Greetings,

Do any of you have some good web sites for electric motors.

I am looking for a decent size motor (or motors) – bigger than those at Solarbotics and Sparkfun – bigger than the desktop “lego” robot projects but smaller then electric wheelchair.

In my mind while physical size is not the indicator I’m thinking a motor with a circumference bigger than your hand can completely grip – maybe the circumference of a coffee cup.

Do you know of some good sites for shopping various size electric (DC) motors for hobby uses.

Thanks
Sparky

 

By coincidence I was just working on the starter motor on my garden tractor, and it's more-or-less the exact size you described. You might be able to find such a thing easily near you. It'd be handy for hobby purposes to have a motor meant for 12v.

 

The older style photocopiers and printers are good sources for free motors. Usually it's not the motors that go bad when the printer dies, so they often still work. I got some that measured about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 3 inches long, and had a nice amount of power. What do you plan to use them for?

Regards,
Der Strom

 

while you don't list the amperage or voltage your looking for, cars are full of electric motors. A trip to a junk yard will get different sizes. Some motors in a car- wiper motors, heater motors, power window motors, power seat motors, and many more depending on the year and model.

Another source is junk home electronics. There you have record players, CD players, VCR's and tape decks. Even most of those are mains type things, the motors are mostly low voltage DC.

 

I don't have a definite project in mind - just looking to generically shop for motors - in reading Nuts and Volts and MAKE magazine I have the itch to tinker with a motor / robot / something / that is larger than a Lego robot but smaller than a wheelchair.

I guess I would like a 12v motor - with amperage unknown.

For the immediate I am just looking for web sites to shop - I would probably buy a medium size motor or two just to have - then just tinker.

 

I've bought several DC motors from All Electronics [# DCM-2413, DCM-130, ea 2.65" dia X 4" long ], & The Electronic Goldmine. Also I have 2 wheel chair motors, 22V, available for shipping.