Castle Creations Warranty Service Canada - granaded 1717 1650kv on 6s :(

[TL01magic]

Heya all, my 1717 1650kv just grenaded on 6s. The rotor wrapping somehow gave out. even had sensor hooked up, temp at lowest setting, torque control set to about 50%. brutal imo

anyways, I fillled out claim and I didn't get an RMA number, just a message to ship it to castle with receipt (wtf, I just provided the image am not going to make a photocopy....how the hell? DO I go to an Amish town for photocopying services?

in addition says technician will inspect....uuhhh why are we doing this sending in motor, receipt internationally just for what...a smidge of extra confidence is not a "scam"?


speaking of confidence, I went with much more pricey CC specifically because thinking it meant better quality all around. shafted on both fronts here.

How about, go to store you bought it from and they'll vet the warranty return and we'll work it out with their inventory.....the intent of "hurdles" is clear.

just a note for any non-usa residents looking to venture into CC gear.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

There is a pretty long list of posts here on the forum specifically about the 1717 (1650kv) having issues blowing out the kevlar wrap on the rotor.
Seems there was an issue on that specific motor as it is not as common with other ones.

I also see many people recommending this motor for bashers which makes me wonder if they revised it after the first few batches? Hard to say, but my TP motors always work great!.

For bashing - Max6 combo (almost no warranty but never seems to fail)
For speed - Castle ESC + TP Power motor = best combo in my book.

 

[TL01magic]

There is a pretty long list of posts here on the forum specifically about the 1717 (1650kv) having issues blowing out the kevlar wrap on the rotor.
Seems there was an issue on that specific motor as it is not as common with other ones.

I also see many people recommending this motor for bashers which makes me wonder if they revised it after the first few batches? Hard to say, but my TP motors always work great!.

For bashing - Max6 combo (almost no warranty but never seems to fail)
For speed - Castle ESC + TP Power motor = best combo in my book.

Thanks for letting me know,

makes sense is common as I only run 6s and keep toque way down.

I would be surprised if the motor got to 60% max RPM ever.

very disappointed for a first venture into the CC realm of stuff and things. must be in US warranty is fantastic, honestly pretty upset at the idiocy of mailing this thing internationally and waiting apparently until late october to run it again....with winter the following month.

Surely all that is a TOTAL unknown to CC and they have no understanding of the impact such timelines for warranty claims would have on the frequency of (international) warranty claims.

gunna go wash the stink of burnt epoxy and kevlar off my hands now; and put the RC's away until next year...because Castle Creations

 

[Diem Turner]

Thanks for letting me know,

makes sense is common as I only run 6s and keep toque way down.

I would be surprised if the motor got to 60% max RPM ever.

very disappointed for a first venture into the CC realm of stuff and things. must be in US warranty is fantastic, honestly pretty upset at the idiocy of mailing this thing internationally and waiting apparently until late october to run it again....with winter the following month.

Surely all that is a TOTAL unknown to CC and they have no understanding of the impact such timelines for warranty claims would have on the frequency of (international) warranty claims.

gunna go wash the stink of burnt epoxy and kevlar off my hands now; and put the RC's away until next year...because Castle Creations

FWIW, I live in Germany and I've tried both routes. I tried warrantying an MMX8S myself by sending it to Castle only to get told that it doesn't fall under warranty (no reason given) and would cost me $130 to get a replacement. Begrudgingly, I paid the $130. I got lucky on this one as they mistakenly sent me an XLX2 back...though I wouldn't assume that this happens on a regular basis.

I warrantied an XLX2 through the hobby shop I bought it from, they sent it to Castle and I got a replacement at no charge.

Both processes took about two months, so there was no time saving by running it though the HS. Both paths had their pros, though one was surely just a case of good fortune on my end.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Thanks for letting me know,

makes sense is common as I only run 6s and keep toque way down.

I would be surprised if the motor got to 60% max RPM ever.

very disappointed for a first venture into the CC realm of stuff and things. must be in US warranty is fantastic, honestly pretty upset at the idiocy of mailing this thing internationally and waiting apparently until late october to run it again....with winter the following month.

Surely all that is a TOTAL unknown to CC and they have no understanding of the impact such timelines for warranty claims would have on the frequency of (international) warranty claims.

gunna go wash the stink of burnt epoxy and kevlar off my hands now; and put the RC's away until next year...because Castle Creations

Definitely sucks and at their price point they should be better.
In general, I don't ever recommend castle motors. I like them for the XLX2 esc and that is about it.

