Tower Hobbies .61 or OS .61??

[Pippen]

Hey all
I have a great planes easy sport 40, and I want more power, I am thinking of sticking a .60 on the nose. OS has a .60 that is $144. Tower hobbies has a .60 that is $79.99. They both have 1.9 HP, and both have the same dimensions, weight, etc. The OS is a ringed, with schnuerle porting, and the Tower Hobbies engine is an ABC, with Schnuerle porting. Why the big price diff? anybody have experience with these engines? anybody own either brand of engine? ( by the way, this is through a tower hobbies magazine.) will I get the same performance and reliability with both engines? which is better?

thanks in advance for the feedback, Pippen

[Dave Robelen]

Hello Pippen,
What you are dealing with is a lot like the difference between "Craftsman" and Sears tools. Both are sold by Sears, But the Craftsman line is made to a higher quality and is backed by a more liberal warranty. To get down to cases, the ringed engine will generally be easier to start, and take much more kindly to cool, rich running, or longer runs at middle speeds.
The ABC engine (if in fact it really is true hard chrome over brass) will be a bit tougher to cold start due to the tight fit at the top of the cylinder when cold. ABC engines need to be run under conditions that keep them heated up in order that the tapered cylinder will stay expanded to the proper clearance. Cool running will wear one of these out very quickly, no matter who makes it. The connecting rod also takes a beating when an ABC engine is run cool, due to the "snatch" loads at the top of the stroke.
Many economy engines are made with brass cylinders and no ring due to the ease and economy of machining these materials as opposed to the steel cylinder and ring of the OS engine. I hope this is some help.
Regards, Dave

[Pippen]

Dave,

Based upon your experience, expertise, etc, what engine would you recommend? If you were in my position, would it be unwise for me to get the ABC? It seems like the OS is overpriced. I like my OS 40 FX that i have now, It is reliable, starts right up, etc.

Is there a similar .60 size engine that I could get for a cheaper price, but made to similar standards? What about MDS, are they any good? I need a good engine, but i dont wanna shell out top dollar for it. ( the OS 60 is one of the most expensive 60's i have seen )

I guess I just want as many "frills" as possible for as little as possible :D

[Dave Robelen]

Hello Pippen,
What you are asking now is sliding outside of my area of personal experience. In recent years I have been primarily concerned with the type of shopping you are doing, but for E-power products. I do own a number of OS engines of different sizes, but none as large as a .61 in recent years. As far as performance, lifespan, and support, They have proven to be outstanding.
Before I head off in another direction let me say again I would not reccomend that you consider any ABC .61, for the reasons I mentioned in my other post.
One significant issue is support and parts availability as time goes on once you buy an engine. Essentially all of our engines are now made in some other country, and the engines and parts have to be shipped in. I consider the OS engine line to be near the top in quality and performance, rather like some of the fine electronic products originating in Japan. I doubt if any other importer has any better product support for model engines than Tower Hobbies, and some are much poorer.
I suppose it's sort of like that old saw, "you get what you pay for". Part of the cost of an OS engine is involved in the support network, and part because they really are well made.
A part of your problem is the lack of a "Consumer guide" type publication for our hobby. All of the ads tell me their product is simplt awesome, and a few are, but sorting through all that without local help can be a nuisance. I have owned Supertigre engines that ran very well, but the factory is small,and parts were hard to get when I needed them. The factory is still the same size, and I would expect the parts issue to be unchanged.
I realize we are talking about your money, not mine so the final choice has to be yours. Personally, if I wanted to go with a .61 engine myself, the OS would be where I would end up. Their products are top notch, and I have always had excellent service from them. I consider the issue a lot like purchasing a digital camera, when you want quality and performance, it costs a bit more.
Happy shopping, Dave

[Pippen]

Dave

Thanks a lot for all of your advice and help. It has been alot of help to me. I will stick to the OS line i think. I have one, and i like it, so i will stick to it.

Pippen

[NINJAZX7]

ever heard of a webra? i just go a gt speed .50 it's awesome!
http://www.adis.at/webra/fra_mot.htm
http://www.horizonhobby.com/products/description.asp?prod=WEBE329&pc=WEBE329
very fast!!!!