Futaba Servos

[Grimracer]

Just for the fun of it I went through the Futaba Servo. I get allot of questions as to what Futaba servos might be best for boats.

Here is what I came up with.

A note about this.. The servo had to meet the requirement of 6V.. if it did not it is not on this list. I also feel strongly about servo speed and “to fast” being a bad thing in a boat.. So most of my picks are slower servos, for the guys that don’t own radios that can adjust down the servos speed.

Least expensive to the most expensive. Here we go.

S148 – Around $14.00 – .22sec@42oz-in – Plastic gears - Good throttle servo as well as a good overall replacement for RTR boats.

S3010 – Around $23.00 - .16sec@90oz-in – Plastic gears - Higher power for faster smaller sport hydroplanes as well as just extra power for RTR boats.

S3152 (digital) – Around $30.00 - .18sec@87oz-in – Plastic gears – A good low cost choice for 20 riggers as well as light weight sport hydroplanes. Better centering for those twitchy little animals.

S3305 – Around $33.00 - .20sec@124oz-in – Metal Gear – A good low cost steering servo for sport 40 boats as well as B class tunnel boats.

S3102 – Around $40.00 - .20sec@64oz-in – Metal Gear – A great servo for any throttle application, also great for 3rd channel needles as well. A very good light weight servo for your little A boat too!

S3050 – (digital) - Around $50.00 - .16sec@90in-oz – Metal Gear – With its centering power its a very good servo for B class tunnels. Also a great servo for B and D hydro.

S3002 – Around $60.00 - .20sec@46oz-in – Metal Gears – Very good light weight choice for FE boats under 4S. Also good for you’re a class rigger or mono.

S5301 – Around $85.00 - .23sec@292in-oz – Metal Gear – A very good steering servo choice for E and F class hydro’s as well as twins and LSG boats. (standard spline)

S5050 – (digital) Around $100.00 - .20sec@264in-oz – Metal Gears – Large Size - The ONLY CHOICE for tunnel hulls 7.5cc and over. servo has a 8mm monster spline and can take the punishment of a large tunnel.

S9156 – (Digital) Around $120.00 - .17sec@340in-oz – Metal Gears – Got the wallet and want a servo in a standard case that CAN turn it.. Tunnel, Mono, Hydro Nuf said.

BLS352 – (Digital/Brushless) Around $160 - .15sec@250oz-in – Metal Gears – Got the wallet and want to impress your buddys.. This is the servo.

That’s it! If you have a favorite Futaba Servo let me know and maybe we can add it to the list..

Grimracer

 

[opio]

thanks for the info! good stuff here

 

[Don Ferrette]

9405- coreless motor, .11 sec, 100oz. around $65. My pick for 1/8 scale and 60 or under hydros. Better quality than the 3305.

BTW- 5301, which is my top choice for twins and LSG, is a standard spline output, not 8mm.

 

[RaceMechaniX]

The 9152 is also worth mentioning although it is an in between size and has an 8mm spline it packs a lot of punch. The case size is in between a standard and a quarter scale, but putts out 278 oz. The 8mm spline is a bit of a pain in the butt, but Air wild Hobbies sells some really nice billet arms just for this servo. I run these in a my X class boats and the hefty GX-2 gas rigger.

SPECS: Speed: .23 sec/60° @ 4.8V

.19 sec/60° @ 6.0V

Torque: 222 oz-in (16.0kg/cm) @ 4.8V

278 oz-in (20.0kg/cm) @ 6V

Weight: 3.0oz (85g)

Dimensions: 1.9 x 1.0 x 1.6" (49 x 25 x 40mm)

Output Shaft Diameter: 8mm

Distance between mounting hole centers same side: .55" (14mm)

Distance between mounting hole centers opposite side: 2.35" (59.6mm)

 

[Tim_Duggan]

Thanks guys,

For someone like me who's slowly going thru the process of upgrading to all Futaba servo's with each new boat, this is valuable info! Takes the trial and error out of it for me!

I've put the 9405 in my new 45 rigger and can't get over how good that servo is. So smooth, quiet, holds it's centre so well and it's so strong for a non-digital servo. Also putting a 3305 and 3102 in my Villain.

Tim.

 

[Grimracer]

Don.. your right.. i hosed that one up. let me fix it.. its the 5050 that as the large spline..

Grim

 

[byron westman]

what would be a great upgrade for the miss vegas .?

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Grim, are you saying you wouldn't use a 3305 in a scale boat? I bought three of them just for scales and sport 40s. I was thinking 100+ would be plenty of pull for a scale

 

[Grimracer]

Hydro,

They do work... I have them in both my scales. But.. i if i had to do it again i would use the 3050.

Grim

 

[Don Ferrette]

IMO the 9405 is a much better choice than the 3305 for a scale application (or for any boat application using standard case for that matter). The coreless motor in the 9405 is extremely smooth, very accurate and the case features better sealing to help keep out moisture. For me my boats are worth spending the extra $30 and I've always wanted the "good stuff" when it came to radio gear. One of the guys at Futaba Service told me that the 3305 was put out mainly for the car guys as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive hi torque models as they go through steering servos big time. With the cars one good shot into the wall and it's usually steering servo time.

