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[Peddars]

Just got my converted revo 3.3 back out after 10 yrs of sat on a shelf. It runs on a 1700kv castle brushless motor and a mamba max pro esc which was the latest thing yrs ago. Still got a 4s turnigy 5000mah 35c hardcase lipo, but was wondering what people run these trucks on these days? I believe the motor can handle 5s.

[Stormbringer]

Its more can the esc handle 5s 

[Peddars]

Yeah sorry, the esc can take up to 6s 

[Ross9999992]

1/8 (and pick your own scale 1/10 revos) generally run 4s-6s nowadays much as before tbh. Of course there are exceptions but that’s it generally.
 

1700kv castle motor would easily take a 5s or 6s but I’m not gonna comment on the mamba max, I’m one of those castle esc haters. Castle cremations to coin a phrase that made me chuckle while watching a talbot video one time 😏

 

Maybe you were happy with the speed in the past though? You could always just grab a couple (or 1 or whatever) fresh 4s packs and have at it - saying that I imagine some of my lipos are 10+ years old by now…maybe. 5s/6s would of course put more strain on the driveline but the old brushless revos took 6s so it may well not even be an issue.

 

 

[Peddars]

Castle cremations ? Not heard that one 🤣. So what combo would you suggest to run on a 6s lipo ?

[Redback]

3 hours ago, Peddars said:

Castle cremations ? Not heard that one 🤣. So what combo would you suggest to run on a 6s lipo ?

Castle Mamaba Monster X (Stick with what you got, if it melts (doubt it) then just move up.
Castle are solid and have excellent warrenty and service, unless you have had really bad experiences yourself, i would ignore the very few vocal haters, theres many a happy castle customer.
Kevins esc's went for specific reasons, wrong windings, non upgraded firmware etc.

A hobbywing max 8 system would be a downgrade imo. Theres a reason all the speed runners use castle... they are great.
My max 8 system has basically fallen apart, (cant replace the power switch when the cables snapped at the resin), whilst all my castles work just fine and can easly replace the harnesses.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Redback

[Ross9999992]

Oh I’m not using KT’s fires as my reasoning but castle cremations did make me chuckle inside, I’m just haunted by past horror stories. Many people do indeed run them without issue I’ll not argue with that 😄 

 

9 hours ago, Peddars said:

So what combo would you suggest to run on a 6s lipo ?

Well your motor would probably be fine and your esc umm err yeah it might be fine 🙂 

If I were to be looking for a new 1/8 esc nowadays it’d probably be either a hobbywing wp8bl150 or max8 or one of the ones from a rtr Arrma/corally (spektrum/torox) as they seem to have decent reviews. All depends on budget/availability really 👍🏻

[Peddars]

Thanks  for the feedback, personally I’ve never had an issue with castle motors/esc’s and didn’t know there was a problem with them. I was even looking at the X range they now do  but thanks for the input all.

[m4inbrain]

22 hours ago, Peddars said:

Thanks  for the feedback, personally I’ve never had an issue with castle motors/esc’s and didn’t know there was a problem with them. I was even looking at the X range they now do  but thanks for the input all.

 

I got an MMX8s / 1717 1650kv, ran it quite overgeared (albeit on 6s in a Kraton EXB) - zero issues. Ran stone cold, too, despite being/running sensored. 

 

There have been issues with the X range for a period after release, that has been fixed. It had to do with the motor you paired them with - no problems arose with castle motors, but the ESCs did blow in high load situations with certain kinds of motor (it was dependant on whether the motor was wye-wound or delta-wound). 

 

https://home.castlecreations.com/blog/2021/1/6/service-advisory-sa2021-1-mamba-xlx2-and-mamba-monster-x8s?fbclid=IwAR3SprqR8v1-T63YpTNQMdko6Vq-889yU8seDM7QmyZKNaZaj4cWys2VJCk

 

Those problems don't exist anymore. They're safe for all "normal" users, but due to the nature of the ESC (pushing a lot more power than HW systems), if you pair too big a motor (by too big i mean actually massive) they still can let go. Raz Shiffrin recently blew two Mamba XLX2 with a Lenner 3060 (£500 boat motor, 60/115), i can't remember what exactly happened but it had to do with something something too much current/voltage when braking. These are stupid rare cases though, no normal person is gonna run a humongous boat motor, while also running geared for 200mph+. 