 

[Diem Turner]

Definitely sucks and at their price point they should be better.
In general, I don't ever recommend castle motors. I like them for the XLX2 esc and that is about it.

So far it appears that I got a good 1717, though I've only spun it up to around 30k RPM.

Though I have no experience with it personally, the 2028 seems a solid choice in big block motors. The 1721 has been really good to me and, seeing how the rotor is constructed, I wouldn't expect any failures on that front plus, I think it's reasonably priced for the performance it offers.

 

[TL01magic]

FWIW, I live in Germany and I've tried both routes. I tried warrantying an MMX8S myself by sending it to Castle only to get told that it doesn't fall under warranty (no reason given) and would cost me $130 to get a replacement. Begrudgingly, I paid the $130. I got lucky on this one as they mistakenly sent me an XLX2 back...though I wouldn't assume that this happens on a regular basis.

I warrantied an XLX2 through the hobby shop I bought it from, they sent it to Castle and I got a replacement at no charge.

Both processes took about two months, so there was no time saving by running it though the HS. Both paths had their pros, though one was surely just a case of good fortune on my end.

That's the hic up I don't get. Why am I presumed a scammer first off and need to front the loss. imo is CC loss and they should bridge the time gap. if LHS has the inventory, give me one and CC credit the LHS. done. and am happy and confident in brand. as is, there is zero benefit for the premium cost, less a handful of ESC features.

going just on motors, a QC issue with rotor wrapping is laughable imo and total childsplay. they maybe tops in ESC PWM programming...but that is it....period. to piggy back that competitive advantage onto RC in this purely marketing perspective is...a great way to get a customer once.

am thinking CC is a group of old lads from early programming days

am foreseeing this costing me about 1/3 the cost of a new motor at retail (and about half a used 1717) plus no more RC this summer. about 1250$ in summer toys put away because castle cannot ensure a 220$ electric motor's rotor is properly wrapped.

I think I need to put this crap aside for now, is more upsetting the more I rationalize it; feeling like an idiot having bought Castle Creations gear and being outside the US.

 

[Diem Turner]

That's the hic up I don't get. Why am I presumed a scammer first off and need to front the loss. imo is CC loss and they should bridge the time gap. if LHS has the inventory, give me one and CC credit the LHS. done. and am happy and confident in brand. as is, there is zero benefit for the premium cost, less a handful of ESC features.

going just on motors, a QC issue with rotor wrapping is laughable imo and total childsplay. they maybe tops in ESC PWM programming...but that is it....period. to piggy back that competitive advantage onto RC in this purely marketing perspective is...a great way to get a customer once.

am thinking CC is a group of old lads from early programming days

I'm with you on most of this. As to your first question, my first guess would be that they've had a large enough percentage of scammers that it became prohibitive for them to just give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Don't see it as a personal sleight against you. They don't know you from another customer who might have used their product way outside of safe parameters and need to verify before wholesale RMA'ing everything sent to them.

As for the zero benefit for the premium cost...while this probably holds true in >98% of all applications, when it comes to speed running Castle is pretty much the only game in town as there is no other ESC other than the XLX2 that will deliver 600A+ for any amount of time. While this may not be a "feature" in the traditional sense, it's certainly a feature of the product you won't find anywhere else for anywhere near the cost. Unless you want to go MGM but then you're looking at prices several times that of the XLX2. The data logging feature is an indispensable plus when analyzing cars running on the edge of what's possible. If that's not something that benefits you then yes, there are probably better options for your use case.

The wrapping on the 1717 seems to be an issue as there is no shortage of exploded rotors, so I think they should show more leeway on that front. Totally agree with you there.

I've been really happy with my Castle ESCs and motors. Is the RMA process with them unwieldy, unnecessarily lengthy and probably doesn't go in favor of the customer as often as it should? Almost undoubtedly yes. This will, of course, be infuriating if it's your only motor or ESC and will put you out of commission for two months, maybe more. So perhaps their worth as a manufacturer should be given the caveat, "if you have a spare" for the above named reasons.

