Like most things in this hobby, motors come with their own range of stats and acronyms. Let’s break them down:
The first thing to look for is the size, described by 4 numbers. The first two denote the diameter, the second two give you the height of the stator (the windings) inside.
So, for example, a 2306 motor is 23mm in diameter & and has a 6mm tall stator. Bigger motors have more low-end punch but they tend to be harder on batteries.
The other key stat is the KV rating. It describes the number of times the motor will spin per minute per volt applied to it. So a 2400KV motor will spin at 2400 RPM per volt, so at full throttle, on a typical miniquad, it's spinning at nearly 40,000 RPM!
2400 to 2500kv is a typical place to be for a race or freestyle quad running on 4S. If you go much higher, you run the risk of pushing your motors, ESCs and batteries too far and need to run less aggressive props. Unless you are competing in races at a level where you don’t mind landing with a sausage shaped battery after two and a half minutes that is!
Lower kv motors come in to their own when you are running a higher voltage battery, like 5 or 6S. Remember kv is revolutions per minute per volt so a 1750kv motor on a 6S pack gives you virtually the same overall prop speed only with higher efficiency. But that’s another post all together...
If you look at our Motors section, you’ll notice quite a range in price. The more you pay the better motor you get in general - better bearings, windings and overall build quality - but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a good motor for a steal. We only carry gear we can vouch for so even our cheaper motors will perform well and take a knock - just not quite as well as the more premium options.
So the bottom line if you’re just getting started: 2400 to 2500kv, 2206 or 2306 motors on a 4S pack is a great place to start.
As always, if you have any questions or comments, leave them below, use our contact form or get in touch on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
Happy flying, Simon