 

Other than that, they're perfectly fine to use and beat hobbywing systems (spektrum is just plain awful in every way) in terms of performance by a landslide. That said.. Part of that is tuneability, if you want to just plug and play, HW systems are considerably more convenient and absolutely good enough. For most use cases, a HW Max8 is the better choice because most people don't need the data logging (only really important for speed running and very heavy RCs), and you save what, 40%-50% over a castle system. Case in point, my EXB ran the MMX8s, but i have a Max6 in my X-Maxx. Only need it to make the motor go brrrr, and it does that well. 

Edited May 2, 2023 by m4inbrain

[Grogg]

On 30/04/2023 at 04:57, Ross9999992 said:

1/8 (and pick your own scale 1/10 revos) generally run 4s-6s nowadays much as before tbh. Of course there are exceptions but that’s it generally.
 

1700kv castle motor would easily take a 5s or 6s but I’m not gonna comment on the mamba max, I’m one of those castle esc haters. Castle cremations to coin a phrase that made me chuckle while watching a talbot video one time 😏

 

Maybe you were happy with the speed in the past though? You could always just grab a couple (or 1 or whatever) fresh 4s packs and have at it - saying that I imagine some of my lipos are 10+ years old by now…maybe. 5s/6s would of course put more strain on the driveline but the old brushless revos took 6s so it may well not even be an issue.

 

 

 

Hasn't KT done more than  one video where a Castle ESC that's been installed according to the manufacturers specifications burst into flames, and what converted him to a Hobbywing user.  I saw the videos a while ago, before I joined this place, and it was one of the things that at the time really put me off of Castle and made me go with the Hoibbywing ESC and engine combo for my Rock Socker build.

 

On 30/04/2023 at 19:17, Redback said:

Castle Mamaba Monster X (Stick with what you got, if it melts (doubt it) then just move up.
Castle are solid and have excellent warrenty and service, unless you have had really bad experiences yourself, i would ignore the very few vocal haters, theres many a happy castle customer.
Kevins esc's went for specific reasons, wrong windings, non upgraded firmware etc.

A hobbywing max 8 system would be a downgrade imo. Theres a reason all the speed runners use castle... they are great.
My max 8 system has basically fallen apart, (cant replace the power switch when the cables snapped at the resin), whilst all my castles work just fine and can easly replace the harnesses.

 

No, KT's ESCs blew because they where at best ''Friday Afternoon Specials'', I'm very sure he has two videos showing it happen, the first one he doesn't show you him installing them, but on the second video because of all the people, including Castle, saying he caused the ESC to blow on purpose for views, the second video he did where a Castle ESC blows he made it a point to show you that it was installed, according to the manufacturers specifications.

 

I'm not a Castle hater, I don't have the experience to form an opinion, and the RC I own that I use the most is not only powered by a Castle ESC and Engine, but it was by far the most expensive ESC and engine combo I had bought to date, and I should hopefully have a second one -Castle ESC and engine combo, arriving hopefully tomorrow for the HPI Savage XL I ordered on Monday, which should also hopefully arrive tomorrow.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Grogg

[Ross9999992]

16 minutes ago, Grogg said:

 

Hasn't KT done more than  one video where a Castle ESC that's been installed

Yeah those sound like the vids I watched with the “Castle cremations” comment - if the motor was suitable or not I didn’t/don’t care enough to look into tbh 🙂 

 

My lack of trust actually stems from way back when - there are numerous horror stories (that I mostly read on here and other forums because well socials weren’t as much of a thing) of I think the original mamba monsters letting their smoke out. This is from a time when they were like 3x the cost of a comparable hobbywing (the og ezruns etc.). They also claim(ed) lower specs - mamba monsters are their 1/8 6s recommended esc, 120a const - 150a hobbywing/hobbyking/china chop shop/Poundland etc. 150a constant. So my view as a lowly basher…overpriced and underspec’d - not worth the risk - just my view. Let’s not have the snowflakes get all offended by my opinion again please.

