What's the cheapset motor with minimum technology?
- Thread starter jiddisch
- Start date
Brushed motors use controllers that are much simpler and cheaper. Although the brushes will eventually need to be replaced (cheap and easy), that is not the problem. they operate in a narrow volt and amp range, so once you install one, you must swap in a completely different motor is you want significantly more power later.
Brushless motors have proven to work well from 24V all the way up to 100V with no changes to the motor. High amps will damage brushes rapidly, leading to a short life, but brushless motors can accept a wide range of amps. If you insert a temp sensor into a brushless motor to avoid overheating it, you can use extremely high amps for short bursts.
If you are set on a brushless controller and motor, and you need 750W of power...you must start with a 750W brushed motor. Starting with a 250W brushed motor and overvolting/overamping it to 750W will lead to a short life, and any money you thought you were saving will result in a smoking mess that you cannot sell to recoup any losses.
A brushless motor and a programmable Lyen controller can be run at anywhere from 24V-100V, as long as you monitor the temps and limit amps if it gets too warm.
Brushless motors have proven to work well from 24V all the way up to 100V with no changes to the motor. High amps will damage brushes rapidly, leading to a short life, but brushless motors can accept a wide range of amps. If you insert a temp sensor into a brushless motor to avoid overheating it, you can use extremely high amps for short bursts.
If you are set on a brushless controller and motor, and you need 750W of power...you must start with a 750W brushed motor. Starting with a 250W brushed motor and overvolting/overamping it to 750W will lead to a short life, and any money you thought you were saving will result in a smoking mess that you cannot sell to recoup any losses.
A brushless motor and a programmable Lyen controller can be run at anywhere from 24V-100V, as long as you monitor the temps and limit amps if it gets too warm.
Rassy
1 MW
I purchased several Aotema BD36 (brushed 36V) motors from Wilderness Energy (no longer in business) about 6 or 7 years ago. They all still run good, but I'm currently using brushless motors mainly because I needed rear motors and the brushed motors were all fronts or I would have used them instead. Even though these motors were rated as 36V and 600 Watts they came with a 35 amp controller, so about 1200 Watts max.
I eventually pushed them to 48V by adding a fourth SLA battery. Currently my Daughter-in-Law has one on the front of her trike using a 48V Ping and a friend has one on a one wheel trailer pushing a hand cycle and also using a 48V Ping. Both still using the original little 36V 35 amp controllers and still running on the original brushes.
They are heavy, close to 15 pounds. The one that pushes the hand cycle is in a 16" wheel and performs good. One complaint is that the brushed motors aren't very efficient, but when we go on long rides together he uses about 1/2 the Watt hours that I use, using under 10 Watt hours per mile at speeds between 10 and 15 MPH.
One of the pluses on these old motors is that they are super quiet. I couldn't tell when he was using his motor except when he quit cranking and his trike kept going.
Downside, I don't think anyone sells new brushed hub motors anymore.
I eventually pushed them to 48V by adding a fourth SLA battery. Currently my Daughter-in-Law has one on the front of her trike using a 48V Ping and a friend has one on a one wheel trailer pushing a hand cycle and also using a 48V Ping. Both still using the original little 36V 35 amp controllers and still running on the original brushes.
They are heavy, close to 15 pounds. The one that pushes the hand cycle is in a 16" wheel and performs good. One complaint is that the brushed motors aren't very efficient, but when we go on long rides together he uses about 1/2 the Watt hours that I use, using under 10 Watt hours per mile at speeds between 10 and 15 MPH.
One of the pluses on these old motors is that they are super quiet. I couldn't tell when he was using his motor except when he quit cranking and his trike kept going.
Downside, I don't think anyone sells new brushed hub motors anymore.
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