LEGO Motors
There are presently three different LEGO Technic Motors, all of which
use a 9v power supply and use standard LEGO style electical connectors.
- Standard Motor. This motor is available in #8720 Power Pack, or individually
from S@H as #5114. It is a high speed, low torque motor and has been the
general workhorse of the Technic line for many years. Most of the motorized
sets (#8480, #8485, etc) included this motor. It draws about 100 mA during
normal operation, 450 mA when stalled.
- Micro Motor. This motor is a very compact, low speed, medium torque
motor. It is not sold as part of a Power Pack set, but is available from
S@H as #5119, and has been included at least one Technic set (#8480) and
an occasional LEGO System set. This motor does not have enough power to
be used as part of a drive train, but can be used for some auxilary functions.
- Gear Motor. This new motor was introduced with set #8479 Barcode Truck,
and is also available as #8735 Power Pack, or individually from S@H (#5225).
This motor has internal gear reduction and a flywheel. As a result, the
motor is medium speed with high torque, and runs very smoothly. I highly
recommend using this motor whenever you can. It draws only 10 mA during
normal operations and draws 250 mA when stalled.
The original Expert Builder motor (from set 960/870) is a 4.5v motor
and uses a different style of power connection. It is not directly compatible
with the Handy Board unless you use a motor power supply separate from the
9v NiCad pack powering the board. Another early Expert Builder motor (set
880) used a 12V supply and the same connectors as the 960/870 motor.
Note: S@H is short for Shop at Home, LEGO's mail order
service for the U.S. They carry sets not available in the general retail
stores, as well as spare parts kits. They can be reached at 1-800-453-4652.
