I agree!
I get motors here from a salvage yard for 14 cents lb. Maybe I paid $3-$4 for a motor I fly now.
This motor makes power, all I did was take out the armature and use a sawzall to cut 4 flat sides and put 4 round Neos on it, put it back in and I get power
I consider this to be a very bad job that I did, cuts are not very flat or even, magnets were not mounted very well (I expected to take them back out), large air gap because of large round neos (about 1 3/4"-2" round), etc.. But it is working pretty good anyway.
Total cost, maybe $4 for motor, about $4 each for the magnets, total $18!
I cut the currant blades from a 35gal plastic barrel that cost me $6 and I can make more sets from same barrel so maybe $2 for the blades.
I am very happy with my $20 wind gennie
Since this was my first working gennie I let it fly as is only changing the blades often trying new things. Had I done a better job and used the correct type magnets I am certain I would get much more power. This is a hack job, and it worked anyway.
You can do the same thing with a hacksaw and the right motors and magnets. Probably a much better job on your first try than this one I fly. I really chopped this thing up. Bad working conditions, in a hurry, not even a decent vise to hold it in as I cut it.
I had taken 3 armatures into machine shops to have them done before I built this one, each one was ruined at the shops. One would lock up when installed in the motor, I think they bent the shaft, and other problems with the others. That's why I hacked up the one that works myself, I was desperate to build someting that would fly, and it works too.
I think Jerry said he liked 110V 1 HP motors the best and posibly not need wires messed with, not sure. Mine is a 220/440 motor at 1/4 hp and I did nothing to the wires inside it.
I have an exact same motor I am saving for other magnets and will do a better job on it, see what it does compared to this one, then rebuild this one.
Look for decent heavy motors from equipment, old banding machines, air compressors, shop machines etc.. need not be large just built well type heavy. I know Jerry likes the 1hp garbage disposel motors pretty well as I recall. I have not got to do one of those yet though.
I think motor conversions are probably the fastest, easiest, and cheapest to do. They will make power if done right, maybe not always as much as the daul rotor types, but far cheaper. And I think some of Jerry's have gotton pretty close to some dual rotors maybe.
I plan to build both types, allot of motors because they are so cheap, small, and fairly light. Some dual rotors because they look like fun and make allot of power, but cost allot also. And they look cool too.