Help with a motor/ESC combo

[MiteyF]

So I just finished a Yeti kit after many months of trying to talk myself out of buying another rig. I threw in a cheap 3000kv 80amp unsensored setup I had laying around and a spare 5000mah 2S just to see how it would fare. Drove it around the workshop/basement and decided it wasn't going to cut it.

I'm not looking for anything crazy, but I've burned up a few ESC's in my day (mostly Castles) and would like something reliable that will last a while. I'm not terribly hard on my rigs, and honestly don't find much time to get out and play, so this won't be beaten on day in and day out.

First off, I want something sensored and waterproof, which will limit my choices. I plan to mainly run 2S to keep temps down, but may upgrade to 3S in the future, so the ESC should be capable of both. I'd like to keep the combo around $150, maybe $200 if it's a proven work horse. Sounds like the proper KV rating is somewhere around 3300-3500? I'd rather gear up than down. 5mm shaft sounds like the obvious choice.

I don't mind buying an ESC and motor separately. Some of the Castle combos look like they're in people's good graces, but I've had hit or miss luck with them in the past. I'm not opposed to trying them again if they get an overwhelming thumbs up, but they're also not my first choice.

I've heard good things about the HobbyWing stuff, but their website has a tendency to leave me a bit confused, trying to find specs and what not. Which of their ESC's (or combos) have people here used and liked?

Who's game to point me in the right direction?

[JatoTheRipper]

I love HobbyWing stuff. My experience with Castle has been similar to yours. There's also Tekin, but I don't think their stuff is waterproof currently. This is a good ESC to look into. It is being replaced so you might have to look on Amazon, eBay or your favorite store.
https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/prod...t-pro-esc-blue

Holmes makes great motors and I think the Puller Pro 3500kV would be a great option for you, but his motor alone is almost as much as your $150 budget. I have not used any of his ESCs. People love them, but I believe they are all Castle based.

[MiteyF]

That's the ESC I was eyeing the hardest, alongside the XR8 SCT Pro https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/prod...nt=25945588616

Looks like the primary difference is the amps, and perhaps the XR8 has more programming options, but only when used with HW motors? They also aren't listed as waterproof, but I suppose that's not a deal killer if I'm trying to stay within a budget.

[MiteyF]

Looking at the Holmes motors, is anyone running the TrailMaster in 3300? I assume with the right pinion on 2S it would still move out pretty well? The Puller looks great, but I'm not sure I've got that kind of $ to throw at an occasional-use rig.

[Chris-NL]

Or forget sensored and go waterproof.... I'm running an EZRun Max 10 SCT in my Yeti with a cheap China 3665 3100kv brushless motor. I'm looking to upgrade to a Hobbywing EZRun 3660 G2 brushless motor though because of the motor thermal protection this combo provides :-)

[MiteyF]

I know unsensored is fine for 90% of the use this rig will see, but if I can make it work I'm considering getting rid of the SCX10 and trying to make this my go-to basher. Most of the crawling I do is just dicking around in the back yard and I've got a custom scaler 90% done which would serve that purpose just fine. Plus, most of the time when I go out running, the fiance comes and she's been running my custom chassis'd Rustler based rig, so if I could reduce the fleet a bit it would help.

If I stay sensored I think I can use this rig for 90% of my driving, and I'd rather be able to put more $ into one rig than split it between 2 (or 3 or 4...).

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by MiteyF

That's the ESC I was eyeing the hardest, alongside the XR8 SCT Pro https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/prod...nt=25945588616

Looks like the primary difference is the amps, and perhaps the XR8 has more programming options, but only when used with HW motors? They also aren't listed as waterproof, but I suppose that's not a deal killer if I'm trying to stay within a budget.

I think that ESC is the replacement for the one I linked to.

Here are combos with that ESC: https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/prod...nt=29680884625

Originally Posted by MiteyF

Looking at the Holmes motors, is anyone running the TrailMaster in 3300? I assume with the right pinion on 2S it would still move out pretty well? The Puller looks great, but I'm not sure I've got that kind of $ to throw at an occasional-use rig.

