The Best Motors and Propellers for FPV Drones

There are so many choices when it comes to motors and propellers for FPV drone, it can be hard to decide. Here I will narrow down the options and give you my recommendations on the what I think are the best motors and props for 5″ mini quad.

The Best FPV Drone Motors

The “best motor” doesn’t really exist. Every motor performs differently, ultimately it all comes down to the application, your flying style and budget.

I do a little bit of both racing and freestyle, so I prefer motors that are flexible and “all-around”, but some motors are designed for very specific applications that you might want to consider.

To learn more about mini quad motors, here is a tutorial: Choose Motor for FPV Drone.

Flash Hobby SunFun 2207 2400KV (Cheapest Worth Having)

Product Page:

• Banggood
• Amazon

The Flash Hobby (previously known as DYS) Sunfun 2207 is a solid option for a budget first build. I used these motors for over a year and they performed brilliantly and reliably. I like the decent quality and competitive price, at only $11.3 a piece last I checked in November 2022. The only problem is they are not always in stock!

DYS aims to provide efficiency over power with the Sunfun motors, if you are new to flying FPV, the 2400KV version would be a great choice for 4S. This motor is also flexible when it comes to what propellers you can use, as it performs well on a wide range of props, even the heavier/higher pitch 5″.

EMAX ECO II 2207 (Cheapest Worth Having)

Product Page:

• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-6vdt
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-8mns
• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-zlmz
• NBD: https://oscarliang.com/product-vc8d

According to rumour, Emax is selling the ECO II motors at a lost, just trying to match the cheapest motors on the market. I found it to be believable because this motor is only $16! We have no way to prove it, but the Emax ECO II has been proven to be some of the best budget FPV motors over the years.

Perhaps not the best motor for raw performance, but you can’t really ask more as they are probably the cheapest worth having motors currently available. These are great if you are just starting out or want to build a basher. It’s also an extremely efficient motor if flight time is important to  you.

They offer 1700KV and 1900KV for 6S, 2400KV for 4S. They also do 2306 motor size too, but personally I prefer the bigger stator size 2207, it’s more powerful and responsive for the same price.

iFlight Xing2 2207/2306 – My Choice for Freestyle

iFlight Xing2 2306:

• RDQ: 1755KV | 2555KV
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-4v2v
• Banggood: 1755KV | 2555KV
• Amazon (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3F4dBQb

iFlight Xing2 2207: 

• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-2bz1
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-hzvo
• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-ag8w
• Amazon (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3OJa4v3

The Xing series from iFlight has to be one of the best FPV drone motors made in 2019, and now they have a new series in 2022 – the Xing2 which are even better. Apart from the distinctive and unique curved unibody motor bell that makes it super durable, the Xing2 2306 and 2207 motors also come with lots of great features. For example, a single piece titanium alloy motor shaft, robust 9x4x4 bearings, single-strand winding, and the damping ring between bell and bearing that improves durability.

The Xing2 is a powerful motor with high torque, which translates into responsiveness and snappiness in flight. For $21 per motor, you are getting a top tier performance motor that are normally sold around the $30 price range, making it extremely good value. I have been flying the Xing2 on my new Source One V5 build, and it’s one of the smoothest in my fleet.

The iFlight Xing2 motor line-up offers many different KV depending on what LiPo voltages you plan to use (4S or 6S), propellers and flying styles. For 2207, there are 1855KV (6S) and 2755KV (4S), for 2306, there are 1755KV (6S) and 2555KV (4S).

BrotherHobby R6 2207 – Well Rounded Performance

Product Page:

• Banggood
• RDQ
• Amazon

The Returner R6 2207 by BrotherHobby is a great designs with EZO bearing and titanium shaft, yet the price is very reasonable for a high quality motor that offers extremely smooth and efficient performance.

BrotherHobby continues to improve the Returner series motors, in the new R6 they have introduced some remarkable improvements, for example the larger and more robust ball bearings for extra durability, and the knurled motor bell top, to keep the prop from slipping without over-tightening the prop nut.

T-motor F60 PRO IV (Great For Racing)

Product Page:

• Amazon
• Banggood
• RDQ
• GetFPV

This is one of the most powerful motors on the list, capable of producing over 1900 grams of thrust in static testing. However it’s also extremely power hungry. It really shines on ultra-light builds which is why many top pilots use this motor for racing.

T-Motor brings improvements in every iteration of the F60 series, and we are now in the 4th generation. A lot of details have been redesigned such as the steel shaft, silicone wires, internal pin-hole, and it’s now using silicone steel sheets. All these changes to reduce the motor weight by 9% from the predecessor! There are now different KV for 4S, 5S and 6S.

Ummagawd Aerolight 2004 (For sub-250 5″ Builds)

Product Page:

• GetFPV (1600KV & 2400KV): https://oscarliang.com/product-hs11
• RDQ (1600KV): https://oscarliang.com/product-tv3n
• RDQ (2400KV): https://oscarliang.com/product-o4je

Under 250 grams 5″ builds are becoming a trend, and Ummagawd is one of the pioneers in this field. So I thought I should include motors for this new class, the Aeroflight 2004 is used exclusively in his sub-250 5″ build. Currently the most popular motor size for this drone class is 2004, and typically having 2400KV for 4S, 1600KV for 6S.

Choosing Motor Sizes

Motor size depends on the all up weight (AUW) of your drone.

2004 is great for sub250 5″drones.

2204 and 2205 motors are great choices for ultralight FPV drones (around 250-350g AUW). Any heavier, these motors will struggle due to the lack of torque.

