$400 or less Brushless E-maxx se-up.

[Performance RC]

I am looking for a $400 or less brushless E-masxx set-up. I would like to run anywhere from 6-14 cells. I was looking at the B50S motor. What ESC would you reccomend? What is the performance like? WOuld you reccomend it?

[OptimaMan]

I think the best 400 bucks for emaxx is to get a Lehner Basic XL 4200 or 5000. You can also get the Basic 4200 or 5300 if it's not loaded up with tons of aftermarket aluminum parts.

Get the Hacker Master sport for 200 bucks. Get 12 cells and a small receiver pack.

Total cost: approx 400 bucks. Way faster than Hacker C50. With a 15 tooth pinion and 72 teeth spur on the Basic XL 5000 or Basic 5300, you'll be running 35-37 MPH!!!!! WIth the 4200, you'll be like low 30's mph running 15/72.

-OptimaMan

[HiAmplidude]

For a little over $400, you'd do very well with a C50 14.4 Maxx motor and Hacker Car Sport controller. That setup on 12 cells consistently runs faster than 37 MPH (GPS tested by me, BikeManX2 driver/owner), and is resilient enough to race long mains without over-heating the ESC or batts (or itself).

I wouldn't run a Basic 5300 in an E-Maxx. If you gear it down enough to not blow up the ESC, the speed will be right at stock. The 4200 in the E-Maxx is actually getting fun, but not much faster than 14 cells in the stock setup or 12 cells and Magnetic Mayhems. The 8S on 8-10 cells will show them both up. The 5000 will probably fry the Hacker sport on 12 cells, due to its extreme current-draw, and the XL 4200 is getting closer to a nice motor for the E-Maxx, but is still pretty "hot".

Since the C50 Maxx runs at just over 3000 RPM/V, 12 cells really is a sweet spot for it in the heavy E-Maxx. If you check out a comparable RPM/V in the Lehner XL motors, you may very well get similar (to the C50) positive results in both speed and heat.

[OptimaMan]

Actually, the basic 5300 geared 12/72 in an emaxx with 12 cells will run 34.6 mph in 2nd gear and 23.5 mph in 1st gear. The run time is really high if you stick in 1st gear and the truck will do instant wheelies in first and second gear. You have to watch out in first gear though. You can easily go over the 65000 rpm limit and in danger of the motor failing on you.

If you kick it up a notch to a 15/72 with this motor, top speed in 2nd goes up to 37.2 mph, while in first gear it goes 27.4 mph. Keeping it in first gear will allow you to easily run a 5 minute race but if you leave it in 2nd gear the whole time, things start to get warm. Even with this setup, a stock emaxx will instantly flip in 1st gear and still pull wheelies in 2nd gear.

Running this motor with an 18 tooth pinion isn't all that good - just long time to accelerate, barely any better top speed, and everything is REALLY hot.

A Basic 4200 is pretty good for this truck. Geared at 15/72, the truck is going a tad over 35 mph in 2nd gear and about 25 in first gear. Nice thing about this motor is that it is operating under it's redline so you don't have to worry about it blowing up. Plus, it's operating at 80%+ efficiency from like 10-50 amps! I still think this is the best motor for racing lightweight or stock emaxxes. It'll flip instantly in 1st gear and easily pull wheelies all day long in second gear too. Oh, BTW, you'll get plenty of run time with this setup.

I'm presently bashing around with an XL3100 (which is pretty close I'm guessing to a Hacker C50 motor for the maxx). It's got tons of grunt. With 15/72 gearing, it's about stock speed with a speed of 27.1 mph in second and 19 mph in 1st gear. It'll run forever on a single charge. Geared higher, it'll easily go past 35 mph. But, I don't believe this motor is optimized for that. This motor really needs 14+ cells to really wake up. If this motor had like 18 cells, it'll be right at redline and you'll fly so fast (probably around 50ish mph) that it'll go into orbit.

My general thought is that buggies (that you intend to race) don't need a setup that makes more than 250 watts, sedans don't need more than 300 watts. Stock and lightweight emaxxes don't need more than 500 watts of power. Keep in mind, 12 cells at 3300 mah can only give out approx 500 watts for 5 minutes so having a motor that produces more is just going to prevent you from racing for 5 minutes. That's why I feel the Basic 4200 is the best for emaxx racing for 5 minutes. It's right in it's comfort range and efficiency range. It's lightweight and agile and the speed spools up really quick with this motor. This motor can peak out at close to 700 watts of power with 12 cells.

