BRUSHED, BRUSHLESS, and HUBMOTORS

COMBAT ROBOTICS MOTORS

Drive and Weapon Power for your Bot!

Repeat Robotics 2207 hubmotor 1800kv and 2400kv

Repeat Robotics Compact 1806 Gearmotor<br />

Brushed vs. Brushless?

One key decision is the type of motor. Need a quick rule of thumb? Use brushed motors when you want a simple, tough, plug-and-play drive. Use brushless motors when you’re ready to trade a little more complexity for more power and speed. Many builders start with brushed drive + brushless weapons, then move to brushless drive as they gain experience.

Brushed Drive: Simple, Tough, and Beginner-Friendly: Brushed motors remain the easiest choice for drive systems because they’re durable and predictable, and work with simple ESCs.
Brushless Power: Weapons—and now for Drives, too!: Brushless motors deliver huge power and efficiency, which makes them the standard for weapons. They’re also increasingly used for drives, but are a little more complex.

SIZE MATTERS!

For lightweight bots like fairies and plastic ants, use light N-series or 16mm gearmotors (N10/N20/N30) to keep weight down. For 1lb standard ants, 16mm gearmotors are the norm. Beetleweights usually move to 22mm+ motors drives

Match shaft size to abuse level: 3mm works well in fairies. Ants can use 3mm (or 4mm for ruggedness if you can afford the weight), 4mm is the common beetle standard, and 6 mm survives the hardest hits but add even more weight.

Make sure your wheel hub bore matches your shaft size!

HUBMOTORS

Compact Weapon Power

Hub motors don’t need belts, pulleys, or shafts—the weapon mounts directly to the motor, giving builders a clean design and instant power transfer.

Hubmotors are compact and tough, but the direct connection means big hits travel straight to the motor.

No belts are needed! You lose belt fragility, but you also lose the shock absorption belts provide—so weapon-on-weapon impacts can cause serious damage. They’re rugged, but not indestructible.

Hubmotors are brutal in the arena and incredibly effective. They’re starting to dominate the sport.

Not ready to design your own? Check out our hubmotor + blade combos for drop-in destructive power.