Is this an okay ESC I found on ebay?

[Chapman951]

I like the price of this ESC. It has a fan on top for additional cooling. Nice bonus feature for an ESC under $20.00.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1859767867...dDrzsJMQAi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

It will be used on a Tamiya Neo Scorcher that has stock motor.

 

[tntpoof]

I'm sure it will work but it has a few no way for me as in bec 5 volts 3 amps .all my servos will blow that bec in 1 turn or movement of steering wheel.

 

[DavidB1126]

Anything on Amazon / eBay which are rebranded/ knockoffs are hit or.miss. most of them are a miss.
This ESC looks like a rebranded Hobbywing v2.1 (or 10bl120 g1)

 

[Jamr]

One other thing to keep in mind. If the ESC goes up in flames, it will probably destroy some other components in your car like your body, battery and whatever else it is close to. Now you will have to replace those also.
Is it worth it?

 

[bill_delong]

That ESC was first introduced by Brushless Hobbies who went out of business after the owner passed away. HobbyKing has picked up distribution and they've been around since.

I had bought 4 of them and all 4 had failed on me where they would tend to last between 3-6 months on average before they failed.

If you want to save money, buy a higher quality ESC like HobbyWing which the ESC was cloned from:
https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/collections/quicrun-brushless-system/products/quicrun-10bl120-esc

The cloned ESC will work almost identical to HobbyWing, even the same HobbyWing program card will work, however the components they use are made of lower quality and just won't stand the test of time.

 

[Chubaka]

One other thing to keep in mind. If the ESC goes up in flames, it will probably destroy some other components in your car like your body, battery and whatever else it is close to. Now you will have to replace those also.
Is it worth it?

I had a first gen vxl esc do that before they seemed to find the issue. Took my 3s with it. I was able to save the body but not before the black liquid coated it. Good point.

 

[Chapman951]

That ESC was first introduced by Brushless Hobbies who went out of business after the owner passed away. HobbyKing has picked up distribution and they've been around since.

I had bought 4 of them and all 4 had failed on me where they would tend to last between 3-6 months on average before they failed.

If you want to save money, buy a higher quality ESC like HobbyWing which the ESC was cloned from:
https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/collections/quicrun-brushless-system/products/quicrun-10bl120-esc

The cloned ESC will work almost identical to HobbyWing, even the same HobbyWing program card will work, however the components they use are made of lower quality and just won't stand the test of time.

Thanks for the link. It is #1 on my list ESC now. Might purchase that one in a few days. Will research some more and wait for others suggestions.

Thanks all for the responses.

 

[nino]

Stay away. 20$ does not get you a brushless ESC...

 

[Chapman951]

Stay away. 20$ does not get you a brushless ESC...

Thanks for the heads up. Will probably end up with this one:

https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/collections/quicrun-brushless-system/products/quicrun-10bl120-esc

 

[Jerold]

Not trying to pooh pooh your choices, but pointing out some issues that may come up.

The price is a red flag. The cost of the HobbyWing parts alone is probably at least $10-$15. How can these guys design it, test it package it, pay for ebay and ship it to you for $20? Steal the design, use cheaper parts and don't support it.

Most legit companies have a rigorous test plan, documentation and safety specifications. I doubt they have any of this. They probably pulled a design stolen from someplace and paid for the assembly with cheaper parts.

Generic Chinese product specs are generally a flat out lie. The 120A is probably peak, best case, downhill in a tornado. It's could be made up or pulled from a max current spec on a FET, who knows. As an assembled product, when it says current, they should tell you under what conditions conditions, peak, average or continuous whatever. So I'm calling BS on it.

The HobbyWing referenced above give you continuous and peak ratings. Notice the peak is about 6x the continuous, which is about right.

They even lie in the listing. It says the it is 16x6x5cm, but the picture shows something completely different. Also notice is say cm in the specs. 16 cm is like 6"!???

The spec don't say what the battery requirements (2S-3S, 4S??), motor limitations (turns/KV). This stuff is kind of important. Maybe it's in the fantastic documentation they send with the product, but I'm thinking not, since they can't make a proper eBay listing. Also can you program it, what's included, instructions, warranty, support, etc? They basically say it's an ESC.

