So here's the deal. I have gone through about 4-5 motors in the period of about a month and a half on my UMX P-51 Mustang from Parkzone. I know these motors are brushed motors, but I can't seem to get more than a week's worth of flying out of these things. I'm using the stock batteries. Is this normal? Or am I just having extremely bad luck with my motors? Thanks for the input.

I have had two go out on a UM-T28 within a month of getting it. That includes the time I had to wait to get the new motor in. Horizon Hobby sent me a new board so it might be that they think that it part of the problem. You might want to contact them. It could be the board or maybe the gear isn't spinning freely. I have had a Champ for 3 months or so and not had any problem with it even though I have flown it almost every day. I would contact Horizon. The way I did it was entirely web based and they responded by email the following Monday after I left the message on Friday.

Well I contacted them after my second motor died, and they sent me a brand new plane. This was fantastic customer service. However, my new one seems to be doing the same thing... I didn't know if these motors are just inherently weak and don't last long or what? I have a brushed motor in my Blade MCPX, and have well over 100 flights on the stock motor that is still running. I don't get it...

I used a failing brushed motor as an opportunity to upgrade to a brushless.
:-D

Originally Posted by Vince Herman

I used a failing brushed motor as an opportunity to upgrade to a brushless.
:-D

Same here when my P51 motor failed... (also much shorter motor life than either of my SU26s ,Vapor and Extra 300 motors, all of which are still going.)

lack of air cooling?
iv never had one but that is one of the things that kills a motor.

I'd say you are getting average life if you fly like me (fly 2-3 flights daily, max power, stunts, often in a hot day). Make sure that the Plastic main gear is good, no debris or worn down teeth. I have had a few fail even if I avoid high throttle. My Sukhoi has consumed probably 8 motors in the year I have had it. My Champ even burns the P51 motors out. My MCPX has its original (flown hard all year), it is a much better motor. I think helis have a steadier load on the motor than planes. My MSR heli uses a motor like the P51 and I got a year out of the first motor, flies at half throttle mostly. I'm working on Brushless into the Sukhoi now.

I have had gone though 7 P-51 motors. I run them in my Champ, P-51, Spitfire, and T-28.
One motor went bad on the 3d battery, one lasted until battery 10. The other motors have anywhere from 50- well over 100 batteries on them. I think it is a quality control thing. Only thing I started doing was to give about a 2 minute cool down between batteries on days the outside temp is much over 80 degrees.
If you take apart the bad motors you will notice the commutator (the part the brushes touch on the motor shaft) will be grooved really bad. That's usually what causes the motor to fail.

I had the grooved commutator, with a section of it missing. One motor burned the brushes off instead. Harder metal on commutator would help, or carbon brushes.