Now, I have to admit, I've never run a Basic XL 4200, but examining the dyno print out between the xl4200 and basic 4200, the basic 4200 is more efficient during low current consumption mode (1st gear) while the basic xl 4200 is more efficient during higher current mode (2nd gear, large pinion gears, and top speed runs). For racing, I'm mostly in 1st gear. I suppose if you were looking to set speed runs, you should go with the bigger motor. For 12 cells, go with the Basic xl 5000, for 14 cells go with Basic xl 4200, for 16 cells go with Basic xl 3600 or Hacker C50 (the one made for the maxx), for 18 cells go with basic xl 3100 or C50 (I'm not sure what the RPM/volt is exactly). For more and more cells, you need to get a motor with lower and lower rpm/volt. Keep it right at redline and make sure you gear appropriately so the motor is in it's efficiency/powerband.

Anyways, like I said in other posts. You have to know how many cells you are going to run, and what purpose you have with your setup - racing or top speed. And what vehicle. Once you know this, you can finally get the motor that is most suitable. BUT, you can't go wrong with a 4200 or xl4200. Works great with 12 cells and geared right, you can race and you can try to make some good speed runs with it.

-OptimaMan

[OptimaMan]

Sorry for the longs posts... I just charged my Sanyo HV3300's x 12 cells and repeaked them to get them kinda warm and put them back into my emaxx with a brand new Basic 4200 (not the XL). Geared 15/72 again. This time, the truck is completely stock except the spur gear is robinson racing with slipper. The plastic hex drives have been replaced by aluminum ones. The cheap plastic ones used to get squished and cause binding and reduce top speed. Today, the day is about 50 degrees F. w/o truck body and with 12 channel Garmin GPS, the top speed in second gear is: 36.7 mph and 1st gear is 27.5 mph. No, these speeds are repeatable +- 1/2 mph over and over again. This is with stock tires and wheels too.

I believe it can easily go a couple mph more with higher gearing. Not only that, I am a true Lehner motor supporter. I am absolutely positve that a simple cheap basic 5300 is torquier and faster than a B50 6s or 8s. I am absolutely positive that the basic 4200 is better than the 8s also. I can say this because I've actually had or have all these motors. Even though the rpm/volt is lower, geared the same, the Lehner motors absolutely do run faster and have more torque.

So, I stick back to what I was saying earlier. The best combo for brushless emaxx under 400 bucks is.... drum roll....

Hacker Master sport for 200 bucks
5 cell receiver pack for 20 bucks
Leher Basic 4200 for 110 bucks

Total cost is only 330 bucks or so and you get a super system that is reliable, light and quick, good for speed runs (@ 12 cells) and great to race with.

-OptimaMan

[HiAmplidude]

I've also run both, and I have nothing against the Lehner motors. In fact, if their 1940 series used 5mm shafts, instead of 4mm (to fit my vast pinion collection), that would be one of the next motors I buy. I'll leave my Lehner Basic motors for the lighter vehicles though.

Just for the sake of conversation, on 12 cells / Hacker Car Sport ESC, and 16/66 gearing, with a lot of aluminum and beadlock weight on the E-Maxx, the B50 8S pulled 38.5 MPH consistently. That setup didn't thermal the ESC until running it on 14 cells.

These days (for me), it's all about going over the top with power, and big motors to help keep the ESC happy, so I don't really mess with the smaller motors in the big ol' E-Maxx anymore, but I may switch out the fairly big Aveox 36-24-1.5 turn motor with a B50 8S on my lightest E-Maxx again soon, for kicks.

Keep keepin' awn!

[mac0326]

I would agree with hiamp on this one. I love Lehner motors(I have at leats 8 of them!), but the 8s will beat a 4200 pretty handily. The 4200 is nice in an e-maxx. It has a nice, controllable powerband and is plenty fast, but will wear out fairly quickly if you pust it too hard. It's just not enough motor for the big truck. I would also bet the xl4200 would be a little too hot for the e-maxx(controller I should say!). The xl 2800, 3100 and 3600 all work excellent in the e-maxx on 12 cells. The 3100 is nice on 14(2800 probably is too). I had my 8s powered e-maxx over 40mph, but don't think the 4200(regular) would get it going quite that fast. I don't really try for top speed anymore(mostly race), but for racing, a motor with 3000rpm/volt or less seems to be the right answer. A 4200 may be close in torque to the b506s, but nowhere near the speed!

[Performance RC]

OK, I went nuts. I got a Hacker C50 14.4V motor running a schultzs 18.61 controller. Running on 14 Matched 3000 HV packs. Man...Holy...wow...Unbeliveable, must be atleast 2x faster than stock. Watch out, i'll run your .21 T-maxx over!

[HiAmplidude]

That is an awesome setup! Congrat's!

I you strap a GPS onto that thing, you'll probably be seeing speeds around 43 MPH (depending on a LOT of factors).

Take care of that controller. You don't ever want to have to send it in for service. Believe me, the wait for Schulze and BK/Lehner controller repair almost makes a person reconsider going brushless in the first place.