I will probably put 2206 and 2305 in the same class due to the similar stator volume. These are great for slightly heavier builds, e.g. 300 – 400g.

Both 2306 or 2207 are great for typical 5″ FPV drones as they can handle the widest range of propellers and can handle heavier builds with GoPro camera mounted on, (500g to 650g). Generally speaking, 2207 are slightly more powerful and has a more linear throttle response, while 2306 is less aggressive and might feel a bit smoother in the air which might be preferred by some  freestyle pilots. (see the 2207 vs. 2306 comparison for more info).

Racers might use even bigger motors on their 5″ such as 2506. The bigger stator volume translate into better responsiveness in flight which is a desired characteristics in racing.

It’s important to understand that there are many factors other than just motor size and KV when picking a motor.

The performance is also determined by the motor build quality and design features (air gap, magnet strength, stator lamination, winding etc.) Two motors of the same size made by different manufacturers will very likely to perform differently. I explained all these factors in more detail in my tutorial how to choose Motor for Quadcopters.

What Motor KV Should You Get?

I explained what KV is here: https://oscarliang.com/quadcopter-motor-propeller/#kv

The different motor KV is determined by the the number of wraps in the stator winding. The rest of the hardware should be the identical.

First of all you need to decide if you want to use 6S or 4S LiPo batteries. Motors that support 6S would have 1600-1900KV, while 4S motors would have 2300-2800KV. Currently 6S is the more popular option because it puts less stress on the battery and voltage sag is less.

And sometimes there are two KV options you can choose from in that KV range. For example, 1600KV and 1900KV for 6S, and 2450KV and 2700KV for 4S. The higher KV option is usually more aggressive and more power hungry, while the lower KV option is more conservative and efficient. It all depends on your flying style and application.

The Best Props for FPV Drone

Similar to motors, propellers are designed for different purposes, the pitch, shape and material all play a part in performance and flight characteristics. Here is a propeller buyer’s guide explaining all the basics of FPV drone props.

HQ 5×4.3×3 V2S (Best for Freestyle and Cinematic)

The “smoothness” of the prop plays a big part in how well the drone flies, and how much we can push PID and filters in tuning. Propellers that produce less vibration will inherently have an advantage in that regard. The weight distribution of the blade and overall weight of the whole prop also matters, the easier it is to spin up and slow down, the faster it is to change RPM, which translates into faster response of the drone and better “propwash” handling.

I am not sponsored by HQ, but I have tried all the major propellers brands and found HQ props to be smoothest and easiest to tune. They just seem to be more balanced and cause less vibration than others. Also I have had better luck with triblades than twinblades when it comes to achieving smoothness.

Product Page:

• Amazon: https://amzn.to/3dlBRDF
• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-9yhl
• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-5lqa
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-v2u8

I love the HQ 5×4.3×3 for its linear throttle response, which gives me very precise control through the whole throttle range. The responsiveness and grip are just awesome, the quad feels snappy and connected to the sticks.

Gemfan Hurricane 51466 (Best for Racing)

For a good racing prop, responsiveness and thrust output play a big part. To be responsive, the prop should be relatively light weight, and the weight distribution of the blade has to be optimized in order for RPM to change quickly.

Gemfan Hurricane 51466-3:

• RDQ
• Amazon
• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-51z8
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-cn2c

The Gemfan Hurricane is a great performer in the high end of your throttle, lots of punch and very smooth, but perhaps slightly less precise in the lower end. They have reinforced hub and meant to take a beating around the race course. Bent props? Just bend it back and keep flying!

HQ 5.1×2.5×3 (Best for Long Range)

For a long range rig, efficiency of the propeller is definitely one of the most important factor in order to achieve long flight time. HQ 5.1×2.5×3 is an extremely efficient props based on my static thrust tests.

Product Page: 

• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-rwfl
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-ipbz

DAL Cyclone 5045C (Great for Training)

Not necessarily the best propellers in any of the above categories, but they are cheap, durable and offers decent performance, it’s good enough for daily practice and bashing around.

Product Page

• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-81e9
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-hzrz
• Amazon

I flew the DAL Cyclone all year back in 2018, I still remember I had these on a quad and I didn’t have to change a single prop for weeks! The blades are quite “meaty” hence it can take some beating without breaking. Even when it’s bent you can just bent it back and keep flying.

These are very “versatile” propellers, and work well on a wide range of motors, that’s what I like about them. The only thing I don’t like, is how punchy they are in the lower end throttle, making the quad a little too “jumpy” when trying to go through small gaps.

These are cheap and tough, I think they are good option for people who are still mastering the sticks.

HQ T5x3x2 – For Sub-250 5″ Builds

Product Page:

• Banggood: https://oscarliang.com/product-llmc
• GetFPV: https://oscarliang.com/product-oe2l
• RDQ: https://oscarliang.com/product-58rm
• NBD: https://oscarliang.com/product-mnv6

Great option for 5″ class that is under 250g (e.g. paired with 2004 motors).

Edit History

• Mar 2017 – Article created
• Jul 2017 – Added Returner R4, F40 III, Retired F60, Champion 2205, T2 2206
• Dec 2017 – Added Returner R5,
• May 2018 – Added Returner R6, Sunnysky Edge Racing, Dragonfly Hurricane, and options for ultralight racers and 6S builds
• Sep 2019 – Updated product listing
• July 2020 – Updated motors and added props
• Mar 2022 – Updated products
• Sep 2022 – Updated Propellers