I can remember back in the days before lipo batteries, I'm 55, and Deans were considered the go to best current flow connectors. Granted that was back when we were still running NiMh batteries that were only 7.4 volt and around 2200 mah. My how things have changed since then. I just got back into the RC Hobby in the last year or so. Needless to say I'm having a steep learning curve to getting used to lipo batteries.

Imagine being a company that doesn't sell your connectors to the public....Another reason to love Traxxas. Always putting the customer first....Lol

Great informative video! I switched all of my vehicles over from Dean's to xt60. I only run 3s in my crawlers and 2s lipo on everything else. The spring on the Dean's connectors we're wearing out and the batteries were coming unplugged. It gets old having to plug the battery back in five or six times in a bashing session per battery. XT60 is very easy to solder up, and easy to plug and unplug, even for kids.

I use to love XT90 but I’m slowly converting all my batteries and cars to the IC5. It’s a really nice connector like you mention, reusable, it is easier to solder in my opinion then anything else out there! And they snap together and stay put which I like.

The trick with the XT90 to make it easier to plug in is genius. Thanks 🙏

I dont see too many people mentioning how some Venom batteries come with XT60 but has included adapters that go to anything besides Molex.

I've switched all my big rigs like the xmaxx and Outcast 8s to XT150 and I'm very happy with them. They don't come unplug and unsoldered like the XT90 connectors did during big jumps. Thanks for the video as usual. Xt90 work great for my KAIJU and smaller rigs. I'll see if I keep those around.

Great overview of all the connectors out there.

As someone that used deans connectors for years, they can move more current than the 30 amps you claim. I used to use an Eagletree datalogger on my RC's and i have pulled more than 150 amps on a shot, on some RC's more than 70 amps continuous. I can't vouch for the knock offs, but i stand by the W.S. Deans as a great connector for most hobby grade RC stuff. I have used them on a brushless Revo (conversion before the E revo), on 6s and the connectors never got hot. setup was a Neu 1515 2.5D and a Quark 120 amp 6s capable ESC that was capable of pulling 1700 watts by the Eagletree datalogger. I will admit the spring could get loose, but i never had one slip out. Maybe I don't bash as hard as others, I also never tried anything above 6s, so can't attest to them handling anything higher than 6s.

Good informational video. What is your take on the qs8? As far as running an xmaxx? And also going with your having 1 connection for everything I understand that but would you put QS8s into something like a maxx or trx4? I wanna run 1 plug for everything but do I really run qs8 on a crawler or maxx?

The XT series of connectors are awesome, I've used XT60 connectors on my drones for almost a decade, never had a single problem with them. I use them a lot in my high voltage hobby stuff too, they're just great connectors in general for all sorts of uses. I like loose bullet connectors too for ease of use when I need some modularity.

Yup, same here. I love my IC5 for the 1/10 1/8 scale and IC3 connectors for the under 1/10 scale. They are worth the money. For all my 1/5 1/6 and my Raminator, I use QS8 150a connectors which are awesome. I wish they made smaller QS8 connectors like a QS6 or something. Great video, bro.

What do you think about the qs8 connectors? It the rc pro plus different connectors? Great video as always btw

I have been doing rc vehicles as well as emergency radio communication for 30+ years. For all hi current applications, I go to direct plugs. anything less, the XT60 has become the new standard. For Mini's, the XT30 has worked well. They solder up well and can be purchased in bulk now. good review.

I use a variety of plugs: TRX on my Traxxas R/C's, IC5's on my Arrma, Deans on my hand built Tamiya, and Kyosho's. If I had to choose only one, it would be the IC5's since the new Smart lipo charge system has made lipo's a little safer, and easier to care for.

Great video man. I use 300amp QS8 connectors.

Thus would have been perfect if it included rated amp draw per connector.

Our man, Razor, educating the new guys! 👍 If I'm using a connector in 2S/3S applications, still love the Dean's connector - near zero loss, small, light, inexpensive. Otherwise, XT60/90/150.

Great info and video

Razer RC Is it easy to desolder XT90s and get the cover apart for reuse? Also, are they difficult to unplug or plug? Do they stay plugged when jumping and bashing?

My Notorious came with the IC5 but I bought pack of EC5 when I bought the car because I knew I was going to end up switching them on something. I am a complete novice with soldering at this point and I think, for me at least, that the cup design of the EC5 is easier to put together than anything with tabs. They are very pretty connectors though. :-) In case it helps, the way I figured out to work with those bullet connectors is to drill a hole in a piece of 2x4 that's almost as deep as the bullet is long. That way I can just set the bullet in there and put the iron inside to heat it. Also serves as a great holder to insert the cable in when ready.

My axial scx10 ii I bought about 6 months ago came with a deans connector on it.