Being a codger myself, I'm not going to hold it against them if they are

 

[slick2500]

That's the hic up I don't get. Why am I presumed a scammer first off and need to front the loss. imo is CC loss and they should bridge the time gap. if LHS has the inventory, give me one and CC credit the LHS. done. and am happy and confident in brand. as is, there is zero benefit for the premium cost, less a handful of ESC features.

going just on motors, a QC issue with rotor wrapping is laughable imo and total childsplay. they maybe tops in ESC PWM programming...but that is it....period. to piggy back that competitive advantage onto RC in this purely marketing perspective is...a great way to get a customer once.

am thinking CC is a group of old lads from early programming days

am foreseeing this costing me about 1/3 the cost of a new motor at retail (and about half a used 1717) plus no more RC this summer. about 1250$ in summer toys put away because castle cannot ensure a 220$ electric motor's rotor is properly wrapped.

I think I need to put this crap aside for now, is more upsetting the more I rationalize it; feeling like an idiot having bought Castle Creations gear and being outside the US.

I think your best bet is to just buy a Hobbywing 4985 1650kv motor and once you get he Castle back just use it as a backup.

 

[TL01magic]

I'm with you on most of this. As to your first question, my first guess would be that they've had a large enough percentage of scammers that it became prohibitive for them to just give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Don't see it as a personal sleight against you. They don't know you from another customer who might have used their product way outside of safe parameters and need to verify before wholesale RMA'ing everything sent to them.

As for the zero benefit for the premium cost...while this probably holds true in >98% of all applications, when it comes to speed running Castle is pretty much the only game in town as there is no other ESC other than the XLX2 that will deliver 600A+ for any amount of time. While this may not be a "feature" in the traditional sense, it's certainly a feature of the product you won't find anywhere else for anywhere near the cost. Unless you want to go MGM but then you're looking at prices several times that of the XLX2. The data logging feature is an indispensable plus when analyzing cars running on the edge of what's possible. If that's not something that benefits you then yes, there are probably better options for your use case.

The wrapping on the 1717 seems to be an issue as there is no shortage of exploded rotors, so I think they should show more leeway on that front. Totally agree with you there.

I've been really happy with my Castle ESCs and motors. Is the RMA process with them unwieldy, unnecessarily lengthy and probably doesn't go in favor of the customer as often as it should? Almost undoubtedly yes. This will, of course, be infuriating if it's your only motor or ESC and will put you out of commission for two months, maybe more. So perhaps their worth as a manufacturer should be given the caveat, "if you have a spare" for the above named reasons.

Being a codger myself, I'm not going to hold it against them if they are

Thanks Diem, and that's a great point regarding spares. While the warranty round trip time is silly, I can mitigate by having spare stuff. as an RC enthusiast with a short outdoor RC season am aware of this.

regarding my old programmers comment am meaning how that aligns with this style of warranty service. (mail it in, we'll inspect it and decide, and that may take months) just seems in line with programmer / technician customer service. (no knock on their skill set, 1000 times over I'd trade my useless accounting knowledge for EE or programming lol, in fact in the context of necessities of life, after farmers comes EE & programmers imo)

Anyways thanks again for rounding out my rant, a large part of my pissed off'd'ness is related to the RC down time and as you highlight is something I can action.

I'll get a spare CC motor (that was just for the laughs)

I will shop up sensored motors of this size and KV. Fingers crossed there is something similar out there.

 

[Moirae]

It actually really sucks. I had to wait like 2 months just for them to send me a bill. To make it even worse, they won't even let you deal with them online. You HAVE to call and talk to them to get your warranty taken care of. I hate talking on the phone to people, especially when I'm already angry they're trying to charge me for warranty in the first place.

I've literally not called them for a month now. Even thinking about just not paying the 100$ because if I have to deal with them on the phone I'm going to be nasty and I don't want to put some employee through that. I have at least 13 castle esc's so I feel like I deserve the damn benefit of the doubt when it comes to warranty.

Horizon Hobby has zero problems sending me a new esc when their trash blows up. I dread the day when one of my mmx8s need a warranty.

 

[TL01magic]

It actually really sucks. I had to wait like 2 months just for them to send me a bill. To make it even worse, they won't even let you deal with them online. You HAVE to call and talk to them to get your warranty taken care of. I hate talking on the phone to people, especially when I'm already angry they're trying to charge me for warranty in the first place.

I've literally not called them for a month now. Even thinking about just not paying the 100$ because if I have to deal with them on the phone I'm going to be nasty and I don't want to put some employee through that. I have at least 13 castle esc's so I feel like I deserve the damn benefit of the doubt when it comes to warranty.

Horizon Hobby has zero problems sending me a new esc when their trash blows up. I dread the day when one of my mmx8s need a warranty.

oh that's lovely, I tried calling but cannot because is an international call and I use prepaid. I'll need to pay for phone time specifically to call them.