I'm not 100% sure but this look similar to the one you have shown.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2466764-TSKY-120A-from-GearBest-Review

I think you will be disappointed. I would spend a bit more money and get something that has been tested in the real world.

It will be used on a Tamiya Neo Scorcher that has stock motor.

I just found your build and noticed it has a brushed motor?
https://www.rctalk.com/forum/threads/chapman-tamiya-neo-scorcher-build.139056/#post-1391533

Are you planning to upgrade to brushless or stick with brushed?

Most brushless ESC allow you to run a brushed motor (check the documentation), but you might be paying extra for features that won't do anything for you. However, if you're planning to upgrade later it's a good plan. There are some good deals in the classifieds and ESC/motor combos too.

 

[bill_delong]

I forget exactly what the owner of Brushless Hobbies said, so I'm paraphrasing but essentially he claimed these HobbyWing clones were made from the same OEM plant that made the HobbyWing branded ESC's but with lower quality components to help reduce costs. Initially everyone was giving lots of praise for these ESC's but within months almost everyone started reporting problems:
https://www.rctech.net/forum/radio-electronics/628035-brushless-hobbies-80amp-120amp-escs-266.html

While many people had an occasional ESC that lasted a very long time, the majority of folks didn't have much luck with them, buyer beware

 

[Jerold]

I forget exactly what the owner of Brushless Hobbies said, so I'm paraphrasing but essentially he claimed these HobbyWing clones were made from the same OEM plant that made the HobbyWing branded ESC's but with lower quality components to help reduce costs. Initially everyone was giving lots of praise for these ESC's but within months almost everyone started reporting problems:
https://www.rctech.net/forum/radio-electronics/628035-brushless-hobbies-80amp-120amp-escs-266.html

While many people had an occasional ESC that lasted a very long time, the majority of folks didn't have much luck with them, buyer beware

I think the key phrase here is "the same OEM plant". Don't be fooled by this rhetoric. Being made by the same people and the same equipment doesn't mean it's the same product or quality. There are different services the manufacture can provide, it's not the same for each company. You pay for more they get more, like testing, packaging, warranty work, etc.. This can all be, and typically is, done by the manufacturing facility.

For instance, I can fill the tank on my Hugo with same high quality Union 76 Gas from the same location as the guy with the Ferrari. I can even take it to the same mechanic and by Ferrari tires. Sadly, I still have a Hugo.

Manufacturing is important, but it's much more than just that. Engineering design, testing and documentation all cost money and they drives the manufacturing process and quality. If they use less expensive components the design needs to be re-engineered and tested with those components. It's rarely just a part soldered on a board.

 

[bill_delong]

I just want to clarify that the ESC designs weren't stolen, the OEM has rights under China's laws to remanufacture products after a brand discontinues orders for a given product. There has been a lot of debate of the cloning for many years that the designs were stolen when they really weren't. It's a case of the OEM doing what it takes to stay in business. We saw a lot of this after HPI went bankrupt and then the OEM scrambled to keep production by producing clones until they could get business lined up for a replacement company where I think Red Cat came in many years later to pick up the slack in that particular case. There are many others with similar circumstances where TRF also shut down operations as we saw a bunch of TRF clones which actually helped racers continue racing their cars with parts support for a couple years which I felt was a good thing. Regardless, you generally get what you pay for, so if pricing is too good to be true, chances are there's a reason why.

 

[Jerold]

I just want to clarify that the ESC designs weren't stolen, the OEM has rights under China's laws to remanufacture products after a brand discontinues orders for a given product. There has been a lot of debate of the cloning for many years that the designs were stolen when they really weren't. It's a case of the OEM doing what it takes to stay in business. We saw a lot of this after HPI went bankrupt and then the OEM scrambled to keep production by producing clones until they could get business lined up for a replacement company where I think Red Cat came in many years later to pick up the slack in that particular case. There are many others with similar circumstances where TRF also shut down operations as we saw a bunch of TRF clones which actually helped racers continue racing their cars with parts support for a couple years which I felt was a good thing. Regardless, you generally get what you pay for, so if pricing is too good to be true, chances are there's a reason why.