I do not use digitals as I personally think they are not needed in boats and consume excessive amounts of power but that's my choice. I will say that I prefer no less than 100oz. or better and the 3050 is only 90 but again that's me.

 

[TERMINATOR]

IMO the 9405 is a much better choice than the 3305 for a scale application (or for any boat application using standard case for that matter). The coreless motor in the 9405 is extremely smooth, very accurate and the case features better sealing to help keep out moisture. For me my boats are worth spending the extra $30 and I've always wanted the "good stuff" when it came to radio gear. One of the guys at Futaba Service told me that the 3305 was put out mainly for the car guys as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive hi torque models as they go through steering servos big time. With the cars one good shot into the wall and it's usually steering servo time.
I do not use digitals as I personally think they are not needed in boats and consume excessive amounts of power but that's my choice. I will say that I prefer no less than 100oz. or better and the 3050 is only 90 but again that's me.

what do you recommend for my zippkit tunnel fo steering , they are saying like 600 oz in.??? sounds a bit crazy but that isa a big powerhead hanging on the back..

tk

 

[Don Ferrette]

IMO the 9405 is a much better choice than the 3305 for a scale application (or for any boat application using standard case for that matter). The coreless motor in the 9405 is extremely smooth, very accurate and the case features better sealing to help keep out moisture. For me my boats are worth spending the extra $30 and I've always wanted the "good stuff" when it came to radio gear. One of the guys at Futaba Service told me that the 3305 was put out mainly for the car guys as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive hi torque models as they go through steering servos big time. With the cars one good shot into the wall and it's usually steering servo time.
I do not use digitals as I personally think they are not needed in boats and consume excessive amounts of power but that's my choice. I will say that I prefer no less than 100oz. or better and the 3050 is only 90 but again that's me.

what do you recommend for my zippkit tunnel fo steering , they are saying like 600 oz in.??? sounds a bit crazy but that isa a big powerhead hanging on the back..

tk

I would check with Walt to see what he is using on the one he's building.

 

[LarryConrad]

what would be a great upgrade for the miss vegas .?

PT SS 21 J/K

 

[Rigged]

IMO the 9405 is a much better choice than the 3305 for a scale application (or for any boat application using standard case for that matter). The coreless motor in the 9405 is extremely smooth, very accurate and the case features better sealing to help keep out moisture. For me my boats are worth spending the extra $30 and I've always wanted the "good stuff" when it came to radio gear. One of the guys at Futaba Service told me that the 3305 was put out mainly for the car guys as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive hi torque models as they go through steering servos big time. With the cars one good shot into the wall and it's usually steering servo time.
I do not use digitals as I personally think they are not needed in boats and consume excessive amounts of power but that's my choice. I will say that I prefer no less than 100oz. or better and the 3050 is only 90 but again that's me.

what do you recommend for my zippkit tunnel fo steering , they are saying like 600 oz in.??? sounds a bit crazy but that isa a big powerhead hanging on the back..

tk

More like 1000+oz... Just about all ive seen being ran, everyone tried using standard (doubled up) servos, and have since gone over to the robotic setups.

http://servocity.com/html/spg805a_standard_rotation.html

 

[Grimracer]

Term,

Two or Three.. 5050's

Grim

 

[RaceMechaniX]

IMO the 9405 is a much better choice than the 3305 for a scale application (or for any boat application using standard case for that matter). The coreless motor in the 9405 is extremely smooth, very accurate and the case features better sealing to help keep out moisture. For me my boats are worth spending the extra $30 and I've always wanted the "good stuff" when it came to radio gear. One of the guys at Futaba Service told me that the 3305 was put out mainly for the car guys as a cheaper alternative to the more expensive hi torque models as they go through steering servos big time. With the cars one good shot into the wall and it's usually steering servo time.
I do not use digitals as I personally think they are not needed in boats and consume excessive amounts of power but that's my choice. I will say that I prefer no less than 100oz. or better and the 3050 is only 90 but again that's me.

what do you recommend for my zippkit tunnel fo steering , they are saying like 600 oz in.??? sounds a bit crazy but that isa a big powerhead hanging on the back..

tk

Air Wild Hobbies also makes a double and tripple inline servo tray. You could use two/three of your favorite standard case size servos:

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Grim, are you saying you wouldn't use a 3305 in a scale boat? I bought three of them just for scales and sport 40s. I was thinking 100+ would be plenty of pull for a scale

Hydro, I guess its just two-each-his-own!!

Don has some good points, and he does build some beutifull quality equipment.

But I think you should be safe with the 3305 in a scale for the steering, I have used one in my Coor's Light for more than 2 years, racing in Florida year round, no failures (knock on wood) and that is with the engine rigid mounted

 

[Daniel's Racing]

Don.. your right.. i hosed that one up. let me fix it.. its the 5050 that as the large spline..
Grim

No, the 5050 has standard Futaba spline. Own 4-5 of them they are great if you have the room for 1/4 scale. Also by the way the 3050's are notorious for dead shorting and

frying every thing in the radio box . Seen it about a half dozen times now. Total meltdown of the 3050, receiver, switch and battery. Total junk!! I am sorry I have about 8 of them running throttles only. They are to weak for most steering applications. They fry even when brand new, actually usually when new and never even been wet at all.

Here was just one of the meltdowns caused by a 3050.

Daniel