Colgate has entered the slot car world through its toothbrush business. The Colgate Motion toothbrush, its motor shown above front and center, can be bought at stores all over the USA and Canada.
Now, in the land of slot cars, we are used to seeing long can motors, referred to generically as type FK-180, priced from $12.00 to $32.99. Colgate provides an economical alternative, with two AAA batteries (and the rest of the toothbrush) included. Price for the toothbrush with motor and batteries is only $5.00.
Once relieved of its toothbrush, a sample motor tests at 20,240 RPM/12v, with fairly high torque at 317 gcm/12v. Maximum power output is 16 Watts at 12 volts. Comparable-performance slot car motors are the Avant Slot Hunter, BRM T-RS, Ninco NC6, Ninco NC12, NSR King 21, Slot.It Boxer 2, and Spirit SxXx. Some are slightly more powerful, some are slightly less, but this is a well-established power niche that now has a low priced alternative. More motors like this may be found on the Slot Car News Motor List.
The Colgate Motion motor has a fully enclosed case, so magnetic downforce is nil. Holes in the can end are threaded for 2mm screws, the shaft length and diameter is the same as the dedicated slot car motors, and there is a tiny oil hole in the bearing cover on the brush-tab end. Any standard pinions will fit.
Club racers have found this motor to be fast, reliable, and long lasting under race conditions.
7 comments:
A few people local to me have been using them they seem to be very good on the track.
Do you think this will cause some of the aforementioned brands to lower there motor prices? Motor prices have been creeping up and up and now there is a very cheap alternative.
A handful of people using this motor will not cause anyone to lower prices. I do think prices from most companies have crept up too high.
I doubt this will affect prices of the limited production runs from slot car manufacturers. I'll bet Colgate sells a many of these in a day as are sold in a year, in dedicated slot car form. Slot car manufacturers must pay the motor manufacturer more per motor than Colgate pays, given the huge numbers it buys.
But, it could stir up some conversation, to which manufacturers do listen.
This toothbrush motor seems very similar to the motor found on the 406 silluoette from spirit...
cheers
Is the motor shaft a standard slot car size or do we need to resort to jiggery-pokery to get our pinions to fit?
The shaft is 2mm diameter, just like most slot car motors. All standard pinions will fit.
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