Product Spotlight – Graupner/GM HGM SOR +T S4088 Brushless Servo
You know, it isn’t easy finding a high-end servo for a decent price. Harder still is finding a high-end water resistant servo at a reasonable price point. If you are in the market for such a servo, have a look at the Graupner/GM Racing HGM SOR +T S4088. The 4088 is loaded with high-end features, including being water resistant, and comes in at under $80. After taking a look at one, we had to grab it and see just how well it worked. Does it have plenty of power? Is it fast? Can it hold up to hard bashing? Keep on reading to see what we found out…
From: Graupner USA
Direct Link: HGM SOR +T S4088 Brushless Servo
Review By: Cubby
Pictures By: T-Mohr
Quick Specs-
Water Resistant- Yes
Metal Heat Sink- Yes
Real Time Telemetry- Yes
Operating Voltage- 4.8 to 7.4 volts
Speed- 0.11/60° sec at 7.4V
Dynamic Torque- 173 oz-in at 7.4V
Weight- 70 grams
Motor Type- Brushless
Output Shaft- 25 tooth
Gears- Metal
Frame Rate- 20Hz-400Hz
Digital Or Analog- Digital
Bearings- Yes
Dimensions- 40 x 20 x 40.4mm
Part Number- #S4088
Price- $79
Set-Up Notes- We installed the Graupner in three different vehicles. For testing we used a Pro-Line PRO-SC Buggy, a Vaterra Halix monster truck, as well as an ARRMA Typhon buggy. For control we used both a Graupner X-8E and a Spektrum DX6R. Power was supplied by 2 to 6S worth of MaxAmps and Dynamite LiPo batteries. Lastly, we always ran the servo along with a Castle Creations speed controller.
How It Drives- We found that the Graupner drove quite well. No, it isn’t the fastest or most powerful servo on the market, but it is a huge upgrade over RTR servos and had a nice smooth range of motion. Sweeping the servo through its entire range showed how smooth it was across the board. Our test drivers tended to describe the feeling of driving with the Graupner as “natural”. For torque it had more than enough for our Vaterra Halix. That was no small accomplishment as our Halix was not only severely overpowered, but also had large aftermarket tires on it. Overall, for its specs and price point, we thought the Graupner drove incredibly well in a variety of different applications.
Durability- Yes, our test unit still lives! We slammed numerous pipes, hit curbs, and drove like maniacs, yet the Graupner soaked it all up without issue. We didn’t strip any gears and it drives as well today as when we received it.
Misc Notes-
Some servos are super quiet, some are a bit louder. The Graupner is on the louder side of things. It isn’t crazy loud like some servos, but we noticed more noise with it than most.
The Graupner has a very attractive aluminum case. You typically find metal cases on higher-end units, it was nice to see one on the Graupner. By the way, it doesn’t continue all the way up to the mounting ears, the top of the case is made from plastic.
Heck yes, the servo takes 25 tooth servo horns! This is highly preferable to 23 or 24 tooth servos.
Unlike some servos on the market, we experienced no browning out of speed controllers while using the Graupner.
Another big feature the Graupner has that most don’t at its price point is a brushless motor. The brushless motor made the servo feel smooth, as well as drawing less power from the battery.
How does it fit? The Graupner is properly sized to fit most 1/10th and 1/8th applications. We didn’t have a problem fitting it into any of our review vehicles.
Final Verdict- We found the Graupner/GM HGM SOR +T S4088 to be a rock solid servo. It drove well and took our typical bashing without a single problem. Yes, we can highly recommend it to you.
