Tamiya 72101 Gear Head Motor and 64-mm Sponge Tire Set

The Tamiya 72101 gear head motor and sponge tire set is part of Tamiya's new line of products designed specifically for robots. The 380-size motors are substantially larger than the 130- and 260-size motors found in the smaller Tamiya gearbox kits, making this drive set capable of moving medium-sized robots weighing up to approximately 10 pounds. The set consists of two motors with gearboxes, two aluminum mounting brackets, two hubs, and two wheels, along with assorted mounting hardware.

For a similar item with larger off-road-style wheels and tires, see the Tamiya 72102 gear head motor and pin spike tire set.

The larger motors in the 72101 set require a more powerful motor driver capable of driving in excess of 10 amps (the stall current is about 12 A at 7.2 V). The Pololu dual high-current motor drivers are a good match for these motors; we recommend the VNH2SP30 version due to its higher performance and current sensing option. Please note that although the 380 motors look like the 540 motors typically used in 1/10-scale radio control models, the 380 motors are substantially smaller than the 540 motors.

Basic Specifications

• Recommended voltage: 7.2 V (6-cell Ni-based pack)
• No-load speed: 242 RPM
• No-load current: 0.67 A
• Stall current: 12 A
• Single motor + gearhead weight: 180 g
• Wheel dimensions: 40 mm wide x 64 mm diameter