What is a brushless motor, and why is it marked as a good thing? Are “brushed motors” common?
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A brushless motor is driven by an electronic device generating alternating current, which energizes electromagnet coils around the motor in sequence to continuously pull it around. It relies on a measurement for the rotor’s current position. A brushed motor is a simpler design where alternating current is generated by engaging with sliding contacts over pads on the rotor. As it turns, the “brush” slides over a new pad and breaks contact with the previous one, causign the motor turn a bit more. This is worse because there is wear and heating from the rubbing as well as radio and acoustic noise form the rapid switching and jerky movement. But a brushed motor doesn’t require expensive electronics for handling a high power.
Most cheap household appliances designed for intermittent use that need to run at high speed have brushed universal motors, such as electric mixers. Those devices that need to run for extended periods of time contain electronically driven or induction motors, for example a fridge or a fan.
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