ProTek RC low profile servos: new naming scheme and lifetime gear warranty

Photo: ProTek RC (source)

American specialist ProTek RC is reorganising its range of low profile servos aimed at 1/10 racing. Nothing changes mechanically, but the brand’s four best-selling references get new, more readable names, and the whole catalogue now comes with a lifetime gear warranty.

ProTek RC low profile servos get a new naming scheme

The old naming stacked up suffixes (TBL, SS, T) with no obvious hierarchy. The new system clearly separates torque-oriented servos (LPT, for Low Profile Torque) from speed-oriented servos (LPS, for Low Profile Speed), the leading number acting as a marker of where each model sits in the range.

• PTK-300LPT (formerly PTK-160TBL) — high torque brushless low profile servo, described by the brand as the most popular racing servo in its catalogue. Retail price: $129.99.
• PTK-275LPT (formerly PTK-160T) — high torque metal gear low profile servo, designed for off-road as well as on-road, with more torque than the 215 for a slightly slower speed. Retail price: $109.99.
• PTK-215LPT (formerly PTK-140T) — high torque metal gear low profile servo with dual ball bearings, positioned for entry-level racing and club drivers. Retail price: $79.99.
• PTK-150LPS (formerly PTK-160SS) — super speed low profile servo, full aluminium case, 0.04s transit speed at 7.4V, full metal gears and dual ball bearings. Retail price: $109.99.

A lifetime gear warranty

This is the real news in the announcement: every ProTek RC servo is now covered by a lifetime gear warranty through AMain Hobbies. That carries weight in off-road, where the gear train is the first casualty of a bad landing or a hit on a track border.

Which model for which job?

On a 1/10 touring car or a pan car, where steering speed comes first, the PTK-150LPS and its 0.04s remain the in-house benchmark. In buggy or truck racing, where you need to rip the wheels around in the rut, the brushless PTK-300LPT and the PTK-275LPT are the logical picks, with the PTK-215LPT covering the entry level without giving up metal gears or bearings.