What is a brushless motor?

A brushless motor is a category of electric motor. They differ from brushed motors in that they do not use carbon brushes to make electrical contact with the electromagnets that spin the motor’s shaft.

In a brushless motor, the electromagnets are stationary rather than spinning with the rotor. (This is the opposite configuration from a brushed motor.) Since the electromagnets do not move, no brushes are required to keep them in electrical contact.

Without any brushes causing friction as the motor spins, there’s less heat generated. These motors tend to run cooler and suffer less wear and tear than brushed motors.

Varying the electromagnets’ polarity to keep the rotor spinning requires some electronic circuits. This extra complexity makes brushless motors a bit more expensive than brushed ones. As a result, for now they’re found primarily in higher-end power tools.