[m4inbrain]

1 hour ago, Grogg said:

I saw the videos a while ago, before I joined this place, and it was one of the things that at the time really put me off of Castle and made me go with the Hoibbywing ESC and engine combo for my Rock Socker build.

 

That's my issue with that video. Yes, that ESC did have a fatal software flaw, and "an amount" of people (obviously i got no actual numbers) lost their ESCs due to that. The issue arises when people forget that just a few years prior, the exact same thing happened to RTR Kraton/Outcast/Talions. Again, "an amount" of people lost their BLX ESCs (rebranded HW Quicrun150) due to fires in early generation Arrma 6s rigs. 

 

That makes the argument for HW kind of.. odd, at best. I absolutely can understand if someone doesn't feel comfy with an ESC that catches fire - but if we argue that this is a problem with the brand, then going to another brand that had the exact same issue (and as widespread, too) is nonsensical. This is assuming that it's a "brand-issue" in the first place, which i argue isn't the case. It's an "ESC" issue. In this case the flaw was with MMX8s and XLX2 ESCs, and owning the MMX8s, i of course also got a bit careful until they released the software update. For HW it was the Quicrun150 (BLX185) that caught fire, whereas EZRun systems generally didn't have that issue. Same with Traxxas. People argue that Traxxas ESCs are crap - they're (mostly) not. The VXL6s and VXL8s are. Those are the ones that caught fire and let go randomly (including mine after the third run). Everything else is fine in terms of reliability.

 

Between Hobbywing and Castle, leave "brand" out of the decision. Base it on what you actually need, and you'll automatically arrive at the correct ESC. For 95% of the use cases, that's a Hobbywing system - cheaper, arguably a bit more reliable because they're so restrictive (no configurable timing on the Max6 vs configurable timing on the MMX8s for example), and for the vast majority of applications similar if not equal performance. For the rest, get a Castle. Don't get a Traxxas system, don't get a Spektrum system. Do get an MGM system if you go full monkey with a Losi 5T or something  (12s-16s). I indeed regret paying for the MMX8s (despite getting it considerably cheaper than UK RRP because it slipped through customs), it's just too much ESC for me now. I intended to speed run a Kraton EXB, which lifted the front wheels at half throttle and 65mph, and then decided that it's actually not fun. In hindsight i should've just thrown a Max8 at it and enjoy it as intended - might have kept it that way. 

[Grogg]

On 03/05/2023 at 02:19, Ross9999992 said:

Yeah those sound like the vids I watched with the “Castle cremations” comment - if the motor was suitable or not I didn’t/don’t care enough to look into tbh 🙂 

 

My lack of trust actually stems from way back when - there are numerous horror stories (that I mostly read on here and other forums because well socials weren’t as much of a thing) of I think the original mamba monsters letting their smoke out. This is from a time when they were like 3x the cost of a comparable hobbywing (the og ezruns etc.). They also claim(ed) lower specs - mamba monsters are their 1/8 6s recommended esc, 120a const - 150a hobbywing/hobbyking/china chop shop/Poundland etc. 150a constant. So my view as a lowly basher…overpriced and underspec’d - not worth the risk - just my view. Let’s not have the snowflakes get all offended by my opinion again please.

 

23 hours ago, m4inbrain said:

 

That's my issue with that video. Yes, that ESC did have a fatal software flaw, and "an amount" of people (obviously i got no actual numbers) lost their ESCs due to that. The issue arises when people forget that just a few years prior, the exact same thing happened to RTR Kraton/Outcast/Talions. Again, "an amount" of people lost their BLX ESCs (rebranded HW Quicrun150) due to fires in early generation Arrma 6s rigs. 