I use Traxxas connectors in everything. I would try something else but I’ve never had any issues with them. I convert all batteries and non traxxas ESC’s to TRX connectors off amazon. Easy to solder and assemble.

Odd long before youtube and all the internet experts I was/am using deans (real deans) and pull up to 60amps through them just fine. There is a difference and the people putting out bad info should do a little more research. Back in the day there was deans and tamiya, that is about it.

I put xt60s on all my cars 2 months ago so far ive had no problems i like them.

I still swear by XT90 for one major feature. XT90-S, or perhaps better known as anti spart. Spark suppression becomes more important at high voltage for a simple reason, it degrades the connector, both in the truck and battery. So kinda what’s the point in reusing connectors if after the first packs service life the damn esc connector is charred up. Plus, if I buy packs with ec5 or IC5 I can still use them with my XT90 males, but unless it’s a smart battery it’s getting snipped and having XT90 anti spark installed

I prefer XT90, Castle also have some nice connectors but they are very expensive!

Can't wait for the generic/aftermarket to start making IC2/3/5 Clones. HH is crazy for what they want to charge for these connectors!

Thanks great vid. Really amazed how bad the standardisation is in the RC ecosystem. Thought it would be much more mature by now.

That music is hilarious. Informative video!

The 6.5 mm polarized castle creations connectors are great, to bad nobody used them.

Gold bullets. 5.5mm, capable of huge current and makes you think properly before connecting. 8mm bullets are the shizzle for large-scale, multi Lipo rigs, speaking from direct experience. 😉

While I am in fact trying to use the same connector for pretty much everything as long as it can handle the current that is to be expected I'm currently designing a connector board to plug into my charger that has a bunch of different connectors on it to be able to charge almost EVERY battery in existence (my charger can charge a bunch of different types of batteries but tops out at 4S for Lithium ones) without having a whole clusterfuck of a wire harness to get in my way. The connectors are gonna be arranged in 1 or 2 neat rows and soldered directly into the board so they also can't move around. To avoid any shorts I'll probably make some kind of flat housing to cover the copper backing of my circuit board. I'm even considering drilling holes for ALL the currently available connectors so I can just go ahead and add them bit by bit. Coz buying them all at once right now would be too expensive for my taste. And then, whenever someone needs a battery charged, they can ask me nicely and then I can go right ahead and plug their battery into my charger and charge it for them, provided there's a power source available. And once that thing's finished I could in theory just go ahead and use whatever connector the new "device" and its battery come with.

I prefer ec5 the best. They are similar to xt90 in size but aren't a pita to unhook like xt90 can be. I recently soldered everything to ec5 and im happy with it

Very helpful video. I'm also fascinated to know what's going on with those thumbnails lol :D

Does the max amps related to the connector have anything to do with the max amps on the esc? For example, the ic5 max amperage is 120. Can that be used with an esc that is rated at 140amps (max10 combo /140amp)? I'm still not clear on that. IC5 can only be used with spektrum charges, is that right? Thanks!

I've had some Deans plugs melt on the Granite with 2S, had to switch back to an EC5. Changing plugs an a charged battery can be sketchy. :)

Great video! Wish you made this when I was getting into the hobby 😂

I use the xt90 because they can handle more power with low resistance but mostly because the larger size makes them easier to grab a hold of to plug in and un plug.

Great vid, very informative 👍🏼

Can I use a deans to Traxxas adapter for my 4S batteries ?

Hey man do you know if there’s a adapter from a ic5 to a xd60 anywhere on the internet? I’m trying to find one because I bought a $170 battery and I can’t find one!

Up until now i have used the direct method, or Deans T if using plug, but lately i started using XT60

I think the best connector which you did not mention is the Qs8 anti spark connector

Xt90 because I saw that video where he pumped a high amount (dont remember how much current but very high) current and it held up no problem. Proven.

I raced 8 scale 4s I have never seen melted deans.I like the spectrum connectors,but they are huge! And really don’t fit-well, and look ridiculous in 1/16 1/18 especially 1/24 scale I’ve tried them on my scx24 and I had a tuff time getting the body on.

