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Are RC Motors Interchangeable? (RC Motor FAQs)

RC cars are some of the fastest and most fun vehicles to drive no matter how old you are. Although some people may put an age limit on fun when it comes to driving an RC car there really is no age limit as these are fun for people of all ages. 

There are many different types of RC cars, and many different RC car brands. Because there are many different RC cars and RC car brands many people wonder if the motors that are in them are interchangeable. 

Because RC cars are all different with many different brands, unfortunately the RC motors are not interchangeable. If you do have multiple of the exact same RC car, The motors for them will be interchangeable. 

Most people do not own multiples of the exact same car and brand which is why if your motor goes out most of the time you will just purchase a brand new one. If you have a cheaper RC car it may be better to simply purchase a whole new RC car then to replace the motor. 

Are brushless or brushed motors better for RC cars?

If you have been looking to purchase a new RC car then you have probably come across two different types of motors. These two types of motors are the brushed and brushless motors. 

Because you want to purchase the best RC car to use you are probably wondering which motor is better. After all, you do not want to spend your money on a RC car that does not have a good motor. 

When comparing the two motors you will see that a brushless motor is better to use in an RC car, but it is also more expensive. This is the reason most people have a brushed motor in their cheaper RC cars while the higher end RCs have brushless. 

For the most part unless you are racing professionally you will not find it necessary to spend the extra money on a brushless motor for your RC car. The brushed motor will get the job done for you and will be considerably cheaper. 

A brushed motor is considerably cheaper as it is easier to make and has simple wiring. A brushless motor has a higher efficiency though, as it uses bearings instead of brushes. 

How long does a brushed motor last?

If you’re looking at purchasing a new motor for your RC car you probably want to know how long that motor is going to last. Although not all motors will last the exact same amount of time, they do have an average amount of hours that they will last. 

On average a brushed motor will last 1,000-3,000 hours of run time. This means on average a brushed motor will last you 2-3 years depending upon the brushes that are used and how often you actually use your RC car. 

Although some people do not think that a couple of years is a good amount of time for you to get out of a brushed motor, it really comes down to what brushes are used as well as how much you use the car and how you drive it. If you were always pushing the motor to its limits and using it every single day, the motor is not going to last you as long as you take care of the motor and only use it a couple days a week. 

Although brushed motors may require maintenance before a brushless one would, most people simply replace the whole motor as they are considerably cheaper than a brushless motor. Most people do not want to deal with maintenance on an RC car especially if it is a cheaper model or one that was purchased on sale. 

How long does a brushless motor last?

Now that you know how long you brushed motor last your next question is probably how long a brushless one will last for you. After all if they are more expensive you would expect them to last longer and work better. 

Brushless motors do work considerably better than a brushed one as they are far more efficient and do not require maintenance. This is extremely important to remember when you look at the original cost of purchasing a motor. 

A brushless motor will be more expensive than a brushed one, but you also get what you pay for when it comes to purchasing a motor for your RC car. Some people prefer quality over cheaper items no matter how expensive they are. 

Because brushless motors run on about an 80% efficiency rate they do not have any parts that wear out like a brushed motor does. This means that instead of lasting a few thousand hours, they can last for tens of thousands of hours. This along with the fact that they produce more power for your RC car are the top reasons that people will purchase a brushless motor for their own RC car. 

If you are going to purchase a motor for your RC car you probably want the best of the best. Although a brushless motor is almost double the price of a brushed one, they will last 3-4 times as long without any issues. 

Are there cheap brushless RC cars? 

If you’ve been looking for a brushless RC car then you probably know that most of them are very expensive. Although some brushless RC cars are extremely expensive if you do some shopping around you can find some that will not break the bank. 

There are many different brushless RC cars that are available that you can purchase with some of these even being under $100 which is a great buy for a brushless RC car. 

The best brushless RC car to purchase under $100 can be found by clicking here. 

These RC cars will last for many years to come as their motors do not rely on brushes so they will take longer to have problems. Not only that but they will make your RC car more powerful as they run more efficiently than a brushed motor. 

Conclusion

Now that you know about RC cars and the different motors that they have you can understand why they are not interchangeable. Although it would be nice if every RC car used the same set up so you could simply use a different motor in any RC car, that just isn’t reality. 

Every brand has their own way to install a motor and they do not want you purchasing a different company’s motor to put on their RC car. If you are going to replace a motor for your RC car they want you to purchase their specific brand or buy a brand new RC car. 

If you were looking to purchase an RC car motor you will probably want to go with a brushless motor as they last longer, have less maintenance, and produce more power. Although they are a little more expensive they are worth the extra money that you will pay upfront. 

No matter if you are looking to purchase an RC car for yourself to just play and have fun with or if you are looking for the perfect RC car to race with, you will want to go with a brushless motor. Although this means you’ll have to spend a little more upfront, you will get a far better RC car that will last you far longer.