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Gel blaster motors - Brushed vs Brushless
Are brushless motors worth the upgrade?
8/22/20262 min read
The motor is one of the components that defines how an electric gel blaster feels. Every time you pull the trigger, the motor drives the gearbox through its cycle—and differences in motor technology can affect responsiveness, efficiency, heat generation, and long-term maintenance.
For years, brushed motors have been the conventional choice for AEG-style platforms. They remain affordable, simple and effective. But as higher-performance builds have evolved, brushless motors have become an increasingly attractive option.
In this article, we will compare traditional brushed motors and the Solink v5 brushless motor, which you’d find in our top-tier competition builds.
A brushed DC motor uses physical brushes and a commutator to switch electrical current through the motor as it rotates. It is a proven and relatively simple design, which is one of the reasons brushed motors remain widely used.
For a gel blaster, a good brushed motor can still provide dependable performance without requiring the additional electronics found in a brushless design.
However, there is an unavoidable trade-off: the brushes are physical contact components.
As the motor operates, the brushes continually slide against the commutator. Over time, this creates mechanical wear and excessive heat, which is why blasters with a brushed motor may “lock up” and stop running temporarily under heavy use.
The Traditional Choice: Brushed Motors
Brushed vs Brushless Motors: What’s the Difference?
Enter the SOLINK v5
For our higher-end builds, the motor we use is the SOLINK v5 Brushless Motor, SOLINK’s current flagship brushless motor offering. Here are some notable features that make this motor our preferred choice:
Programmable RPM and Torque
SOLINK's v5 platform supports adjustment of both motor speed and torque characteristics with a motor programming card. However, the important part is not simply chasing the largest RPM number. Configuring the motor for the rest of the build is far more useful than running everything at maximum speed. More RPM does not automatically mean a better-performing blaster.
Anti-Reverse Function
The v5 also incorporates an anti-reverse function in the form of a unidirectional bearing, which means your gearbox will no longer need a reverse catch to prevent unwanted rotations in the wrong direction. This means smoother and quieter gear rotations.
Built-In Protective measures
The SOLINK v5 motor also features emergency-stop and overheat protection. These electronic safeguards are another major distinction between an advanced brushless motor and a traditional brushed unit. This upgrade will allow your blaster to operate under more strenuous loads without overheating and locking up.
While the SOLINK V5 is an excellent performance upgrade, it may not be the ideal choice for blasters running nylon gearbox shells and/or cast gearsets. Its high torque output can put extra stress on these components and may accelerate wear over time.
For builds intended to run the V5, we recommend upgrading to a machined gearbox shell and stronger machined gearset beforehand to create a more durable system capable of handling the motor’s performance.
Thinking of swapping to a brushless motor?
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