How much do you spend a year for motors?

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How much will you spend in total for 2013 motors?

  • 0 - $99

  • $100 - $249

  • $250 - $499

  • $500 - $749

  • $750 - $999

  • $1000 - $1999

  • $2000 - $3999

  • $4000 - $5999

  • $6000 - $7999

  • Over $8000

Results are only viewable after voting.
Viperfixr

Viperfixr

Born Again Rocketeer
Joined
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I was putting together a motor buy list and endlessly debating some of the options. This motor buy should last me for at least a year...I hope. I've also noticed that with each new rocketry year and motor buy, I tend to spend more...now I am looking at a $1500+ buy plan :)jaw:) and I am wondering if I am alone in spending this much. I am sure some spend much, much more--but I am curious where the average is for TRF group.

So, the question is simply, how much do you realistically think you will spend in 2013 total on motors of all kinds, brands and types (*not* where you buy them or what brand). This includes EX as well. And, if you can, explain in the comments below what reasoning you use to plan your purchases. Do you plan by rocket, or do you just buy motors without specific flights/rockets in mind? What process do you use to decide?

I promise not to turn over your voting choice to your spouse!
 
Personally, I'll probably spend ~350-400.

Now for my school research project, that totals around 1800.
 
I spent 2-3,000 last year, and now I have some 75 Hardware so... I'm going to try to keep it down
 
I have a pretty deep inventory, but i try to learn something from every design and flight. A lot of budget goes to test motors before I unlease the beast. I tend to keep the final flight envelope in mind when I stock up, but the lower powered test motors I buy as needed as they tend to be all over the board. Some fellows buy just enuff for the day and other friends try to stay one launch ahead. I stock up enough so if the vendor(s) don't show, I'm still flying. I really can't justify "M" motors to the wife, so I stay with 29-38's pretty much. Like most of the folks here, I couldn't fly my entire stable even on a three day weekend launch. Just a 7 motor cluster will punch a $300 hole in my wallet.
 
This year I need not only to stock up on MPR motors but also LPR so I'm looking at around $120ish for motors this year.
 
I just got my little nephew into rocketry last year, so I probably spent around $200 in BP... maybe the same with MPR composites.

My guess is probably a tad more this year. Unless I get stupid and get my L1 cert.... :)


Jerome
 
3rd month of the year and spent $3200 so far. Jack G. is probabally happy to see my number come up on the phone...


All the best, James


edit: Usually look ahead to flights and buy motors to fit the profile.
 
Viperfixr said:
I was putting together a motor buy list and endlessly debating some of the options. This motor buy should last me for at least a year...I hope. I've also noticed that with each new rocketry year and motor buy, I tend to spend more...now I am looking at a $1500+ buy plan :)jaw:) and I am wondering if I am alone in spending this much. I am sure some spend much, much more--but I am curious where the average is for TRF group.

So, the question is simply, how much do you realistically think you will spend in 2013 total on motors of all kinds, brands and types (*not* where you buy them or what brand). This includes EX as well. And, if you can, explain in the comments below what reasoning you use to plan your purchases. Do you plan by rocket, or do you just buy motors without specific flights/rockets in mind? What process do you use to decide?

I promise not to turn over your voting choice to your spouse!
Click to expand...


almost as much as the airforce has spent on you on new insignia..... LOL
 
Motors total over $1,000 without trying hard. With last season's acquisition of my L2, this is only likely to escalate. We typically fly locally LPR and small MPR, and get out to launch the HPR only twice a year or so--when we do, we (I) tend to bring everything that'll fit.


Later!

--Coop
 
Optimistic on my $750-$1000. I spent more than that last year. Hoping that I live off inventory a bit.
 
Yowch. Hate to total it up.

I guess last year I spent $200-300 on commercial reloads (G, H mostly), and maybe another $1000 on EX motors in a year. Ex only includes chems & consumables - tools are "mostly" paid for (there's always something else to get ...). $1000 in Ex gets me a lot of motors, last year maybe ~5-6 mid-sized M's included, plus maybe twice as many 54mm J-L (38mm I's mostly from leftover bits). This year who knows? I'm pretty well stocked, and we did loose one of the local a flying fields (which we hopefully will get back) - that said, I expect a similar cost.
 
My estimate is more of a guess than anything based on past purchases. Sharon and I are both planning on getting our L-2 this year, me in April and Sharon in October. We usually fly several black powder rockets at each launch, but even that has been shifting up to composite motors recently. I fly at least two "H" or "I" motors at each launch and Sharon flies one HPR load. If I get my L-2 next month, several hundred bucks will go out to fly two of my rockets on J's and K's at Spring blast. Last time Jack showed up at one of our launches we spent $800, most of which was for motors. My $2000 a year might be a little low, but it is for two fliers....
 
My Wildman Black Friday order came to $1,248.95 -- all motors.

That's more than I'd normally spend in a year.

-Kevin
 
I hope that the poll responses are anonymous and/or that my wife doesn't see this thread!

:)

-- Roger
 
More than the wife likes, but less than I want, and we'll leave it at that.

Bob
 
I'll tack a few non-hazmat on to a parts order whenever I can fit it into the budget. I try to get as much into hazmat orders as I can at the time. Usually works out to 2-3 orders a year totaling somewhere under $750. Hoping to get L1 this summer, so thats likely to go up a bit.

I generally try to keep a stock of favorite motors for specific rockets. The econojet series is always good to have on hand, and I've always gotta have some G76G/G78G's around. Once L1 I plan to purchase every load for the 29/240 case just to try them out and go from there.
 
Last edited:
Tax refund came today... I may need to alter the answer I gave to the poll. Already on Wildman's site filling the basket.
 
Salvage-1 said:
Tax refund came today... I may need to alter the answer I gave to the poll. Already on Wildman's site filling the basket.
Click to expand...

Oh thanks! Rub it in.I lost my tax refund when my kid was no longer a tax deduction. Now I pay every year. (it's only a focus on reality) I love my daughter. Sorry, it was the heat of the moment statement. I have less to work with these days.
 
Last edited:
Hmm, I may have lowballed my answer. I paid $75 yesterday for 75 C6 engines. I'll be set there for a while. I'll be getting more MPR and maybe a couple more H loads, at least until Freedom Launch. I'll probably be more in the 250-500. If I didn't have the RRC3 on my wish list, among other things, I'd probably buy more. One day I'll be able to concentrate more on motors and not rockets!
 
$400 or so I'm sure it will go up as the year moves on.


TA
 
I normally have a good stock, but need a few larger motor for this year, so a few "M" motors are now in hand
M1315, M1297, M1230 and a M650., but not done yet working on a N800 and a N5800.
 
As others have said, mine is more of a guess. Last year was a lot of 24mm and 29mm besides my normal use of 18mm. I see more 38mm this year and since I have already used (2) 54mm I think they will see some more use,
I have a nice smaller stash of 24mm and 29mm as well as 18mm but for me it seems difficult to get a good stash of 38mm and54mm so those will probably be spot buys from launch vendors.
 
There is an Irish drinking song called "Nancy Whiskey". It talks about a young lad being waylaid by whiskey and the pursuit and consumption thereof. We rocketeers should have our own song called "Nancy AP".

I plead temporary insanity as I'm crazy about that stuff.
 
Last year I spent $250-449, but this year I'm planning on burning $500+

Alex
 

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