I haven't had a lick of trouble with my 18.61, but that's not to say it won't happen.

[Performance RC]

This set up IS killer. There is an E/t-maxx race next weekend. I am hoping to blow the doors of some T_maxx's and E-maxxs.

Yeah. my goal was 45, it may get there withmy onroad tires...

[RrR]

I hate to but in.But I need help I have a USA-1 it will go 25-28 with MonsterMaxx milds 21t with 17 tooth pens and a EVX .What kind of speed increase will I get with any of the brushless set up in this post? MY spur is 29t please Help.Thank You .

[Performance RC]

Umm...well my E-maxx more than doubled its speed. SO I guess you could double your speed too. May want to make a tread or ask around if you wish. I am not very knowledable in the USA-1 stuff.

[RrR]

Originally posted by Performance RC
Umm...well my E-maxx more than doubled its speed. SO I guess you could double your speed too. May want to make a tread or ask around if you wish. I am not very knowledable in the USA-1 stuff. Thanks Man!! Heres the timed numbers 0-60 1.7@24.06,0-90 2.0@30.68 thay are my old speed test.My truck is a bit faster now.

[OptimaMan]

Not to beat a dead issue... Yesterday I got the rest of the pinion gears (I only had 12, 15, and 18) and got another spur gear (66 tooth). I lubed up the plastic drive shafts so I would have less friction.

The street in front of my house has just been repaved and it's 60 degrees outside.

12 cells (Sanyo 3300 HV), stock everything but spur gear. Basic 3100xl wiht 18/66 gearing and almost 500 feet of pure clean straightaway speed was 37.5 mph in second gear and 27.5 in first gear.

Same setup....Basic 4200, 17/66 gearing. Second gear 41.3 mph, 43.2 mph, and 42.1 mph. First gear consistently 33.5 mph +- .5 mph. The motor and controller did not thermal nor was it hot (I ran it in long straight passes)

I've noticed that when I have 500 feet of runway vs. 250, there is a definite difference in speed based upon my GPS. It seems like the faster you go, the more space the GPS needs to really register an accurate GPS. So, for all of you out there, make sure you have plenty of room to run to get a nice accurate top speed.

So, to reiterate. Highest single speed pass for my Basic 4200 geared 17/66 with stock tires and rims was 43.2 mph today on a perfectly smooth flat street, no tailwind. And, that's no BS. I have no reason to exxagerate or lie.

Next experiment - I will regear at 18/66 and maybe 20/66 and see if that makes a difference in top speed.

-OptimaMan

[HiAmplidude]

OptimaMan,

Nice results!! I don't think anyone implied that those speeds were not possible with the 4200, I personally just think it's too "hot" a setup. I've fried enough controllers to be on the cautious side of things. The smaller motors like the 5300, 4200, and B50 8S need to work too hard on 12 cells to push the heavy E-Maxx around. Things are a little better if there's not a lot of extra weight on the truck, but it's still flirting with burned FETs a bit, especially on the tall gearing you're trying out, particularly if someone were to take it out for some mindless bashing fun.

I've run an aweful lot of different motors, controllers, and gearing, on a lot of different E-Maxxes, and have a pretty good "feel" based on tons of brain data to go by, from those experiences. My opinion is NOT that you can't get outstanding results with the little 4200, it's that I wouldn't personally run it that hard in such a big truck. You can get the same speeds with bigger motors that aren't working the ESC nearly as hard.

Promod currently holds the fastest speed that I know of, at 65 MPH on 32 cells in an almost all stock E-Maxx, on a single Lehner 1940 (I think) motor. A super-light truck can make all the difference in the world. Most of my speed tests have been done on much heavier trucks, really pushing the limits of the motor systems.

It's exciting that you're getting some VERY fast runs with that thing! Thanks for the post!

[OptimaMan]

Well, with taller pinions, the 4200 will putter out and actually go slower.

Today I ran the Basic XL 5000 with the sport controller (still under 400 bucks) and got 45 mph! BUT, this motor is a realllll amp sucker. Just a couple of runs back and forth and the batteries lost about 1500 mah!!!

So, this motor is useless for racing - only good for speed runs - even when geared properly, it's not a very efficient brushless system. It's better to go lower rpm/volt and increase the voltage. I haven't figured a good way to mount more than 12 cells and my controller isn't supposed to handle more than 12 cells or so. Before I can really get some serious speed, I need to upgrade to a higher voltage controller... but geez... over 500 bucks for the 32.170$%&@#$&^(&*(@#$@!

[IDMadMaxx]

anybody got a good handle on how fast a 10lb E might top out at with a BK/Lehner 1930/ and a Micro 18120BEC-CAR in 14 cells? Could you run 2 ten cell packs? How fast estimate? One more; substitute the 1940/6
thanks ID Mad Maxx