I was sarcastic in my email to them; I highly suspect they will not reply to it (it was just little digs here and there, laughing a a rotor wrap QC issue and such)

I think your best bet is to just buy a Hobbywing 4985 1650kv motor and once you get he Castle back just use it as a backup.

Thanks for the suggestion but am set on a sensored set up; surprising since this 1717 grenaded but about half the time am just trail walking the mojave.

one of those all in one motors would be cool I think, actually never used HW sensored but their marketing seems to say it's really good.

 

[Diem Turner]

It actually really sucks. I had to wait like 2 months just for them to send me a bill. To make it even worse, they won't even let you deal with them online. You HAVE to call and talk to them to get your warranty taken care of. I hate talking on the phone to people, especially when I'm already angry they're trying to charge me for warranty in the first place.

I've literally not called them for a month now. Even thinking about just not paying the 100$ because if I have to deal with them on the phone I'm going to be nasty and I don't want to put some employee through that. I have at least 13 castle esc's so I feel like I deserve the damn benefit of the doubt when it comes to warranty.

Horizon Hobby has zero problems sending me a new esc when their trash blows up. I dread the day when one of my mmx8s need a warranty.

I feel ya brother but, to your point...do they know that you have 13 Castle ESCs? All in all we're just another brick in the wall.

oh that's lovely, I tried calling but cannot because is an international call and I use prepaid. I'll need to pay for phone time specifically to call them.

I was sarcastic in my email to them; I highly suspect they will not reply to it (it was just little digs here and there, laughing a a rotor wrap QC issue and such)

Thanks for the suggestion but am set on a sensored set up; surprising since this 1717 grenaded but about half the time am just trail walking the mojave.

one of those all in one motors would be cool I think, actually never used HW sensored but their marketing seems to say it's really good.

Perhaps the 1520 should be considered as an option. It has roughly the same specs as the 1717 and I haven't seen any grenading examples of it as yet (could be attributable to a low market share percentage but that's just speculation on my part). Have you considered spending the extra coin on a 2028 (I haven't heard of a a single one of those going kaplooey yet though that would almost certainly entail moving up to 8S to compensate for lower KV) or the 1721? The 1721 has a stainless steel rotor sleeve and you could just gear it a lot lower or just run it on 4S instead. True, it comes with no warranty at all. But if you take a look at it...this motor is a thing of beauty. I've been loving mine. Plus you get the added benefit of an 8mm shaft. Granted, its intended use is speed running and I have yet to see anyone use it for anything other than so I can't really say how it performs outside of its intended use. I suspect it's possible that it might have thermal issues. Just some food for thought.

 

[Moirae]

I feel ya brother but, to your point...do they know that you have 13 Castle ESCs? All in all we're just another brick in the wall.

Perhaps the 1520 should be considered as an option. It has roughly the same specs as the 1717 and I haven't seen any grenading examples of it as yet (could be attributable to a low market share percentage but that's just speculation on my part). Have you considered spending the extra coin on a 2028 (I haven't heard of a a single one of those going kaplooey yet though that would almost certainly entail moving up to 8S to compensate for lower KV) or the 1721? The 1721 has a stainless steel rotor sleeve and you could just gear it a lot lower or just run it on 4S instead. True, it comes with no warranty at all. But if you take a look at it...this motor is a thing of beauty. I've been loving mine. Plus you get the added benefit of an 8mm shaft. Granted, its intended use is speed running and I have yet to see anyone use it for anything other than so I can't really say how it performs outside of its intended use. I suspect it's possible that it might have thermal issues. Just some food for thought.
View attachment 235415

To be fair I said in my original warranty claim that I had a lot of castle escs and this was the first time I've ever had a problem with one of their products. 2 months later I get a 100$ bill and them telling me I need to call or they won't proceed with my warranty claim further. I email them back basically asking why I'm being charged, and the girl had the nerve to send me the same exact email msg again. Implying I'm not getting any answers unless I call. It actually really pissed me off lol.

 

[TL01magic]

oh wow that is a nice looking rotor! So CC has a sensored speed run motor...interesting! I guess makes sense because high gearing cogging and needing to use sensored to get it going.

It is much too much motor for my use, though the kv would be okay. even the 1717 is like twice what I actually need. (my fans only kick on like half the time).