 

That makes the argument for HW kind of.. odd, at best. I absolutely can understand if someone doesn't feel comfy with an ESC that catches fire - but if we argue that this is a problem with the brand, then going to another brand that had the exact same issue (and as widespread, too) is nonsensical. This is assuming that it's a "brand-issue" in the first place, which i argue isn't the case. It's an "ESC" issue. In this case the flaw was with MMX8s and XLX2 ESCs, and owning the MMX8s, i of course also got a bit careful until they released the software update. For HW it was the Quicrun150 (BLX185) that caught fire, whereas EZRun systems generally didn't have that issue. Same with Traxxas. People argue that Traxxas ESCs are crap - they're (mostly) not. The VXL6s and VXL8s are. Those are the ones that caught fire and let go randomly (including mine after the third run). Everything else is fine in terms of reliability.

 

Between Hobbywing and Castle, leave "brand" out of the decision. Base it on what you actually need, and you'll automatically arrive at the correct ESC. For 95% of the use cases, that's a Hobbywing system - cheaper, arguably a bit more reliable because they're so restrictive (no configurable timing on the Max6 vs configurable timing on the MMX8s for example), and for the vast majority of applications similar if not equal performance. For the rest, get a Castle. Don't get a Traxxas system, don't get a Spektrum system. Do get an MGM system if you go full monkey with a Losi 5T or something  (12s-16s). I indeed regret paying for the MMX8s (despite getting it considerably cheaper than UK RRP because it slipped through customs), it's just too much ESC for me now. I intended to speed run a Kraton EXB, which lifted the front wheels at half throttle and 65mph, and then decided that it's actually not fun. In hindsight i should've just thrown a Max8 at it and enjoy it as intended - might have kept it that way. 

 

 

It wasn't just what I saw on Kevin's YouTube channel that originally put me off buying a Castle ESC and engine combo for my Rock Socker at the time, but also something to do with Castle's warranty as well, which at the time, back in January of this year, the shop I was looking at ESC and engine combos - I can't remember which shop it was, had stated under the Castle ESC and engine combos, a brief explanation of Castle's warranty, which could be summed up as''we know what we're doing, if it doesn't work or has stopped working, it's because of something you have done, or user error, so we offer no warranty on our ESC and engine combos''  Which I later found out was incorrect, Castle do have and provide warranties for the ESCs and engines.

[m4inbrain]

7 minutes ago, Grogg said:

It wasn't just what I saw on Kevin's YouTube channel that originally put me off buying a Castle ESC and engine combo for my Rock Socker at the time, but also something to do with Castle's warranty as well, which at the time, back in January of this year, the shop I was looking at ESC and engine combos - I can't remember which shop it was, had stated under the Castle ESC and engine combos, a brief explanation of Castle's warranty, which could be summed up as''we know what we're doing, if it doesn't work or has stopped working, it's because of something you have done, or user error, so we offer no warranty on our ESC and engine combos''  Which I later found out was incorrect, Castle do have and provide warranties for the ESCs and engines.

 

Indeed one of the better ones in the business, similar to their support. 

[Kpowell911]

3 hours ago, Grogg said:

 

 

 

It wasn't just what I saw on Kevin's YouTube channel that originally put me off buying a Castle ESC and engine combo for my Rock Socker at the time, but also something to do with Castle's warranty as well, which at the time, back in January of this year, the shop I was looking at ESC and engine combos - I can't remember which shop it was, had stated under the Castle ESC and engine combos, a brief explanation of Castle's warranty, which could be summed up as''we know what we're doing, if it doesn't work or has stopped working, it's because of something you have done, or user error, so we offer no warranty on our ESC and engine combos''  Which I later found out was incorrect, Castle do have and provide warranties for the ESCs and engines.

Its minor I know, but its a motor, an engine is in a nitro/petrol RC 

[Grogg]

6 hours ago, m4inbrain said:

 

Indeed one of the better ones in the business, similar to their support. 

 

True, but when it comes to something you have no experience with, are new to, and have never bought before, with me anyway, I tend to be a bit over cautious to begin with, until I get a bit more comfortable with what I'm doing, what I'm looking at buying does and so forth.  And truth be told, I really enjoy the research and learning side.

 

Yes, I'm the sort of person who not only reads manuals, but reads them several times before I touch the equipment the manual is for, even if the equipment the manual came with only cost a quid.

Edited May 4, 2023 by Grogg