I am not running that motor.

Chris-NL is correct. You could just go sensorless. HobbyWing sensorless stuff is surprisingly smooth except right at start up. If you're not crawling you will rarely ever notice it.

Originally Posted by Chris-NL

Or forget sensored and go waterproof.... I'm running an EZRun Max 10 SCT in my Yeti with a cheap China 3665 3100kv brushless motor. I'm looking to upgrade to a Hobbywing EZRun 3660 G2 brushless motor though because of the motor thermal protection this combo provides :-)

[Dbdynsty25]

Originally Posted by MiteyF

I know unsensored is fine for 90% of the use this rig will see, but if I can make it work I'm considering getting rid of the SCX10 and trying to make this my go-to basher. Most of the crawling I do is just dicking around in the back yard and I've got a custom scaler 90% done which would serve that purpose just fine. Plus, most of the time when I go out running, the fiance comes and she's been running my custom chassis'd Rustler based rig, so if I could reduce the fleet a bit it would help.

If I stay sensored I think I can use this rig for 90% of my driving, and I'd rather be able to put more $ into one rig than split it between 2 (or 3 or 4...).

Ahhh a man that is on the same mission I was. I sold my Bomber and my Stampede 4x4 and made my current Yeti (I've had three now!) one that can bash like hell and do a little rock crawling/trailing if I want.

I went Trailmaster BLE and 3500kv Puller Pro...but that's out side of your budget.

I my last Yeti I went w/ that HW SCT Pro and a 3300kv but I don't believe the motor was waterproof...it was a Xerun 3656SD Sensored. I'd say your best bet is to get that SCT Pro and the HH Puller pro 3500. You'll be slightly more than 200, but it'll be a hell of a setup.

[MiteyF]

Well I've thrown a bunch of stuff into the classifieds, with any luck my budget will inflate a bit. I'm fairly well sold on one of the Holmes motors, just not sure if the Puller is worth the extra $ over the Trail

[Dbdynsty25]

Originally Posted by MiteyF

Well I've thrown a bunch of stuff into the classifieds, with any luck my budget will inflate a bit. I'm fairly well sold on one of the Holmes motors, just not sure if the Puller is worth the extra $ over the Trail

Pretty sure the Puller series was built w/ the Yeti in mind...especially the XL version of the Puller. If there's one thing you don't want to skimp on in a heavy 4x4 is the motor. More is always better. You can always pinion down if it's too fast. I'd rather have plenty of headroom than bashing my head against the top of the performance curve. That's just me I guess.

[MiteyF]

Yeah, the Puller XL looks the tits, but $150 seems damn steep for a motor! At least I'd never need to worry about upgrading!

[Dbdynsty25]

Originally Posted by MiteyF

Yeah, the Puller XL looks the tits, but $150 seems damn steep for a motor! At least I'd never need to worry about upgrading!

That's the thing. Buy it once, no regrets. If you buy a lesser motor, you'll always wonder "what if"...which is why I would rather wait a week or two to get a bit more scratch to be able to afford the best motor possible. But that's just me.

[JatoTheRipper]

Originally Posted by Dbdynsty25

That's the thing. Buy it once, no regrets. If you buy a lesser motor, you'll always wonder "what if"...which is why I would rather wait a week or two to get a bit more scratch to be able to afford the best motor possible. But that's just me.

I have the Holmes Puller Pro and Tekin ROC412, but you don't need to spend $150 on a motor to have a worry free experience.

[MiteyF]

I decided to try the HW EZRun system with the 3200kv motor, along with the program card. Not sensored, but waterproof. I got it a day or two ago and installed it, but am still waiting on my Savox and new receiver to get out and run it. First (and mostly useless I suppose) impression is that it looks like a fairly nice bit of kit for the price. Hopefully it warms up a bit and I can see how she runs next weekend and see what I can break!