Cheapest Brushless ESC Test and Review

[Basher67]

The boost, or timing advance through the esc is adjustable in increments as you can see here. This is my truck attached to my laptop with the interface.

[Dadio]

I just can't remember what programming options were standard , the best option was to go to the hobbywing home website and flash it with the most up to date version of the software , it's a free download , then you have the full range of tuneing options .

[Lonestar]

cheers guys - what the above shows lets me think this is the original "xerun" platform, so no variable timing which appeared on the V2.

I mean, you can adjust the controller timing, but you can't adjust it as a function of RPM, which was the revolutionary feature that made the V2 series (and speedpassion derivatives) so popular.

You can't flash the variable timing software there either - too old a platform.

For the record, this feature was first introduced on the Advanced Electronics Black Diamond a decade or so ago... the speedo was like $300 or 400 then came the Team Wave RB series (which I had one of... and still have it! $200 with the LED programming card sounded like a bargain), then Hobbywing did the V2, sold bucketloads of them and this was over for everyone else

Net - great speedo for $12, I will still take a $30 X-car V2.1 clone instead

[broodenburg]

@lonestar: great stuff but this is WAY to complicated for me. So what chinese version would you advise exactly ?

[Basher67]

I wanted to do an update on my experience with this esc. I've been trying to get a vintage class started at my local track and have been running a slightly modernized RC10T during practice and after races. I have been running this esc in it since I last posted on this thread. It's powering a 13.5 Schuur Speed motor. It is still functioning without any problems and the fan is still whisper quiet. My race partner also bought one for his 10T and has been running it with no problems. Neither of us are exactly pro racers and these two trucks have taken some hard hits on our turf track. A-arms, suspension mounts, turnbuckles etc have been broken and replaced, but the esc's show no sign of problems. I just received another one in the mail today (which reminded me to do an update) that is going in my gold pan turf racer, powered by a 17.5 Reedy. I'll keep you updated on how these esc's hold up, but so far, so good.

[Jim85IROC]

I've had one of these ESCs in my Hobbyking BZ-444 4wd buggy powering a 10.5 turn Turnigy motor for a couple years. Granted I don't run the buggy very often, but when I do, it works great. I've had a number of the 120A X-Car ESCs and I've managed to have every single one of them go bad on me (most of the time the lipo cutoff gets stupid and starts cutting off way too early), but so far this POS is holding up. Which reminds me... I need to put a receiver into this buggy and start using it when the snow melts.

[ByronDonald]

Hi...120 amp is very expensive for me at that point I'll never be able to get on a track my friend has a hobby king brushless motor which inneed to check on the size because I may be able to use it but anyways I'm looking to run sensorless if that's possible is there any cheaper options? I don't want to be 1st place yet I want to get an experience of racing SCT with other people obviously I want to win but I know that won't come with investment. Right now I just need to upgrade to brushless and get away from brushed because it's not doing it for me.

order pcb

[KidAgain]

Hi...120 amp is very expensive for me at that point I'll never be able to get on a track my friend has a hobby king brushless motor which inneed to check on the size because I may be able to use it but anyways I'm looking to run sensorless if that's possible is there any cheaper options? I don't want to be 1st place yet I want to get an experience of racing SCT with other people obviously I want to win but I know that won't come with investment. Right now I just need to upgrade to brushless and get away from brushed because it's not doing it for me.

HobbyWing BL120 ESC is 54.00$ and worth every penny, have them in 3 cars and they run around 57mph when I drag race them...............................the program card is cheap also.

[Basher67]

If you want to race, you need a sensored esc and motor. Sensorless is ok for bashing, but to get the smooth throttle control needed for any kind of track racing, a sensored setup is the only way to go. The esc I discussed and tested in this thread is around $17 and can easily handle a 13.5 motor, which is the size motor usually run in sct truck classes. It doesn't get much cheaper than that. The only reason to spend more money on a higher amp rated esc is if you're wanting to run high powered motors in a mod truck class, which would be sorta foolish if you're just getting started.

[Snaab9-2]

Any long term updates on this setup? I was trying to find it but the links are old now. I need a brushless setup for my Ultima Pro XL and thought this might work! Ideally I would like a sensored setup but I am trying to keep the price down. I was going to get a SkyRC Cheetah until I saw some really negative reviews about their customer support.

Nevermind.... I think I am just going to get a Hobbywing setup for $92.

[Basher67]

Hobbywing customer support has severely declined in the last year or so and the quality of their products does not seem to be what it was in the past. Still not a bad brand, but they want big brand name money for their products and are not offering the support to back it up. I still use the ones I have that haven't burned up, but all my new esc's are tekin.
The el cheapo hobbywing clone that was originally discussed in this thread is still going strong! It has been swapped into many different vehicles and was used to test a bunch of different motors. It currently resides in my wife's Axial Wraith powering a Reedy 17.5 motor. I will not hesitate to buy another one.

[Coelacanth]

Guys, due to the close similarity of this ESC to one I recently had frustration with, the 120A v2.3 waterproof ESC, I thought it would be beneficial to post some important info I shared in another topic, here:

https://www.rc10talk.com/viewtopic.php?f=40&t=45981

About the only visible difference between these ESC models is the one I linked has a rubber boot over the power switch--and a complete lack of a Reset button. You absolutely need the program card when you choose this particular v2.3 ESC or you can't change anything--and the default parameters are kind of stupid...there's about a 2-second delay after you press the throttle trigger before your motor starts to spin, be default! There's absolutely no way to manually program it.

The ESC has 15+ programmable options, which is nice, but you can't do much without a program card. You even need the card to reset (recalibrate) the ESC! And worst of all, a ton of sellers of these models don't include the program card, or even mention its importance.