Good price on NEMA 23 Steppers on eBay

[cfellows]

These seemed like a really good price to me so I bought 4 of them. 12V, 1.5amp, 8 ohms per phase. I had already bought one and I was impressed with the size and quality so I went back and bought 3 more. Price for 3 with shipping as $35 and some change.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Stepper-Motor-NEMA-23-4-wire?item=300714535316&cmd=ViewItem&_trksid=p5197.m7&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26itu%3DUCI%26otn%3D4%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D8675981065616671495#ht_500wt_1202

Chuck

 

[RonGinger]

It depends on what you want to do with them. For CNC they are very poor motors. There has been a real revolution in step motor design a few years ago. The modern motors have square bodies, not round. The square shape itself is not important, but it is evidence the motors are of the new magnetic design.

The are significantly better motors- as much as 3 times the speed and torque as the old round motors.

The other spec is the voltage- a 12v spec indicates it will be a poor motor with modern chopper drives. You want a motor with a low voltage, say 1-2 v, then drive it with a chopper and about 24x that voltage- 24-48V to get max speed out of the motor.

The seller says "This is a very power full motor. I cannot recall the torque but believe it to be in excess of 150 in. oz." I think hes wrong- I bet they are not more than 50in-oz.

A good, modern motor much better for a CNC application can be as low as $20. I like to get motors form Keling, http://www.kelinginc.net/StepperMotor.html

 

[cfellows]

Well, now you know how much I know about Steppers... :-[ But thanks for the clarification, Ron, always appreciated.

Still, I think these will work as hobby motors for me to fool around with. If not, well, I didn't sink that much money into them.

As interested as I am in CNC, I just don't think I would ever have a use for it. Plus, I have a suspicion that CNC could quickly become a money pit for me.

Chuck