I'm not familiar with Chinese law, and how they get "rights" to obsolete Chinese products and/or designs. If they have programs for others to pick up abandon designs, support legacy customers and it's all legit that's a great model. But the word "right" and "legitimate" isn't something the Chinese government really understands. Piracy and theft is now something that is accepted as normal, OK or even encouraged in Chinese business culture.

There are too many documented cases of IP theft than I can even mention, cough Huawei.

As you said, you get what you pay for. In this case, I feel bad for the people buying this stuff. It's most likely a waste of money and the cause of despair and shattered dreams.

 

[bill_delong]

Under US law, one may argue IP theft, but under China law, the OEM was given the designs to produce products and have rights to those designs once the contract has been terminated. That said, very few (if any) distributors from China will offer a warranty, so the takeaway is to buy from a US based distributor if you want to get some level of warranty protection.

HobbyWing offers a 90 day warranty which is arguably one of the best in the industry though you need to read the fine print to get that warranty protection:
https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/pages/rma

Stan from Brushless Hobbies never honored any warranty, there were folks who got duds right out of the box and Stan accused them of improperly wiring their ESC's.

I once got a dud ESC from HobbyKing and it was a painful process where they replaced the ESC, but they didn't replace the Rx and Servo that the ESC fried when the BEC sent 4S voltage straight to those components! That was the very last time I ever placed an order with HobbyKing because of that SNAFU


Here's the photo I sent the HobbyKing with a brand new ESC with the voltage reading from the BEC:

Here's some photos I took where Brushless Hobbies was the very first "clone" from a discontinued HobbyWing ESC where I took some side by side photos with the XCar from HobbyKing who would later pick up distribution after Stan the owner from Brushless Hobbies went out of business when he passed away:

 

[Jerold]

Under US law, one may argue IP theft, but under China law, the OEM was given the designs to produce products and have rights to those designs once the contract has been terminated. That said, very few (if any) distributors from China will offer a warranty, so the takeaway is to buy from a US based distributor if you want to get some level of warranty protection.

HobbyWing offers a 90 day warranty which is arguably one of the best in the industry though you need to read the fine print to get that warranty protection:
https://www.hobbywingdirect.com/pages/rma

Stan from Brushless Hobbies never honored any warranty, there were folks who got duds right out of the box and Stan accused them of improperly wiring their ESC's.

I once got a dud ESC from HobbyKing and it was a painful process where they replaced the ESC, but they didn't replace the Rx and Servo that the ESC fried when the BEC sent 4S voltage straight to those components! That was the very last time I ever placed an order with HobbyKing because of that SNAFU


Here's the photo I sent the HobbyKing with a brand new ESC with the voltage reading from the BEC:
View attachment 170541
Here's some photos I took where Brushless Hobbies was the very first "clone" from a discontinued HobbyWing ESC where I took some side by side photos with the XCar from HobbyKing who would later pick up distribution after Stan the owner from Brushless Hobbies went out of business when he passed away:

View attachment 170542

View attachment 170543

View attachment 170544

Yup, the look pretty much identical. But that's the case with most low end products, the all look the same and the one that gets purchased is the one with the most stars on Amazon. It's like there's a design floating around out there in the cloud that they all used.

We call that IP theft and breach of contract, but potato potahto. It's probably Google Translates fault.

BTW I don't think your supposed to have 16V on your RX?

 

[Chapman951]

One other thing to keep in mind. If the ESC goes up in flames, it will probably destroy some other components in your car like your body, battery and whatever else it is close to. Now you will have to replace those also.
Is it worth it?

No. Totally not worth it lol.

Not trying to pooh pooh your choices, but pointing out some issues that may come up.

The price is a red flag. The cost of the HobbyWing parts alone is probably at least $10-$15. How can these guys design it, test it package it, pay for ebay and ship it to you for $20? Steal the design, use cheaper parts and don't support it.

Most legit companies have a rigorous test plan, documentation and safety specifications. I doubt they have any of this. They probably pulled a design stolen from someplace and paid for the assembly with cheaper parts.

