Originally Posted by
JOELD
Hey guys, new to the forum here and have a EB48.3 kit I have built up, I have ordered servo, rx, and wheels but I am really undecided on the rest of my electronics, Tekin, Castle, Hobbywing sensored/programmable. Im not really looking to race(I live in seattle dont know of any 1/8 buggy classes near by) but I enjoy seatac offroad and my local park mayhem sessions. I may race one day but dont have alot of free time(newborn baby girl). Any recommendations and a good overall motor and esc for my scenario? Price doesnt matter much as long as I get a deal. Thanks!
My only comment on this that is seriously important is to avoid the Castle ESCs. They're over-rated and often have heat issues if run for extended periods of time, except for maybe the mamba monster, which is quite bad for racing, but quite good at simply putting down power. With all Castle ESCs though, expect to need to also buy an external BEC (surprisingly, Castle makes a pretty good one).
If you want inexpensive and decent, pick up a HobbyWing SCT Pro ESC.
If you want semi-expensive and better, but larger and heavier, get the HobbyWing XR8.
If you want the most adjustability and most commonly used setup, get the Tekin RX8 Gen2.
If you want to spend a lot, get the Orion 8th scale ESC.
All but the HobbyWing SCT Pro in that list should be able to do HV (7.2) on the BEC to run current servos at their full specs.
For motors, Tekin or SMC for racing in the 1900kv variety are the ticket if you're going to run on 4s (as is required by many races and venues). Hobbywing also makes a motor, but I've found it generally runs a bit hotter, and is no less expensive than the SMC. Other motor makes exist, but here in the US are not really going to be any less expensive or better. Tekin sells the RX8 Gen2 and T8 Gen2 motors as a combo. Hobbywing sells their ESC/Motor as a combo too.
I personally like the Tekin RX8 Gen2 the best, and both the SMC and Tekin motors (I run them both, depending on vehicle).
Of note, my recommendations are mainly for racing. That being said, if you want a waterproof ESC, HobbyWing makes a waterproof sport version of their 8th scale ESC that should serve well. Sensored ability is important in racing, but not so much in bashing (low speed and braking are both a lot better with a sensored setup).