Introduction
The G-Force TS-120 Sensored Brushless Motor and Electronic Speed Controller (ESC). G-Force has been in the RC industry for many years with their focus on off-road racing. Now they are expanding to the RC Drift market. Driftmission was given the opportunity to test run this combo for RC Drifting. Thank you to Kita Hobby and G-Force for this great opportunity!
The TS-120A ESC features the latest FET of infrastructure wiring, ultra-high efficiency and low-Ω using a heat sink. The full aluminium body allows for greater heat dissipation with a fan for additional cooling. Here are the some features and technical specifications of the unit.
G-Force TS-120 ESC Features
- Made for 1/10 or 1/12 Scale Electric Vehicle
- Adjustable electronic timing (Boost, Turbo, and etc)
- Continuous/Instantaneous Current: 120A/760A
- Resistance Value: 0.0003 Ohms
- BEC Voltage/Current Values: 6V @ 3A
- Dimensions: 39x38x20mm (LxWxH)
- Weight: 45g (NO wires or fan)
- Motor Compatibility: Brushed or Brushless (Sensored or non-sensored)
- Power Requirements: NiMH (4.8V ~ 10.8V) or 2-3S LiPo (7.4V ~ 11.1V)
- Cooling Fan Operation: 8V@0.2A, MAX 12.6V
- Recommended for 2S LiPO use
- Wifi module for Android or Iphone (SOLD SEPARATELY)
- G-Force Link Program Box (SOLD SEPARATELY)
The G-Force Super Sonic Brushless sensored motor feature a sintered 12.5mm rotor providing the power for drifting. The rotor equipped with a strong 3.175mm shaft, which makes the new brushless motor extremely robust. Its application area is nearly unlimited as long as a 540 size motor can will fit. The Super Sonic Motor is enabled with adjustable timing and can be operated by sensored or sensorless ESCs. It has a sleek design for optimal cooling, check out the more specifications below.
G-Force Super Sonic Brushless Motor Features
- Sintered 12.5mm rotor
- Precision sensored or sensorless
- 2 sensor ports
- End bell heat sink design
- Dual ball bearings
- Three piece motor design
- Optimized for advance air flow
- Completely rebuild-able
- Aluminum Heatsink can
- Adjustable motor timing
- 540 sized motor can
Overall Quality
Out of the package this ESC and Motor combo is very impressive. You can really feel the weight and quality in the motor and ESC. The brushless motor has an aggressive look and is well vented for cooling. The motor terminals are recessed in from the end bell of the motor can, this position may hamper installation on certain chassis. We experienced some problems installing the motor into several chassis due to location of the poles. The motor terminals are very easy to solder the motor wires to. With 2 sensor wire is positioned so the user has choice to wire routing. Included in the package are some rubber sensor plugs to cover the un-used port, it is a good added touch by G-force. Overall a very high quality motor with an aggressive aesthetic look! The ESC is a full aluminium body for heat dissipation and durability. The ESC appears very similar to a Hobbywing V3 ESC, however the G-Force is much heavier. This really adds to the feel that this is a more robust, durable and reliable power plant for any high-end RC Drift chassis. Overall we are very impressed with the Quality of this product.
Overall Performance
We have installed this combo in a Yokomo Hyper Drive (SSG) DRB chassis. The pairing was an 8.5T Super Sonic Modified sensored brushless motor with the TS-120A ESC. Out of the box, the TS-120 ESC is un-wired and includes wires, a capacitor, cooling fan with screws, a connector cable and Japanese instructions. Soldering everything together is not a problem if you have previous soldering experience, otherwise seek help from a professional. The instructions presented a bit of a challenge, especially for calibration of the ESC. For English users you will find it handy to obtain the electronic PDF version of the manual and translating it from a translation service/app. Once you get past that, the G-Force Link Program Box is a great tool for setting up the internal ESC settings. This ESC has so many modes and settings that the program box is highly recommended to have. There is so much to adjust, after a month of testing we have not finished adjusting the ESC.
If we use the HW Xerun motor and ESC as the benchmark, we believe the G-Force performs as good if not better. The most noticeable was the throttle response. The power delivery is very smooth and response is very efficient. Even with back to back 2s Li-Po runs the ESC and motor performed very well. The motor was warm by the end of the cycle, the ESC was still very cool to the touch. The additional fan helps keep the ESC cool however sounds like a small jet engine when it starts up. Cooling is important so the sound is a small sacrifice. Overall we are very happy with the performance of this ESC and Motor combo from G-Force.
Overall Value
The G-Force TS-120A Advanced Timing System (Boost & Turbo) Competition ESC MSRP for ¥14,500 JPY. The Super Sonice 8.5T Sensored Brushless Motor MSRP is ¥7,600 JPY. The PROGBOX Link system MSRP for ¥2,800 JPY. The individual retail value is approximately ¥22,900 JPY. This is quite an expensive package individually so purchase as a full package is recommended. Electronics are very important for any enthusiast, especially in competition scenarios, reliability is a priority. This equipment is geared towards higher end consumers that seek high performance and highly configurable equipment for their top dollar chassis. This equipment is ideal for those that enjoy tuning their drifters to its maximum potential. Overall it is higher priced however at no sacrifice to quality.
Conclusion
We continue to be impressed by G-Force ESC and Motor combo. The performance of this combo is comparable if not better than other electronics in their price range, Keyence, Speed Passion and Hobbywing systems to name a few. This setup is recommended for the intermediate to expert level RC Drift enthusiast. Not only is it a good system, but it can only be as good as the user adjusting it. The adjustable settings for this ESC really requires some experience to know how it all works together. The aesthetics of the motor and ESC is very clean. The quality of the product is very evident once you un-box them, you really feel the difference from other budget brand electronics. We would recommend these motors to anyone looking to get new electronics. They are at the very least worth testing out. G-Force being a veteran in the RC off-road racing community, they are now entering the RC Drift market. The quality and design of their products reflect their desire to be competitive in the market.