Hey, first time poster… I’m on a budget for my first build into a range of $200-240… These are my plans for the build, can anyone help me perfect these plans before I buy… Also, can anyone tell me if I need to program my esc… Parts 270kv 1820w (24v, 75amp) - 38.99 from eBay Zippy 3S 5000mah 20c - 62.00 2S-4S lipo balance charger - 10.00 Small Transmitter/receiver - 16.00 from eBay 120 amp esc - 65.00 from eBay Pulley motor mount kit - 20.00 Wattmeter - 15.00
I’m just gonna say, I was in the same boat as you, same price range and same age. DO NOT cheap out on parts thinking you will upgrade later, unless later is the same day the cheap parts arrive, you will be disappointed. I did the same thing and to get a working board after buying all cheap parts it ended up costing me around $900. My advice to you, up your budget to atleast $350 and get some decent parts, just my two cents
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Buy a meepo ^^
Save your money and build when you got a little more 
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for that price honestly there are boards out there already made that probably would be better than anything you can make at that price range, Meepo or Ego2 with 29t pulley mod. I dont want to discourage you but you want quality stuff remember Hospital bills will cost you or your parents a hell of alot more when the parts break than just starting with quality
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I guess I’ll get to saving a little more and get quality parts… Do you think that I could buy parts like meepos $50 esc and it be quality?
I would look at this thread. http://www.electric-skateboard.builders/t/low-guidos-how-to-build-the-cheapest-but-still-good-esk8-video/23449
Yeah I don’t wanna crush your dreams but you’ve got some saving to do. Fact is you’re probably gonna end up spending more than 250 on tools alone.
And even at that budget the completes you can buy are more like toys than vehicles.
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I already have the board, and wdym by tools
Spot welder, soldering iron, drill, heat shrink, wire, connectors, wire strippers, assorted nuts and bolts…
He won’t need a spot welder if he’s using lipos, soldering station can be had damn cheap (https://hobbyking.com/en_us/soldering-station-with-adjustable-heat-range-us-warehouse.html). If you buy everything from hobbyking, it won’t cost that much (of lower quality, though).
Glad to see you started a thread and are getting almost the same feedback I gave in live chat, good to know my finger is on the pulse
Tools wise you just need wire strippers and a decent soldering iron (really low wattage super cheap ones don’t do a good job when dealing with heating up thick cables and connectors we need to use 12AWG wire or thicker, you’ll think you’re doing something wrong but your soldering iron just sucks). The wire, xt-90 connectors, solder, solder wick are extra little bits that add to cost people don’t usually think of, but you don’t need any industrial tools to do a basic build (screwdriver, wrench, regular toolbox stuff works fine).
I haven’t tried the meepo although @kieraneboard offered to send it assuming I would pay to cover it if I didn’t hate it, but not having a lot of disposable income myself it wasn’t worth it since I already have a working esk8 setup. That said from watching videos on it and reviews so far it seems like a good option for people on a budget who want to get into this without climbing the mountain of building your own. If you like to build and want the experience of putting it together yourself there is value in that especially when it comes to maintenance and upgrades, if you just want the thing then would shop around there are cheaper ways than doing it yourself.
One other thing I didn’t see posted yet here is to also keep in mind some cost for safety gear. At a bare minimum you must wear a helmet, chances of something going wrong are high, you are depending on a radio controlled device to not fail in any way in order to avoid brain damage or death. When you buy cheap components one of the things that will be skipped most likely is quality control/assurance (QC or QA) where the things are actually tested after they are made, and they are made up of components that also likely didn’t have QC/QA.
Just keep in mind typically you get what you pay for. Heed @GrecoMan 's advice too all of us try to save money because we are price conscious consumers but in this case if you buy cheap you pay twice (or more until you decide to buy better components).
I would jump on the ‘get a meepo or more $$’ bandwagon…but if you really want to build it…
^ 3s probably won’t break 10mph.
I’d suggest at least going for a 6s battery… 120a esc might be overkill for that setup… I’d maybe hold off on the wattmeter and get a smaller ESC and use the $$ for some bigger batteries (or maybe a 63mm motor, if you’re not using a sensored ESC)
Honestly the ego2 is $300 right now, you’re not gonna build a more reliable board than that for that money. Assuming you’re on the lighter side it’ll do 14-15mph and get 15-18miles range. It’s 7S3P Panasonic NCR18650PF, the motor is 160kv. The motor and belt cover make it practically indestructible. You can later replace the stock ESC with a vesc and it’ll do 17-18mph easy with everything else the same.
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I tried to make a board in middle school, and by the time I got through on this forum, I realized that you have to invest in the parts in order for a decent and semi-long term solution. It ended taking just over $850.
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Save up and read its worth it
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Yeah you need to be carefull with buying cheap parts. Just make sure your motormount and pulleys aren’t shitty cheap one which will break or bent after 10 rides. The 120A 6S esc is very good for it’s price I should really recommand that. Take a look on ‘Banggood’, they have the same items cheaper then you mentioned on ebay. Also the mini remote is a good deal (also on banggood). As a motor I should buy the SK3-280Kv from hobbyking and also buy the batteries from hobbyking: https://hobbyking.com/en_us/turnigy-5000mah-3s-20c-lipo-pack-xt-90.html?___store=en_us
@bartroosen12 wow thanks! I have since changed the budget to $350… This can buy me a vesc instead of the esc. With that hobby king link u have saved me $16! I don’t really trust those banggood esk8 transmitters since such a low price…can u prove me wrong?
$350 is an E-Go2 and half a vesc…
It’s not alot but it’s what I’m working with
I’m saying it’s the perfect amount for an E-Go2