It seems to be a common misconception among RC-hobbyists that the cell count of a battery (2S, 3S etc.) has something to do with the required current rating of the connector. The cell count determines the voltage of the battery, not the current and actually the same power (watts) can be carried with LOWER current (and so a connector with a lower rating) if the voltage is higher, power being current multiplied by voltage according to Ohm's law (so current=power/voltage). So on a 3S system the same power can be carried by a LOWER amp rating connector or alternately the same connector can carry 50% more power than on a 2S system. That's why higher power systems use higher cell counts instead of just bigger cells, it allows more power with the same current which means smaller connectors and thinner wires than if the same power was used with a lower cell count. If the power (wattage) remains constant higher voltage means less current (amperage) and thus less voltage loss and heat on wires and connectors. Of course real high power systems like large drones or helicopters tend to use both high voltage and high current. It's the same reason the national power grid uses higher voltages at greater distances, it allows them to get away with much thinner wires and smaller losses. The same thing with heavy equipment using 24V instead of 12V, twice the power capability with the same wires, switches, relays etc. As a mostly drone and helicopter guy my favorite connector is the XT-series, XT60 for smaller and XT90 for bigger models (my biggest is a six motor Sky Hero Spy 900 that uses a 8000 mAh 6S battery). Most batteries used in those come with XT style connectors. Also EC3 battery connector will plug into a XT60 vehicle, the same with EC5 and XT90 so a vehicle with a XT connector can use batteries with either XT or EC connectors and of course chargers etc. are also interchangeable.

I have never had any issues with deans connector 😕 however I'm in 3s only.

How many s in your lipo affects voltage Only. You can run 200amps at 2s. Amps=heat

IC5/ EC5 for my batteries and 6.5 mm bullets for my esc and motor connection.

I think traxxas is monopolizing lol however I couldn't be more happy with that connector the lipos I have ordered and gotten come with that connector also the hitec charger I have is insane and comes with the traxxas ready connector also so I'm stoked all in all I wish lipos would just plug into everything 😁👍and by that I mean plug directly into the esc/ motor.....direct power......drooling while saying this by the way lol

thanks man

I use XT150 and they never become unplugged during bashing and big air. They don't become unsoldered like my XT90 ones did. You just have to be careful when connecting them since you can do it backwards 🤣

Hey I was wondering if a ec3 male connecter can work with a ic3 female connector

😁👍Nice connector info bud...I only use the deans T plugs but that's because I have so many RC's I would love to swap everything to a newer style like the ec5's but no way I am unsoldering and re soldering all my esc's charger cables and batteries connectors it will take for ever! Most of my RC's don't have power hungry systems so I am ok with the T plugs. funny back in the day deans plugs where so good times have changed that's for sure....😜 Still better than using tamiya connectors though!

Why can’t deans be used on 4s ou 5s? They are rated 500v safe.

I'll go for the xt type be it 30, 60 or 90 for my rc aircraft....

Great video. It seems bizarre that HPI are still using Deans connectors on 6S-capable RC cars such as the otherwise still impressive Vorza Flux buggy.

You should have included powerpole connectors I still use those but I'm old school.

ic5 are my favorite they have good amp rating they are easy to plug in plus if you have a spektrum esc receiver motor and transmitter and battey like i do the smart tech in those works great through your whole car the trx is also goodd but its super hard to plug in and they come off some times in hard jumps

this is just my 2 cents b ut i think the xt60 is easiest to solder.

Team Corally 1/8 RTRs come with XT90s

Why does the new traxxas connectors on the new traxxas models look different?

Helpful thanks. Currently liking the EC5 because they are cheap and work with the Arrma IC5. Find the EC5 easier to solder than the deans plugs which I find a complete nightmare!

You are missing the XT150 connectors. They are so good and can very easy be split into two, to add batteries in series 👍 😃

my lipo has a deans connecter... Can i switch it to xt 90 or 60?

Nice video mate! I thought it was just my bad soldering skills but maybe it’s also because the EC5 can be tricky to solder! Just made another order of IC5 they are my new favourites too! Cheers 🍻

What happened to ur left thumb nail?

Deans smallest lightest !

I've never seen anyone at the track not running dean's on 8th buggies btw so it's baffling lol

Now if only they would make one with a clip so that it doesn't come apart while you are bashing. You know, like we had back in the days of common sense. The good old Tamiya connector.

Why do so many 4s lipos come with dean's plugs if every video on youtube claims they should be maxed at 3s? I have ran dean's on my 8th scales since I started rc and never had an issue but it bugs me knowing I should go bigger. But that's my issue all the other connectors are freaking massive and with most 8th scales or any race vehicle it's a pain in the ass to have a massive rigid connection under a body that is pretty low profile. I bought an ec5 for a 4s basher I had and it was so big it made me cringe . I couldn't believe how ridiculous it looked and it put hella strain on my wires because of its length I had to really bend my wiring to get it to sit where it needed to be under the body. Still haven't seen any connectors other than dean's that make sense. Only downside to dean's imo are it's so small u almost have to yank on the wires to disconnect since it's smooth and has no room to grab. Another thing why do people always at the ec5 is hard to solder? It's literally a plain jane bullet it doesn't get much easier lol dean's are a pain in the butt just due to the tiny size and how close the two posts are .

Damn, all I really wanted to see is if the small 3rd wore probe or connector is on the male (SEC/Charger) or female (battery) connector. You picked that IC5 connector about half a dozen times in 2 mins, but NEVER pointed the business end towards the camera so we could see if it's the probe or hollow end.

