Brushed vs. brushless motors which is better for an RC car

Brushed vs. brushless motors which is better for an RC car

Brushed and brushless motor are the two significant motors for RC cars. One is more powerful than the other or works better than the other. As a hobbyist, can you differentiate between the brushed and brushless motors? Technically, brushed and brushless motor applies a similar working principle. Brushless motor is the best, in this article you will get to know more about each of them

An electromagnetic field is created when the winding of the engine gets a current supply. The winding then pushes and repels against a permanent magnet to cause the shaft to turn. The energy is then transferred from one winding to another that ultimately causes the motor shaft to spin continuously.

Brushed motor

The brushed motor has brushes inside them. These brushes are made of copper, silver, or graphite and are used to convert electricity into motion. They make contact with a mechanical rotary switch called a commutator and deliver an electrical current.

When the current is passed through the wind, a magnetic field is made, repelled, and attracted, which finally causes the armature, also known as a rotor to rotate. For brushed motor, the windings are located on the rotor, and the magnet is on the stator.

The merits of brushed motors

Brushed motors are reliable and straightforward. They provide primary two-wire control. This is favorable for new users and entry-level cars. With their simple command, the brushed motor gives more power for tight, tactical driving. Meaning it’s easier for brushed RC cars to maneuver through terrains compared to RC cars with brushless motors because they have minor external components.

Compared to brushless motors, the brushed motor is excellent for beginners as their prices are affordable.

Brushed motors are highly configurable. You can modify them to get the exact speed you want with the voltage you use. The Traxxas slash 2WD or the Traxxas bandit are the best choices to consider.

The demerits of brushed motors

Brushed motors have low power efficiency. The efficiency level of brushed motor is between 75% and 80%, which is lower than for brushless motors, which have an 85% to 90% efficiency level. The mechanical limitation of the brushes causes the engine to offer a lower speed range than brushless.

There is a lot of electrical and electromagnetic noise due to the constant switch of the commutator, brushes, and shafts. Due to the continuous contact of the elements inside the motors, heat loss is high, and the rotational force is less.

Periodic repairs and replacements are required because of wear out after a while.

Brushless motor

Brushless motors are constructed differently. The windings are located on the stator instead of the rotor, and magnets are placed on the rotor. This unique design eliminates the need for brushes.

In addition to the external rotor, a brushless motor uses three phases of driving coil and an additional sensor device to sense the position of the rotor and the drive electronics. Besides, it makes use of an amplifier that triggered by an electronic device like an optical encoder to create a magnetic field inside the motor. As per the explanation you can see, electronic commutation with brushless motor is created based on the position sensor instead of the mechanical rotary switch.

The merits of brushless motors

Brushless motors don’t deteriorate quicker, and they last long. They don’t have brushes inside; that why they have a longer lifespan. Hence less maintenance, fewer problems, and less cash usage for the long run.

In a brushless motor, there are no brushes to clean or to replace. You only require to maintain the bearing, which needs periodic lubrication to keep in check.

Brushless motors can run for five to six years without any issues.

The weight of the motor is relatively smaller and lighter. It’sIt’s not a burden to your vehicle, so you can improve your speed and handling capability quite significantly.

Moreover, a brushless motor offer more power and longer run times than an equivalent size brushed motor. The reason being there is no mechanical brush limitation on this type of engine. Brushless motors are known to be able to deliver higher torque at variable speeds.

Concerning the practical aspect, the brushless motor has low electric noise.

The loss is shallow, which translates to a higher movement for the same amount of electricity that you feed to the brushed motor. Factoring splurging on RC car with a brushless motor, the Traxxas X-Maxx, or the HPI Vorza Flux is right for you.

The demerits of brushless motors

Brushless motor is more expensive. This is due to the complex and the use of the electric speed controller. The fact that it’s pricey, with brushless motors, you see the value for your money because it provides a much longer-term as they require fewer repairs and replacements over the years.

Brushless motors offer less load speed control. It makes driving on a rough terrain a bit hard

and challenging compared to the brushed motor.

Now the big question is which one you should choose for your RC car

Brushed

If fast speed and maximum power from the motor are not necessary, then a brushed motor would be ideal for you. If you want to crawl and require occasional speed boost at 5mph to 10mph, brushed motor is just fine. Besides, they are excellent for beginners who need ample power at a lower price.

Brushless

Brushless motor is the

best for you if you need to faster than 15mph and would like to have some power efficiency. They are an excellent option for experienced racers who need to have more speed from their cars, which want to raise all hell with RC vehicles.

Upgrading your motor

You can update the engine of your car to a brushless motor. It works in most cases, but make sure you do your research thoroughly. Besides upgrading the RC car to the brushless motor, you need to upgrade other features to support the brushless motors.

For instance, you need to get the brushless ESC, and the battery will need to be replaced from NiMH to LiPo. You also need a new battery charger as well as other safety accessories.

So what do you think you will get after the brushed to brushless change?

You will be happy to experience enhanced performance in tour RC cars regarding speed, suspension, steering, and much more.