Futaba HPS-CT500 Servo - BANG FOR THE BUCK!
Futaba HPS-CT500 Servo
5/11/21
There’s quite a few of us who have been waiting for Futaba to drop their latest servo. In the past few years, Futaba has been making some serious waves in the R/C Drift Scene. When I think of the top electronics for R/C Drift, the Futaba 7PXR Remote, the Futaba GYD-550 Gyro, and the Futaba HPS-CT700 Servo come to mind.
The HPS-CT700 is Futaba’s flagship drift servo and quite honestly is the absolute best servo I have used for drift, hands down. While adjusting the settings via the 7PXR on the fly, I can mimic just about any servo on the market right now, and also do things others can’t. But enough of the HPS-CT700, we are here to talk about his little bro.
Enter the HPS-CT500 Servo. What can I say, I am pleasantly unimpressed. WAAAAAIT UP!!! What? Read on.
The HPS-CT500 Servo is obviously the little bro to the big daddy, the HPS-CT700. As soon as you see it, it has the same size and shape, but instead of the really nice aluminum housing, it has a LIGHT WEIGHT plastic housing. The HPS-CT500 is 10g lighter. The specs are impressive as well. When compared to the CT700, the CT500 is slightly faster at .06 vs. .07, but with less torque at 291.6 oz/in vs. 416.6 oz/in. I personally feel both exceed anyone’s servo needs for drift.
There’s more! The HPS-CT500 is also fully programmable via the S.Bus if you are using a 7PX or 7PXR (possibly a 4PM as well?) With the programming options Futaba gives us, the HPS-CT500 can mimic the other servos being used for drift right now, and can be further tweaked to meet any needs you may have. The theme with Futaba lately has been about customization, and this servo does not disappoint.
Tonight I put in my settings from my HPS-CT700 and it was amazing! When I say I was unimpressed, I meant it. I admit, I am spoiled by my HPS-CT700 servo, and I have come to expect the performance and feel I get from it. Changing to the HPS-CT500 servo, I did not skip a beat. In fact, if someone swapped it out, without my knowledge, I have to say I wouldn’t have even noticed a difference. I did a session tonight and my chassis felt every bit as dialed as it always does. This servo felt “Normal” to me, and that means it feels every bit as good as it’s big bro.
My conclusion. At this moment, I believe the Futaba HPS-CT700 is the best servo for R/C Drift. (IMO of course) The main drawback has been the hefty price tag. The Futaba HPS-CT500 gives you that performance and programmability at a more wallet friendly price point. I personally will still opt for the CT700 as the .01 transition speed isn’t noticeable for me, so I will take that added torque, but I would not hesitate for a second to run a HPS-CT500 Servo. It is easily a close second to what I consider the best servo on the market for R/C Drift. The HPS-CT500 Servo is definitely a winner and a top contender. For anyone weight conscious, this may very well be the top choice above all. At a projected sub $200 MSRP, it really packs a good bang for the buck.
Check it out here!
SEE YOU ON THE TRACK!