You Didn't Explain, On Each Connectors Amps?

I moved from the IC5's to the 6.5mm Castle Creations connectors for the increased amps (200 for the 6.5's)

I can advise everyone here even better connector, and the box of them is the price of those much favored IC-5. Being a professional Electrician, WAGO connectors are the best. And the box of 50 of them cost £15.00. Which is equivalent of just 2 IC5 connectors. Wago are reusable for the rest of your life, Never fail on connection, because they have a Shark-Teeth type Mechanism, and as for the amperage, they will exceed all of these RC (Childish) connectors. ;) Especially WAGO-221, Once you use them, You will never change to something else. And You don't even need to Solder anything at all. Search them, and you will love them. Kind Regards. Leo (Arch Tech & Eng)

5mm bullit connectors are the best by far

Best is xt60 and xt90

I will never solder any other connectors to any of my Rc,s other the ic3 ic5 best connectors I’ve used

XT-60 for all my crawlers

Why isnt he using the new traxxass connector? That one is pretty old

the best rc connector is xt60 he good 1

Nitrocrx?

Ic5

While I appreciate what youre trying to do with this video, Im not sure Id want to take battery connector advice from a person that has bullet connectors for his battery pack and thinks thats the same as a direct solder connection. Thats still a bullet connector bro. Also Deans connectors are not "low amperage" This is a myth perpetuated by people that use generic Chinese T-style connectors. REAL Deans connectors are capable of sustaining 65-80A loads for an entire pack. I have tested this using a high amperage discharger and a Hyperion data logger. I have tested them running 8S on my Kraton 8S multiple times without issue. Yes the springs can eventually get worn down a tad but so can bullet connectors. They operate on the same spring tension principal and just like bullet connectors the "spring" can be lightly pried upwards just a tad to restore any lost tension. It usually takes a long time for them to get worn down like that though. Most people that have that problem dont have a problem with the "spring" losing tension. Usually its because they got the connector too hot while soldering on the leads and caused a little play inside the connector housing. Theyre also only hard to solder for people who dont know how to properly solder to begin with. Anyone that knows how to solder properly wont apply heat to the solder tabs long enough for it to melt the housing. Im really sick of people spreading misinformation about Deans connectors.

Great video...but, not only is "just pick a connectors, and go with it" not always possible, bit it's also NOT a 'smart' idea. While such would be nice (it would make things a LOT easier for any given person), it's not realistic. Truth-be-told, I REALLY like the XT60 (which, interestingly, you didn't even bother to mention, despite the fact that it's probably the most commonly-used connector)...but, many smaller vehicles (crawlers, mini/micro vehicles, etc) don't have the available space. The XT60 isn't "large", but it is too big for these tiny vehicles. Going the other direction, something like the XT60 & EC3 don't have the power-handling capability of much larger vehicles/vessels, such as the DBXL-E, or FE boats, thus much larger (6.5mm, and larger) connectors are required.

I use three defeat connector traxxas EC5 and EC3 that because mostly my models are Traxxas and my radio control is spektrum DX6R and I mostly run crawler and basher and I'm learning about defeat battery's so as of right now I have made Adapter from either traxxas to EC5 or EC3 or the or way around because I have ten traxxas id batteries and I'm switching over to Spektrum Is technology and batteries if you know what I mean you can still buy traxxas connector or know off and I buy 100 at a time and traxxas sells traxxas id connector to but both connector plugs into each other and ic3 and EC3 are both the same plug just defeat color same with ic5 and ec5 are both the same just defeat color I'm with you with IC3 and IC5 connector but that because I'm switching over to Spektrum Technology I have the charger DX6R and I have been switching over my esc to Spektrum and batteries over to but I do have traxxas id DUAL battery charger to and much more batteries and I have been doing research about both traxxas and Spektrum batteries but I do know a lot of low quality batteries to and I know all about lipo batteries because I started with a Hitec charger and I just drive my clod buster around and Brushed my emax or erevo around now I have crawler and slash rustler so I still don't races yet but I do have a need for speed and with the spektrum DX6R it tells you everything if you pair everything spektrum but I do have other companies esc like my trx6 snap-on hauler has a GT Power Pro with built-in esc and Bluetooth lights engine sound Vibration so I would like to figure out what the best way to go

Bullet connector is better than anything that’s shown

Nothing comes with XT90? Except only the best RTR bashers such as corally and Hobao

Anderson Powerpole > all others.

You can accidentally blow up your expensive esc. That's a pretty freaking big downside!

That's an easy one, don't even have to watch vid, Ic3 or Ic5.

You are wrong about dean. High voltage means lower amperage. Please study Ohm's law before pass around wrong information

Deans plugs are NOT spring loaded

1:40 wtf is going on with that thumb. E.T. phone home type shit, goddam.