for what you get and they are very shady, more info here:
Boycott Traxxas!!!

Best of luck!

Hoebob69

That's extremely helpful. I'm trying to find a median between cheap and worth building for the moment until I see if my kids are going to keep with it. I've found alot of parts and such online and I'm amazed at how much they reassemble actual auto parts. I'm not a mechanic by no means but I can turn wrenches and replace parts with the best of them,so the realism of the setup involved actually helps out alot. I think my biggest question at this point is what brushed motor to get. I understand how they're rated and I understand the more turns means the faster it goes. What I don't understand is what motor is best suited for an off road scenario. Because I'm assuming that there are setups that fit the needs of the type of vehicle you choose. So how many motor turns is ideal for a dirt track or off road scenario where speed doesn't matter as much torque?

bill_delong

The fewer the turns the faster a motor will go, for example most off-road trucks will come with a 12T-550 can brushed motor similar to this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ARRMA-AR390...4AAOSwLHhfSVi5

In contrast, most on-road cars will come with a 27T-540 motor similar to this:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/RC-4WD-540-...wAAOSwVEFcAKWq

The first motor I linked will be almost twice as powerful as the second motor, it will also drain the battery twice as fast.

Although they don't offer these in kits, I would consider the following truck to get started with which will offer the best value between price/performance/durability/parts support IMO:
https://www.nitrorcx.com/51c803-savablue-24ghz.html



The motor that ships with the Infinitive is a 20T-550 motor which offers a balance between torque and speed:
https://www.nitrorcx.com/51c00-28446.html