 

[Diem Turner]

To be fair I said in my original warranty claim that I had a lot of castle escs and this was the first time I've ever had a problem with one of their products. 2 months later I get a 100$ bill and them telling me I need to call or they won't proceed with my warranty claim further. I email them back basically asking why I'm being charged, and the girl had the nerve to send me the same exact email msg again. Implying I'm not getting any answers unless I call. It actually really pissed me off lol.

Good grief...this. THIS is why I hate people and have no friends (well, technically I have one friend but that's so close to zero...lol...)

oh wow that is a nice looking rotor! So CC has a sensored speed run motor...interesting! I guess makes sense because high gearing cogging and needing to use sensored to get it going.

It is much too much motor for my use, though the kv would be okay. even the 1717 is like twice what I actually need. (my fans only kick on like half the time).

I hear ya. Maybe look into an unsensored TP motor. They're great bang for the buck (they're great motors full stop but their pricing really is fantastic for what you get) and a lot of folks on here rave about the 4070 1700KV motor for off-road use.

 

[TL01magic]

Good grief...this. THIS is why I hate people and have no friends (well, technically I have one friend but that's so close to zero...lol...)

I hear ya. Maybe look into an unsensored TP motor. They're great bang for the buck (they're great motors full stop but their pricing really is fantastic for what you get) and a lot of folks on here rave about the 4070 1700KV motor for off-road use.

Thanks Diem, I'll look into them. I suppose eventually I'll be ending up with a proper crawler so maybe a non-sensored TP would work out for me

 

[Diem Turner]

Thanks Diem, I'll look into them. I suppose eventually I'll be ending up with a proper crawler so maybe a non-sensored TP would work out for me

Wait...did I get this thread confusioned with another one? I didn't realize we were talking about crawlers

For a proper crawler take a look at Hobbywing AXE550 combos (the 3300KV is supposed to be amazing) or, if you really want something predestined for the application, take a look at outrunner motors. On those the rotor is actually the outside of the motor that turns (hence the term outrunner). They provide the most amazing low RPM control of any motor I've ever seen. They're fascinating. Holmes Hobbies comes to mind. They make great products.

 

[bracco]

Heya all, my 1717 1650kv just grenaded on 6s. The rotor wrapping somehow gave out. even had sensor hooked up, temp at lowest setting, torque control set to about 50%. brutal imo

anyways, I fillled out claim and I didn't get an RMA number, just a message to ship it to castle with receipt (wtf, I just provided the image am not going to make a photocopy....how the hell? DO I go to an Amish town for photocopying services?

in addition says technician will inspect....uuhhh why are we doing this sending in motor, receipt internationally just for what...a smidge of extra confidence is not a "scam"?


speaking of confidence, I went with much more pricey CC specifically because thinking it meant better quality all around. shafted on both fronts here.

How about, go to store you bought it from and they'll vet the warranty return and we'll work it out with their inventory.....the intent of "hurdles" is clear.

just a note for any non-usa residents looking to venture into CC gear.

CC has great customer support. Give them a ring and explain your concerns and they will address them. They have been more than fair with me with my 2 warranty claims I made with them in the last year.

 

[Greengaunja]

Man, and I thought HobbyWing's warranty sucked monkey balls!
I actually bought 3 AXE motors for my crawler. Know why I didn't warranty?
The way warranty is worded, you send motor to them and they have FINAL say if it's valid or not. But they were "nice" and did me a "favor" by telling me they offer a one time replacement fee at 50% of cost. Then they got back and said they noticed I was in Canada so it was a "little" different. I had to pay $70US, pay to ship the old motor to California, and pay shipping to have the new one sent back. By time I added it all up, it's was $20CAD MORE then just buying it. And God knows how long to receive it.
I sh1t you not, I went through TWO 2100kv AXE motors in less than 2 months because the 3mm rotor shafts kept snapping. Finally settled on a 3300kv, which had a 5mm shaft. Last two motors were sold to me at cost by my LHS because they couldn't fathom the reason behind why HW did me a "favor". They stated outright that they knew for a fact I had meshed it too tight or had a "binding issue". Here is where it gets funny, after my first broke my LHS went over everything to see if that were possible. Driveshafts were smooth and bearings new. But the kicker was HW failing to tell me how I could possibly set mesh too tight.
See, I have a SCX10.III. Meaning it's IMPOSSIBLE to mesh too tight with the way the motor mount works. It's either meshed or doesn't go together due to mount holes designed for pinion tooth counts. At best, it meshes too loose if you screw that up.(those who have it, try it. My LHS showed me).