Generic Chinese product specs are generally a flat out lie. The 120A is probably peak, best case, downhill in a tornado. It's could be made up or pulled from a max current spec on a FET, who knows. As an assembled product, when it says current, they should tell you under what conditions conditions, peak, average or continuous whatever. So I'm calling BS on it.

The HobbyWing referenced above give you continuous and peak ratings. Notice the peak is about 6x the continuous, which is about right.

View attachment 170516​

They even lie in the listing. It says the it is 16x6x5cm, but the picture shows something completely different. Also notice is say cm in the specs. 16 cm is like 6"!???
View attachment 170517
View attachment 170518

The spec don't say what the battery requirements (2S-3S, 4S??), motor limitations (turns/KV). This stuff is kind of important. Maybe it's in the fantastic documentation they send with the product, but I'm thinking not, since they can't make a proper eBay listing. Also can you program it, what's included, instructions, warranty, support, etc? They basically say it's an ESC.

I'm not 100% sure but this look similar to the one you have shown.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2466764-TSKY-120A-from-GearBest-Review

I think you will be disappointed. I would spend a bit more money and get something that has been tested in the real world.

I just found your build and noticed it has a brushed motor?
https://www.rctalk.com/forum/threads/chapman-tamiya-neo-scorcher-build.139056/#post-1391533
View attachment 170519

Are you planning to upgrade to brushless or stick with brushed?

Most brushless ESC allow you to run a brushed motor (check the documentation), but you might be paying extra for features that won't do anything for you. However, if you're planning to upgrade later it's a good plan. There are some good deals in the classifieds and ESC/motor combos too.

Hi Jerold. Thank you for commenting and the education. I will be avoiding the brushless $20.00 ESC’s.

Your definitely not pooh poohing on my choice. I will gladly spend more money on a quality and reliable ESC.

I do not have any intention to upgrade to a brushless motor any time soon. Just a basic running buggy is good enough for me at the moment.

Will check out the classified section.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[Chapman951]

Came across this brushed esc:

Hobbywing QuicRun WP 1060 1/10 Brushed ESC​

Thoughts?

 

[Slick2500]

Came across this brushed esc:

Hobbywing QuicRun WP 1060 1/10 Brushed ESC​

Thoughts?

Good esc if you are running a brushed motor.

You said you were looking for something for your sand scorcher? What motor do you have now? Are you getting a brushless motor?

If you want a good cheap brushless esc for the Sand Scorcher and already have a brushless motor get an OEM 10bl60 off eBay for $40 https://www.ebay.com/itm/1423851087...gH8wY9CSNK&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[Jerold]

Came across this brushed esc:

Hobbywing QuicRun WP 1060 1/10 Brushed ESC​

Thoughts?

That's should work fine. HobbyWing has a good reputation and a known quantity. They also rebrand and sell a lot of their product through other companies, like Specktrum. i.e. they are source and not the copy.

With that particular ESC, the options are set through jumpers, which shouldn't be an issue if you aren't racing or changing settings all the time. Fancy ESCs use programming cards or PC interface, which are mostly convenient. Just something to note.

The manual shows you how to do that, it can be bit of a procedure, but you typically only do it once. Make sure you have the correct battery setting LiPo or NiMH.

https://www.hobbywing.com/en/uploads/file/20221015/f60b7ebe160a7b283927ae8916d36763.pdf

Looking at the Amain page for the Tamiya Scorched, it says it comes with that exact ESC?

However, I found another image that says it's sold separately. So I'm assuming Amain is wrong or has some special kit.

It looks like that ESC has the standard Tamiya connector.

These are fine but you're unlikely to find a LiPo battery with that connector on it. So you can either run a NiMH, which are pretty indestructible and inexpensive, but a bit heavier and limited on performance.

Or if you want to run a LiPo, you can swap the connector on the ESC or get an adapter cable. LiPo batteries are higher performance, longer run times and lighter, but do require maintenance and can be a fire hazard if you over charge/discharge or damage them. They are also more expensive.

Make sure you check the dimensions on any battery to make sure it fit's in the tray. The the NiMH batteries are pretty consistant but are are no standard dimensions with LiPos.