MGM 8S 25035 Review-I eat crow

Well, I have been using the MGM TMM 25035 8S Car controller for a while now and thought I would post a mini review. In the past, I have recommended staying away from MGM ESC's and have even posted some negatives.
I have to eat some crow and change my tune. The new E-series with the V6.32 firmware are fantastic. I have been running mine in a Savage Flux with a Neu 1521 1Y motor-using 6S and 8S packs. The 1521 is a real current hog, especially on 6S. The MGM stays warm, just warm, to the touch no matter how hard I drive it. And this is with no fans, just the external heatsinks. Even gearing up to 25/44 with Cen diffs, I can't get it to thermal. The old bizarre braking/reverse quirks are gone. Everything is smooth as can be with no strange behavior. Proportional braking and reverse work great and can be adjusted in software from a PC USB connection.
PRO's
1. Bullet proof-cool running, smooth running
2. PC USB and field card parameters programmable. Works flawlessly.
3. USB firmware updatability. Burn new firmware from the web.
4. Records max currents and RPM's and stores them in the ESC. You can hook up to your PC and see what amps you pulled on your last run.
5. No fans and still stays cool. 250A continuous, 300A for 5 seconds.
6. ESC's with car software up to 15S, yes 15S!
7. Fully customizable Lipo and A123 cutoff voltages.
CON's
1. No BEC, Opto only.
2. Expensive-my 8S was about $410
3. Have to send to official dealer in Canada (Icare-rc.com) for repairs. (Still better than sending to the Czech Republic!)

All in all, an impressive ESC. If you need over 6S and don't want to wait for Castle's HV Monster, then definitely give one of these a shot.

[lincpimp]

Ohhh, 410 bucks.... That is like 3 MMMs....

Glad to hear it is working well for you...

Was the crow tasty?

[BrianG]

Nice to hear. The quirks and price were the main reasons why I never considered them in the past. One issue down, one to go. If only they could lower their price a bit! I love the fact that they don't need fans (no surprise there I'm sure). I have a feeling a lot of BL companies are gonna have to lower prices if they want to stay competitive...

[nl12]

I burned 2 MGMs in my early brushless days, but I think I could put the blame more on me it was a MGM 160 amp 8s controler, and I was running 8s with a Lehner 2240 10turn, geared to 65mph. Now I would just run 8s, a Neu 1521/1Y geared to about 50, sounds similar to what you are running.

[Finnster]

Nice to hear. I still have my MGM 9032, but I need something to run it in. I always liked the esc, even w/ the former quirks. With those solved, its even better.

My esc was always solid and always dead cold. Robust contruction as well.

[magman]

I also have an older MGM this is still going strong...runs stone cold even in the summer.. It has a few quirks, but it is ok.

[suicideneil]

Quirks are what make things more fun/interesting...

Side note: is crow anything like humble-pie?...

[lutach]

I've been using the 1521/1Y with 5S and 6S and it's not a current hog. It was with 10S with the same gearing. So MGM has gotten everything working ok now I see.

Originally Posted by lutach

I've been using the 1521/1Y with 5S and 6S and it's not a current hog. It was with 10S with the same gearing. So MGM has gotten everything working ok now I see.

I think 10s with a 1521/1.5y would be the way to go....I have thought about that with my 8T when I feel I need another project to get the juices flowing....I might.....

[bdebde]

My 16024 has been excellent since upgrading to 3.23 version. I actually prefer it to the MMM for bashing in the Muggy (and no fan).

I have been wondering for a while, if MGM can make a ESC that doesnt require a fan and always runs cold why cant other companies do the same, they are pricey but there is a reason they are they use higher quality components..but at 4 bills you better be sure...I have been running a Castle HV 110 with the latest software and firmware with a pistix adapter for a little while now and it is very smooth setup for less than $250 the only negative is it has no brakes

[doo540]

Looks like Mike is out of stock on this controller, any idea were else they can be purchased from that is in good standing with this forum?

I wrote Mike about one, but he only gets them in batches. So, I went to icare-rc.com. They are in Canada and are the official North American dealer for MGM. They will also handle all repairs for you. Very reputable company that many heli and air guys have been using for years. Drop them an e-mail and they will order any ESC for you from MGM.

[doo540]

Thanks EE I checked their website before I posted but I didnt see the model I wanted listed. I will just email them as you suggested.
Thanks

[doo540]

420.00 plus shipping from icare-rc.com.
These things must have a very nice secret decoder ring with them.