How to choose servos?

[Sasha Zee]

Hi guys. I don't know anything about servos. How to choose good ones (both throttle and steering) for a 1/8 nitro truggy?
What characteristics do they have? What to look at during comparing? Any brand suggestions? I'm investigating the topic at the moment, but the majority of reviews are dated 2010 - 2014 which looks outdated to me. Looks like it's not quite popular topic for discussion compared to other.

Thanks in advance for any help and advices!

 

[Sasha Zee]

Found a lot of useful information in this thread. My bad, was not attentive enough so missed it at first. This board really has tons of useful and interesting info

 

[DXtreme1]

Need new servos already? I would start off replacing the steering servo first. Your Losi Truggy has a big motor with tons of torque. Did you find the steering a lil lazy? That's what I felt when I put in the bigger motor on my TMaxx. I replaced the steering servo with a Spektrum S6230. They have a more powerful servo but I'm glad the S6230 worked out since the more powerful model is over a $100. The new servo really moves the truck now. It's very accurate and fast. I actually had to dial out some of the speed. When you change over the servos you will have to adjust your end points and your trim if your radio has it. You will also need to use a servo arm with the correct spline(teeth)count when installing the servo. If your servo arm is plastic try upgrading it to aluminum to minimize any slop on the steering if it's available.

 

[olds97_lss]

Knowing what it is your putting it on helps us to help you. Also what your doing with the rig helps. If your bashing, then speed may not be as big a priority as strength or being waterproof. Also where your at for budget. Servos can range from $20-$300 depending on what your aiming for.

As a basher, I stick with $50-$90 servos for most of my needs. Always metal geared, always waterproof or water resistant with o-rings. I also try to stay below .18sec speed @ 6V. Much above that just feels slow, even for a basher. For MT's, I try to go with 200oz/in torque for steering and t/b, since the brakes really give a servo a workout, a more stout servo lasts longer and does a better job stopping a 15lb MT at speed.

 

[Sasha Zee]

I'm to assemble my first kit, its a 1/8 nitro truggy, so I'm in the middle of choosing parts. As I don't know how to drive, at first it'll be mostly bashing. But I want and plan to go into racing in the future and practice more on tracks (if I find one -- there're no tracks in my neighborhood).
I think I want Savox 2274 servos. Based on reviews, they're quiet good and specs show good characteristics @7.4V. And I think I want Futaba 4PV radio. I also considered Spektrum, but Futaba is available at my local shop. Moreover, many people say Spektrum has issues.
Well, now I have 2 more questions: 1) is it allowed to run @7.4V if participating in championships? 2) What battery to use? I've read in reviews, that Arrowmax LiPo 6000mAh 2S TC - 7.4V 130C/65C AM700102 is good, but I have no idea how close this battery is to what is required. Maybe it's for electric and I don't need so much power for servos and receiver? But what power do I need then?

 

[DXtreme1]

I have the Futaba 4PV and according to the reviews has the best range currently along with the high end 4PX until their super high end 7PX model comes out using the T-FHSS SR tech. The 4PV with the included receiver is HV rated so it will accept 7.4 volts with no issue however for Nitro It may be overkill I would recommend a 6v Life and 6v NiMh. LiFe being the better of the 2. It's smaller, lighter and produces a bit more power and will more user friendly compared to LiPo especially since its will only be used to power the receiver and the servos. Savox is a really good brand, along with the higher end Spektrum, Futaba, Airtronics and Hitec servos. The higher end Spektrum has a removable within harness and you can use the standard or longer wiring harness if needed and it makes maintenance easier since you can unplug it on the servo end and keep the leads intact and plugged in on the receiver side. It also means should you damage the wiring harness you can just get a replacement one and keep the servo still.

If you have questions regarding the 4PV including accessories let me know.

 

[PatL]

Knowing what it is your putting it on helps us to help you. Also what your doing with the rig helps. If your bashing, then speed may not be as big a priority as strength or being waterproof. Also where your at for budget. Servos can range from $20-$300 depending on what your aiming for.

As a basher, I stick with $50-$90 servos for most of my needs. Always metal geared, always waterproof or water resistant with o-rings. I also try to stay below .18sec speed @ 6V. Much above that just feels slow, even for a basher. For MT's, I try to go with 200oz/in torque for steering and t/b, since the brakes really give a servo a workout, a more stout servo lasts longer and does a better job stopping a 15lb MT at speed.

Unless you're a basher like me... I like to see how hi & far mine can fly. Need speed! Lol

 

[Certified Mike]

@PatL. You should take a look at some of @olds97_lss vids some time!!! He's got the speed and flight thing down pretty good!!!
As far as purchasing the servos, RESEARCH after carefully considering your realistic needs. If you are still learning how to drive, bashing will certainly be a big part of it! I would go with metal gears and waterproof for sure. Then a happy mix of speed and torque that aligns with your budget. Servos will follow you from kit to kit as long as you buy the right ones. They are not something I would try to compromise with. To spend $75 on a servo that is close to your needs in stead of saving up and spending $100 to meet or exceed your needs just seems silly to me. Buy it once and you'll be happy for years to come. I also recommend that whatever you are looking at, READ PRODUCT REVIEWS!!! The specs can often look great on paper but some can be very power hungry or perhaps have some 'minor flaw' that can be a big problem for some vs others. Its worth your time to learn the product BEFORE you buy!!!